Part 5: Choosing a Size

[@Sheri...]

Mentioning fitting for women who sit in wheelchairs all day is so refreshing. Thank you.

[@karenb7874]

Thank you so much for acknowledging seated or wheelchair users for pants fitting.

[@hotlittlepot]

I make patterns for a living, do fittings for a living... and this method is a revelation! Thank you so much for taking the time to make these video tutorials!!

[@tracys.5143]

You are doing an excellent job explaining everything, well done and thanks!

[@libbyheeren]

I feel so seen in all of your considerations around lower body shape and movement! Thank you so much. For anyone out there who has never checked their hip measurement while seated, I find it soooooo important for me! Might be a revelation for you, too!

[@PermaPen]

Yes, my 'athletic thighs' were a sizing-revelation! It hadn't occurred to me that they had global sizing implications, not just local ones - even as I noticed my front thighs always pulling. Doh. I have my waistband ready, pattern cut out, trouser-ish fabric selected... I'm looking forward to seeing how my results compare with my 'adjusted over the years' basic trouser pattern.

[@libbyheeren]

Ample thigh owner here, too :D Hope you got on well!

[@InTheStudioWithMyrna]

Have you studied Lynda Maynard's book DeMystifying Fit? It is top down center out for upper garments hanging from the shoulders. When I first read it, I figured that the waist and crotch were similar to the shoulder and underarm and I really wanted her to come out with a pant book based on the same premise... which this appears to be. Another series of videos like these very excellent ones on that method would be fabulous. It revolutionized my sewing to where I am almost always successful and when I'm not, it's typically the fabric factor or a different style I tried and wanted to have work but wasn't best for me. FYI in case you hadn't heard of it.

[@ithacamaven5476]

Using gravity (the “hang” or the “drape”) is a well established principle of garment fitting. What is very different about #TopDownCenterOut is that there is no comparison to a sloper for pattern adjustments or need for an assessment of figure issues. The reason for this is that the same fitting issue or drag line can be resolved with multiple different pattern adjustments. The optimum way depends on the unique combination of body and pattern. In this view, the shoulder seam of a bodice is not equivalent to a waistband, it is more similar to the pant inseam, they both start at a point in space (neck point or crotch point) and the seam line travels to the circular garment edge (armhole or leg opening).

[@InTheStudioWithMyrna]

@@ithacamaven5476 Yes - one paragraph is not enough to explain Lynda's system which has a lot in common with TDCO.

[@monicakim9143]

Oh my god I am prominent quad body type and I have never ever had a pair of pants or short that fit. I am so excited about using this technique to make a pair of pants

[@deerpark]

6:05 thank you!!! This is me. I’m not on the chart at all with the pattern I’m looking at.

[@karinbaird2499]

Thank you so much for including wheelchair sewists❤️More tips for us seated people always welcome. I find it changes where my knee to hem part is. How I want my pockets to open …. All the things😄

[@Sheri...]

I get it about the pockets issue. My Mom is wheelchair bound and her shopping lists are always falling out of her pocket.

[@angiesvoice]

I have a protruding belly AND anterior pelvic tilt AND I spend most of the workday sitting. I may just once try going up TWO sizes to start!

[@ithacamaven5476]

I might advise being cautious here and following the directions exactly as outlined in the article as it is easier to make a smaller crotch/inseam bigger than to make it smaller. You are aiming to get the balance between body depth and body width right for your body regardless of how the pattern balances these two parameters.

[@laurenchasey]

Thanks for the excellent video! I have very narrow hips so my waist size is 3 sizes larger than my hips. What should I do in this instance? Thank you!

[@thecrookedhem]

I cover that example in the next video in the series, Part 6. If you watch Part 6 at the 4m19s mark, I walk through an example. But the short answer is that you can also choose your size based on your waist circumference, then decide how much to remove from the hips during the fitting stage.

