How to design clothing

Fashion design is an exciting and ever-evolving field. It requires dedicated work and can be highly competitive. If you're aiming to become a successful fashion designer, a long journey lies ahead. However, there are a few simple steps you can take right now to start the clothing design process, whether you plan to pursue it as a career or just as a passion.

Learn to draw. You don't need to be a master artist, as many designers use a modern style that's distinct to their sketches. As mentioned earlier, the key is to communicate your ideas visually. Enroll in drawing classes, read books, or simply practice, practice, practice.

• The key to mastering a new skill is consistent practice. Dedicate 30 minutes a day to drawing.
• A good reference book is You Can Draw in 30 Days by Mark Kistler.

Learn sewing. Even if you don't want to sew your own designs, it's important to understand sewing techniques. Knowing what can be accomplished with sewing tools is essential for coming up with bold, creative ideas.

• Many vocational training centers offer affordable sewing classes.
• Learning pattern making is a must if you plan to sew clothes for yourself. You need to understand how a garment comes together. Knowing how to break down a design into its individual pieces on paper is key to sewing.
• You can buy simple pattern templates from stores to practice with first.

Learn design. To create cutting-edge designs, it's essential to study design theory. Molly Bang's book Picture This: How Pictures Work is a great starting point. This book helps you think like a designer.

• Don't limit yourself to just studying fashion design. Design principles apply across all fields. You may be surprised to learn that courses on print presentation can teach you a lot about fashion design as well.

Learn about fashion. To design clothing, you must understand the fashion world. You might consider yourself very stylish, but knowing how to dress is just the surface. If you design based on trends, your designs will quickly become outdated. A professional designer is always ahead of trends, predicting what will become the next big thing.

• Watch videos or look at images of runway shows from top designers, or attend one if it's being held near you. Professional designers already create their seasonal collections months in advance, so these shows can offer insights into upcoming trends in the fashion industry.

Learn about technology and resources. There are now more tools for designers than ever before. Besides knowing how to sketch and sew, you’ll need to learn software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

• Websites like Lynda.com or Tuts+ are valuable resources.
• If you prefer sketching on a computer instead of on paper, you’ll need a good drawing tablet, such as a Wacom tablet.

Find inspiration. What are you passionate about? What excites you and makes you eager to get started? It could be a piece of fabric, a visual artwork you come across, something you want but can’t find in stores, a style you spot on the street, a pattern, a classic fashion trend you wish to revive, or many other things. There's no one right way for inspiration to strike. What’s important is that you seek out what sparks your interest.

• Consider the tastes of your potential customers. What type of customers do you imagine would buy your designs? What do these customers need from an outfit? Be practical when designing clothes for yourself – create things you love and would want to own.
• Combining current styles and trends can be a great way to come up with something fresh. What would happen if you mixed military elements with softer, more delicate features? How about blending 90s fashion with 30s styles? How might you incorporate menswear and womenswear elements together?

Consider fabric. Do you want stretchy fabric, or something with less stretch? Is your design soft and flowing, or structured with defined shapes? Should the fabric be smooth or textured? If your inspiration comes from a particular fabric you love, you won’t need to worry much about this. If not, think about the type of material your design requires.

• Consider decorative details like buttons, laces, beads, or embroidery. These details will also influence your fabric choice.

Think about colors and patterns. The impact of your design also depends on the colors and patterns you choose. Think about the intended use of the garment and how you envision people wearing it. Take into account customer preferences and what they might want to wear. Above all, do what you find beautiful. There are no strict rules here. As a designer, you should prioritize being honest with yourself.

• Look at the color wheel. Remember, opposing colors (colors that are opposite on the wheel) highlight each other. This can create a strong effect for your design, but if not handled carefully, it may become overwhelming or unpleasant to the eye.
• Consider purchasing color palettes from a paint store to experiment with different color combinations before you buy fabric.

Sketch the human figure. When designing clothes, it’s essential to imagine how the garment will look when worn on a body. That’s why designers sketch their designs onto a figure. However, it can be time-consuming to draw a new figure every time you create a new design, so many designers use a croquis template. It’s a model you can use whenever you need to sketch a new design. You only need to sketch the figure with a pencil. This step may seem daunting, but it’s not too difficult.

• Don’t get discouraged – feel free to sketch freely. The key here is that you don’t need to draw anatomically accurate figures. Most designers' sketches are characterized by their personal style. Your design will be more unique when drawn on a figure you create. Don’t worry about the tiny details – think of your sketch as a 2D mannequin.
• If you feel that drawing your own figure isn’t necessary, you can use someone else’s sketch. Trace a figure from a book or magazine, or download one from the internet – there are hundreds of croquis templates available for you.
• Many designers use the 9-head method to ensure the proportions of their figures are balanced. The idea here is to use the head as a unit of measurement, and the body should be 9 heads tall from the neck to the feet.
  • Draw a vertical line and divide it into 10 equal parts. This will be your guide for drawing.
  • Part 1 starts from the bottom of the head, measuring from the neck to the middle of the chest; Part 2 is from the chest to the waist; Part 3 is from the waist to the lower hips; Part 4 is from the lower hips to the middle of the thigh; Part 5 is from the middle of the thigh to the knee; Part 6 is from the knee to the upper shin; Part 7 is from the upper shin to the middle shin; Part 8 is from the middle shin to the ankle; and Part 9 is from the ankle to the tip of the toes.

