The 6 Tests Before You Invest: Shoulder, Hug, Sit, Button, Walk, and Bra
The box arrives on a Thursday. She opens it in the hallway, puts the coat on over the blazer she wears most, and hugs herself. 4 minutes later she knows more about the coat than the website could tell her. That is the point of the 6 tests, and of the 30 days.
A woman who is about to invest in a coat, a blazer, or a dress she means to wear for 10 years does not need to be told it is beautiful. She needs to know, before the box arrives and in the 30 days after, whether it fits, whether it will fit in March, what a tailor can do if it almost fits, and what that will cost. Tailors and fitters answer those questions with 6 tests that take 4 minutes in front of a mirror, and none of them involves a tape. This guide gives you the 6 tests in the order a fitter runs them, the numbers behind each, the alterations that are safe and the ones that are not with what they cost in a US city this year, and the arithmetic of what a piece actually costs per wearing. Every photograph is a real Luna garment on a real woman.
Shop the pieces in this story: Coats, Blazers, Dresses, and Pants. Complete size runs are listed first.
“I sized up for layering and it still looks fitted and flattering.”
Test 1: the shoulder, which decides everything
Put the garment on over what you will wear beneath it. The seam where the sleeve meets the body sits on the end of your shoulder bone, the knob you can feel at the top of the arm. Not inside it, which pulls the sleeve up the arm and draws a diagonal line from the neck to the armpit; not past it by more than 1/4 inch, which drops the sleeve and makes the jacket look borrowed. Across the upper back the cloth lies flat with no horizontal pull line between the shoulder blades. If the shoulder fails, stop; the shoulder cannot be altered on a ready to wear jacket or coat without taking it apart, and a tailor who says otherwise is selling you $200 of work that will not hold. Buy the shoulder that fits and alter everything else.
The Barbara blazer in black, single breasted with a notched lapel and 3 buttons, is the jacket we use to explain the test, because the shoulder is clean and the seam is easy to see. It runs in sizes 4 to 14, and the model in the photograph wears a size 2 in every Luna garment, which is worth knowing when you compare the fit to your own.
Test 2: the hug, for a coat over a blazer
Button or zip the coat fully over the blazer or the knit you will wear under it in January. Cross your arms as if hugging yourself, then reach both arms forward as if taking a plate from across a table. The back must not strain and the armhole must not bite into the armpit. A winter coat needs 3 to 4 inches of ease over the bust with the blazer on. If the shoulder passes and the hug fails, size up and have the waist and the side seams taken in; a tailor can remove cloth and cannot add it at the chest. If the coat is only ever going over a blouse, it can be 1 size closer, but a coat is bought for the coldest day, not the warmest.
The Nicole wrap coat in black wool is the coat that passes the hug on the most women without alteration, because the wrap front and the belt take up the difference between a blouse day and a blazer day. The Clara wool trench in navy and the Isidora in mocha are cut to close over a jacket; the Emma light coat is not, and is a dress coat.
Test 3: the sit, for a dress, a skirt, and a trouser
Sit on a chair with your knees together and your back straight. 3 things to check. The hem: it rides up 2 to 3 inches from where it sat standing, and no more; a hem 1 inch above the knee standing is 4 inches above it seated, and so a boardroom dress is cut to the kneecap. The lap: the front does not fold into a bundle, and no horizontal crease forms across the top of the thigh, which is the sign of too little room in the hip and the first place a tight sheath shows in a photograph. The waist: nothing binds at the back, and on a trouser a flat hand slides inside the waistband seated. Then reach across the table: no pull from the armhole to the bust, and the back does not strain. A dress that passes standing and fails seated is a dress for a reception, not for a 9 hour day.
The Olga wrap dress in navy, a collared wrap sheath to the knee with a belt and cap sleeves, is cut for the sit: the wrap gives at the hip when you sit and closes when you stand. The Lucy sheath in navy with illusion sleeves is the other office dress that passes it, and the Jody pencil skirt in bordeaux is the pencil we use for the stairs test below.
Test 4: the button, for a blazer and a coat front
Close the jacket. The front lies smooth over the bust and the midsection, and you can breathe, talk, and reach without the button feeling ready to go. Look for an X of pull lines radiating from the button. No X, it fits. An X that starts at the waist can be fixed: a tailor lets the side seams out 1/2 inch each, or takes them in by the same, for $35 to $70. An X that starts at the bust cannot; that is a size, or a different cut, a single button with a long lapel or a collarless jacket that has no lapel to turn across the bust. Then the flat hand: slide it between the breastbone and the closed lapels; it should fit without pushing them apart, and there should be no room for 2.
The Agatha blazer in ivory, a single button with a notched lapel and a long line from the collar to the button, is the jacket for a full bust, because there is only 1 button to pull and the lapel breaks the chest into 2. The Lola in white has no lapel at all and closes with hooks, which is the other answer.
