I did not become a curvy woman overnight. I have been curvy my entire life. Born the child of a sturdy, healthy all-American family, I was always larger than anyone else in my class. Finding garments that fit me has always been a struggle. I have horrible memories of shopping for clothing with my mother. We found jeans to fit me in the “husky boys department.” My tops and dresses came from the women’s department. My personal style became more of a matronly tomboy look than the young girl I wanted to be. I think it was then that my dislike for clothing shopping and my love for sewing began. My mother turned to sewing for many of my clothes and I learned to sew for myself from her.
Now, I am skilled at sewing my own clothing. I am at peace with my body shape and all of its unique assets. I am still learning new ways to fit my body shape, thanks to the Curvy Sewing Collective. The curvy revolution that is going on in both the fashion world and the sewing community inspires me. Thanks to the CSC, I know that I do not need to change my body to fit the existing off-the-rack fashions! Sewing gives me the freedom to be my own fashion designer constructing garments that fit my body and reflect my personal style. This ability comes too late to save my frumpy adolescence.
Recently, a friend shared with me her struggle in finding suitable clothing for her adorable 6-year-old daughter. Suddenly, all of my childhood clothing struggles came crashing back down on me. Memories of shopping in a “husky” or “stout” department and wearing oversized flowy bright florals flashed through my mind in vivid color. This friend has a beautiful child that, because of her family genetics, happens to be more-than-average size. She is a few inches taller and bigger around than the current standard size charts. The child reminds me of me at the age of 6. This stylish little girl longs to wear the ruffled boutique fashions that are worn by her slimmer friends. She does not want to wear anything that is too long or too mature. Armholes reaching to her waist or the crotch of her shorts hanging to her knees is neither comfortable nor attractive.
This little girl is not alone.
I struck up a conversation with several other mothers, all of whom have daughters in the same age (and size) group. They assure me the struggle is real. Silly me, I assumed in today’s modern fashion there would be more options than in the late 70’s. Boy, was I wrong! My research shows that 1 of every 3 young girls is larger than the standard size chart. The Center for Disease Control released a report in 2004 showing young girls have increased over half an inch in height as well as 9 pounds. The mean size of young children is changing, while the standard size charts have not changed since the 1940’s.
This group of young people is so underserved by the ready-to-wear fashion industry. I hesitate to call them Curvy Girls because they have yet to develop curves, but I have been unable to think of another term that would be suitable and not negative. I found nothing in ready-to-wear for these little girls.
My alternative to ready-to-wear has always been to sew, so I thought I would sew something for her. I have not found any resources for sewists making clothes for young more-than-average-sized girls. While the Curvy Sewing Collective is an awesome resource for adults, there is nothing comparable for children. Through the CSC, I found multitudes of sewers out there making beautiful curvy fashions for adults. But what about the younger set? What is out there for them, or rather, the people who sew for them?
I firmly believe that Frederick Douglass was right. “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men (or women).” The one sure way to have a strong body-positive Curvy Community is to start young. If we develop positive body images in young girls they are more likely to grow up to be mature women with an empowered body image. So, where are the patterns for this demographic? Where are the inspiring bloggers, sewing for their beautiful, larger children? If you have resources, please share them in the comments. We need to start this conversation!
my little 7 year old daughter loves all the girly dresses that are available up to size 6 only … she is a size 8 now moving up to a size 9. When you look at the clothing available in her size it is more for 12 year olds and up. I don’t want to dress her older than her age. I want her to have pretty little girls dresses. It is so unfair. She is tall and curvy; still slim but a solid strong build like myself at her age. I really want to learn how to make clothes for her and for myself. I am thankful i found your site.
Hello, I read your article. Although my children are average size, I have thought about the same issue, feeling for the children deserve to dress beautifully but cannot find anything. I am developing a line of sewing patterns (I am a trained pattern maker) for plus sized children (and regular sized children, too) as I would love to see every little girl and boy enjoy their clothing.
I am currently looking for pattern testers to add to the list (the first pattern is nearly ready to test, while I am working on the other ones to be ready soon). Is anyone interested? I really want to get the fit right?
Here here. An excellent point that needed making.
As usual I thought of one more thing after I posted. The patterns in Sewing Clothes Kids Love run wide. Add to that the top pattern has multiple panels so it would be easy to add a bit more width while still breaking things up a bit.
