Let's talk lagenlook proportions!

Hi all, this week we're talking about proportions in lagenlook styles. I really hope you all find this helpful and/or amusing depending on how it goes.
As I said in the video please leave any tips or tricks or rules of thumb you use for creating balanced looks in the comments.
Links for the mentioned patterns are below
my measurements for reference:
Height 5'3"
weight 138 LB
bust 38"
waist 34"
hips 39"
Tina Givens Zelda slip dress
sewtinagivens.com/zelda-tg-p3...
Elizabeth Suzanne Harper tunic
elizabethsuzann.com/collectio...
My instagram:
/ therealbigsewalong
My ko-fi:
ko-fi.com/thebigsewalong93302

[@maritzakincaid4303]

Great video! So many things i never thought about. Thank you!

[@sewmuchknitting2469]

Such great information on a topic that is rarely discussed. Thanks for the deep dive into proportions, lots of food for thought 👍🏻❤️

[@thebigsewalong]

thanks Patty 🤗

[@karolmolpus9536]

Dress to feel good and look good for Yourself!

[@thebigsewalong]

always!! 🤗

[@majenamafe5221]

Thank you very much for your info and perspective. I've been sewing for years and now enjoy ditching patterns and drafting my own, and many have the lagenlook look!... I too have been confused by the recommended proportions of fitted garments applied to more flowing styles and the resulting boxy styles. But now I'm inspired to get out my tape measure, measure which ones have worked, and be more firm with the numbers of where I like my sleeves to end, the width of the neck etc instead of winging it on every make. I really like your videos and look forward to them each and every one. But this has been a game changer for me. So merci merci xxxx and very happy sewing

[@thebigsewalong]

Wow thank you so much I'm really delighted that you've found this helpful!🤗

[@AussieTracy]

Oh boy I am short (5'3) so if the theory of no cropped pants or jeans not touching my shoes is correct I'd better just wear my knickers in public 😂 I say wear what makes you feel good no matter what the rules are. WE are individuals for a reason. I love your style of clothing 🌸🐨🌸

[@thebigsewalong]

Agreed!! thanks Tracey 🤗

[@christinebush3343]

YES!!

[@karolmolpus9536]

Excellent 😊❤

[@karensmith1367]

Great information!

[@zoec4972]

❤❤❤

[@attedragon]

Best tip ever for reducing fullness around the bottom width! (Zelda pattern). I do sew TG patterns a lot and this has always been a problem! Also great info on oversized sleeve openings. Thank you!

[@thebigsewalong]

OMG It's because of TG that I finally figured this out. I love her styles but a lot of them are just waaaaay too wide at the hem for me. I'm glad you found this helpful! 🤗

[@leslietascoff9784]

🤣 I agree! I don’t care if short pants make me look shorter. I like the way they look and they make me feel good. Long pants make me feel sloppy and yukky. When you sew your own clothes you get to make your own rules. 🤣

[@thebigsewalong]

Yes!! My Clothes, my rules!! 😂

[@alanna7782]

Some great thoughts on fit and feel! I love any guidelines that emphasize no rules!

[@thebigsewalong]

ditto on the "no rules" !🤗

[@christinem281]

Great philosophy Gini, I like the Merchant and Mills tag line ‘Clothes not fashion’…wear what you feel comfortable in! I love your style….thank you for another interesting video. Hello again from London…it’s been very wet here!

[@VTheYo]

The older I get, the more I realize my “fashion” is what I feel like makes me happy and comfortable and makes me feel like me!!!!!!

