One of the questions we are asked most often when working with the Sure Fit Designs Dress Kit is: "Why does my fitting sloper feel so snug?"

Why the Fitting Sloper Has Minimal Ease

The Dress Kit sloper is designed with wearing (fitted) ease rather than design ease. This allows the sloper to fit close to the body so that drag lines, wrinkles, pulling and excess fabric become clear indicators of where adjustments are needed.

These fitting clues guide you in achieving a personalised sloper that reflects your unique body shape. Once the fitting process is complete, you have an accurate foundation pattern that is ready for designing.

Remember, the sloper is not intended to be a finished garment. It is a fitting tool that provides the foundation for every design you create.

Understanding Ease Allowances

Before we look at design ease, it's important to understand the two types of ease used in garment construction.

Wearing (or fitted) ease is the amount of extra fabric required in a garment to provide general comfort, movement and mobility. This is the ease built into your Sure Fit Designs fitting sloper.

Design ease is any additional fabric added above the wearing ease to create different garment styles and silhouettes. It is this extra ease that determines whether a garment is fitted, semi-fitted, loose or oversized.

The following table provides a useful guide to typical ease allowances:

These measurements shown in the table are intended as a general guide. They are not fixed rules, but rather a starting point when deciding how much design ease to add to your pattern.

Designing Comes After Fitting

Once your sloper fits correctly, the fun begins!

At this stage you begin creating your garments by deciding how much design ease to add to your pattern.

Design ease is the additional room added beyond the fitted sloper. The amount you choose is determined by the style you want to create and how you personally like your garments to fit.

Some people prefer garments that are close-fitting and tailored and are happy to use only the wearing ease already built into their personal fitting sloper. Others prefer a softer, more relaxed fit and choose to add design ease on top of the wearing ease.

The beauty of the Sure Fit Designs system is that you are in control. Your personal fitting sloper becomes the foundation from which you can create everything from fitted garments to loose, flowing styles simply by varying the amount of design ease you add.

A Simple Way to Determine Your Preferred Ease

One of the easiest ways to determine your preferred amount of design ease is to measure a garment that you already enjoy wearing.

Choose a garment with the fit you love and measure the bust, waist and hip circumferences. Compare these measurements with your fitted Sure Fit Designs sloper. The difference between the two will give you an excellent guide to the amount of design ease you naturally prefer.

For example, if your favourite blouse has an extra 12 cm at the bust compared to your fitted sloper, you'll know that you enjoy a garment with a looser fit. You can then use that measurement as a guide when designing future garments.

This approach removes the guesswork and helps you create clothing that reflects your own style and comfort preferences.

Remember: Fit Is Personal

One of the greatest advantages of the Sure Fit Designs system is that it gives you complete control over the final fit of your garments.

Your personal fitting sloper provides an accurate foundation that has already been adjusted to your unique body shape. From there, you decide whether your garment will be fitted, semi-fitted, loose or unfitted simply by adjusting the amount of design ease you add.

There is no single "correct" amount of ease. The amount you add will depend on the style you are creating, the fabric you are using, and how you personally like your garments to fit.

A perfectly fitted sloper is your foundation. Design ease is where your creativity and personal style begin.

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