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A figure with a large bust may cause various fitting problems, as it is necessary to add both width and length to allow for the curve of the bust. The fit of the bust area is controlled by darts, or darts incorporated in seams, and the widths of the darts must vary according to the bust measurement; the larger the bust the wider the dart. All bust darts must point exactly towards the crown of the bust, and a dart which is wrongly positioned must be moved before any other alterations are made, as it may be the cause of other defects. Although a dart may originate from any seam or edge, the underarm dart is most frequently used as it is the least conspicuous.
To perfect the fit of the bust area, it may be necessary to add width on the bust line, or length on the centre front line, or both. Defects due to insufficient front length are more noticeable in a waist or hip length bodice than a full length garment as the waistline will lift at the centre and stand away. In any case, there will be diagonal folds from the side seam towards the bust point and the grain the waist line will be raised at the centre, indicating that the underarm dart needs to be widened. Pin the dart wider on the garment until the folds disappear. The broken lines in the diagram show the width of the original dart. When a dart is widened, the seam from which it originates becomes shorter and therefore the amount added to the dart must also be added to the lower edge of the pattern.
The opposite defect, that of the garment having excessive front length, is caused by the figure having a smaller bust than the pattern has allowed for.
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