As an industry professional one of the most common questions I am asked is: “How do I become a fashion designer?”
It’s an exciting goal, but it’s one that’s often misunderstood. Many people think becoming a designer is all about sketching ideas or choosing fabrics. In reality, those are only a small part of what a designer actually does. The following blog post will outline a suggested route you can follow – one that will give you the valuable skills you need to make your dream to become a designer a reality. In addition to that it will give you a valuable skill set that will make a real difference to your career!
I believe that to turn your ideas into real garments, you need to understand the technical side of design — and that begins with pattern cutting.
Why Pattern Cutting Is the Foundation of Design?
Pattern cutting is the bridge between creativity and reality. It’s how your ideas become tangible garments that fit, drape, and move as you imagined. Without this knowledge, you’re designing in theory — but not in practice.
Let me give you an example, I often see designs, they are no doubt really creative, but they lack the technical details that are needed to translate the design into a wearable garment.
A really common mistake among new designers is overlooking the technical elements that make a garment work. It’s easy to sketch a beautiful idea, but without understanding construction you might forget essential details like armhole seams, darts, or shaping, especially in fitted woven garments. Many beginners also don’t think about how someone will actually get into the garment, or how the fabric will behave once it’s made. Understanding whether your design is suitable for a woven or a knit, and how each behaves technically, is a key part of turning a sketch into a successful, wearable garment.
Many designers rely on others to “interpret” their ideas. But truly great designers understand pattern cutting. They know how fabric behaves, how shapes translate to the body, and how to bring a concept to life.
That’s why pattern cutting is the most overlooked — yet most essential — skill for anyone serious about fashion design. In reality any modern design job will require knowledge of pattern cutting and sample making at the very least.
Your Pathway to Becoming a Designer – Each of the title links below will take you to the individual courses blog post, when you will find a more detailed description of the course contents and links to the course itself which are held over on Teachable.
To help aspiring designers build a complete, professional skill set, I’ve developed a structured progression route through my courses. Each course builds on the last, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern digital tools. I have utilised my skills gained from over 35 years as a freelancer in the fashion industry and a career as a Senior Fashion Lecturer in a top UK university to build a range of detailed and affordable courses.
The perfect starting point. This course teaches you the fundamentals of pattern drafting — the technical foundation of every garment. You’ll gain the essential knowledge that underpins all successful design work. This course teaches you good working practice, whilst giving you a solid foundation to build your career upon.
Once you’ve mastered manual pattern cutting, this course shows you how to use Adobe Illustrator as a pattern cutting tool. You’ll learn to draft, edit, and prepare patterns digitally, and how to format them for sale to the public — an invaluable skill if you plan to sell your own digital patterns or run a design business online. This is where you can pick up the knowledge to enable you to gain an income from your skills.
This course takes your skills to a higher level. You’ll explore creative pattern cutting methods, learn to experiment with shape and structure, and discover how to use 3D software to visualise and test fit. It’s designed to prepare you for the future of fashion, where digital and creative processes work hand in hand. This is a really creative course and it’s where you will really develop your skills to prepare you for the future!
Finally, you’ll learn to grade your patterns for multiple sizes — a vital step in developing professional collections or ready-to-sell pattern ranges.
Specialist Options
If your interests lie in children’s wear, I also offer a Baby, Child and Teen Pattern Design Course. It focuses on age-specific fit, proportions, and sizing — helping you design patterns that work beautifully for younger body types.
Preparing You for the Future
My courses are designed not only to teach you how to make patterns, but to prepare you for where the fashion industry is heading — blending technical knowledge with creativity and digital innovation.
Coming soon, there’ll be a new course: Sewing for Small Business, aimed at those who want to produce and sell their own designs professionally.
Final Thoughts – There are no quick fixes or hacks – it takes a lot of hard work to become a designer.
My best advice is that if you dream of becoming a fashion designer, don’t skip the fundamentals. Pattern cutting is what turns your creative ideas into wearable garments — it’s the skill that connects imagination with craftsmanship.
By learning these core techniques and developing your digital pattern skills, you’ll be ready to create designs that are not only beautiful, but also technically sound, production-ready, and future-proof.
