Focus On The Fit

I have been planning to pen this blog post since the Golden Globe Awards happened in January. I didn’t get it done. The S.A.G. awards came and went and added to my content perspective. Still, I couldn’t get it done. But alas the Golden Globes, The S.A.G. Awards and the Oscars have now happened. I now think the god of blogging did not allow me to finish my blog sooner because he/she knew that the true inspiration had not yet come and it wouldn’t be complete until I saw the Oscars. Fashionably speaking , of course the stars looked their best. There were a lot more hits than misses. I noticed both last year and this year, that there has been more generous use of fabric to create fashion drama than the use of skin baring or expensive jewelry. There weren’t too many shocking or amazing moments but the moments that did stand out could not be ignored. First there was Billy Porter’s tuxedo dress. I mean WOWZA!!! Regardless of how you feel spiritually, politically, or socially about his wardrobe choice, fashionably you cannot argue that this garment was an impeccable piece of art for a variety of reasons. Next, there was Regina King’s history making win as best supporting actress draped in tons of white fabric accentuating her hips and thighs without making her look large and frumpy. (That run-on sentence was on purpose. You had to hear me say it out loud to truly appreciate it. )I would’ve looked large and frumpy. Lastly but definitely not least, there was the major win for the entire Black Panther Cast. I am not referring to all of their Oscar winnings but more so the win for best costume design by Ruth E. Carter.

At In Stitches, our tag line is “we make your clothing a reflection of YOU.” Our highest priority is to capture the desired essence which matters most to our clients so they can shine more than the garments they’re wearing, because of the garments they’re wearing. This is why we’ve selected the above as true winners of the oscars. All 3 captured the key elements of a tru fitting garment. That is, a garment that fits i more ways than simply not falling off or conversely being too tight.

Billy Porter’s dress would’ve been amazing whether it were worn by a man or a woman because the wearing fit and the fashion fit were on point. It featured lucios velvet. The bodice fit perfectly and the waistline hit at his true waist. The skirt was full without looking lumpy and was hemmed to perfection. It’s silhouette pointed upwards enhancing his posture and face. Regina King’s dress was white. Normally if a dress is white it’s full on bridal poofy or it’s slimming and skimming so as not to make the wearer look boxy and bloated. King’s dress featured a perfect balance of skin vs fabric coverage. The off center split was high and gaped just enough to create a focal point at the fuller part of her legs instead of the skinny chicken leg portion we all have. The control of fabric using pleats at the waist and hips added to artistic design without defaulting to the traditional princess and waist seams. The pleats gave her more hips than she usually appears to have without giving her a saddle bag look. The overall silhouette pointed to her face but in this case that wasn’t the most stunning feature. The major win was the neckline. Kings dress proved that when a neckline is placed at just the right height, shoulders can be sexier than revealing cleavage. Lastly , Let’s look at Ruth Carter’s whole costuming situation. She won because she designed all the costumes in a way that truly reflected the spirit of each character and tribe. The costumes not only fit well but the functionality needed for the war scenes was built into their design. The colors, mixed textiles, and armour made the viewer forget that these were some of our favorite actors and made us believe that Chadwick Bosman was really a king of a place we wanted to visit. We could see ourselves being these characters because they didn’t read as characters in a costume. They were people who happened to wear armour. The armour wasn’t wearing them.

Wedding and prom season are rapidly approaching. I hope to help you accomplish Oscar worthy fit and fashionability with a few fitting highlights to keep in mind when looking for THE dress (or any clothing really). I’ve also included photo examples from celebrity fashion to help you visualize the fitting concept. If you're planning to shop from your own closet, or you want to take me with shopping with you (virtually or in real life) you can send me photos or live videos and I can help you by making fitting recommendations. Learn more by contacting me via my website at www.msinstitches.com. You may also call (707)654-iSEW (4739). Happy hunting.

Fashionably yours -Ms. In Stitches