An Easy Way To Check Size
-I devised a way to easily size my kids clothes to assist me when doing the wash or out shopping. I had four growing children, what seemed like on a daily basis at times. Doing the laundry was one of the times I could also sort out clothes that no longer fit. Having three girls first, I was usually able to take the clothes that no longer fit the oldest and move it to the next in line and place it on a shelf or in the back of the closet, until it fit. Washing and drying clothes often shrink them a bit over time, some more than others, so sizes alone was just not enough to go by. I also had a daughter who hated tags (#2) and I usually had to remove them in order for her to wear it.
The arms, legs and waist were the primary reason clothes didn’t fit. What I decided to do was create a way to be able to check them, without requiring the child to be there. I took three cords, I used paracord myself, but any cording that is thick enough to hold the markers firmly in place is fine. I tied a loop in one end of the cord, this was to hand it on a hook and to be able to slip it over my thumb for quick access when folding the clothes after removing them from the dryer. It also indicated which end of the cord to hold at the seam when checking sizes. I used push button cord locks, you know, those little items that come on the cinch cords mostly found on coats, for my markers.
Example
I used three different colored cords, two I cut at 2 feet long and one at 3 feet long. I tied small name tags on each loop, until I could remember my color codes. I labeled one waist, one arms and one legs. I then placed four cord locks on each cord. I placed initials on my cord lock to indicate which child the marker belonged to. When I would notice an item of clothing that fit them very nicely, I would use that as my guide to find out where I needed my marker to be. After I set my markers, it was easy for me to check clothing that was in question as to whether or not it still fit. I was also able to see if it would now fit one of the other children or if it needed to be stored for a while. I would use these same cords when going through boxes of clothing I had stored or when cleaning out the closets.
When I would go out shopping, I could grab my cords and put them in a zip lick baggie to put in my purse, to be able to quickly check to see if something would fit. I loved garage sales and resale shops to find really nice clothing at a fraction of the cost. I could get over two hundred dollars worth of clothes for under twenty dollars on most trips. I even made a cord for myself and my husband, that I usually kept in my purse, but it was made from string and had permanent knots for markers, the smallest was the waist, next was arms and then inseam. Made it easy to take advantage of a bargain or save me from wasting any money on something that wouldn’t fit. It didn’t eliminate all variables when it comes to clothes fitting or not, but it certainly narrowed it down tremendously.
Arms you measure from the shoulder seam to cuff
Waist you measure from one side to another when folded in half
Inseam I measured from crotch seam to bottom of leg.
These also come in handy for Grandma and grandpa or someone else that may like or want to buy clothes for your family as gifts. Make string ones or corded ones close to the holidays and give them to people who want to know what size to get. I find that I wear anywhere from a size 4 to size 8 in pants, so sizes can be misleading, a sizing cord is always accurate and makes shopping much easier. Give it a try, see if it can help you too.
I have used this concept for several different sizing applications. I have a broken piece of glass in my fireplace closure. I keep a string with the size knotted in it, so when I come across one in the garbage or at a resale shop I can quickly take out my string to see if it will be the right size to replace my broken glass. I wanted a runner that I can use on my dresser top, so I made one for that and found the material for it at one of my favorite shops called The Scrap Box, it’s located in Ann Arbor, Michigan @ 581 State Circle. Loads of paper for scrap booking.