Style3D AI has been quietly transforming the way we visualise fashion designs—and one of its most intriguing new features is image to video. At first glance, it sounds like something out of a sci-fi film: take a still image of a garment, and within a few minutes, generate a video of it walking, turning, and flowing on a model. But it truly is fantastic and I really love it! So I thought I would share it here with you and make a quick video of how to use it.
It’s actually a surprisingly practical and usable tool and can be put to great use.
What Is It?
The image to video feature lets you upload a flat image of a fashion design or in my case I have been using my Clo3D and Style3D images of the avatars I am fitting my patterns and blocks to— but this could easily be a photograph, a digital sketch, or even a render—and then the software animates it using Style3D’s built-in AI. The result is a video of the outfit in motion, shown on a lifelike model walking a virtual runway or turning to show all angles.
The other day I had a rather rude customer that said – my swim suit with shorts had no sign of shorts – I quickly uploaded the image of my toile in 3D and asked the image to video to make me a clip – of a model wearing the swim suit pattern ….. I made it into a clip for instagram too … so quick and easy!
This isn’t a 3D render based on sewing patterns or CAD files—it’s AI-driven animation that fills in the gaps, adding depth, drape, and natural movement to an otherwise flat image – it can even work out what the back of the garment would look like too.
How Does It Work? – You can follow my video above and see how it works and have a try for free – if you use my code then you have 50 free extra credits to add to the 50 they already give you.
Here’s a quick rundown of how to use it:
1. Upload Your Image
Choose a clear, front-facing image of your design. The AI works best with full-length shots, ideally showing the entire garment.
2. Select a Model and Motion
Style3D lets you’d some text – for example – female model facing forwards, looking at the camera – turning around etc –
3. Generate the Video
Within 2 to 5 minutes, Style3D animates your garment. You’ll see the model wearing your design, walking, turning, and giving a 360° impression of the look if that’s what you have asked for.
4. Download or Share
Once generated, the video can be downloaded for use in presentations, social media, or internal review.
What’s It Good For?
This isn’t a replacement for true 3D pattern simulation, but that’s not really the point. The strength of this feature lies in quick visual storytelling.
• Concept testing: Get a fast idea of how a design could move without building a full 3D sample.
• Portfolio building: Give life to still sketches or fashion illustrations.
• Client presentations: Show a garment in motion before sampling has even begun.
• Social media: Create dynamic content that goes beyond static flat lays or technical drawings.
OR JUST FOR FUN!
The Results: Surprisingly Convincing
While it’s not perfect for detailed fit analysis, the AI is surprisingly good at suggesting fabric movement and silhouette. In particular, soft draping, oversized pieces, and flowing garments tend to look great in motion. The tool doesn’t always get complex construction or tight tailoring right, but for first impressions and storytelling, it’s genuinely impressive.
A Word of Caution
This isn’t a substitute for proper pattern cutting or garment testing—but it’s a brilliant companion. Think of it as a rapid visualisation tool rather than a precision simulator. For anyone working in concept design, digital portfolios, or early client pitches, it’s a fantastic way to bridge the gap between 2D and motion.
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In short: Style3D’s image to video feature does what it says on the tin—takes your static image and brings it to life. And while it won’t replace pattern simulations just yet, it’s an incredibly useful, creative addition to the digital pattern cutter’s toolkit.
If you give it a try please use my code and let me know what you think too!
Throughout my career, I have found immense value in balancing freelance work with my role as a university lecturer. As a pattern cutter and grader, I have been able to stay deeply connected to the industry, gaining real-world insights and keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques. This hands-on experience not only hones my skills but also allows me to bring practical, industry-relevant knowledge to my students. By working in both academia and the industry, I strike a unique balance that benefits both my students and clients. By staying actively involved in both education and the industry, I can contribute meaningfully to shaping the next generation of fashion professionals while also continuing to learn and evolve in my own practice.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is collaborating with diverse clients, I teach online across a range of courses. In this role, I not only teach online courses to staff and students but also develop innovative digital tools and course content. By tailoring my teaching methods to suit the needs of the individal academy or fashion school, I can provide a more enriching and effective learning experience. Additionally, offering guidance on curriculum planning enables me to shape the future of fashion education, ensuring that it remains dynamic and relevant in a constantly evolving industry.
