Custom blouses

Custom Blouse, Chiang Mai: the gaping problem

If there is one reason to have a blouse made, this is it.

A button placket pulls open between the buttons across the bust. The usual response is to buy a larger size, which stops the gaping and leaves the shoulders too wide, the sleeves too long and the waist shapeless. You have solved a shaping problem with a sizing tool.

The actual issue is the ratio between your bust measurement and your shoulder width, and ready-made blouses assume one ratio for everybody. A drafted blouse adds room exactly where it is needed, through the bust, using darts or seam shaping, while keeping the shoulder and waist correct.

Shoulder first

The shoulder seam should sit at the outer point of your shoulder.

It is the single least forgiving line on the garment. A jacket can disguise a shoulder that is slightly off. A blouse cannot, and unlike a hem or a waist it cannot be altered afterwards without effectively rebuilding the garment.

Everything else on a blouse is adjustable. The shoulder is the one to get right first.

Fabric

Silk is the classic blouse fabric and is cooler to wear than people assume. It drapes softly, takes colour beautifully, and shows construction quality clearly, which is a good thing when the construction is good. Silk crepe has more weight and hangs cleanly; silk satin is more formal and less forgiving. See silk for more.

Cotton in fine weaves such as voile, lawn or poplin is light, breathable and holds shape better than silk. Best for anything that needs to look crisp.

Linen is the coolest option and will crease within minutes. Excellent for relaxed warm-weather blouses, poor for anything meant to look sharp at the end of a day.

Under a jacket, or on its own

These are different garments and it is worth saying which you want.

A blouse worn under a jacket wants a slimmer sleeve, so it does not bunch inside the jacket sleeve, and a collar cut to sit flat under a lapel.

A blouse worn on its own can take a fuller sleeve, a more interesting collar or neckline, and more detail generally, because all of it will actually be seen.

If it is going under tailoring, say so at the consultation.

Details worth choosing

Neckline. A V-neck lengthens; a boat neck emphasises the collarbone; a standard collar is the most versatile under a jacket.

Sleeve. Full length, three-quarter, or short. In this climate three-quarter is a good compromise between coverage and comfort.

Closure. A concealed placket gives a cleaner front and removes the visual line of buttons entirely, which also sidesteps any remaining question about gaping.