Altered

I bought two dresses recently, and I had to alter them both to fit.  Off-the-rack dresses are easier to make, but they are pretty depressing to shop for.  Designers generally create clothes for one body type, which means for everyone else, the dress is going to look a little funky.

"I've got this figure of mine that looks impossible in off-the-rack clothes.  If the length's right, then the top swims on me.  It's very discouraging to see yourself looking practically malformed.  I loath trying on clothes."  --Audrey Hepburn

 But the thing is, women should stop feeling misshapen every time they try on mass produced dresses.  Unless they are mu-mus, most dresses have to be fitted for the woman in order to look right. 

WikiHow:
http://www.wikihow.com/Take-in-a-Dress-at-the-Waist