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Using a professional dress form can help you when making clothes. But they only come in standard measurements, and you may want to alter the size.
I’m not the standard size, and wanted mine to fit better. So I’m going to show you how I pad my PGM dress form to fit my body.
And I use the Fabulous Fit Fitting System to do it. I’ll also tell you why I chose this exact padding system and give you tips.
Getting My Dress Form to Fit My Body
I know many people who use dress forms as is. They choose the closest standard size and let it be.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
But I like to have a more life-like replica of my body. If you have more curves, you can add padding to those areas.
Note that I’ve tried a few DIY ways to size up my dress form, such as using batting. Well, the padding system has worked the best for me.
Why I Chose the Fabulous Fit Fitting System
I have been using Fabulous Fit Padding for a long time. This is almost as long as I’ve had my dress form.
When I first got my dress form, I was a smaller size. Then I gained weight and filled out.
That means I went up pattern sizes, and outgrew my dress form. Too bad it doesn’t grow or shrink with me!
But I didn’t necessarily want to buy a new dress form because this one was still good. It was just skinnier than I was.
So my goal was to make my dress form into a body double to fit clothes on as I sew.
When I researched padding systems, I saw a lot of different kinds online. I ordered Fabulous Fit because there were some good reviews.
If you go to their website the price is $85, but I got mine at an open-box discount on Amazon for around $20!
I don’t see them on Amazon anymore, but there are other brands you can check out.
So naturally, I was wondering what was wrong with this thing since it was priced so low. But there was nothing wrong, just someone returned it.
But I also ended up returning the first one I got because it was too big.
So you want to make sure that that bodysuit is pretty tight. If it’s not, the padding will shift and fall out.
Luckily, I was able to swap it out with a smaller size that was also open box. It was the same price and worked perfectly!
What Comes With the Fabulous Fit System
The fitting system comes with 17 pads, 2 bodysuits, a storage bag, and directions. The pads are foam and feel like the ones in padded bras.
Okay, note that mine are discolored and yellowish because I’ve had them so long!
The pads come in different sizes and shapes and are made to fit the shoulders, bust, side back, stomach, upper hip, thighs, and back hip.
There are also some filler pads. All pads are interchangeable so you can use them anywhere on the dress form.
How I Use Fabulous Fit Padding on My Dress Form
The first thing I did was measure my dress form and compare it to my body measurements.
Note that using the padding can add 1 to 2 inches, or up to two sizes. So if you need to go bigger, you’ll need to use extra padding.
After that, I rolled on the first bodysuit. Since there are two of them, the thinner one without the turtleneck goes on first.
Then I added the padding and started from the top and worked my way down. So I started with the shoulders, then the bust, stomach, hips, butt, and thighs.
This part took a bit of finagling as I had to get the pads even on both sides. I used a measuring tape and eyeballed it to get it right.
You can use the filler pads to add more cushion where you need it.
At this point, it might look a bit bulky, but we’re not done.
The last thing I do is roll on the other bodysuit with the turtleneck. This will really hold all the pads in place and smooth it out.
That’s why you’ll want to make sure your bodysuit is tight.
But I can honestly say that over the years mine has stretched out a little. It still works well, but it’s not as taut as it used to be.
Notes
One thing I do to increase the bust is to put a padded bra on my dress form. I’ll also use the extra padding in old bras as filler.
In case you’re wondering about using straight pins, you can still use them with this padding. I actually think the padding makes pinning easier.
The foam doesn’t make the dress form super soft, and it still has its firmness. Meaning, it’s not mushy.
The good thing is that I can always remove padding when I go down sizes. And removing is so much easier than adding!
Overall
If you want to fill out your dress form, using a shaping or padding system works well. I like Fabulous Fit, and it has held up throughout the years.
You can use the same dress form through many weight fluctuations. Although I still have to try on clothes as I sew, having a better-fitting dress form does help.
Read More
- Which is the best dress form for sewing? I’ll tell you about the different types.
- I’ll tell you how I got my professional dress form on sale, and it was at a deep discount.
- What kinds of clothes and what size should you sew during weight fluctuations?
Originally published: August 14, 2026