[@thebigsewalong]

Hello London! we have been having the most beautiful springlike weather here so I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop 😂I also love the MM philosophy. They've been an inspiration to me since they came on the scene. Thanks so much for watching

[@charlottemccaig578]

Great info! Especially the shoes. To me any woman who is trying to balance a figure needs to pay more attention to footwear. Especially for an inverted triangle or apple shape. As a very tall woman (I'm 6'2") I have to be careful about hem lengths as well. There's a fine line between cropped length and pants just looking too short. I almost always wear a wide leg that's cropped and even a tulip shape I try to get above ankle. This looks more intentional and less like my pants are just too short. One leg shape nearly every woman needs to avoid is a palazzo pant. Everyone tends to look shorter including myself...and my legs are long! The biggest problem with lagenlook/oversized clothing boils down to 1 things, women wear clothing that is too tight. Whether not admitting a size or just wishful thinking, women do not buy the right size clothing. Nobody is going to ask you what size you are wearing when clothing fits properly but they will judge you when clothing is too small. Even when sewing...I've seen many women make TSW Swing Top but keep taking it in to the point it's no longer even close to the design. Why buy the pattern? The designers have a reason behind the cut and ease of each design however, those who don't properly grade patterns end up with badly fitting plus sizes. That's when necks get huge and armholes hang down too far, biceps don't fit correctly, not enough room for breasts, etc. I end up doing a cheater bust adjustment because I don't like darts but keep in mind most patterns are made for a B cup and so are rtw garments. As with most things in life confidence is key. If you feel good in your clothing you wear then it will show. If you let the clothing wear you then you will never look good.

[@thebigsewalong]

thank you Charlotte!!! I knew you would come through with info for the taller ladies and really helpful info it is!!🤗🤗🤗

[@janfranklin2114]

Very helpful. I love the lagenlook but struggle with feeling overwhelmed in fabric.

[@nan7503]

This was an inspiration for me. I remember the babydoll dress and thinking it was not your usual good look on you. I kept thinking, shorter, and definitely a shorter front angled. I agree about the shoes that for me I must have comfort and don't do the clunky because I think I'm going to trip over the clunks. Truly a great video this week. Loved the cutting info. Thanks.

[@thebigsewalong]

thank you Nan! Yeah that babydoll has been haunting me since the day I finished it 😂

[@leoniefryer4238]

Really good advice and tips! Thanks so much, I found your video very helpful.

[@thebigsewalong]

I'm so glad you found this helpful Leonie! and thank you for watching

[@cecenelson2194]

Thankyou. I’ve avoided gathers because “ they add weight”. What a great idea to use 1 1/2 times the bodice, rather than relying on the eye of the designer. Will try this the next time I find a garment that has gathers.

[@thebigsewalong]

the 1 1/2 rule is my default for gathered things, otherwise I just feel like I'm swimming in fabric!

[@robyn3349]

Thank you, Gini! Good stuff today! 💓 I love a 'cropped top' layer. I have cut off several sweaters and tops, love raw edge, too. Hi/low? for sure!

[@thebigsewalong]

Oh yeah!!! I love getting a good thrift top and cutting it down to cropped! so useful right? and row edges? any day of the week !

[@user-gp2om7ij4q]

Gini, you have helped me clear up so many questions that I have had trying to understand altering patterns for myself. I like wearing what I like to wear; I could care less about fashion trends. So I appreciate you pointing out what you like and you don't pay attention to trends either. I Have played with armholes because sleeveless aways shows the bra and it's not pretty! Thank-you for this video and I can hardly wait to get something and start playing around with alterations, especially with width!

[@thebigsewalong]

YAY!!! that makes me so happy!!

[@MelanieWesley]

Fantastic, thank you for all the food for thought!!

[@thebigsewalong]

thanks for watching Melanie!

[@sarawelder1]

Thank you! some very good points.

[@mjemyers]

This is so very helpful! I have never been all that comfortable with conventional wisdom on what to wear and what not to wear. Your perspective gives me some additional ways to determine (in advance) the looks I'm most likely to love. Thanks so much! Martha

[@thebigsewalong]

thanks for watching Martha!🤗

[@deb.m.7458]

Ginnie, great video and needed. We all want to creatively express ourselves through clothing, fabrics and sewing. Unfortunately, sometimes what we want to achieve is unflattering or doesn’t work. Yet, someone with a similar body type looks great. This guidance really helps. You look great in larger dresses. I look frumpy and can’t pull it off. It never occurred to me that it could be the proportion. Love your look❤

[@thebigsewalong]

that's funny Deb my good friend Susan is about my size and she does not wear oversized things at all in fact she often says to me "I don't understand how you can wear that, it would look ridiculous on me" I think it's proportion and personality too, to a certain degree. thanks for watching Deb!