I have recently been working with a designer transitioning from manual pattern cutting to digital pattern cutting. This opens up a multitude of opportunities to enhance their brand. By embracing digital tools, the designer can now sell garment patterns and a range of basic blocks (slopers) as digital products. This shift not only streamlines the design process but also taps into the growing digital market. This transition has significantly boosted the designer’s brand visibility and revenue streams.
Recently taking on a new client writing a pattern cutting book marks an exciting new project. The prospect of utilizing a lifetime of skills and knowledge to assist in this endeavor is both fulfilling and rewarding. Collaborating on a book project allows for creative input, sharing expertise, and contributing to the dissemination of valuable knowledge within the industry. It’s moments like these that showcase the power of continuous learning and adaptation in a dynamic field like fashion design.
Recently completing a top-secret project has freed up some time for consultancy and online support services. This presents a unique opportunity for collaboration with individuals or businesses seeking guidance in navigating the digital landscape or optimizing their design processes. Whether it’s providing expert advice on pattern drafting and grading, teaching and learning, offering insights on creating digital products, or assisting in streamlining workflows, consultancy services can help clients unlock their full potential. By sharing knowledge and expertise, consultants can empower others to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
If you are interested in exploring consultancy or online support services, feel free to reach out. The consultancy and support packages available are tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of each client, ensuring a personalized and impactful collaboration. Whether you are looking to enhance your brand, optimize your design processes, or explore new digital opportunities, working together could unlock exciting possibilities for growth and innovation. Take the first step towards realizing your full potential by reaching out and starting a conversation today.
In my digital pattern cutting course I show my students how to make digital grading rulers, it takes time, but in the long run it saves a lot of valuable time and really increases the accuracy of your grading.
Many of us pattern cutters and graders are now using systems such as Adobe illustrator and Corel Draw to draft and grade patterns, the downside is that we need to find workarounds to grade, as these systems, are not designed for pattern cutters. The good news is that there are several methods which make grading really easy and accurate in Ai. I do most of my grading in Gerber Accumark, but am just as happy grading in Ai, and have used my grading knowledge and skills to create several methods to grade quickly and accurately in Adobe illustrator. I cover this and much more in my course.
Lots of my students have asked if I would produce my digital rulers as a product for sale, so here is the first one! This is the skirt grading ruler set and it comes with both a multi size ruler and a single size up and down.
What is neck width? In the diagram above you can see that I have extended the Center Back (CB) and Center Front (CF) upwards and squared a line from each shoulder point – the measurement of this line is the neck width. As you can see above the back neck width is wider than the front neck width. Is this normal you may ask, and the answer is yes -it’s perfectly normal, in fact a sign of a well balanced neckline. In this post we will go on to look at the reasons for this difference and how this information can help your bust fitting.
Let’s first understand what the implications to fit are if the back neck width (BNW) is NOT wider that the front neck width (FNW). The answer to this is that the front neck will gape. My example block above is somewhat of an extreme example as it’s a contour fitted block that needs to fit really well at the above bust area. It’s a block designed for corsets and fitted garments and it needs to be snug! I have also designed this block to accommodate a C cup, so this adjustment actually makes that ‘difference’ between the BNW and the FNW wider still.
You can see in the image above how we can measure the back and front neck widths and compare them, here we are only measuring half, so of course you would need to double these quantities for the total neck widths.
In a block for a B cup (standard fitting block), the average difference between the two widths, meaning how much the BNW is wider than the FNW is generally around 6mm to 10mm – however this ‘difference’ will increase if you are fitting a larger bust or have fit issues and a gaping front neckline area, or a garment that does not sit well above the bust level. We are very concave above our bust level at the front and there can often be fit issues here when trying to fit a larger cup size.
Let’s take a look at an adjustment we can make to accommodate a full bust and get a better fit above the bust level, you may have already made a full bust adjustment and are still having fit issues, or your block may simply be gaping at the neck and not sitting correctly, here is a simple adjustment you can try.