Test 5: the walk, for a pencil skirt, a wrap, and a wide leg
Put on the shoes you will wear and walk the length of a hallway, then climb 6 stairs. A pencil skirt should not tug across the thighs or twist around the body, and the vent should stay closed enough on the stairs that you show what you intended and nothing more; a back vent of 6 to 8 inches is what makes a knee length pencil walkable, and with less than that a skirt twists. A wrap dress, tied as you will wear it: the inner panel stays across the thigh, and the outer panel does not fly open with each step; if it opens more than 2 inches at mid thigh with a normal stride, the size or the overlap is wrong and a snap will not save it in a wind. A wide leg trouser: the hem clears the floor by 1/2 inch in the shoe and does not catch the heel on the stairs; if it does, it is hemmed to the wrong shoe, which is the most common wide leg mistake and a $20 fix.
The Agatha wide leg pants in ivory are the wide leg to hem to the shoe you wear most; in a flat they need about 1 inch less than in a 2 to 3 inch heel. The Teodora is the ankle pant with no break, the 1 trouser that is the same length in every shoe.
Test 6: the bra and the neckline, for a V, a wrap, and a sheath
Wear the bra you will actually wear with it. Raise both arms over your head, lean forward as if signing something, and sit. The neckline stays 1 inch above the center of the bra through all 3, with no gape at the wrap point and no strap showing at the shoulder. If you would have to pin or tape it every time, the size or the cut is wrong, and a neckline alteration on ready to wear is rarely worth its $15 to $35, because it changes the line the dress was cut for. On an off shoulder or a strapless, the same 3 moves, and the neckline may not slide more than 1 inch. On a sheer sleeve, the strap must sit inside the opaque part of the bodice. This is the test women skip, and it is the one that decides whether a dress is worn or hung.
The Lucy sheath in navy has a collar and an opaque bodice under sheer sleeves, so a normal bra sits under it and nothing shows at the shoulder. The Rebeka in black is a V neck to the knee with cape sleeves, and the V is shallow enough to pass the lean.
What a tailor can fix, what it costs, and what to leave alone
| Alteration | Safe? | US price this year | The note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorten a plain hem, trouser or skirt | Yes | $15 to $30 | Lined or vented hem $25 to $45; a hem with a lace edge or a border cannot be shortened at the bottom |
| Shorten a dress hem | Yes | $25 to $45 | A flared or pleated hem costs more because the width changes; ask before you buy a pleat |
| Shorten a blazer sleeve | Yes | $25 to $30 plain, $40 to $60 with working buttons | The safest alteration in tailoring; do it on every jacket you own |
| Shorten a coat sleeve | Yes | $40 to $60 | Lining and a cuff add to it; leave room for a glove |
| Lengthen a sleeve or a hem | Rarely | Only if 1 inch was left inside | Most makers leave 1/2 inch or none; buy long, not short |
| Take in a waist, skirt or trouser | Yes | $25 to $45 | Up to 2 inches at the back seam; letting out depends on the allowance, usually 1 inch at most |
| Take in a blazer or dress at the side seams | Yes | $35 to $70 | 1/2 to 1 inch a side; more with a lining; more than 1 inch a side and the pockets move |
| Let out a bust | No | 1/4 inch at a dart, and that is all; buy for the bust | |
| Narrow a shoulder | No | $150 to $250, and it rarely holds | The sleeve comes off and goes back on; buy the shoulder that fits |
| Widen a bicep or raise an armhole | No | The cloth is not there; a sleeve can be narrowed 1/2 inch, never widened | |
| Add a snap to a wrap or a dart to a gaping neckline | Yes | $15 to $35 | Only for 1/2 inch of gape; more than that is a size |
| Remove a shoulder pad | Yes | $20 to $40 | The shoulder line drops slightly; check the seam still sits on the bone |
The rule that follows from the table: buy for the shoulder, the bust, and the hip, in that order, because those cannot be changed, and let the tailor do the waist, the hem, and the sleeve, which is $60 to $120 on a piece that will be worn for 10 years, and the difference between a garment that fits and a garment that was made for you. Women who buy 2 sizes of the same jacket and keep the 1 that passes the shoulder and the hug, then take the waist in, end up with the best fitting jacket they own. That is what a 30 day self serve return is for.
What it costs per wearing
A $910 wool coat worn 100 days a winter for 10 winters costs $0.91 a wearing. A $610 blazer worn 3 days a week for 40 working weeks and 5 years costs $1.02 a wearing. A $695 lined dress worn 20 times a year for 5 years costs $6.95. A $325 ankle pant worn 60 times a year for 4 years costs $1.35. Against those, a $180 coat that loses its shape by February and is replaced 3 times in 10 years costs $540 and is never right, and a $90 dress that pulls when you sit is worn twice, at $45 a wearing. The arithmetic is not an argument for a price; it is an argument for investing in the piece that passes the 6 tests, because a piece that fails 1 of them is worn 3 times whatever it cost.
