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Posted on: 9/6/09 11:01 PM ET
Because of the way my body is shaped my pants and skirts sit higher on my back than on my front. this is just what they naturally do and it's comfortable for me. Of course, this becomes a problem with the length of the hem, especially with skirts. The skirts stick out at the back hem and are shorter than the front. I can't figure out how to overcome this. I have tried adjusting the hem in the back but there's only so much I can do before it affects the front and side hems. I don't know how else to go about this.
Does anyone else have this problem? Any tips on what I could try? I can't change my body shape but I hope to be able to fix this problem!
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Does anyone else have this problem? Any tips on what I could try? I can't change my body shape but I hope to be able to fix this problem!
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Posted on: 9/6/09 11:22 PM ET
I posted this in the Fitting Woes section but I thought you guys might be able to help me as well.
Because of the way my body is shaped my pants and skirts sit higher on my back than on my front. this is just what they naturally do and it's comfortable for me. Of course, this becomes a problem with the length of the hem, especially with skirts. The skirts stick out at the back hem and are shorter than the front. I can't figure out how to overcome this. I have tried adjusting the hem in the back but there's only so much I can do before it affects the front and side hems. I don't know how else to go about this.
Does anyone else have this problem? Any tips on what I could try? I can't change my body shape but I hope to be able to fix this problem!
My body shape is hard to explain and i am too embarrassed to show a picture. My best explanation sit that my natural waist is where my pants sit in the back but at the front my B belly masks the natural waist and pushed my waist down to the valley between the two bumps of the B. If that makes any sense. That valley is lower than my natural waist but it's the only place my bottoms will sit.
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Because of the way my body is shaped my pants and skirts sit higher on my back than on my front. this is just what they naturally do and it's comfortable for me. Of course, this becomes a problem with the length of the hem, especially with skirts. The skirts stick out at the back hem and are shorter than the front. I can't figure out how to overcome this. I have tried adjusting the hem in the back but there's only so much I can do before it affects the front and side hems. I don't know how else to go about this.
Does anyone else have this problem? Any tips on what I could try? I can't change my body shape but I hope to be able to fix this problem!
My body shape is hard to explain and i am too embarrassed to show a picture. My best explanation sit that my natural waist is where my pants sit in the back but at the front my B belly masks the natural waist and pushed my waist down to the valley between the two bumps of the B. If that makes any sense. That valley is lower than my natural waist but it's the only place my bottoms will sit.
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http://www.theserialhobbyistgirl.com/
https://www.youtube.com/TheSerialHobbyistGirl
https://www.instagram.com/theserialhobbyistgirl/
https://www.youtube.com/TheSerialHobbyistGirl
https://www.instagram.com/theserialhobbyistgirl/
Re: Back length issues with skirts and pants (posted on 9/6/09 11:27 PM ET)
When you alter your skirt or pant pattern, lower the waist in center front and taper to zero at the side seams. Do you think that would work for you?
Posted on: 9/6/09 11:33 PM ET
JuneHawk, I have this problem in all my skirts. Here are some things I try.
Avoid using skirt patterns that have the front and back pattern pieces the same. This is just bad drafting in my opinion. Women are not the same front and back!
Normally I just get someone to pin my hem up for me while I'm wearing it so its even all around (from the floor). I lengthen my skirts a bit because I know I need to chop off 10cm or more from the front. I need the extra length to make the back long enough.
Once I did a full bottom adjustment on the back of a denim skirt pattern. I used it from FFRP. It added length and width. It worked pretty well too. back adjustment my review of M5429
I notice lots of RTW (especially on bigger women) with hems that hike up at the back. At least we can alter ours!!
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Avoid using skirt patterns that have the front and back pattern pieces the same. This is just bad drafting in my opinion. Women are not the same front and back!
Normally I just get someone to pin my hem up for me while I'm wearing it so its even all around (from the floor). I lengthen my skirts a bit because I know I need to chop off 10cm or more from the front. I need the extra length to make the back long enough.
Once I did a full bottom adjustment on the back of a denim skirt pattern. I used it from FFRP. It added length and width. It worked pretty well too. back adjustment my review of M5429
I notice lots of RTW (especially on bigger women) with hems that hike up at the back. At least we can alter ours!!