First I am going to close out the dart at the shoulder, as a temporary measure to allow me to make the fit adjustment with no dart in place, it can be pivoted back after.
With the dart out of the way, now we are clear to make the FNW adjustment.
Plan the cut lines as shown on the front block above – we are going to cut this section of the block and move it over to the right to reduce the front neck width even more, this is a minor adjustment and I would advise doing it in stages, particularly with the block I am using above as it has already been fine tuned for a close fit above the bust.
What we are doing here is reducing the front neck width even more, for a larger cup size, the maximum adjustment I would recommend would be a total neck width adjustment of 1.25 cm (half an inch) to a regular block, or pattern you are working on. It’s always best to make these adjutments slowly and keep checking the fit.
Here we are essentially ‘fine tuning’ the fit, this can be a solution if the bust fits well for you, but the neckline is still not fitting as you would like it.
Here you can see that we have reduced the front neck width, we would now need to trace off this pattern section and smooth out the armhole as we have a tiny ‘jog’ at the armhole curve. Please note that these small fit adjustments do not effect the fit of the back at all. having made these changes you can now pivot the temporary dart back to the shoulder if you like.
I hope this post has helped a little. You may find all this slighly confusing if you have not read my previous posts on bust adjusment, It’s a popular topic for me and you can find lots more information in this series of posts on fitting at the bust!
As you may know, I make and sell basic blocks for pattern cutters, fully graded in wide size ranges. This has been a bit of a hobby for me over the past 30 years, and something I started doing when I worked as a Senior Fashion Lecturer at the world-renowned Manchester ‘Hollings Faculty’ at MMU. It was a bit of a side hustle for me at the time and since retiring and moving to France I have now made my love of drafting and grading into a full-time job! In this series of articles I am looking closely at fitting at the bust – if you want to learn a professional and technically sound method then you are in the right place!
Did you know that most commercial pattern companies make their patterns to fit a B cup size? If your cup size is larger or smaller than this, then you begin to realise that the garments you are making from these patterns will never fit you perfectly. Most basic blocks that you can buy out there are also drafted to a B cup. I have adapted my basic bodice block, and my new torso blocks to cater for a larger cup size. I re-balanced my front blocks to be wider than the back, this allows for larger cups C/D and easier Full Bust Adjustments (FBA) for larger cup sizes. Of course, Small Bust Adjustments (SBA) are also possible.
Many commercial patterns and regular basic blocks leave the full busted lady, and there are many, with no choice but to select a pattern size to fit her bust size. This results in a garment that fits poorly everywhere else. The smaller busted lady is also faced with the same problem but in reverse.
I encounter this problem myself as I am an F cup and have a very small skeletal frame. As a pattern cutter and pattern grader I am acutely aware of how the changes I make to a pattern in one area impact the fit of the garment in other areas. In certain areas a change of a millimetre (a tiny fraction of an inch) can have an impact. In other areas centimetres (fractions of an inch or more) are required. If you simply add on extra (or subtract) all around the pattern you are creating even more fitting problems!
If you google FBA (Full Bust Adjustment) or SBA (Small Bust Adjustment) you can find many articles and blog posts on the subject. As with any information you discover on the internet there are some good articles out there and some shockingly bad ones! Some of the methods suggested will lead to more fit problems than you started with. I truly have seen some shocking ones!
If you are an AA or A cup, then you may get away without making any pattern adjustments. It also depends on the style of the garment and your fit preferences. If you are a C or perhaps a D cup, then you may also be fine.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED TO MAKE A BUST ADJUSTMENT ON MY PATTERN?
Do your blouses gape or fail to sit properly at the centre front?
Is there a bump or folds of fabric above the fullness of your bust?
Do the shoulders of your garments never sit correctly?
Does the fullness of the bust shaping or the location of the darts not match your own bust shape?
Does the front hem of your garment not sit level with the rest of the hem line?
Do the darts of the garments you are sewing fail to ‘aim’ towards the fullest part of your bust?
If the fit issues mentioned above sound familiar to you then it’s likely that you would benefit from adjusting the bust area of your patterns. Once you have solved these problems you will never look back!
The goal of an FBA or SBA is to adjust the bust without altering the fit in all other areas of your garment. When making changes around the bust area we must also consider where our bust sits. I can certainly say that my bust level (and bust points) are much lower now than they were when I was a student. This is a detailed topic on its own and I have a useful blog post on raising or lowering the bust level of a pattern if you want to delve into this area in more detail. I suggest you make sure your bust point and bust level are correct first before continuing with a FBA or SBA.
Raising or lowering the bust level is quite straightforward in theory – knowing how much you need to adjust it by is more difficult to work out. This is where making a toile is essential. I covered the importance of making a toile in a previous article if you would like to know more about that.
If you want to forge ahead and don’t want to go down a rabbit hole, you can also take an educated guess by placing the pattern piece or block to your body and marking on where your bust level and bust points are. I know for myself, I will always need to lower the bust level on a commercial pattern or a basic block if I haven’t drated to my own personal measurements. You can make an ‘estimated’ adjustment first and make a trial garment, then perfect the fit of the bust level and bust points as required.
You can find much more information on how to find a bust point on any commercial pattern by looking at this post on my blog page.
Let’s look at how to locate the bust point and bust level on a pattern that has no darts in this post This will help you to understand the bust area and illustrate how to relocate a dart to the new bust level. In the next article in this series I will go into more detail, but for now lets look at a straight style.
The pattern or basic block you would like to adapt.
A ruler and a tape measure.
Take your pattern piece front and place accurately to your body. Make a mark where your bust point lies – remember this is the fullest part of your bust. To do this accurately you must be wearing a good supportive bra. When working with a finished pattern remember it will have seam allowance added so please allow for this.
Your bust point may be higher or lower than the pattern. The technique below can be used as a solution to both.
If you have no darts on the pattern then simply make a mark to identify your bust point and your bust level. You now have the location marked for the next step of making and FBA or SBA.
If you have a dart or darts on your pattern, you will need to find the centre of each existing dart. Connect this central point to your own marked bust point – then continue to mark in new dart legs, connecting both legs to the new bust point. Darts need to be shortened by at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) for sewing. If you sew a dart right to the bust point it will look very unsightly!
I am aware that I am using some technical language here – if you are asking yourself, what on earth are dart legs! Here is a little help. If you would like to know a little more about this then you can find much more info on my blog page!
Don’t forget to fold in any darts that are already on your pattern, as they would sit when they sewn, this gives you the correct shaping if you are placing the pattern piece to your body. If you have made a ‘toile’ then the darts will be sewn in.
You now have the correct bust level and your darts are aiming towards your bust points. This is a great achievement and will vastly improve fit. If you need to make an FBA or SBA you are now ready to go ahead and make the adaptations.
Let’s look at making an FBA (SBA is just the reverse of an FBA) to a pattern that has no dart at all, for example a t-shirt pattern. Larger busts look much better in garments with bust darts, so we will also introduce a dart into this basic pattern shape to perfect the fit. Larger busts also benefit from a side seam dart, this technique can also be used to add darts to any of your existing swim suit, or jersey based patterns where you would like a better fit over the bust.
PATTERN PREPARATION – Lets look at a FBA on a straight top pattern with no darts to begin with.
If your pattern has seam allowance, most commercial patterns have 1.5 cm (9/16″) seam allowance, then mark this seam allowance with a pencil inside the pattern piece.
Place your pattern to your body and mark the bust point if you haven’t already done so.
Place your pattern on the table. Drop a perpendicular line from your bust point mark to the hem of your pattern piece.
Mark a line on your pattern where you would like the extra fullness to form, the shoulder is best for a very full bust that has a lot of volume above the bust points. You can also select a position under the armhole or use both if you want to fit a very large bust
Now you need your scissors – slash up the vertical line (from the hem) right up to your marked bust point. Continue up the line (or lines) you marked for your extra fullness. STOP at the point where the seam allowance starts.
Keeping the pattern piece slightly attached at the pivot point open the pattern piece up. If the garment is being made with stretch fabric you don’t need to open the pattern up as much as a garment made with woven fabric, half of the extra you would like to add is enough.
How much will you need to open the pattern? This all depends on the shape of your bust and how many cup sizes you want to increase the pattern by. There is a 2 cm bust girth difference per cup size so try 1 cm (as you have 2 sides to the garment) as a starting point. You can then adjust again to perfect the fit. The illustration below shows you where you need to measure.
You will need to introduce some extra length at the centre front. This allows for the extra fabric you need to travel over the larger bust and prevents the front hem from dipping upwards. It’s a bit like the difference between walking over a small hill and a large mountain range, and the walk if from the Center Front Neck Point – to the CF hem point. I have seen methods where there is no extra added to the cf length and while you can get away with this with a tiny adjustment on a small size, the fitting implications for using this method are horrific for any substantial adjustment.
Cut along the bust level from the CF to the BP and drop the centre front by the quantity you require, try 2 cm ( 13/16″) per cup increase and adjust as needed.
Now let’s introduce the new dart. Let’s put a french dart in at a position radiating from the waist level. Plan a dotted line where you would like this new dart to be. Cut up the dotted line, keeping it attached by a couple of mm (1/16″) right at the end. Pivot the side panel back to the hemline. If you already have a side seam dart then this planned line will be through the center of the dart you already have.
Draw in the new dart, connect the opening of the dart mouth to the bust point. . Find the centre line of the dart and draw this in. Take the dart apex back at least 2.5 cm for a small adjustment. The larger the bust the further away the dart tip needs to be from the bust point. This is also a matter of personal preference. (If you have an existing dart then plan this line through the center of the dart and this will simply make that dart larger)
It’s worth noting here that you have only made changes to the pattern where you need them. The hem circumference remains the same as does the side seam length, once the dart is sewn in. There are no changes to the armhole or the shoulder or the neck. This means that the back of your pattern piece is cut as normal. The center front is also still nice and straight which is very important.
Also please keep your eye on the bust point and bust level while making the changes, this is often lost in all the methods I have seen so be sure to keep to your original measurements and check.
I can’t promise that you will achieve the perfect fit on your first attempt. By making small adjustments to the fit using the methods explained you will certainly get there.
Here are a couple of alternative options for you to try – the first is the same method but with the extra fullness added for a bust that is voluminous above the bust point, the second is the same method applied to a pattern with an existing side seam dart.
FULL BUST ADJUSTMENT – FOR A FULLER UPPER BUST
FULL BUST ADJUSTMENT – TO A STYLE WITH AN EXISTING SIDE SEAM DART
This subject area is vast and it’s impossible to cover all aspect of bust adjustment here. If you would like more information, for example how to make a SBA ( the exact opposite of the steps we took above) then continue reading at my blog page www.modelistecreative.com. I am also happy to answer any questions you may have. Keep a look out on my YouTube channel for useful pattern adaptation videos too.
Join me in the next article in this series where I will show you how to make a FBA and SBA on my basic bodice blocks.
If you would like to learn professional pattern cutting from an industry professional with over 30 years industry experience and a highly qualified Senior Fashion Lecturer, then please take a look at my online courses. All details on my blog
I am finally ready to release my latest course, Adobe illustrator for Pattern Cutting – The course is aimed at pattern cutters that want to take their skills to the next level and create beautiful, accurate, digital patterns – using the tools available in Adobe illustrator.
The first short video below will introduce you to the course, the second will give you some more detail about the course structure. You can also download the lesson plan file as PDF to take a closer look.
You will find that there are almost 100 lessons and nearly as many videos – it’s a detailed course!
The course is available as three options –
The first option is to join the course – with practice blocks supplied in single sizes.
The second option is to join the course with a full set of digital layered Modeliste Creative blocks supplied as Ai files – This includes the skirt, trouser, bodice & sleeve blocks sets is sizes 6-18UK (2 – 14 USA) plus the A-line skirt set in sizes 6-22 UK (2-18 USA) – to get you off to a fantastic start!
The third option comes with all that is mentioned above PLUS 2 hours one to one mentorship from me – if you are setting up an ‘indie’ pattern business this is a fantastic option – Places on the course with mentorship are limited so please ask if you find the course is full as I can place you on my waiting list and let you know when the next place will be available.