My daughter runs the other way when it comes to this so also not always easy to fit but for different reasons. I do sew for a friends daughter who would count here though. Here are a few things I’ve done that seemed to work. Simple slash and spread on less complicated patterns. This is similar to sizing up a vintage pattern. On pattern where she fall into the chest/hip measurements on the chart but is not as tall as the equivalent I trace the larger size and adjust at the lengthen shorten lines. I’ve also converted some skirts and pants to have a soft knit yoga waist bc she finds this more comfy. Oh and last but not least meany big 3 pattern put a lot of ease in kids sizes so its worth checking finished garment measurements. Just life for adults. Hope that helps a bit. Kids clothing RTW can be so frustrating.
Thanks for your tips, Stephanie! I’m gathering tips to both use and share in the future and these are great to have on the list.
I so relate to this. I was 5′ tall by the time I was ten and found myself in “no-man’s land”: Too big for girl’s clothes and too small for women’s clothes. Thankfully I wasn’t exceptionally fashion conscious at that age, so I don’t remember being too traumatized.
I also seemed to skip over Juniors sizes and went straight into Misses since I was 5’6″ at age 12 and had curves that didn’t fit into Juniors. :/
“Curvy girls” may not be appropriate for for kids whose bodies have not yet begun to mature, but girls of all ages need to know themselves as both pretty and strong so Pretty Strong girls is my choice for a descriptor for the younger set. Let’s face it, kids learn early on what and who is pretty and who isn’t and that “knowledge weakens them. descriptors like Pretty Strong and handsome clothes made by people who love them can go a long way to counteract those influences.
Margaret, I have struggled and struggled with the proper term for these little girls. I don’t think curvy is the correct term because they are not curvy yet, they are nearly straight up and down and it can have sexual connotations that need to not be applied to these little girls. I have been unable to find a term that describes them in a positive tone.
I chime in with Ottobre too. I have a very tall girl, who has always struggled with her modesty. Dresses and skirts that are in style in the juniors departments always show her hiney when she bends over. She and I are on this sewing adventure together. Her for the length and me for the width. We are using a bunch of Ottobre patterns this year.
I need to check out Ottobre.
Absolutely! I had a step mother who was constantly telling me I was overweight and bought me clothes that were a size too big to emphasise that. (I was a size 14 or US12). She would also point at various parts of my body and tell me how unattractive I was. It too me years to get away from her manipulation and sabotage of my self esteem.
Dressmaking is the beginning of a love affair with what is, who I am now. I think that I would feel a whole lot better about myself if I could see more images of realistic body shapes, things are changing, which offers a glimmer of hope. maybe the time will come when young people will accept themselves as they are.
Boo on your step mother! I’m glad you discovered dressmaking and have developed a positive attitude. So many have not accomplished that.
AMEN!!!! I remember the “stout” section….
I’ve been sewing for curvy and very tall little girls since my now 30 + year old daughter was a toddler. As a short curvy woman I relate easily to your concerns. In the 70’s there weren’t many choices make it or make do was pretty much it. We lived in Alaska then. So for my tall curvy daughter there were no choices. She continues to have self esteem issues, she still can not see how beautiful she is and continues to wear shapeless clothing. Both of her daughters are also very tall and curvy and gorgeous. However, they do not seem to have the same issues as their mother. Is it because I learned to sew for them? I don’t know. I sew for all three of them as well as any curvy little girl who crosses my path that needs a self esteem boost. I do not sew to sell. Initially I taught my self how to alter and redraft the big four patterns. Eventually I learned to smock and do heirloom sewing. Boutique sewing came easily as girls fashions moved in that direction. I don’t generally have the option of having the girl pick the pattern or fabric. Generally, I see a longing look from a girl in public, at my grand daughters school, church, wherever and I know… I approach the parent..not the child. Most Moms of curvy girls are happy to let me make an outfit or two. Some are ecstatic. More than a few have asked me to teach them to sew this way. I do so, gladly. That is my real solution to this issue, not to make more cute dresses, but to get more people into sewing clothes for themselves and their children that fit well AND look beautiful. Not just “good’ beautiful. What a joy it is to see an 8 year old twirling around in a beautiful dress!
Penny, I think it is wonderful that you share your sewing skills with other little girls. I don’t think I realized what a struggle it really is for a lot of moms.
Thank you for the kind comment. Doing this is my fun, my joy. I have a wonderful time making these dresses and outfits.
This is a great blog post.