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Claire - Australian in Seattle
Posted on: 9/7/09 0:41 AM ET
In reply to TheSerialHobbyistGirl
What you described sounds like a tilted waist. I don't have a tilted waist, but I read about this in Fit For Real People. You have to adjust the length at the top of the skirt rather than at the hemline. Th book says to pull up the front until the hem is straight. If you have FFRP, it's on page 183.
HTH,
Em
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HTH,
Em
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From what others have said, the nasty message came from Fitting Woes, NOT Misc Hot Topics or the Civility thread.
Posted on: 9/7/09 0:47 AM ET
I'm not sure based on your description if you have a tilted waist or a big rear or both - I have both, but in skirts I can usually just correct for the tilted waist, assuming the hip width is correct.
Whenever I can, I make this adjustment at the waist of my pattern rather than at the hem, before I cut out my fabric. This also makes the side seams hang straight up and down, rather than kick back at an angle (which also leads to that back hem sticking out problem). Basically I take a wedge out of the front pattern piece, just below the top, taking out usually around 1 1/2-2" (in my case) at the center front and tapering to nothing at the sideseams. Basically as much as you usually have to shorten the front hem to line up with the back hem, take that out at the front waist and it'll make everything hang correctly, *and* you shouldn't have to tweak your hems much if at all.
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Whenever I can, I make this adjustment at the waist of my pattern rather than at the hem, before I cut out my fabric. This also makes the side seams hang straight up and down, rather than kick back at an angle (which also leads to that back hem sticking out problem). Basically I take a wedge out of the front pattern piece, just below the top, taking out usually around 1 1/2-2" (in my case) at the center front and tapering to nothing at the sideseams. Basically as much as you usually have to shorten the front hem to line up with the back hem, take that out at the front waist and it'll make everything hang correctly, *and* you shouldn't have to tweak your hems much if at all.
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Re: Back length issues with skirts and pants (posted on 9/7/09 10:38 AM ET)
I cut my skirts so they are 2 inches longer in the back than the front. I haven't had much luck with fitting pants, so can't help you there. I find that dresses tend to camoflage this fitting problem and the fronts and backs blend better.
Posted on: 9/7/09 11:14 AM ET
Thanks! I don't have a big rear, quite the opposite. It sounds like a tilted waist then. I will try your suggestions and maybe even get FFRP!
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Posted on: 9/7/09 11:31 AM ET
In reply to TheSerialHobbyistGirl
I do basically what Laura describes, and that usually does the trick. I do have a rear but not overly so, but I think I do have a tilted waist, which I didn't discover until someone asked about it here and I went in search to find out just what one was, only to find out that's what I have. In short, I have to make my pants and skirts so they dip a bit in the front (at the top/waist level) compared to the back or the front waist hits me at an uncomfortable spot, so maybe I have a tall rear and a short front.
And actually, I usually add to the back length what I take out in the front, and it all works out (more so with pants in the crotch depth than with skirts).
Losing 2 inches in my hips over the last few months has helped the hem length issue because I think most of that came out of my behind.
-- Edited on 9/7/09 11:33 AM --
And actually, I usually add to the back length what I take out in the front, and it all works out (more so with pants in the crotch depth than with skirts).Losing 2 inches in my hips over the last few months has helped the hem length issue because I think most of that came out of my behind.

-- Edited on 9/7/09 11:33 AM --
Re: Back length issues with skirts and pants (posted on 9/7/09 2:54 PM ET)
In reply to sewsally
Quote: sewsally
When you alter your skirt or pant pattern, lower the waist in center front and taper to zero at the side seams. Do you think that would work for you?
When you alter your skirt or pant pattern, lower the waist in center front and taper to zero at the side seams. Do you think that would work for you?
Thanks! I tried that and it worked. Phew!
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http://www.theserialhobbyistgirl.com/
https://www.youtube.com/TheSerialHobbyistGirl
https://www.instagram.com/theserialhobbyistgirl/
https://www.youtube.com/TheSerialHobbyistGirl
https://www.instagram.com/theserialhobbyistgirl/
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