The Isidora in mocha, double breasted with peak lapels and cut long and fitted, is the coat for the arithmetic: a clean shoulder, a line cut to last, and a waist that can be taken in when the day comes that it needs to be.
Buying online: the 3 numbers to know before you order
Your shoulder, measured across the back from bone to bone, 14 to 16 inches on most women. Your bust at the fullest point, over the bra you wear. Your hip at the fullest point, 7 to 8 inches below the waist. Compare those 3 to the size chart, and order the size that fits the largest of them; the waist is the tailor's job. If you fall between 2 sizes at the shoulder, order both, run the 6 tests at home in the shoes and the blazer you will wear, and send 1 back. Luna sizes run from 0 to 16 depending on the style, complete size runs are listed first in every collection, the model wears a size 2, shipping inside the US takes 2 to 5 days, and returns are self serve within 30 days with no questions.
The questions women ask before they invest
How do I choose a blazer size online when brands fit differently? By the shoulder measurement, bone to bone, and nothing else; the bust and the waist are secondary and the waist is alterable. If the chart does not give the shoulder, ask.
Should the money go to the tailoring or to the original piece? On the piece, for the shoulder and the cloth, and then $60 to $120 on the tailor for the sleeve, the hem, and the waist. Tailoring cannot supply a shoulder or a cloth; it can only fit what is already there.
Is it worth tailoring a mid range blazer or buying a better one? If the shoulder and the cloth are right, tailor it. If either is wrong, no amount of tailoring makes it a $600 jacket, and the money is better spent on the jacket.
How do I decide if a $500 dress is worth it? Run the sit test and the bra test. If it passes both and has a lining and a sleeve, you will wear it 20 times a year and it is $5 a wearing. If it fails 1, it is a $500 mistake at any price.
What is a reasonable price for hem and waist alterations on trousers? $15 to $30 for the hem and $25 to $45 for the waist in most US cities; more in Manhattan and San Francisco, and more with a lining. If a tailor quotes double that, ask what else they are doing.
How do I tell from photographs if a dress is lined? The hem hangs straight without a wave, the cloth falls in 1 plane with no ripple at the hip, and the light shows no shadow of the leg through the skirt. The product page should say; ask if it does not.
How do I order 2 sizes and decide which to keep? Try both over the same blouse or blazer. Keep the one that passes the shoulder and the hug; if both do, keep the one with the smaller X at the button, and have the waist of the larger one taken in if that is the one.
When do I replace a blazer instead of repairing it? When the shoulder has collapsed, the lapel no longer rolls, or the cloth shines at the elbow and the seat. A worn lining, a lost button, and a frayed buttonhole are repairs, $30 to $150, and worth it on a jacket whose shoulder still fits.
Frequently asked questions
How should a coat fit over a blazer? The shoulder seam on the bone, 3 to 4 inches of ease at the bust with the blazer on, and it passes the hug: buttoned, arms crossed, then reaching forward, with no strain in the back and no bite at the armhole. If the shoulder fits and the hug fails, size up and have the waist taken in.
What is the sit test for a dress? Sit with your knees together. The hem rides up 2 to 3 inches and no more, no horizontal crease forms across the thigh, nothing binds at the back waist, and you can reach across a table without a pull from the armhole to the bust.
Can a tailor fix the shoulders of a blazer? Not without taking the sleeves off, at $150 to $250, and it rarely holds. Buy the shoulder that fits and alter the sleeve, the waist, and the hem, which are the safe alterations at $25 to $70 each.
How much does it cost to shorten blazer sleeves? $25 to $30 for a plain cuff and $40 to $60 with working buttons, because the buttons must move. It is the safest alteration in tailoring and the one that most changes how a jacket reads.
What is the bra test for a V neck or a wrap dress? In the bra you will wear, raise your arms, lean forward, and sit. The neckline stays 1 inch above the center of the bra through all 3 with no gape and no strap showing. If it needs tape every time, it is the wrong size or cut.
How do I calculate cost per wear? Price divided by wearings. A $910 coat worn 100 days a winter for 10 winters is $0.91 a wearing; a $610 blazer worn 3 days a week for 5 years is about $1. A piece that fails a fit test is worn 3 times at any price, which is the only number that matters.
The Fitting Room at Home
Order the 2 sizes that bracket your shoulder. Run the 6 tests in your own mirror, in the shoes and the blazer you will wear. Keep the one that passes and send the other back within 30 days, self serve, no questions. If you would rather be told, send your 3 numbers, shoulder, bust, and hip, and the day it is for, to connect@lunafashionhouse.com; a person who knows the cut replies within 1 business day with the size and the piece.
Run the shoulder, the hug, the sit, the button, the walk, and the bra, in that order, and stop at the first failure. Buy for the shoulder, the bust, and the hip; pay the tailor for the sleeve, the hem, and the waist. See the pieces built to pass in Winter Coats, Blazers, Dresses, and Pants, complete size runs first, with 30 days to run the tests in your own mirror.
