How do I choose the right clothes online?

  Nowadays, this practice of online shopping is still very much alive, and at Aatise too! But not only does each return mean extra work for you and for us, it also pollutes Mother Nature in terms of transport and also in terms of overstock for the brand.

  That's why we've come up with a few tips to help you avoid disappointment and ensure you get the right pieces the first time. Here's a short list of the tips we'll be covering in this article:

1. Understand your body shape to choose the right garment
2. Choosing the best colour for your skin tone
3. Choosing the best colour for your skin tone
4. Stay true to your style and yourself
5. How to take your measurements and compare them with the size guide on the internet.
6. Read the product sheet carefully and pay attention to the material used!
7. Tips for try-ons at home? How to calculate the shrinkage?
8. Delivery + Returns policy
9. Conclusion

1) Know your body shape to choose the right garment

To begin with, it's important to know your body measurements and shape.

Some outfits don't suit everyone and can devalue your figure if you don't choose the right cut or size.

To help you, our blog contains a body shape guide for women and a body shape guide for men.

But why is it so important to know your body type anyway? Well, your body type helps you to become aware of the shape of your figure and to learn how to enhance it (with what clothes, what cuts and what materials). Everyone has a little flaw that they want to hide under layers and layers of clothes.

No more of that!

Instead of hiding your flaws, you're going to emphasise your assets and focus attention on your qualities. With a good understanding of your body shape, you'll know which clothes to choose to make you look your best!

One or two examples: You have an H morphology: your shoulders are as wide as your waist and your hips, the waist is not marked! A dress that shows off your shoulders and naturally marks your waist will be perfect for you: For example, our Zirno or Zerna dress.

But beware of wrap dresses for H-shaped women. You need to adjust the cut if you want the dress to close properly at the top, at bust level and also the skirt. The wrap dress is a possible option, but it needs to be adjusted. It is therefore advisable to contact us for advice.

2) The choice of fabric is made with the fabric properties in mind.

You should also avoid choosing clothes made from materials that you will not feel comfortable in over the long term. Otherwise, you will only wear them sporadically until they end up in the depths of your wardrobe.

For example, if you can't bear to wear creased clothes, don't buy linen!

If you can't stand smelling ‘bad’ after an hour in a polyester or polymer blend T-shirt, buy 100% natural materials. (see our article on the benefits of linen)

3) Choosing the best colour for your skin tone

Skin tone colour matching is a technique used by stylists to identify and use colours that enhance our natural appearance.

It is based on understanding the undertones of the skin and matching clothes to achieve the best visual effect.

Knowing the shades of colour that suit you best will enable you to select the clothes that will make you look your best while being in harmony with yourself. This will avoid unnecessary returns later on.

See our guide to choosing the right colours for your skin tone

4) Stay true to yourself and your style;

  Next, when choosing a garment, it's essential to stick to a style that suits you and brings out your personality.

Even though we often make ‘impulse purchases’, don't lose sight of the objective.

The aim is not to wear a garment just once, then get bored with it and leave it lying around in your wardrobe... To avoid making this mistake, try to imagine yourself wearing the top or dress you're about to buy with the pieces you already have at home. If you can't, it's probably because it doesn't suit you.

Finally, although it may seem logical, think carefully about why you want to buy this garment:

Does it really suit the occasion?

Do I really need it?

Does it match my style?

All these questions may seem trivial, but they're useful to remember so that you don't make a rash purchase on the spur of the moment.

If you're trying on clothes in a shop, you can also take a photo of yourself while trying on your outfit.

Once you've answered all these questions, here's a guide to choosing the right size according to the size guide

5) Taking your measurements (and how to go about it)

Measurements refer to the dimensions of our body, such as our width or height, or the length of our arms and legs. They vary according to the type of clothing (tops, trousers, dresses, etc.), and help us to choose the right size. That's why it's so important to take your measurements properly, even if it can be tedious, because once you've taken them there's no need to start again, and you know your size according to the brand and the size guide on each product. But how do you take your measurements correctly? Taking your measurements is fairly straightforward once you have the necessary information and tips on how to do it. Here are the steps to follow:

1 Being prepared: For accurate measurements, wear close-fitting clothes or be prepared to take them off during the measurement. Make sure you also have a flexible tape measure and a mirror to help you if necessary.

2 The measurements :

2.1 Measure your chest size: Place the tape measure around the widest part of your chest and make sure the tape is straight and not too tight or too loose. Don't forget to make a note of the measurement you get for each step, so you don't have to do it over and over again.

2.2 Measure your waist: Find the narrowest point on your waist, usually just above your navel and below your lower ribs. Wrap the tape around this part of your body while standing upright and relaxed.

2.3 Measure your hips: Place the tape around the widest part of your hips/buttocks. Make sure the tape is parallel to the floor and not too tight or too loose.

2.4 Measure the length of your legs: To measure the length of your legs, ask someone to help you or use a mirror to make sure the tape is straight. Measure from your crotch to the bottom of your ankle for the inside leg length, and from the top of your waist to the bottom of your ankle for the outside leg length. Tip: You can also take the crotch and outer leg from one of your favourite trousers that is the right length for you.