Outline the figure with ink. You will need to trace over the figure on a separate sheet of paper. To make the next step easier, use a dark ink pen to outline these lines.

Redraw the figure on another sheet of paper. For this step, use a pencil instead of ink. Place a clean sheet of paper over the original sketch. The lines from the ink outline should be visible enough for you to trace over, as the ink was applied in a dark color and the paper isn’t too thick.

• If you have a light table, now is the time to use it. Simply place the sketch on the light table, add a blank sheet of paper on top, and turn on the light to trace over the figure.
• If you don’t have a light table or can’t see through the paper clearly, try taping the two sheets to a window on a sunny day. You might have to trace at an awkward angle, but at least it will work like a light table.

Start sketching your design. Continue using a pencil so you can easily correct any inevitable mistakes. Gently draw the outfit as you’ve imagined it, starting with the basic shape of the garment before adding in the finer details. Once you’re satisfied with the sketch, go over the entire drawing with ink to finalize it.

Color in your design. You can use any materials you prefer for this step. Markers and colored pencils are often good choices as they allow for layering colors. Start with the lightest shades you plan to use for your design, coloring in the larger areas with long, smooth strokes that reflect how the fabric would flow. Gradually add darker shades, patterns, and shadows to build depth.

Repeat the process. Now that you have a sketch, the process for your next design will be quicker. Simply trace over the outline and follow the steps above again to create the next design.

Make a dress form. You’ll need a dress form to try on your designs and ensure they fit the body correctly. If you don’t have one, you can create a temporary dress form using your own measurements.

• Wear an old t-shirt, then wrap tape around the shirt while keeping it on your body. This will mold the dress form to your body shape with the tape.
• Cut the shirt along the side, from the waist to the armpit, including the sleeves.
• Reattach the cut edges with tape to restore its original shape. Stuff the form with newspaper and seal the bottom, neck, and sleeves with tape. You can either keep the sleeves or cut them off.

Draw the pattern on butcher paper. Use a pencil in case you make mistakes, and label each section to avoid confusion. Remember the carpenter's saying: measure twice, cut once. One mistake could cost you much more time. Once you’ve drawn the pattern, cut it out.

• Ideally, you should have some basic pattern-making knowledge before doing this step, but you don’t need to be an expert. You just need to visualize how your garment will come together and have the skill to implement it.

Redraw the pattern on muslin fabric. Place the paper pattern on the muslin fabric and trace it out, then cut the fabric and assemble it into the basic shape of the garment.

Sew the cut parts together. Take the fabric pieces you’ve cut from the pattern to the sewing machine. Remove any pins, and try the garment on the dress form or on yourself if you are designing for your own fit.

Evaluate the garment. Consider how well it fits. Think about its shape. What’s working? What’s not? Make notes, sketches, draw, or trim the fabric, or do whatever you need to adjust it appropriately.

Decide on the next step. How close is the muslin sample to your original vision? Are you ready to move forward with this design? Do you need to make another sample before using better fabric? Depending on how the sample looks, you may want to redraw everything or be ready to move on to making the final garment.

Sew the final garment. It's time to bring your design to life. Continue the process as you did with the muslin fabric sample. Remember, mistakes will happen, especially in the early stages of designing. Make sure to buy extra fabric to give yourself room for error and always double-check measurements. Expect the unexpected, so be prepared to adapt or revise your design. Often, the best improvements come from mistakes.

Build a portfolio. Take high-quality photos of your designs and store them. This will serve as a way to showcase your talent as a designer throughout your career. Keep in mind that you want to display your versatility in your portfolio while maintaining a unique personal style. Your portfolio should feature a range of designs but still make it clear that they come from your distinct creative vision.

• Be sure to take high-quality photos. Don't just lay your garments on a bed and take poor-quality shots with your phone. Hire a model to wear the designs, ensure proper lighting (if shooting indoors, find a day with natural light or shoot outside on a day that's not too sunny), use a decent camera, and pay attention to details like hair, makeup, and accessories. How you present your designs plays a huge role in making an impression on the viewer.

Conduct research. Are there any independent clothing stores nearby that share a similar aesthetic to yours? Is there a website selling clothes that reminds you of your designs? Seek out designers who create pieces that reflect what you envision, or aspects that you want to incorporate. Then, observe their strategies.

• If you're more into graphic design but believe your work would shine on clothing, check out platforms like RedBubble, where you can have your designs printed on a variety of products.

Create a website. If you want to sell your clothing, the world needs to discover your talent. Nowadays, nearly everyone has a sleek website—use platforms like Squarespace to build your portfolio. Keep it simple and sophisticated. You’ll want people to focus on your designs, not your web design skills.

Develop your personal brand. Be present on social media platforms. Use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, or whatever platform works for you. Your priority should be showcasing your work across all channels. Don’t stress about sales just yet—focus on promoting your personal brand for now.