At Gaia Conceptions, we approach sizing a bit differently. We use your body measurements to recommend the correct size. Typically, most folks can wear three size ranges, and the size you choose depends on the type of fit you are seeking, your fabric choice, and the design.
In general, our knit garments have a touch of give that easily relaxes to the body when being worn, and our woven garments, while having no give, are designed to have a relaxed fit. This is an esthetic choice as well as an inclusivity decision; knit fabrics and relaxed fit designs accommodate more bodies, larger bodies, and fluctuating body sizes more easily than tighter-fitting, tailored styles.
Despite the ease of our styles and fabric options, it is still expected that garments will look and fit differently on different body types. We conduct extensive fit testing to obtain the most consistent silhouette across various bodies, but humans are incredibly diverse and that's a beautiful thing! In addition to the physical fit differences across body types, everyone has unique fit preferences. Not every style may work for you, or you may want to make minor alterations or adjustments to get the fit just right. While we do offer a lot of customization options a local tailor (or most dry cleaners!) can easily alter our garments to make them perfectly suited to your size, shape, and fit preferences.
CHOOSING A SIZE
We recommend ordering based on your body measurements, our size charts, your design choice, your desired fit, and the fabric recommendations. Since each body is unique, we recommend measuring yourself with a flexible tape measure rather than going off how the garments look on the models or your size in other bands.
HOW TO MEASURE YOURSELF
DESIRED FIT
If you're between sizes or have split bust, waist and hip sizing, we recommend considering your desired fit. If you'd prefer a more fitted garment, you may want to go with the smaller size. If you prefer a more regular to loose fit, you may want to go with the larger size.
Many customers can wear multiple sizes to achieve different fits. If you want to size up or down from your recommended size, we have a few tips.
First, if you fall between sizes, let the most relevant measurements guide your choice. For example, the hip measurement is the most important factor in selecting a pant size, so we recommend prioritizing your hip measurement. If your hips place you in a larger size than your waist, go with the larger size to ensure you’re able to comfortably fit the pants at your hips. If your hips place you in a smaller size than your waist, you're probably safe to size down since our stretchy waistbands will stretch to accommodate your waist.
Some of our designs are more forgiving and naturally have a more relaxed fit compared to others. For Example your hip measurement isn't of much importance for our Full and flowy Wanderer Silhouette but it will be important for a fitted Pencil Silhouette. If you're ordering a more form fitting design we recommend basing your size on the biggest measurement. You may need to work with a local tailor to take the garment in where your measurements are smaller.
Relaxed Fit – order one size up from your measurement
General Fit - order the size closest to your measurements, it is normal for your garment to be a little snug at first, it will relax out after 15-20 mins of wearing
Fitted Fit – order one size down from measurements, this will be pretty tight at first and should relax out after wearing for 15-20 mins. This is only recommended if you have ordered a general fit from us before and are confident the one size down is going to give you the fitted look you prefer. In our experience sizing down works best with our more forgiving fabrics such as light hemp, tissue cotton, and light lycra blends.
FABRIC CHOICE
Our fabric descriptions include sizing recommendations when relative. Be sure to read through the fabric description that pops up when making your fabric choice on a product page for sizing recommendations specific to that fabric. For example we recommend sizing up with the Heavy Hemp/Organic Cotton knit, Heavy Stretch Hemp Organic Cotton Knit, and FLEECE STRETCH Hemp/Organic Cotton Knit for a regular fit. You can see all our Organic Fabrics Options HERE
SIZE CHART
Ordering the same size as your measurements generally yields a regular fit. Ordering down from measurements generally yields a fitted fit and ordering up from measurements generally yields a looser fit. For easy reference while shopping a link to our Size Charts can be seen by clicking View Chart next to size choice on a product page or a link can also be found at the bottom of each page.
For Tops, Dresses, and Jackets: go with your bust and hip measurements, or use largest measurement
For Bottoms: go with your hip measurement
For Love me 2 Times: use hip measurement – top part is very stretchy
| Size |
Bust |
Waist |
Hip |
| XXS |
31-32 |
24-25 |
33-34 |
| XS |
33-34 |
26-27 |
35-36 |
| Small |
35-36 |
28-29 |
37-38 |
| Med |
37-38 |
30-31 |
39-40 |
| Large |
39-40 |
32-33 |
41-42 |
| X-Large |
41-42 |
34-35 |
43-44 |
| XX-Large |
43-44 |
36-37 |
45-46 |
| XXX-Large |
45-46 |
38-39 |
47-48 |
ALTERATIONS - Please note that we can always take garments down in size if they are fitting too loosely, but we can't add to a garment that is fitting too tight. You can see more about our alteration options and process
HERE
CLOTHING CARE - Our garments can be slightly snug at first as the natural fibers of the fabric tighten some during the dye process. Our fabrics typically relax to the body with about 20-30 minutes of wear. You can see more about clothing care and wear
HERE
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