Two decades ago, RTW began its rise in the Philippines. Since then, it has become a staple in the retail market. Although in the global market RTW was a staple since the ‘50s, it was quite difficult for us to get imports back then, even as late as the ‘70s, because of the import ban. It affected the whole local retail industry. Because of this, most women always had to rely on the local seamstress and designers. But as the time passed, we became inundated with a vast array of RTW from China and abroad, not to mention the expanding local garment industry As a resuft the local fashion industry is able to give us instant gratification to satisfy our style needs.
Now, whenever we want to shop for a piece of clothing, ifs instantaneously available in any mall. The problem with mass apparel has always been the proper fit and here are some of the most common mistakes when you try to alter the fit:
When buying a pair of jeans, it is never the right length for most consumers, especially when you’re Asian. So after you buy the jeans, the most common thing to do is go to the tailor and have them shortened. The problem is that some tailors will make it appear that it has been obviously altered and the hem stitching may differ in color from the rest of the stitching in the jeans. Remember this: “A good tailor should be able to preserve the original hem.” There is a technique wherein a good tailor can do sort of like a cut and paste with the original hem of your Jean making it seem unaftered.
Another common mistake is buying blazers or tailored pieces from export overruns. Most blazers or coats have preserved stitching at the vents or pocket in order to preserve the shape when shipping and handling. The stitches are there to be taken out by the end user otherwise the fit or function of the garment will be impaired. To those men buying the designer suits: please remove the label that is loosely stitched at the sleeve—it is placed there so retailers can quickly recognize the brand for product display in the store. It is not there as a status symbol or a brand recognition. It is simply an easy way to distinguish one black suit from another without looking inside a garment. So once you have purchased the suit take the outside label off.
Some of us have ample bosoms and some of us are more blessed than others. There will be times we can buy a blouse that may be a bit snug in the chest area causing the flaps to look like they are about to explode. This is unsightly and often causes a slight embarrassment to the wearer if the button does pop. In order to avoid this, sew on a piece of Velcro on the flap and voila! You will look flawless in the chest area.
Some mistakes are just a lack of good ol’ common sense! For instance, one should do a mirror check for any VPL (visible panty lines) before leaving your home, If you do have VPL, wear a thong or a seamless panty. Another common mistake is wearing a bra whose color clashes with your blouse. Always opt for a nude color or black under dark clothing—you can be sure it will be the safe bet Once again, do a mirror check,
Another common mistake is wearing the wrong shoes. I know gladiator shoes are still in style and half boots can be worn with something other than trousers. However, get a grip! If you don’t have the fashion sense to pull it off, let alone wear it, don’t. There is nothing worse than looking at a woman trying to pull off a trend when it is obviously unsuitable and age inappropriate. Trendy shoes are for people in their 20s and early 30s. If you’re not a fashionista or have some semblance of style, you will look ridiculous trying to pull it off.
They say taste is subjective. I say so is common sense. Have you ever seen people wear foot stockings that go over the shoe? It is absolutely gross and ugly If yoU suffer from blisters and have to wear footies in your mocasins or pumps, please wear the toe stockings so they don’t peek out of the shoe. Every day I see co-workers make this faux pas and I roll my eyes because it doesn’t take much sense to see that the stocking obviously does not fit the shoe or cover your entire leg. Sometimes I even see a footie in black being worn with a brown shoe but I’m just too busy my own workload to care, so I just let it be.