Rant: I spent years making clothes that looked good on a hanger but not on a person

I was in a little coffee shop in Austin maybe two years ago, and I saw a woman wearing a jacket I had made. It was a sample I sold to a local shop. From across the room, it looked perfect, exactly like my sketch. But as she moved to get her order, I saw it. The shoulder seam was pulling every time she reached forward, and the back was bunching up weird when she sat down. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been designing for a flat, still image this whole time, not for a living body that bends and stretches. My whole process was backwards. I’d get the fabric, make the pattern, and just hope it worked. That jacket was the tip off. Now I start with a cheap muslin version and make my husband walk around the house in it before I cut the real fabric. It adds a week to my process, but it’s worth it. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where you realized you were designing for a photo instead of a person?

2 comments

2 Comments

karenm4910d ago

Oh man, that totally reminds me of a fashion blog post I read ages ago. The writer said the biggest mistake new designers make is fitting clothes on a mannequin that's just standing still. She said you have to check how it moves when someone sits, bends, and reaches for a top shelf. That's the real test. Your muslin idea is so smart, it's like a dress rehearsal for the fabric. That must have been such a weird feeling, seeing your own work out in the wild and noticing the flaws. But it's awesome you turned it into a better way of working.

clairepark10d ago

Exactly! That's why some pants look great until you try to sit down and they feel like they're cutting you in half. Or a jacket that pulls across the shoulders when you reach forward. I saw a video once where a designer had her model walk, squat, and even do a little dance in the sample. It's not just about standing pretty, it's about living in the clothes.