Dear Pattern Makers,
As a relatively inexperienced sewer, I have heretofore been intimidated by the thought of sewing actual clothes that would, in a wardrobe malfunction, leave my poochy little body uncovered for all the world to see. I've never sewn any clothing articles, unless you include the three dresses I once made for my family's Jane Austen tea party (yes, my family is a bit strange, but I do adore them), but really, I think we can all agree that those didn't count.
So, upon deciding to make myself a cute spring skirt, I dug out a pattern and measured myself and began to figure out my size. I was shocked, and fairly appalled, when I looked at your sizing chart. I checked my measurements, and then I checked your chart again. Now, at Banana Republic, I pay good money to be a size 4. My Simplicity pattern told me I'm a size 14 or 16, depending on how I want my skirt to fit. Yes, I read on the instructions to "not be alarmed if I was a size or 2 bigger in patterns than in store bought clothes", but really, I think we've surpassed 1 or 2 sizes here. If I were a 6 or an 8 or even a 10, I wouldn't be too upset. But good Lord, a 16? It's too much.
This leads me to the conclusion that you are perhaps out of touch with the world today. No wonder so few people make their own clothes. It's not because they don't have time or it's too hard- it's because you make them feel like hippos! I can only imagine that the people you have making patterns are the kind of people who go to New York to become big names in fashion, but who instead end up working for you. Perhaps they are bitter about this, and that is why they would torture me so. Please, buy them something nice so they will stop hating your customers.
My suggestion to you- re-do your sizes and up the price of your patterns. I'd happily pay a few dollars more for a pattern in which I was not in the double digits.
Sincerely,
Slush the Hippo
Dratted people who make clothing anyway. I mean, come on. Audrey Hepburn was a size 8 in her day - that was just wrong.
I suppose we should be thankful we do not live in Europe, although if all of the sizes are double-digits (30s and 40s), it might make tag-shock a little less agonizing.
Which is why the only "sewing" I do these days is the surgical removal of clothing tags from my clothing. What I don't know won't hurt me..... :)
By the way, I think it's actual illegal in several states to call your body "poochy" if you can wear a size four in anything! ;) LOL!