Vera Olkhovskaya
When choosing the size of the pattern, you need to take into account not only the correspondence of your sizes with those used in the construction of the drawing, but also free-fit allowancesembedded in this pattern drawing.
If everything is simple with sizes - you can compare your measurements with values from tables , according to which the patterns were made, it is very easy to get confused with the additions ...
The thing is 
the fact that the increase can vary even in one style, depending on the fabric from which you sew it. As a rule, in the descriptions for patterns, increases and recommended fabrics are indicated, but I still advise buyers to choose a size after buying a pattern, while comparing the sizes of the patterns with the size of their favorite dress, jacket or coat.
This approach greatly simplifies the task, since each pattern in my store is made in several sizes. So, for example, when ordering a dress in sizes 42 - 52, you get patterns of 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 and 52 sizes IN ONE FILE.
It should also be remembered that before cutting it is necessary to check the length of the sleeve and the length of the product itself.
See also a video tutorial for beginners on how to take measurements, and about notation, see the article on taking measurements
It cannot be said that when buying patterns, it is very important to measure level of difficulty the product that is listed in the description and your skills.
And about whether I need to customize my patterns. This is a very topical issue for those home couturiers who are used to sewing “by eye” and, in their understanding, have a “standard figure”.
By the way, it was surprising for me that some amateur tailors do not understand the meaning of the tables and, in fact, not knowing their measurements, consider their figure to be “model” and “standard”.
So what is a standard figure?
According to the typology developed back in the second half of the 20th century, the number of typical female figures was counted for the CMEA countries - 509, and for the USSR only 253;
the number of typical male figures for the CMEA member countries is 360, and for the USSR - only 144 figures; the number of typical figures of girls in the USSR is 87 and boys - 89.
Bol
its new typology has not yet been created, although over the past 30 years the figures of people have changed a lot in the direction of increasing growth and fullness, and the notorious standard 90-60-90 with a height of 175 is rather a painful exception.
Today, ONLY a few fashion designers work as a "model standard", creating demonstration collections for the catwalks.
So to the question of what is a standard figure, you can answer: it is an abstract figure that includes dimensional features of the most popular size.
And for my dear brave tailors who do not want to fool their heads with tables and measurements, I can only recommend a comparison of ready-made patterns with ready-made clothes.
Attention! in order not to adjust the patterns, choose the size after purchase, comparing the pattern with your favorite clothes. Since, if the size is chosen correctly, and the cutting and assembly of the product are made exactly in accordance with the technology, then there will be no need to adjust.
This, however, raises another question: if there are so many types of figures, then how can patterns made according to one standard for a particular person fit?
The answer is simple. In the styles for which I make patterns, many of the “details” that are taken into account when tailoring clothes are excluded. In other words, all patterns are made in such a way as to suit many types of figures at once and for mass tailoring.
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