I was not a curvy kid, but I was very tall and proportionally built, so it was hard to find clothes that were age appropriate and fit at different points in my childhood. I even remember when I was about 6, my mother warning me not to get fat so I wouldn’t be restricted to the husky boys pants. I wasn’t horribly traumatized, but I got a taste for what you describe. Kids deserve to be comfortable in their clothes, in their skin. I’m glad you opened the conversation.
I didn’t read through every comment so I’m not sure if these have been mentioned yet, but Jalie comes in all sizes from child to adult in one package, so you can blend sizing. I don’t think it’s a perfect solution, but they have nice patterns. Also Lekala and Bootstrap have provisions for a huge range of sizes and some styles could work for girls. You’d have to do some legwork before showing those patterns to kids.
Have you seen this site? http://plussizechildren.com/plussizekids.htm
Yes, that website had been recommended to me in the Forum here at CSC. The website is very dated and I have been unable to find out what happened to this company. The garment styles are nothing close to what my little girls want. So I’m researching my options…..
Quite a few of the Big 4 companies offer some of their patterns in “girls plus” sizes. My girls and the opposite – short and very slim – but I have noticed that lots of the patterns I have bought for my girls also come in Girls Plus sizes. Simplicity patterns in particular do this, especially with the patterns aimed at tweens.
Hi Aleeah,
I can only think of:
http://seekatesew.com/?s=plus+size
She has a store with patterns that extend up from 3months to 10 years and from XXS to 3XL
I hope that helps!
You have no idea how much I relate to your experience.
Thanks for posting.
M
Thanks, M, for sharing. I will have a look at that link!
This post was a terriffic idea!! I wouldn’t be very surprised if a spinoff comes out of this. It really is an issue in the world today that needs to be addressed.
Thanks again for posting.
I have two grand daughters who are “curvy girls” ages 9 and 12. I sew for them and am teaching them to sew as well. There are patterns out there, but you have to hunt. I think the Indies have a bit more. I am just about to begin this pattern for them:https://www.lovenotions.com/shop/wrigley-raglan-2t-16-and-8-plus-16-plus I have also used the Colette Laurel pattern for the older one. In the smallest size if I just take up the shoulder seam an inch and then lower the neck a little it fits her. I just finished some elastic waist shorts for the older one as well. It is a vintage pattern for unisex board shorts – again with a few easy adjustments she has a garment she likes and finds comfortable.
Awesome, another indie girls pattern designer that I had not found. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been sewing for my daughter for 3 years now. We had such a hard time finding her anything that fit. She is of average height and has a few extra pounds. She is not slim, nor is she very heavy – but the clothes are so revealing and tight in girls now days that she couldn’t stand it. I felt so bad when she tried on 20 things and cried because nothing fit. She was convinced that week that she was fat. It broke my heart. No one should have to feel ashamed because stores do not make clothing to fit them. She loves most of what I sew – though I need to ask her opinions more often instead of sewing what I want to see her wear. She is 9 but knows EXACTLY what she does and doesn’t like! lol.
I sew from Ottobre and Jalie a lot. Some of the big 4 fit her because of the extra ease they have. Also, McCalls has plus sizes in some of their designs. Mainly I just became good at altering patterns to fit her. It all takes patience. 🙂
Hmmm, kristin, you are one of several that has a 9 year old with similar problems. I first thought about the size range 4 – 8 but it sounds like the problem goes farther than 8 year olds.
thank you so much for this post. I was that girl and I mother that girl, too! She looks just like me at the same age. I love to sew for her, and find things to refashion for her. Yesterday we tie dyed t shirts and she loved them! I want to teach her that she has the power to choose what she wants and to make it work for her. The things I have made for her, she gets a lot of compliments on. She proudly tells the admirer that “Mom made it for me”. I made her a knit maxi where I also drafted the pattern from measurements, a first for me. I use Nancy Zieman’s pivot and slide technique to alter for myself. I asked on her web page if those same type of techniques could be used for kids wear and the answer is “Yes, for anyone”! I am so excited about helping my daughter be happy in her skin and in her clothes!
Ruth, it is good to know that there are communities out there where “Mom made it for me.” is accepted. I have been in some circles where that comment is not well-received. Some little girls (and their moms) are all about the labels and the boutiques.
My daughter is into some labels, but we went to the store where she really likes the clothes and looked a prices. Then we went to the Goodwill and I showed her what she could get for the same amount of money, and that there were the labels she liked. She got over the retail experience pretty quickly!
