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🇮🇸 Iceland /Economy & Trade

Why do women go for custom tailoring less often?

From Morgunblaðið · (4h ago) Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Icelandic women are less inclined than men to have their clothes custom-tailored or altered.
  • While men frequently opt for bespoke adjustments to ensure a perfect fit, women often settle for mass-produced garments that may not fit optimally.
  • Experts suggest that a greater appreciation for tailored clothing could lead to better-fitting and more satisfying wardrobes for women.

In Iceland, a curious trend emerges when discussing fashion and fit: men are significantly more likely to invest in custom tailoring than women. This observation, discussed on the popular podcast Dagmál by Marta María Winkel and Edda Gunnlaugsdóttir, highlights a potential gap in how clothing is valued and utilized across genders. While men readily seek out adjustments to ensure their jackets and suits fit impeccably, many women appear hesitant to pursue similar alterations for their own wardrobes.

Það er eitthvað við vel sniðinn jakka, þröngan í mittið með einhverjum svona smáatriðum, flottum tölum. Það er eitthvað sem ég væri til í að eignast núna. En ég hef ekki enn fundið jakka,

— Marta María WinkelMarta María describes the appeal of a well-fitted jacket with specific details, expressing a personal desire for such a garment but noting difficulty in finding one.

Marta María elaborates on the appeal of a well-tailored jacket, noting the desire for a flattering fit with specific details. She recounts experiences where even designer pieces required significant adjustments to achieve the desired silhouette, particularly around the waist and hips. This points to a common issue: mass-produced clothing, designed for an average fit, often fails to accommodate the diverse body shapes of women. The advice to buy trousers slightly larger and tailor them for a better fit over the hips, rather than forcing a tight waist, is a practical example of how custom adjustments can dramatically improve garment wearability.

Það hefði þurft að laga hann aftan á, um leið og eitthvað fer að kiprast að aftan þá er ekki nóg að flíkin líti vel út að framan.

— Marta María WinkelShe explains that a jacket she tried on would have needed alterations in the back, as pulling in the back affects the overall look.

Edda Gunnlaugsdóttir further questions why women, who often purchase more clothing than men, do not prioritize tailoring to the same extent. She suggests that the focus on fitting into standard sizes like 'small' or 'medium' might overshadow the benefits of altering garments for a truly personalized fit, such as shortening sleeves or adjusting shoulders. This cultural difference, where men seem more willing to invest in the craftsmanship of tailoring, presents a unique perspective on fashion consumption in Iceland. It raises the question of whether a greater emphasis on bespoke alterations could lead to more durable, better-fitting, and ultimately more satisfying clothing choices for Icelandic women.

Það er ekki sjálfgefið að fjöldaframleidd dragt sem þú kaupir í einhverri tískuvöruverslun smellpassi,

— Marta María WinkelMarta María points out that a mass-produced suit bought from a fashion store may not fit perfectly.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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