Philosophy

Want to know more about CustomFit’s “Secret Sauce”?

(See also: This is amazing!  I’ve never had a sweater fit so well before!  How does CustomFit do it?!)

The short answer is: I’ve spent the past several years helping thousands of women all over the world understand how to create sweaters they love to wear, and I’ve baked that experience into CustomFit’s behind-the-scenes action.

The longer answer is: Getting a sweater you love to wear is not just about “the math” (being able to alter patterns to line up to your body measurements)…it’s also about understanding how clothing can alter the appearance of your shape. (If want to know more, I teach classes (both in person and online), I’ve written a popular book, and my ravelry group on knitting sweaters you love is thousands-strong.) And as anyone who’s taken one of my classes knows, you can’t tell what shape your body is just from your measurements.  So CustomFit can’t make recommendations about hem-length or neckline-shape for your body. Those choices are up to you (a full set of hem lengths are taken when you enter your body measurements, and specific things are decided each time you make a sweater)

BUT, we can get a lot of information about your body from your measurements, and make a lot of great decisions about fit based on how your body measurements relate to each other.

Our guiding principle is that fit isn’t just about size and measurements.  It’s also about balance and proportion.

What does that mean?  When we feel uncomfortable about one part of our bodies, it typically isn’t about size. It’s typically about that part of our body being out of balance with other parts. For many people, “flattering” is synonymous with “balanced”.

The great news is: clothing can create the appearance of balance if you want it.

So, for women who have dramatic differences between hip, waist, and bust measurements?  CustomFit builds in ease to soften that shaping to give a more moderate hourglass appearance.  For women who have very little differences between hip, waist, and bust measurements?  CustomFit builds in (appropriate) shaping.

But that doesn’t always mean forcing the garment to a moderate hourglass shape!

It’s all about having the right amount of ease in the right place, for your body.   And because CustomFit designs a sweater for your body, and only your body…the ease in the hip, bust, waist and shoulder area can all be independent of each other, to create a perfectly flattering fit all around.

A couple of interesting things to keep in mind, which are sometimes counter-intuitive when looking at set of garment measurements:

  • Some positive ease in the waist is very flattering.  (If your sweater is tight against your stomach, it gives the impression that your sweater is too small.)
  • A snug fit in the bust is really quite flattering.  (Really!  It gives the visual impression that you fill out your sweater nicely.)
  • Sometimes, it makes sense to have a couple (or even several) inches of positive ease at the wrist, even for a tapered sleeve! 

…Yes, we know the sleeve is bigger at the bottom than it could be, but that ease actually gives the appearance of a straighter and more balanced arm shape. (If there’s a big difference in the circumferences of your sweater’s bicep and wrist, the eye will naturally focus on that difference. A little ease is a powerful thing.)

These are just a few examples of how CustomFit uses ease in its “secret sauce”…to create a perfectly flattering fit for your body.

So, the first time you look at garment measurements CustomFit suggests for you…they might not be what you’re used to seeing.   We think that’s probably a good thing!

You’re used to seeing sweaters with standard sizing.  Most of us have sweaters we loved to knit, and hate to wear, stashed in our closets.  So, what we’re used to seeing hasn’t really been working, has it?

CustomFit is something completely new…designed to give you a sweater you love to knit AND love to wear.   Every. Single. Time.

Want to see how this philosophy helps women of all shapes and sizes look gorgeous in their CustomFit sweaters? Check out our gallery of awesome.

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