Technically Speaking
Plus-sized
Clothing Alterations
By Judith Turner
Manufacturers seem to think that just because you have a large bust, you must have wide shoulders,
long arms, and be 6ft tall. Unfortunately this isn’t the case with most plus-size women and here lies
a continual fi tting challenge for this fi gure type.In this article, Judith covers two garment types and how to alter them for a woman with an 18DD bust.
TOP
During the pattern grading process a
garment pattern will increase in width
and length, which means that the
shoulder width increases as well (a ¼in
each size). This isn’t such a problem
if you are making a top for yourself,
particularly if working with a multi-
sized pattern, because you can adjust
the shoulder width accordingly. If you
have purchased a top, this may mean
a lot of alterations to get the shoulders
fi tting correctly.The types of alterations that would be
required are:- Raising the sleeve to the correct
shoulder position - Shortening the sleeve length
- Shortening the hem length.
PINNING
Shoulder
Lift the sleeve so the seam is sitting at
the correct position at the end of the
shoulder and pin in place. Starting at the
shoulder seam, relocate the front sleeve
seam, pinning as you go, tapering off
to nothing approximately 2.5cm (1in)
short of the underarm. Repeat for the
back sleeve seam.NOTE: The sleeve-head will
not change; only the shoulder
length and armhole width are
going to be reduced.BEFORE AFTER
Natural
shoulder
positionNatural
shoulder
position