I am very sensitive about people dropping the "a" bomb (anorexia) to describe a thin person, particularly when speaking about a 13-year-old because they tend to be gawky anyway, it takes a few years for their weight to catch up with their sudden burst of height. I don't think speaking of thin people in disparaging terms is at all productive, and it's really no different than going around complaining about "fatties." I think we should be working towards a general acceptance of all body types, and that includes thin people, many of whom would prefer to be a bit heavier. It does no good trying to turn the tables.

Some of us are naturally, healthily thin. I am 5'9 and roughly 120 lbs, and I have a lot of trouble finding things that fit as well. Partly it's because I have big boobs (you see, not all thin people look like boys), but also because many clothes are stupidly made, regardless of size. Shoes too: I have very big feet, but thin calves, however shoe makers stupidly think that shoe size corresponds with weight, specifically the girth of ones legs. I don't know if very high-end designers would be better, Prada and the like, because I certainly don't have the means and I they don't appeal to me anyway.

Are private couturiers (did I spell that right?) the way to go? Perhaps that's the lesson here, for ALL of us.

A bit of clarification seems to be in order.

The difference between a couturier and a regular tailor or dressmaker (also good options) is that a couturier is also a designer who produces a new line every season. My couturier puts out five lines a year of impeccable business and casual clothes aimed at a middle-aged, professional clientele, which she sells through four boutiques she owns. She prides herself on knowing her customers' lives and her ability to reflect our regional style; and this informs her design choices.

You can buy her stuff off the rack in regular sizes, for prices that are roughly in line for what you'd pay for a bridge line like Dana Buchman or Eileen Fisher at Macy's. Or, for a little extra, she'll make any piece to measure, in the fabric of your choice (and her fabrics are choice: the last pair of pants were in an exquisite black wool crepe she bought from Armani). It's a decent way to go: thanks to her, at least I have a few suits and blouses that are perfect.

Dressmakers charge a bit less, because they don't have the overhead, and don't do their own design. You supply the fabric and pattern, and they adapt it to fit and make it up. My old dressmaker (who has since retired) used to charge about $200 for a dress, a bit more for a jacket, much less for pants or a skirt. Not all alternations people can do this well; but a competent alterations person is a good person to ask if you're looking around for a dressmaker.

All that said: good dressmakers, tailors, and alterations people are as hard to find as good doctors or hair stylists. When you go this route, and you do find one who can reliably turn out nice clothes, hang onto her and do whatever it takes to keep her happy.

Getting bespoke clothing made is not as la-di-da as y'all seem to think. It's just the last resort of a desperate woman who can't get nice clothes that fit any other way.

Women need to start saying no to gay designers who are making clothes for women who look like men. I really don't see how they are avoiding bankruptcy anyway, as the majority of us who have actual money to spend are over size 12 and over 30. There are only so many skinny teen girls with large disposable incomes, and depending on their fickle tastes seems like a recipe for failure. The numbers speak for themselves: while stores selling only skimpy clothing fit only for anorexic 13-year-olds are struggling to survive, sales of plus size clothing are soaring. I see a lot more women starting their own companies designing clothes for real women's bodies and lifestyles and making a killing, while fashion designers catering to Vogue set find more and more of their clientele getting old, fat, and tired of squeezing into their latest ridiculous creations.

I doubt we're talking a Saville Row bespoke suit here. I'm guessing a couple hundred dollars plus the cost of materials--about as much as you might pay for any special occasion dress. And you're likely paying someone a fair wage, too, instead of paying for shoddy overpriced junk made in an Asian sweatshop by someone getting three cents a day and marked way up. Any local drycleaner usually does tailoring and alterations and would probably be glad of the extra business.

Something that hasn't been mentioned here is that, while women make up the majority of design students, it isn't the designing that's the problem. Women don't have the business smarts to know how to obtain financing, network with the right people, find resources for manufacturing, etc. It takes a lot more than just design knowledge to succeed at designing. Men seem to have more of these skills. I went to art school and jewelry school and I was a good designer. But I was never taught the business side of things. Yes, I could have learned. But I didn't even know enough to know what I didn't know. If women (and men) could mentor women in these skills then you might see more women succeed.