[@ithacamaven5476]

Another way to think about this is that if one chooses by waist in this example, one has to be prepared to size down in the crotch curve. If one chooses by hip size, then one will size up in the waist area (which may be blended down the entire outseam). Often people find it easier to size up in the crotch curve rather than the other way around.

[@d.m.6142]

Does this sizing guidance still apply if your waist is 2 sizes smaller than your hips? I used TDCO to fit some pants and while the crotch fit great I ended up with a lot of extra fabric around the waist using my new hip size. Is grading from waist to hip then applying the TDCO principles an option?

[@thecrookedhem]

The guidance to add 0.5 to 1 inch to the side seam applies if your waist is the same size as your hips or any number of sizes smaller. My waist is also 2 sizes smaller than my hips, and indeed I do end up with lots of extra fabric around my waist when I fit the toile, but that's intentional. When I'm fitting, I will pin out all that excess fabric by taking from the side seam, and/or the darts/pleats to customize the circumference at the waist for my body. TDCO recommends that we do this editing when the toile is on the body because that ensures that we can really dial in the fit for our unique anatomy -- for example, sometimes I end up taking out excess fabric mostly from the side seams, but sometimes I take in the darts more than side seams, or I take in the back darts more than the front -- these little tweaks are only things I can figure out once the toile is on my body, and I wouldn't know it just by looking at the paper pattern. That's why TDCO recommends not to grade the pattern from waist to hip before fitting the toile; the strategy here is actually to make the toile bigger than you need it to be so that you can edit it down and customize the fit during the fitting stage, but not before.

[@d.m.6142]

@@thecrookedhem thanks for your response! I'll have to try fitting again and pinning out more fabric.

[@rachela3066]

this is so great. Thank you. My largest measurement is bigger than my hips,, around my thighs, do I use this to choose my size or my size or my actual hips? Assuming the larger one

[@thecrookedhem]

I would try to estimate how much extra circumference your thighs would contribute to your hip measurement if they were included, as shown in the diagram in this video. Then, take a look at the pattern you selected to see what the difference between sizes is at the hip. It's common for patterns to have 2 inches between sizes, but that is not a standard rule so it's best to look at your pattern carefully. If your thighs would contribute more than this amount, then going up one size may be the better starting point.

[@tamannarahman2776]

your videos on this are SO SO HELPFUL! i love that you included resources for those who are above usual size ranges, if you know of anything for petite sewists that would help, would be much appreciated - I'm 4'10", with 24 inch waist and 32 inch hips, 26" inseam, so fitting pants has been a nightmare and I'd pretty much given up, so I"m really looking forward to giving it one more shot with this method.....

[@thecrookedhem]

Glad it's helpful! I'm sorry that I don't know of any resources for petite sewists off the top of my head, but I have asked a few petite sewing friends and will reply back if I hear of any good ones!

[@tsafratzori8545]

Thank you for these wonderful series! I'm a bit confused- I'm very petite and my waist size is usually 1-2 sizes bigger than my hips size (which are usually of the chart). should I use my hips of my waist size when fitting?

[@thecrookedhem]

Top Down Center Out recommends that you use your hip size to choose the cutting line for the crotch and inseams. Then you use your waist size to determine how much extra fabric to add to the side seam. If your hip size is off of the size chart (and off of the nested pattern's size range), then you may need to grade the crotch and inseams up or down. Ruth Collins' article in Threads magazine (Summer 2022, issue 218) has a description of a straightforward way to grade up or down by one to two sizes, if you are new to grading.

[@ithacamaven5476]

All the relevant details for choosing an appropriate starting size are described in the flowchart diagram published in Threads magazine Issue #218. The waist size is not relevant for this consideration as you have already fitted the waistband and the toile is prepared in such a way that different circumferences can be accommodated.

[@dustycarter2729]

I love the way you say what you need to say, straight to the point with no small talk, irritating music and no theatricals with a lovely clear voice, you could give many Americans lessons. Would this work with a drafted pattern?

