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SHOPPING 101
CUT
OUT
FOR
YOU
Shopping could be
a lot more constructive
if you know which
labels fit your body
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2007 | SECTION E
Finding the perfect fit
We know there are as many body types as there are women. To be practical, we limited this story to six main types,
though we recognize that within each of them are many variations.
❙
●
▲
❚
◆
■
Long and lean: Women who have long arms and legs and often find pant legs or sleeves are cut too short.
Short and round: Women who are 5-foot-4 and shorter and carry some extra weight in the middle;
could also be bustier or curvier than average.
Pear shape: Women who carry extra weight or width in their hips, with shoulders narrower than hips.
Cylindrical: A solid trunk with thin arms and legs, waists are not particularly defined
and hips tend to be narrow; this is also a more athletic body.
Petite: Women 5-foot-4 and shorter, whose limbs are average or shorter length and whose frames are small.
Plus size: Generally women who wear a size 16 or higher, though sizes 12 and higher are often classified
as plus-size in designer brands.
Note: The store that carries each brand is in italics.
BRAND
HOW IT’S CUT
BEST FOR
Ann Taylor
Average proportions; plenty of separates; good petite line.
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Anne Klein
More generous than many higher-end lines, yet not boxy.
▲❚
Banana Republic
Often wide variation in sizes among different pieces.
Offers longer pants and sleeves among their selection.
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BCBG
Somewhat lean; good tops for pear-shape women who are narrow on top.
Bisou Bisou J.C. Penney
Fairly generously; longer legs and arms than many lines.
Burberry Prorsum Saks
This British line is cut quite narrowly.
Chico’s
Generously; lots of nonstructured selections.
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Charter Club
Somewhat generously.
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Classiques Entier
Reasonable proportions.
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Courtney Washington
Fairly true to size, with some extra stretch. Separates.
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Daisy Fuentes Kohl’s
Generously, especially in the hips.
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Dana Buchman
Sak’s and Dillard’s
Misses’ line is more generously sized than many other higher-end labels.
Good petite line and plus size line.
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Diane Von Furstenberg
Narrow on top, but with ease through the hips.
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Elie Tahari Saks
Fairly true fit; sometimes a little extra room for curves; lots of separates.
▲◆
Eileen Fisher
Generously; lots of unstructured pieces.
Petite line good for rounder shapes.
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Ellen Tracy
Misses’ line is more generously sized than many other higher-end labels.
Good petite and plus size lines.
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most department stores
Express
Fuller than most in bottoms.
▲❚
I.N.C. Macy’s house brand
Cut with more ease than many lines. Good petite and plus size lines.
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J. Crew
Fairly narrowly. Lots of separates; online they have a good selection
of petites and tall collections.
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J. Jill
More generous than many lines; unstructured pieces are forgiving; runs large.
■
Jones New York
Longer legs and arms than many lines.
Not terribly generous, more true to size.
❙❚
Lafayette 148 Saks
Trim silhouette; tops are good
for pear shapes.
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Macy’s house brand
Nordstrom house brand
Evelyn Theiss
Plain Dealer Reporter
H
ere’s a big difference in shopping between men and women: If something doesn’t fit,
men blame the clothes. Women blame themselves.
“It’s me! My body’s all wrong. I’m too fat,
I’m too tall, my chest is too big . . .”
Nope, it’s not you. You’re just incorrectly
assuming a size 10 is a size 10 is a size 10.
Fashion experts know that manufacturers and designers all cut their clothing lines
based on different fit patterns, which is why
a woman can wear an 8 in one label and a
12 in another. So, it pays to look for clothes
among the designers and labels who cut their
patterns to the kind of figure you have.
With that in mind, we polled four local
women in the fashion business for their suggestions on which labels best fit common
body types. They are fashion consultants
Laurie Chesbrough and Ilana Shafran; Dixie
Lee Davis, fashion director of the Fifth Avenue Club at Saks Fifth Avenue, Beachwood
Place; and Liliane Richa, a personal shopper
at Dillard’s, Beachwood Place.
We aim to help you save time — and prevent you from beating yourself up. Clip this
guide as you learn to discern which labels
and designers cut for your kind of body.
Space doesn’t allow us to list every clothing
company out there or everywhere they’re
available, but we’ve included labels that can
be readily found in the Cleveland market.
Keep this in mind, though: You only learn
by trying on clothes yourself. And once you
find the lines and labels that work best for
you, go to those first when you’re shopping.
You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised at
the consistencies in fit.
Hey, shopping may even become a positive experience.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4542
Nordstrom and Dillard’s
Nordstrom, Saks, Lush
Boutique at Legacy Village
most department stores
most department stores
ALLISON CARREY |
THE PLAIN DEALER
[ Finding the perfect fit continues on E4.]
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