To put it simply, the fit of a garment refers to the way it relates to your body. It could be the way it drapes over your curves, the fall of the shoulders or its oversized silhouette. Have you ever walked into a store, tried on a garment and thought to yourself: this was designed for me. It’s the fit of the garment that’s the reason behind those feelings.
To understand the power of fit, we spoke to AiSPi Founder & CEO, Aisha S. Kothari. Ahead, she shares her insights into what it is, how it matters and what are the foundations of it.
The Thought Behind The Look
There’s thought and precision behind the fit of a garment. “When designers make clothes,” reveals Aisha, “there is a vision that they have in mind. Every stitch and every drape is intend-led and purposeful.”
“Before I got into fashion, I didn’t realise that those small details we might not even be aware of, help structure the look. If you translate that into your Indian wear, that’s where the dupatta, style of draping, piping, embroidery details and finishing come into play.”
“The same level of thought goes into designing western wear as well. Each tuck, seam, stitch is done to ensure the garment fits you beautifully. For example, a well fitted dress would have to be cut a certain way, stitched together at just the right places and finished to perfection.”
When it comes to western wear, there are several different categories of clothing, including high street, designer, couture, and ready-to-wear. “The higher you go up in category, at each level you will see that the designer’s purpose of adding certain details to the outfit keeps increasing. These determine its fit and make it seem like it was made for you.”
AiSPi values the power of fit by curating contemporary luxury wear. “An AiSPi-curated garment is at a higher price point than fast fashion pieces. People may assume that the higher price tag is not worth it; but it really is. The details of the garment and its fit is the reason behind the price. Our curation team focuses on finding pieces that are thoughtfully designed and make you feel like it was designed just for you.”
When purchasing a product, we often don’t think about the different aspects that go together to give it that perfect fit. Ahead, Aisha breaks down the factors and gives us her thoughts on each.
How To Find The Perfect Fit
Materials
“The first and most important aspect of fit is the fabric,” says Aisha. “Every material behaves differently–be it silk, cotton, organza, jacquard, or leather.” It determines the look, feel, and fit of a garment. “Choosing the right fabric for a silhouette is the first step towards making the designer’s vision come true.”
“The way you sew each material is different and that will determine how the outfit fits on you.”
Layers
Mixing together contrasting materials is a great opportunity to showcase your layering skills. “When you add a sheer overlay with solid materials, the glamour factor of your look goes up by several levels,” says Aisha.
“Play with layering a lightweight cotton with a heavy satin silk–it really pulls the look together and emphasises fit. You can tame a free-flowing organza dress by pairing it with leather to weigh the look down; it’s edgy and sexy.”
Tailoring
“It’s the key to unlocking the perfect fit,” says Aisha. “Tailoring can be compared to playing with Play-Doh—it helps mould the garment into the shape that the designer wants. Adding stitching along the waist, hips, neck, and other areas not only helps enhance the fit of the garment, but also give it a sense of design. Where you sew the garment defines how it will shape the material.”
Details
“Tiny, minuscule design elements can completely change the look and fit of a garment. From embellishments to ruffles to embroidery to pleats, each and every factor will change the way an outfit looks on you. And adding these is definitely going to turn your normal outfit into a statement one!”
Consider the Ilta dress. The all-over sequin treatment makes it a glamorous piece to own, but also determines its fit. On the other hand, Georgia Hardinge’s dress is designed to fit like a glove on any body (partly thanks to its material) with a knot detail that rests on your lower hips to give it that sculptural look. It’s those little things in a garment that we often don’t pay attention to that really makes it worth it.”
Aisha's Advice
“As so much level of thought goes into an outfit, there are so many possibilities of styling it in different ways to flow and fit your body. Find a video where you can see someone wearing the product. It’s a great way to see how these four different factors determine the garment’s fit onto your body while also showcasing the absolute power of fit.”
“If a product fits you well, you don’t need much more. That means it is made for you to feel confident, and that’s why we [AiSPi] focus on versatile fits. Our ethos revolves around curating pieces that actually fit in multiple different ways which increases its wearability and longevity. This way you don’t get bored of it easily. Play with layers or accessorise it to the extreme, that’s where your creativity, interacting with influencers and stylists comes in handy. Being part of this style circle helps, and if you aren’t–that’s where the AiSPi team can step in and advise you on how to use different products through their fits in multiple ways.”
Written by Amulya Misra
All images are courtesy of the mentioned brands.
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