Tip of the week: How to buy better-fitting clothes consistently

Practice brand loyalty. Because sizes vary wildly across women’s clothing brands, “it pays to find brands that fit you well” and stick to them. For instance, Theory makes fashionable office wear that favors a slim figure, whereas Banana Republic provides a slightly more generous cut, as does Chanel.

Fit into a crowd. “Country of origin can indicate fit,” so look to Italian brands if you have a slender build, or to German-designed garments if you need “room for broad shoulders.”

Try semi-custom fits. Nothing beats an in-store fitting, but e-retailers increasingly offer semi-custom tailoring. At RebeccaandDrew.com, shirts are tailored to cup size and torso length. Seattle-based eShakti.com insists that a buyer provide her height, because a size 6 will be shaped differently for a 5-foot-2 woman than one who’s 5-foot-10.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal