about us

where we are

Ideal Garment is in St. Louis Missouri, in Soulard, an historic neighborhood a mile or two south of Busch Stadium and the Arch.

It is a great, boozy and friendly neighborhood to come visit, and maybe learn to sew ideal garments.

Ideal Garment has some space for students staying for a few days, but Soulard is also rife with fantastic airbnbs.

contact us

Text "hello, ideal garment" and your name and query to three-one-four--three-six-five--ten-fifty-six.

If you just must use social media, Susan exists in the fediverse, Deranged Crone (@susiemagoo@mstdn.social)

who we are

Ideal Garment are one person, Susan, designing and making clothing in one or another very old brick house, and another person, Jeff, keeping the rain out and the lights on.

Everyone asks about design training, and the answer is "none".

Susan only learned how to sew in home ec. class, back in 1970-something. And then there were those several summers as apprentice in a college costume shop. And some exposure to problem-solving at an engineering university in the 1980's.

No, all this is not "fashion", not "design" but rather problem-solving. You name a reason to wear clothing, a reason to need something specific, and we have made clothing for that reason. If we haven't, we want to.

We want to get you dressed so you can go on about your day, and your night, and maybe tomorrow, too.

what we make

Comfortable and useful pants for all bodies and all seasons
Skirts of all lengths, several shapes, various fabrics
Easy to wear tops made to order, to grace the particular shape
Dresses in a variety of lengths, shapes, moods
Jackets, in all fabrics, many configurations
Coats & robes, for all occasions
Robes. Coats. Did I mention robes?
Clothing for all contexts,

Scientific Panties (that's a whole thing)

Hats & scarves



All sizes & sorts accommodated.

Handmade & Guaranteed
The Best Clothes Ever
(and the stuff to wear under them)

ideal theory

Ideal Garments are just that: ideal. They love you and make you look lovely all the time. They are happy to do anything with you, whether it is gardening or going to a ball. And they don't make you spend money on dry cleaning and don't make you want to go home to get out of them. They want you to have fun and be happy and safe and know that you look good all the time.

Ideal garments would love to be pulled off in passion, or slept in after many exhausting hours of glittery fun, or productive work, or both, and they absolutely will not give you the fish-eye in the morning, nor make you walk the walk of shame in the bright light of morning. Oh no. Absolutely not. They will just keep on supporting you and telling you how beautiful and powerful you are, and that you should just go do whatever you want to do right now."Don't even worry about us. We will be fine. Throw us in the wash when you have a chance, but get out there and change the world!"

"Go forth! or stay in if you like," they seem to whisper, and that is what clothing should say. Not "you're fat" or "don't snag me!" or "watch the coffee!" or "I want to go to the dry cleaner now, and I don't care how much it costs."

Ideal garments would never speak to anyone that way. We did not raise these garments to have them be rude, unhelpful and demanding attention-whores. Nope. But you know, like any excellent, uncommon thing, they do draw attention to themselves. But that is not usually their point or purpose. Sometimes, though.

Solutions to modern dress, from underneath to over the top: that's what is going on in here.

Then we try to understand it all and write about it so others can solve their own problems of costume and dress.

We think about clothing alot, trying to understand it, to solve it.

Read about this, and other stuff, if you like, the ideal garment bloggy blog: idealgarment.blogspot.com

handmade
100% guaranteed

Ideal Garments are ideal. If they are not, you must bring them back, either to be adjusted or for a full refund. That is, if you managed to get us to sell you something in the first place In any case, no garment is to be left unworn, an error of judgement languishing in the back of a closet.

It ruins the experiment, destroys the science, and shatters hope that we will one day be served by our garments, our whole entire selves, rather than be in servitude to them.

Give it back and let us make it ideal. Or send it back and go on your way without us. 100% guaranteed we'll kick your butt if we find out you kept a garment that was not ideal for you.

sew 4 yourself

Some ideal garments, the most useful ones tbh, are not very difficult to make.

In fact, someone with a vague memory of sewing pillows in Home Economics several decades ago is more than prepared to break out the sewing machine and stitch up a few skirts and even pants. Being able to make a garment is much the same as being able to make an omelet or a tomato sauce or a sandwich.

It is not difficult, but you do have to know how to do it, and be willing to take the time to do it, and to clean up afterward.

It does take longer than making a sandwich, more like making a nice dinner, but it will still take less time than a grim hunt for a particular thing in the shops and malls of america, which in any case will not end in you having an ideal garment.

Plus, once the garment is made, unlike dinner, you really do not need to make another one for many years.

And that is only for the garments you wear all the time and eventually wear out. Coats and robes might last forever.

learn how to make ideal garments for yourself.