She made it herself and it fit perfectly

Long before fast fashion and "one size fits all" clothing, there was simply a woman who needed to make a dress for herself. She had to take her own measurements, choose between various fabrics, and cut the right amount to fit her body. There were no specific sizes and especially no "one size fits all". It was just her, a needle and thread, and her imagination to create whatever she wanted. 

For most of fashion history, we had to make clothing this way. These pieces were made at home or by a seamstress who would measure the person wearing them. The idea that clothing would come pre-made in standardized sizes and the fact that women would have to conform to a certain size on a chart would sound absurd. 

The 1800's

The art of making clothes had shifted from taking time to perfect the piece, to ready to wear clothing. Factories were just trying to find the fastest, cheapest way to produce in bulk. Cheaper production and materials would result in clothes that wouldn't last long. An item that was once created and altered for you specifically, is now something you'd replace in a season. In the 1800's the first standardized size chart was not even intended for women, it was for men, women had to wait for their sizing chart later. It was developed for men's military uniforms during the Civil War by taking their chest measurements. 

Unfortunately for the women, their bodies were a little more complex. A woman could have a 36 inch bust size, but 26 inches at her waist. There is not one number that can capture all of it. 

The Golden Age

In the beginning of the 20th Century, home sewing was not seen as a hobby, it was a practical skill many women learned how to do. Sewing machines were in most households across the United States. It became an essential part of everyday life, especially during WWII, fabric became scarce, so home sewing machine was crucial to own. During this time as well, women began to let their creativity fly, they had to refashion old clothes and constantly alter pieces. 

There was then a decline around the 1960's-70's with home sewing because ready to wear clothing became cheaper and more convenient for families. Women thought, why spend hours on making or altering clothes, when I can just purchase it off the rack? But then there quickly became another issue, the clothes off the racks were not ready to wear and most of the time did not actually fit them correctly. 

Why Nothing Fits

Initially clothing sizes were never meant to fit actual women. A lot of clothing for women now is based off of old measurement data. They were originally designed to fit men in the military. A common issue is that clothing is normally designed off of a single fit model, usually taller, narrow, and scaled in proportion. Real bodies don't scale proportionally. Commonly women could have a 30 inch bust size, but 24 inches at her waist.

Women used to make clothing that fit them perfectly, but are now squeezing themselves into a number that a stranger made up. But somehow we are the ones who "don't fit".