Another Concord
I’ve sewn a few Cashmerette Concord tees now. I really like the shoulder/neck/bust fit. I generally sew size 12C/D bust, graded out to 14 waist then back to 12 hips.
This is fine for fitted tees, that are perfect for layering under other garments. The back could probably do with a short back waist length alteration, but for this type of garment I think it’s neither here nor there. A lot of the back fold issues are really due to the body underneath the bra and how elastic affects it.
This is such beautiful quality fabric! There’s a narrower blue stripe in there too, which you can see better in the next photo. I really like the neckline depth.
After having sewn a few Concords, I realised that there was still a gap in my pattern arsenal for a tee that had the bust/chest/shoulder fit of the Concord, but was more forgiving through my torso. Stay tuned for a future blog post about my pattern mashup exploration!
Just curious – if you are wanting something ‘more forgiving’ why don’t you just keep the grading to a 14 from the waist through the hips instead of going back to a 12 at the hips?
Good question! My hips are actually smaller than size 12 – it’s my waist and belly that are larger. I want to look at cut rather than size through that area.
While I really like the idea of patterns that come in bust sizes, I am also finding that they may not be ideal for my body, which like yours is bellyfull as well as busty. That’s because these helping fronts are designed for women who are merely busty, so they make a point of going back down to the regular size by the waist.
I am finding that what works best for me is to roll my own lazy pivot-and-slide fba. I add what I need to the bust, and then I just leave it there, don’t take it back in. That gives me the belly room I need without a fuss, and the extra ease just about works out for me (you may need less). I am talking tops here, as I never wear dresses, and those might need a bit of tapering in the lower skirt.
The thing here is that my body doesn’t need more room all around at the waist, the great bulk of the added weight is in front. So leaving the back alone and putting extra fabric only where I need it works better. This may be even more true for you, who don’t have as large and round a butt to contend with. I know this is contradictory to much of the rules out there, but see whether it might work for you?
Thank you for addressing apple versus pear shape. I forget. I’m about 150 cm tall (5’8”) and even at 57 kg (125 lbs) feel fat and have something of a belly. At 90 kg ish (190 lbs), the belly is more pronounced but I’m still narrower at the hips than shoulders or waist. Combined with a small cup size, it makes fitting a pain! Thanks to you I know why again and what to look for.
HI from Canada. The first time I made the Concord, I wasn’t happy with the negative ease, especially around the tummy area. I have made the tshirt many times, each time tweaking it until I have it exactly like I want it. I make a smaller size for the neckline and shoulders so they fit well and then grade out the sides so that it is looser through the body. I start with the 18 G/H, and then out to the 22 for the body part. My instagram is denise_is_sewing_again if you want to see the fit. Now I have a pattern that is easy to change up length etc, knowing that the base will fit. Hope that helps!
Across the pond, if the 1.50m is accurate you are almost 5 feet, not 5’8″ which is a bit more than 1.70m 😏