We too live in an area where having custom made clothes is valued. I also think it makes a difference that I wear hand made clothes and have an attitude that it is better than RTW because of the fit. It has worn off on my daughter who also thinks handmade is best and tells people that. Her classmates are jealous of her because her clothes were made just for her.
Because my mom always sewed for me, I did not have the negative shopping experiences you talk about until high school. I had lovely dresses just my size, which until I went to school I did not realize was so big compared to my peers. I was so much taller, too. But I begged my mom for store bought clothes- I really don’t remember why, I don’t think anyone made fun of me about my clothes until the crazy ones I made myself in middle school! I think Toby is right that kids want what other kids have. Maybe because I never went clothes shopping, I thought it would be so great. I didn’t know what my mom was actually sparing me.
Lord, I remember ‘chubbie’ sizes as a kid, or having to wear something in a color I couldn’t stand just because it happened to fit, somewhat. : P I think that’s one more reason I sewed my kids’ clothes all during their toddler – elementary years. It also happened that styles were fairly loose fitting back then so that was less of a concern, beyond height. Neither of my kids were ‘chubbie’ but they did have definite prefs for knitwear, particular colors and my son hated non stretch waists in his pants almost until his last year in elementary.
Once they hit middle school, all bets were off, until high school age daughter wanted to cosplay. 😉
Yes, Easily Amewsed, I don’t think I have ever purchased a garment because it was what I wanted. I always had to buy what fits instead of what I want.
Yes, I distinctly remember wearing a pantsuit in junior high school that Mom made for me using a “chubby” pattern. The fabric was a marine-blue double-knit (THICK!) with a chainlink pattern in red, white, and navy. Sigh.
Mine was navy blue double-knit with big white topstitching!
I was that child too. Oh, the trauma of being different and being uncomfortable in clothes that fit poorly, tear at the seams and make you want to be invisible. I lived through it, I never felt pretty. I started making my own clothes when I was a teen. My daughter took after her father, tall and slim, so I haven’t had to solve the same issues for her. However, if I had to, I would pick up one of the books available on patternmaking, for example Patternmaking for Kid’s Clothes by Carla Hegeman Crim on Amazon. A lot of people are scared of the concept, but patternmaking is not as scary as people may think. If you know how to do an FBA and other adjustments to existing patterns, then you know how to work a ruler and read measurements. Styles these days are simplified, a lot of times style lines are pretty easy to follow and using pretty fabric combinations allows for a good result. There are tutorials online on how to draft leggings for example, many girls nowadays live in leggings with very simple tops. For younger girls, you don’t have to worry about bust size or huge difference between waist and hip measurements like it may be the case later on in life. Using knits also helps, they are very forgiving and hide minor mistakes in pattern drafting. Dress patterns also don’t have to be complicated. Once you draft a simple bodice block, attaching gathered skirt is a breeze. In fact, I used to make dresses for my daughter out of T-shirts that were becoming too short as she grew by attaching a complimenting skirt made out of quilting cotton. There are so many fabric options that matching colors is pretty easy. I am not suggesting for every mom out there to become a pattern drafter, but what one wouldn’t do for the love of a child. Sometimes simple solutions give a surprisingly good result. I am also very excited to see the changes in the fashion world when it comes to body shape diversity. And hopefully the industry will catch up eventually as little girls grow.
MaZe Living, I have Carla Hegeman Crim’s book, too! I purchased it when I started out on this journey. I thought I would need to draft all new blocks and then draft patterns and was a little intimidated. I found it is not as scary as I thought it was. Children’s clothing is so simple to sew, I wonder why more people don’t do it. Moms need to demand more from the fashion industry, I think.
My mother made (or had made) quite a few of my clothes when I was younger.
I too remember the horrors of clothes shopping. I of course still have an intense hatred for clothes shipping! Great article
And it is an intense hatred, Paula! I know I have it as well.
I like Toby’s comments below – make sure to sew what the child wants and likes.
I prefer sewing for children over adults. Children have specific fit needs (plus-size or no) and are very HARD on their clothing, but they are very quick to feel good about themselves when you make them something.
I have so many stories on this topic, as my last 13 years of sewing have been primarily for children! To that end (although my children are not plus size) my Flickrstream has some projects others might find helpful.
But I will share one story only.