2.5 Measure your arms: Extend one arm out to the side and measure the length of your arm from shoulder to wrist. Make sure you keep your arm relaxed while measuring or bend your arm to take the length when bent.

I compare my measurements with the brand's measurement chart or size guide

A: Dress

Let's take the case of a dress: depending on the shape of the dress, you should have three measurements that ‘match’ the guide: The bust, the waist and the pelvis. Case 1: If you want to order a dress with a full, flared skirt and you measure L for the bust, but XL for the hips. You can therefore order a size L, because the skirt will go over the hips XL, because the skirt is flared. 2nd case : If you order a dress with a straight or fitted skirt and you make the chest size L, but XL for the hips. You need to adjust the top so that the skirt hugs your hips. So you need to: either order an XL (but the top will be too wide) or contact us to make a dress to your measurements!

B: Trousers

Be careful with trousers: Nowadays, most trousers are made from a mixture of materials, especially elastane, which makes them stretchy. Stretch trousers can be one size smaller than your real waist... but they will still fit your shape. Let's take the case of trousers: depending on the shape of the trousers, you need to have two measurements that match: the waist and the pelvis. Trousers with the same measurements will fit you, with elastane, or will not fit you without elastane. Often you need to add half a size, or even a size for a product without elastane.

6) Read the product sheet carefully and pay attention to the material used!

Once you know your body type and measurements, you can place your order with complete confidence, or almost... There's one last step you need to take before placing your order: read the product information sheet carefully!

The product data sheet contains a full description of the garment and gives a better idea of the product. The images found on websites do not always reflect reality and may have been retouched (e.g. for Aatise), which can be misleading if you do not pay attention to the details of the garment description: materials used, size, colours, care, etc...

This stage, when choosing your garment on the internet, is also very important, because as explained earlier, it will give you an idea of what your outfit might look like ‘in real life’. A polyester shirt will not look the same as a linen shirt. The description of the garment will also tell you the type of cut: loose fit, oversize fit, etc. Or comments such as: If you want the garment to fit better, take a size down etc.

7) Fitting at home:

Trying on clothes at home is a crucial stage and you need to follow certain rules, which we'll detail below.

1) Opt for a fitting after you've digested, to get a better idea of what you're wearing (especially for trousers).

2) Try them on in front of a mirror or, even better, ask someone you trust to help you and give their opinion.

3) Check the shrinkage potential to determine whether your garment is too big or too small. You've probably already heard a sales assistant say during an in-store fitting: ‘No, your garment isn't too big, it will shrink a little...’.

4) How to calculate shrinkage:

You should be aware that some brands allow for a surplus when making patterns! How can you find out the shrinkage of a garment on your side during a fitting?

The shrinkage of a material depends on the weave (the softer and lighter the fabric, the more it can shrink), the finish (dyeing, washing, various treatments), the cut (if a fabric is pulled before cutting, it can shrink a lot after the first wash) or the nature of the final treatment given to the garment (for example, trousers that are dyed after manufacture will no longer shrink).

A petrochemical fibre such as polyester or nylon will be much more ‘shrinkage-stable’ than natural materials such as linen or man-made fibres (processed from wood pulp).

To keep things simple: The fibre classifications commonly accepted by the industry are :

Here is a list of accepted shrinkage for Aatise garments:

Knitted linen: t-shirts, linen sweatshirts etc: the knitted fabric is already pre-shrunk before cutting. There is therefore only a shrinkage of around 2% to allow for.

Woven linen: the woven linen we buy is also pre-shrunk, but the pieces will still shrink by a further 2-3%. For example, trousers should be washed first before being shortened, as they may lose 2 to 3 cm in length after washing.

Ecovero: Ecovero will shrink by 3-5%. Over a length of 1 m, a dress or pair of trousers can therefore shrink by 3 to 5 cm. Pre-shrunk cotton: 3-4.5% (or up to 10%).

Chemical fibres: 4% - 8% depending on the type of knitting.

Cotton/polyester blends: 3.5% - 5%;

Cotton corduroy: 3%.

The formula for calculating shrinkage :

Formula shrinkage rate of the fabric = 1-length of the fabric / shrinkage rate of the fabric.

Example: If a fabric shrinks by 1%, over 1 metre* (1-0.01) = the final length will be 99 cm.

For 3% over 1 m: a shrinkage of 3 cm, so the final length is 97 cm.

8) Delivery + Returns policy

Each return not only represents extra work for you and us, it also pollutes Mother Nature. In the same spirit, we do not offer free returns.

A return is never free in the end, either for you or for us, and especially not for the pollution. Free transport to and from an order often encourages rash and unnecessary purchases.

Even ‘Fast Fashion’ brands now charge a fee to process returns.

Speaking of returns, you should be aware that some brands have their own policies on this subject. That's why we strongly advise you to find out about the terms and conditions of sale and delivery on the website where you want to place an online order.

In general, you can find all the relevant information on the site at the bottom of the home page under the heading: Cancellation conditions/Returns policy.

9) Conclusion

There are many questions to ask, and it takes time to make the right choice. But it's worth it if you want to avoid returns.

By the way, if you'd like to place an order with us, but you have questions about the characteristics of a garment or the way we work, write to us using our contact form.