Finding clothing that fits is important no matter whether you are shopping for casual weekend wear, special occasion attire, or workday uniforms. The truth is that garments which fit properly not only look better but are more comfortable to wear. When it comes to uniforms, properly fitting clothing helps present the professional person in his or her best light. It helps convey an image of professionalism and competence.
If you have any doubts about this, think of costumes used in theatre or film. Costumers often use ill-fitting clothing to create various images of the actors or actresses to evoke pity or elicit laughs from the audience. In career-wear uniforms, however, the goal is to project a positive professional appearance.
So, what should you be looking at to determine if your uniform fits properly? Try on uniforms in a fitting room with a full length mirror. Wear the appropriate undergear (body armor, for example) that you wear on the job. Inspect any garment you try on for three things:
WRINKLES
Ideally your clothes should fit without wrinkles (the kind that cannot be ironed out). Tight horizontal wrinkles are signs that a garment is too small. Loose horizontal wrinkles mean that the garment is too long.
Tight vertical wrinkles indicate a garment is too short. Loose vertical folds mean that it is too wide.
Tight diagonal wrinkles actually point to the area of the garment that is too small or needs more fullness.
HANG OF THE GARMENT
Garments should hang evenly around the body without the appearance of twisting. Center front edges should hang perpendicular to the floor and sleeves should not look as if they are skewed or twisted on the arms.
EASE
Generally, uniforms tend to be cut to fit closer to the body than casual clothing or current fashion may dictate. There should be enough of a difference between the actual dimensions of the person and size of the garment to allow room to move and perform one’s job. The best way to tell if a garment has adequate ease is to bend, flex, stretch, and move as you would if you were wearing the garment during a normal day of work.
Remember, knowledgeable sales associates can help guide you in the process of choosing your correct size for uniforms. Furthermore, they can suggest the appropriate alterations needed to achieve a professional-looking fit as well as make the necessary alterations on site. At Range Master of San Luis Obispo, our Clothing Specialists do just that on a daily basis.