[@thecrookedhem]

Thanks! Top Down Center Out is designed to be used with any commercial, multi-sized pattern. I know some people have tried the method with self-drafted patterns, and it can work, but having multiple nested sizes is a huge advantage.

[@snyyng]

I’m confused about the anterior pelvic tilt. You said the top of the pelvis tilts forward in this instance. But the diagram shows the cross body line higher in the front rather than lower. I saw this diagram in the Threads magazine article too. But anatomical drawings show the front tilting downward with anterior pelvic tilt. ??? I’m so grateful for you efforts to explain this groundbreaking method!

[@thecrookedhem]

Ah, I see what you mean. I interpret the black line in these images as a representation of where the hip circumference measurement is taken and not necessarily an indication of the direction or rotation of the pelvis. I am mainly looking at the yellow, gray, and red body outlines to see the impact of pelvic tilt on body shape---this is where we can see how different the profiles are between all three postures, and how the cross-body depth can change. At the end of the day, these are hand-drawn diagrams, so if they are causing confusion, then I would recommend just using the anatomical drawings you've found elsewhere to help illustrate these postures. Hope that helps!

[@snyyng]

@@thecrookedhem Aha! Your interpretation makes sense! Thanks so much for your reply. Looking forward to your future videos.

[@donnawoods442]

Great info!👍😍

[@lauragorocica5974]

How do you tell what kind of pelvic tilt you have? Sorry if this is a basic question. Wearing heels can change you tilt

[@thecrookedhem]

My best advice would be to find some images online of bodies with pelvic tilt, and then look at your own posture in the mirror while you are standing naturally. For myself, I tried to emulate an anterior and posterior pelvic tilt in the mirror to see if I could identify the "extremes" of tilt on my body and know what they looked like. Then once I stood normally again I could figure out if my pelvis was in the middle of those extremes or closer to one of them. You are right that wearing heels can change things, so you may need to take that into consideration as you are fitting -- if you are fitting a pattern that you know you will always wear with 3 inch heels, for example, then I'd fit the pattern while wearing those heels.

[@lauragorocica5974]

@@thecrookedhem thank you so much

[@philiptipping6738]

Thanks very much for this in depth look at this process. Cheers Mary

[@thecrookedhem]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MsSparky321]

So excited to try this but wondering how to adjust to my indie pattern's 3/8" seam allowances.

[@thecrookedhem]

You can add another 1/4" to all the seam allowances to make them 5/8" if you like. For the side seams, you'll be adding more than that to get the seam allowances to 1 inch at minimum.

[@cindycoven1]

unfortunately I'm not on intagram so i can't check out what to do if your size isnt on pattern. Could you reccomend another source?

[@thecrookedhem]

I'm not sure I've come across anything else that is Top Down Center Out-specific on other platforms outside of Instagram. I will take another look around to see if I can find anything. I am kicking around some ideas for a future video that may touch on this subject, as well.

[@keljenki]

This logic, to think about bigger thighs or tummy foe fitting is a game changer for me!

[@thecrookedhem]

Me too! I recently used this concept for fitting a pencil skirt and it works so well even beyond trousers. Glad it's a helpful!

[@lyneturcotte2837]

Hi, and thank you for the great series and clear instructions. I’m often debating whether I should be choosing my size from the finish garment chart and size chart. On this same pattern From Merchant and Mills, Eve pants, if I look at the size chart and take one size higher considering hip depth and body shape, my size is 16, but when I look at the finished garment chart measurements, 14 seems enough. Which chart is it best to look at? Keep up the excellent work, it’s always a pleasure to watch and follow your shared insights!🥰

[@thecrookedhem]

