Here’s our short guide to determining the perfect vintage clothing fit for our online patrons
Unfortunately for us vintage fashion lovers, there is no universal sizing system across all time periods to go by when shopping online. This makes going by the sizing on the vintage manufacturers’ tags a little trickier for the garments we sell.
We have found the best way to get accurate sizing/fit of a garment without actually trying it on is to use lay-flat measurements.
We provide these individual lay-flat measurements for all our garments in the listing descriptions. If manufacturing tags on the item provide a size, we will also include this in the description but we strongly recommend using the measurements provided to determine fit.
How we take measurements:
All of our garment measurements are taken laying flat. This means the garment is smooth, flat and un-stretched on a table. Bust measurements are taken straight across at armpit to armpit. Waist measurements are taken at the smallest place on dresses, tops and jackets; and, at the top waist band on skirts and pants. Hip measurements are taken at the widest part (a-line cuts may not include hip measurements.) Dress and jacket lengths are taken from the back center of the collar to the hem. Skirt lengths are taken from waist to hem. Pant lengths are taken as inseam measurements.
What these measurements mean for you:
Ideally you will determine your garment measurements from a well fitting garment you already own. Simply lay the garment flat and take the measurements as shown in the image above. If you do not have an ideal fitting garment and want to take your own body measurements to estimate, here is a guide on how to take your body measurements.
To figure out how our garment’s lay-flat measurements correlate to your body measurements you will want to double the bust, waist and hip inches of the lay-flat garment measurements (as the fabric is doubled here when laying flat). Keep in mind for most garments, especially outerwear, you will want the garment to be some amount bigger than your body measurements. This can be tricky to estimate and is why we strongly recommend using measurements from a well fitting garment to compare.
Please note: for certain garments, a lot of the fit is determined by the stretchiness of the fabric; please check details of fabric in listing to determine how close you want the garment to fit to your body measurements.
A note on bra size versus bust measurement: For bust measurements keep in mind the number in your bra size (eg 32A or 38D) refers to the measurement of your underbust (eg around your upper rib-cage below the bust) not the full measurement of your bust. Doubled lay-flat garment bust measurements from arm-pit to arm-pit should be able to contain the full measurement of your actual bust, not the number in your typical bra size.
Return Policy:
We know its a risk whenever purchasing a garment sight unseen which is why we offer a no-questions return policy. If for any reason you are unhappy with your purchase including bad fit, we are happy to accept a returns. See our full returns policy here.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for additional measurements on any of our items, we are here to help.
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