ARTICLE

MEASURE RIGHT TO LOOK YOUR BEST

by Ann Mailo 10-M-2

So many girls have asked me, in my job as an FPE Counsellor, how to measure and what sizes they should wear, that a review of "how to do it" seems in order.

The problem, of course, is to find the right size dress which will fit you best with little or no altering, and will thereby help you look prettier and more feminine. Nothing defeats the illusion more, I think, than an outfit which is too loose and baggy or too small and therefore too tight and pulling in the wrong places.

It would be wonderful if all of us had the skill and know-how of some of our sisters, such as Beatrice 33-B-2, who wrote the excellent series on fashion and color harmony which appeared in issues 28 and 30 through 34; and Heidi 16-K-2, who sews beautifully and does most of her own clothes including luscious suits! But most of us have to depend on ready- to-wear and it certainly saves time and money if you purchase the cor- rect size.

To begin with, men are built differently from women. Lest someone holler quickly that this is the understatement of the century, let me qualify it! A man's shoulders are wider, in relation to his waist and hips, than a woman's. A man's waist is wider in relation to his hips than a woman's. His hips are generally the same measurement as his chest, while a woman's hips usually exceed her bustline measurement. I'm sure you are all aware of this, but it is of special concern when the proper clothing sizes must be determined.

Height, too, in relation to circumferential measurements, is impor- tant, for upon it largely depends whether you wear misses sizes, half sizes (wish we didn't have to!) or the cute junior sizes, or if you are really

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