Here is my latest video – creating the French dart – This is part 4 of a series of videos on moving darts. Ideal for new pattern cutters and those wanting to make the most of their basic bodice blocks.
You can find the free half scale blocks (slopers) used in the video in the members area. Simply subscribe for the password.
If you want to take a look at my Modeliste Creative colour blocks range then you can find them here in my Etsy shop – https://etsy.me/36ZnYlq
Watch in YouTube – Please Like – Subscribe and Click the bell for new video notifications – I aim to make one video a week from now on so please let me know if you have any requests.
Sizing is such a controversial area. Many a time I have had to advise a client that they are working with incorrect sizing data. I have worked as a freelance pattern cutter and grader for over 25 years and have regularly come across small design companies, who have asked me to grade their patterns, only to discover that they have no size chart of their own!
If you are starting your own clothing business, the first and most important thing to do is to decide on your sizing and then stick to it. For each pattern and collection you produce, your customers can then be confident that the size they select from your range of designs will always fit.
Vanity Sizing…
Now this is where a lot of the confusion occurs, many high street retailers adopt this method of sizing and this then leads to sizing misconception.
In the UK, and in many other countries, there is, believe it or not, standard sizing data available. Much of it is old and out of date, but it is generally available.
Many designers tend to use vanity sizing for their clothing range, this means that they size a garment, which by measurement would be for example a LARGE, and they apply a SMALL label to the garment. This makes the customer very happy as in their shop they fit into a SMALL! However in reality the customer is actually wearing a large (by measurement) but the label tells them it’s a small. The company then makes more sales as the customer is happy to be a small size.
This is a common method of sizing and there is much research out there if you would like to take a closer look.
I have worked for many a company that alter the label and it can be very confusing for the pattern maker. When the designer asks you to make the sizes one size larger than they actually are. When they ask you for a sample in a size 12, you then need to ask – a size 12 or your version of a size 12 which is actually a 14!!!!
Of course there is also something called ‘ease’ that can also be added to a pattern. Ease is extra allowance for movement, so the pattern cutter can add in extra and then a little extra again and this then makes the garment larger than it would be with a ‘normal’ quantity of ease. So you can see, it can be quite confusing and misleading.
My best advice when using a basic block, which would have been labelled with the correct size, according to actual body measurements, is to not be too hung up on the size the size chart tells you that you are (as it is likely larger than the high street size you take).
It is important to measure the body you are intending to fit and compare those measurements to the size chart you have. You will find some useful size charts in my members only area, simply subscribe for the password.
Don’t worry too much if the size chart tells you that you are a larger size than you thought you were, it’s more important that you select the correct block to start your pattern.
I have had many a customer that fails to measure themselves and selects a block, one they imagine will fit, and then finds that the garment does not fit, as they didn’t take the time to measure their body and select the block that was most appropriate to their own body measurements.
I am regularly asked about freelance pattern cutting or grading, and while I am always happy to take on a challenging project I want to make sure my clients know how much time it takes to develop a pattern from a design, test the pattern, produce a ‘toile’ and ensure the sizing and fit are perfect.
Even a simple pattern, developed from a basic block, can take a couple of hours to produce.
I do have a wide range of basic blocks that you can purchase and develop your own patterns from, and if you have basic pattern cutting skills then this is always the most economical option. If you need help selecting the most suitable block then just ask, I am always happy to help. I want my clients to know that the price I charge for a basic block or pattern is not the same as the price I would have to charge for bespoke patterns. Most of the blocks and patterns I sell in my shops have taken me a couple of weeks at least to perfect, it is only the fact that I hope to sell multiple copies that helps me keep the price so low.
If you don’t have the skills just yet to produce your own patterns then read on…
For those projects I take on I charge an hourly rate and for a pattern maker with my experience and expertise the going rate is £40.00 per hour (some pattern cutters and graders charge up to £70.00 per hour). To give you an idea of the time it takes to produce a simple pattern, this would be around 2 hours, of course if you want a toile, pictures, size charts, etc then you can see how the cost can add up.
I hope this information is helpful and gives you an idea of the work involved and the time it takes. Knowing all this if you would like me to give you a quote for your freelance pattern cutting needs then just let me know!