This is a great question, and I think ultimately the answer is that it's up to you. It's important to understand how your choice will impact your fitting experience, though. Choosing your size based on your body measurements will mean a couple of things: First, you will be starting with the amount of ease that the designer intended for the pattern. I used to completely overlook this detail and make my own judgement call on how much ease I wanted for each design based on the finished garment measurements. There's nothing wrong with that approach, because as makers we are empowered to do whatever we want with our patterns. However, I can say from my own experience that fitting is usually a lot easier when I stick to the intended design and the intended amount of ease at the beginning, and then adjust from there (rather than making a guess about how much ease I want before trying on the toile). Second, it's important to keep in mind that the hip measurement for a certain size not only specifies how much ease we will have in the hip circumference, but it also specifies how much cross-body depth the pants will have in the crotch hooks (aka the "saddle"). To put it another way: if you make the size 14 and measure the body space inside the pants between center front and center back seams, you will have less space than if you made the size 16. So going down to the size 14 means two things -- you will have less circumference around the hips, but you will also have less cross-body depth in the saddle. Both are important for achieving a great fit. Finally, one of the philosophies of TDCO is that it is easier to start with a larger toile and then go smaller if you need to, but it's much harder to start smaller and go bigger. If you cut the size 16 and find that the hip circumference is too big, you can take in the side seams and then assess whether you like the change. If you find that the size 16 saddle has too much cross-body depth, you can seam rip the toile and re-sew the smaller crotch and inseam line of the size 14 on your existing toile fabric. To sum up, sizing down to the 14 based on the finished garment measurements may work out just fine, but it's hard to say without trying on the toile, and it will likely depend on the design. Going with the size 16 based on body measurements might give you more options as you fit, and it will allow you to start with the intended fit and then tweak from there. Hope that helps!

[@lyneturcotte2837]

Thank you for the time you took to answer. Your answer confirmed my decision, and clearly confirmed my understanding of the process. So, yes, I will size up, and work my way down. Hope the TDCO method works out for me! 🤞

[@dimitrie17]

What about making my own pattern, using my own measurements.. And after that, trying to make it fit better with the TDCO method. Is that feasible?

[@thecrookedhem]

I think you could certainly give it a try. As I mentioned in your other comment, the method is not designed to be used with self drafted patterns, but that doesn't mean it can't or won't be helpful as you are fitting. So I think it would be worth a try if you accept that some aspects of the method won't be applicable (i.e. choosing different size lines from a nested pattern).

[@dimitrie17]

@@thecrookedhem Thank you very much.There was no need to answer both my comments, but that was very nice of you. :) I commented twice just to increase my chances of getting a response back. I will give it a try and if it does not work, I will try a commercial pattern.

[@ithacamaven5476]

@@dimitrie17 Because one of the goals of #TopDownCenterOut is to streamline getting to success with making your own pants/trousers, the method as published is designed for use with a commercial pattern. The commercial pattern makes fitting easier as the cut of the garment has been established and the sewist has to customize appropriately for the individual body. Going beyond the pattern such as drafting new pant designs does require additional considerations.

[@carolynfranke6690]

May I ask if you made your top and if so, where did you get the beautiful fabric?

[@thecrookedhem]

Yes, I did make it! This fabric is a Japanese cotton double gauze that I purchased a few years ago from Drygoods Design in Seattle (sadly, now permanently closed). I'm sorry I can't be more helpful than that, but if you find this fabric elsewhere, scoop it up! I wish I had more.

[@carolynfranke6690]

@@thecrookedhem Thanks so much. And I am hanging on your every word re; TDCO: Ruth is a genius and Miriam so so generous, but in the end, you are doing the sewing world a huge service in the step-by-step approach. I have used the method 3 times now with good results with the Pukeko pants from Sewing Revival and am still refining it. So it works with knits like ponte and stretch corduroy. The Threads article, I found, did not cover the method in enough detail for such a departure from the standard instructions, that I feel many people will have questions that were not addressed. But that’s the good thing about social media. Thanks so much for your efforts and pedagogical methods.