This is probably the thing we spend the most time trying to explain to people. Fit ≠ size.

At Pattern Room we are focussed on solving one the biggest problems facing the garment industry (including sportswear), poor fit. We are passionate about it. We even dream about it. Ok, I made that bit up, but it is super important to us.

But, you say “I just want a t-shirt in size Large”. We get that and size is really important, but so is fit. And this, my dear blog reader is why I thought I should try and make it really simple to understand. It’s because we offer so many different fits (and sizes) that we want to make sure you get exactly the pattern you need. We want your customers to be super happy, which makes you super happy, which makes us super happy.

So, let’s start with Compression. Picture, for a moment, an elite athlete. It is hard not to be impressed with their achievements, their skill, the years of dedication and their pure talent. But when you see them, they are wearing sportwear that is very snug fitting. Nothing loose to flap in the wind slowing them down. Nothing to hinder their ability to break a world record or win an Olympic medal. Every muscle is visible. This my readers, is compression fit.

So, the athlete you are imagining now isn’t at a world-class level (yet), but they are really good at what they do. Secretly most of us want to have a body like theirs. But it is a lot of hard work, and much less beer. The sportswear they have on is still pretty snug, but has a little ease from the compression. You can still see most of the muscles. This is a tight fit.

Ease everything off a little more. There is now some fabric that will catch the wind, but it doesn’t matter as much at this level. The athlete/spectator is still pretty fit, but to get to that top level, needs much more time (and possibly talent/skill). Maybe they just like snug clothing. Now we are in slim fit territory.

Now you simply want something to wear down the street. It’s now more about a little bit of comfort. Your everyday wear. It’s a little relaxed. Nobody is going to be able to see your six-pack. This is the go-to for most people for most occasions. This is regular fit.

You want more room. It’s definitely not about showing off the abs or the guns. This is about pure relaxed comfort. It may even be too relaxed for the average person. Now we are in loose fit territory.

Getting the idea so far? Nice one. Because now we get to oversized fit. This fit is super relaxed. There is a fair bit of fabric in this garment. There is pretty much no shape to be seen here. If you have abs, pecs, etc. nobody is going to know. Think streetwear.

Ok, so we have fit covered. Now, size. <begin headache here>

There is no standard in size, but you know that. In some brands you are a Large, others an XL. Occasionally you might be a Medium (makes you feel good, doesn’t it?). The important thing here is that in each of the fits I’ve outlined above you are the same size, but in each of the six fits. The sleeve is the same length, the neckline doesn’t droop, or choke you, the hem is the same length, but each of the fits is going to give you a very different, well…fit.

Got it yet? Confused? Head on over to watch some of our videos on fits at our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jyQXJpav_J7CjlrA7w5Cw/videos

Want to know more? Feel free to reach out to us. This is a topic we really like to talk about.

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