What industry professionals need to know about fit versus size
According to Pattern Room, the world’s leading extensive online digital pattern library, the most common question asked by prospective clients is what the critical difference between “size” and “fit” is and how to ensure consistency is maintained across apparel offering.
“Pattern Room’s overall mission is to provide a service to the industry that helps to identify and eliminate poor fitting garments from product catalogs,” said Julia Van Der Sommen, founder of Pattern Room.
“We’ve found that during extensive conversations with sportswear and fashion design companies, a lot of time is spent iterating that size and fit are two completely different concepts of measurement, which very rarely go hand in hand.”
While “size” is defined by classes, typically numbered or lettered, into which garments are divided according to how small or large they are, “fit” constitutes the way an article of clothing hangs or moulds to the wearer’s body shape and is generally categorised by six distinctly different terminologies:
Compression fit
Compression fit largely caters to elite athletes wanting to mitigate or eliminate any drag or resistance from sporting attire. Proper compression fit wears like a second skin, with muscle definition visible through garment material.
Tight fit
Tight fit is preferred by most amateur athletes. It’s snug enough to minimise excess material getting in the way of performance, but not so tight movement or agility is affected. This fit still highlights some body tone, but it is much less specified than compression fit.
Slim fit
Across both the sportswear and fashion industry more broadly, slim fit is understood to be the fit that defines and outlines shape by accentuating features but also keeping the mystery alive. Usually we find that sporting enthusiasts and weekend warriors usually gravitate to this fit first.
Regular fit
Regular fit is the vanilla ice cream of fits; it’s true, trusted and dependable. Predictably comfortable, regular fit is your “every day” t-shirt or pair of pants. Whether they’re worn walking down the street or to a backyard barbecue (once we’re allowed to have social gatherings again!), you always know what you’re going to get from regular fit.
Loose fit
Loose fit is the near ultimate relaxation fit. There is very little garment structure at all and wearers feel no restrictions from material. Loose fit lives on the couch at home or on long-haul flights when comfort is king.
Oversized fit
Oversized fit is the ultimate relaxed fit. Very loose fitting, the garments have no shape against the body, meaning no restriction at all. This is the fit which is often used in streetwear, where shape gives way to form.
When considering fit versus size, the key for understanding is that a person will be able to wear the same size (e.g. large) in each of the six fits.
However, each will provide a different shape to the wearer (the fit), for different purposes and the sleeve length, the collar, the hem length, etc. will all be reflective of the size.
