Standard or Curve: Which Fit to Choose

A few of our styles come in two fits, Standard and Curve, and the size buttons sit next to each other as though they were the same choice. They are not.

What Curve changes

Grading a pattern up adds width everywhere at the same rate. That works for a while and then stops, because bodies do not get proportionally larger in every direction at once. Curve is a separate pattern rather than a scaled one. It adds room through the bust and hip, keeps the waist closer, drops the armhole slightly and lengthens the bodice so the waist seam lands where your waist actually is instead of riding above it.

The result is a dress that hangs level rather than pulling up at the front, which is the single most common complaint about a graded pattern at the larger end.

Which one is cut for you

Take the difference between your hip and your waist. If that gap is around ten inches or less, Standard is likely to sit correctly. If it is meaningfully more than that, Curve will hang better in the same nominal size.

The size letter does not change between the two. A Medium in Curve is a Medium, not a Large. Choose the fit first, then the size from the chart.

Which styles offer it

The Adeline Midi, the Juniper Midi and the Hazel Maxi are all cut in both fits. On the rest of the range there is one pattern, and the size chart runs to 5X on the newer styles.

If you are still unsure

Order the fit that matches your hip to waist difference rather than the one that matches the number you usually buy. Sizing is not a loyalty test, and the tape is more reliable than habit.