Years ago a client in Europe wrote and said she loved my sewing, and would I make some trousers and a light jacket for her child? I asked for and received measurements. I checked and double-checked as, the measurements surprised me. I have two slim tall children and these measurements seemed so “short and stout” or what-have-you. But I finished the garments and sent them all the way overseas. In a few days I received photos of this lovely little girl wearing clothes that fit her! She looked so great and the clothes, designed properly, made her look good too! I then came to know that properly-fitting clothes are an essential not just for comfort and proper performance, but for self-esteem!
I’ve since made garments for many children who are not size model size – including a girl with only one arm. I love that in sewing we can give someone something they haven’t yet had.
Kelly, I’m beginning to discover that I prefer children as well. They are easy to please and they are not too demanding. There is no reward as wonderful as knowing you have helped them have a positive self-esteem!
Toby is right. The trick to sewing for kids/teens is that it has to be something THEY choose: either they choose the fabric or the pattern, something. I do retain veto power, as sometimes their ideas are not really doable:) As for patterns: Simplicity, New Look, McCalls and even Butterick have a good selection of styles for tweens right now, and a lot of the patterns also come in Girls’ Plus. If you get the shoulder fit right, you can always add to the body width or length (which is something I have to do as an adult).
This strikes home with me. I am still traumatized by my childhood and being 12 and having to get shirts with shoulder pads in them because I didn’t fit in the girls section any more, but my friends were still in girl sizes. My 9-year-old daughter is the same height and weight I was when I was 12. She has an erect back, broad shoulders, a full bottom, she has a long torso and long crotch depth and I anticipate she’ll need a FBA when she gets to that age. She doesn’t fit into girls sizes or missy sizes. I have taken extreme care to have her draw me pictures of what she wants to wear and we go and source fabric, and hopefully patterns that I can use to fit her. It’s disappointing when we look at the cute, smaller girl sizes in stores and she doesn’t fit into them so we go home empty handed.
I also take extreme caution to let her know we’re buying/making clothes that fit her body (her tree climbing, multi-mile bike riding, super strong and very smart body) and not just settling for what everyone else is wearing. She loves her couture clothes and is learning to sew/fit for her self. She has turned militant about a proper fitting crotch, waistbands that don’t pinch and shoulder seams that end exactly at her shoulder point.
She sees me hack apart a bodice to make the change that will allow me to add 6+ inches for my bust, make a adjustments for my full butt. She sees the results of a well crafted, on-trend wardrobe that fits my personality and she wants it for herself.
My best moment was when I made her first communion dress. She designed what she wanted. I found a pattern that fit her design mostly (missy, vintage) and shortened the bodice, added length to her specification and made the yolk and sleeves out of illusion fabric and bound with the stretch satin bias strips that I made the rest of the dress out of. First Communion Sunday there were six girls and all of them had almost the exact silhouette as my daughter’s and no one guessed hers was hand made, exactly like she wanted and it fit her perfectly.
I have been known to take a small sized pattern and Palmer and Pletch it to fit her, usually taking them in. Gertie’s patterns from her books have worked very well because they are fairly basic patterns. But I did make a McCalls 6696 slip in a size 8 for her (only taking out three inches from the bodice to adjust for her height) so she had a slip (silk charmeuse) to wear with her first communion dress.
In the end, no one cares how you made the sausage (outfit), they just want to know it tastes (looks) good and gives a young curvy girl the confidence she needs.
Mariah, your daughter is lucky to have a mom that has the skills to “hack apart a bodice” and fit her clothes for her. And no, no one cares how you made it, as long as it gives them confidence.
Ottobre has, from time to time, done special items in their children’s pattern magazines, but frankly, as someone who sewed for my two ‘curvy girls’, the best deal is to find a) what the little girl wants to wear. Take her to the store and have her show you what she likes. Take pictures with your phone. Then b) take her to the fabric store and with the pictures, show her the patterns that come close. Explain to her that you can make that pattern look like the photo in your camera by doing x,y.z. Then help her find suitable fabric that looks like the fabrics in the pictures. That is the only way that works. Kids want to look like their friends do. Sewing something is not enough – from the kids’ point of view, it has to look like what their friends are wearing. If it doesn’t look like it AND fit them well, then it’s a waste of time. It took me a long time to figure this out and then longer to convince my kids that I could make something that they’d like and that looked like what their friends were wearing.
Yes, Toby, kids want to look like their friends. It is very important to them to “fit in”. I’ve learned this both as a child myself and through working with my friend’s daughter.