[@deb.m.7458]

Ginnie, I’m your height. I thought you are taller because you look so great in your lagenlook style. You are doing something right :-)

[@Craftytutu]

Another great video, I learn something new every time. I’m not particularly short (5’6”) but I have a long torso and short legs so I sometimes find it tricky getting proportions right. I think that’s more to do with the way I see myself though 🤔

[@thebigsewalong]

The way we "see" ourselves is a whole other can of worms!! 😆

[@Craftytutu]

@@thebigsewalong that’s very true. I see myself as a barrel on legs 🤷🏼‍♀️ 🤣Always have,even when I was young and slim. I don’t follow any “rules” for bodyshape, age etc. I just wear what I feel good in. I do prefer to go for a slightly edgy look and hairdo though, so I at least look like I’m making a bit of an effort 😄 💞

[@k3of5ks]

Another great video. I appreciate you!

[@sewonsister]

Thank you. I learned some things!

[@mrsfossie]

Very informative. Thankyou.

[@BethS-LA]

Gini, your philosophy is an excellent way to think about clothes. I remember when Pulp Fiction came out & Uma Thurman's cropped pants & shirt looked so weird and fresh and disproportionate and wearable, so yeah, "Training The Eye." (And thank you, I really appreciate the tips about armhole depth & neckline width. )

[@thebigsewalong]

thanks Beth, OMG everything about that movie seemed so "out there" back then didn't it? 😂

[@MsSparky321]

Good topic. Thanks.

[@ellenyoungbluth7696]

I look forward to learning from you!

[@thebigsewalong]

thanks so much Ellen 🤗

[@rachels8857]

Another great video 🎉😊

[@judithritner9696]

Hi Gini, so good to see you😊. I loved this video, and it helped a lot. 🤗 I too am 5’3”, but have a long torso and short limbs. I have found that tops that fall below the crotch line make my legs look longer. Also having the shoulders and sleeves a bit trimmer helps my arms look more proportional. I also like 3/4 sleeves, most long sleeve tops just make me look more bulky. I think that TG mentioned that a slightly more fitted top with about 3/4 sleeves would work better for shorter women and those like me who have shorter arms, and I find that to be true for me. Dropped shoulders and too much ease in the bust/under arm area can also make me look bulky. All of your instructions on altering a pattern and guidelines for adjusting them based on your own measurements, like neckline and armhole length, are just what I needed. Once I make notes on these measurements it will be such a help fitting patterns, and altering thrifted clothes. Your photos are great and help make your suggestions very clear. Thank you again for all your research and preparation for this topic. ❤️ It I agree 100% with you, I want my clothes to be comfortable and pleasing to MY eyes. 😊

[@thebigsewalong]

thanks for your comments Judith, there's another viewer who mentioned she has a longer torso so I'm hoping she can benefit from your experience. I can see how a drop shoulder wouldn't work as well if you have shorter arms but that's something I hadn't really thought about. thanks so much for always being here Judith! 🤗

[@venuscruz6075]

I love loose clothing, and I am short. Love to wear dresses longer.........even though who ever says I should not.....but I do know that they make me look heavier.

[@thebigsewalong]

If you love what you wear you will always look good 🤗

[@leslietascoff9784]

Not to sound like a creepy stalker. I was looking at a lot of different things that you’ve made to get some inspiration. It looks like you have long legs. 😎

[@thebigsewalong]

well that makes me happy! I've never thought of myself as having long legs but I'll take it!!🤣