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Bespoke fashion is an investment, but it’s worth it

by Julie Goodwin, / Tuesday April 23rd 2019


Bespoke fashion an investment - olive jacket - Julie Goodwin Couture Melbourne

 

Bespoke fashion is an investment, but a worthwhile one. We’re all guilty of taking our wardrobes for granted from time to time, but when you understand what’s involved with bespoke fashion, it’s easy to slow down and appreciate a piece of clothing – and really see it for what it’s worth.

Patience is a virtue when it comes to bespoke fashion too. It takes time, but good things do take time, and it’s why investing in bespoke fashion will cost a little more than your average ‘off the rack’ garment.

For a tailored jacket for example, I take at least 20 basic measurements, and that’s just the beginning. I also take into account the shape of each curve of the body, because some women stand straight, some stand with a forward lean, and some arch back – and posture affects the fit of a garment too.

 

Pattern for blazer

 

I also consider the slope of a woman’s shoulders, her chest width (not just bust size), and the curve of her hips and bottom – because no two bottoms are the same! Every woman also has different arm lengths, wrist widths, and biceps sizes, as well as the distance between the shoulders and waist, and the waist and hips. Its no easy feat taking a whole body’s worth of measurements, and it’s not a simple maths equation, but this is what makes bespoke fashion so special.

Each and every measurement of a woman’s body needs to be perfected carefully and slowly, and consciously designed into the garment. We all have different hips, different heights, different busts, and different bodies, which means our wardrobes should be completely different.

 

Black blazer on mannequin

 

When the female form is involved (and I should know, I have one), measurements are as unique and personal as the woman I am fitting, and her clothes should be exactly the same. It may sound like a long and painstaking process to some, but to me, it’s part of the magic of it all.

When measurements comes to life in the form of good fashion, and I watch a woman’s face light up as she tries her finished garment on for the first time – it makes every millimetre and every minute worth it, for the both of us.
– Julie Goodwin


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