Vital Equipment You Need As A Fashion Designer.

Vital Equipment You Need As A Fashion Designer

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Knowing what you might need as an up-and-coming fashion designer may feel like the lowest priority on your list, but you can gather your supplies easily with a checklist. What are you going to need as a new fashion designer? What equipment is vital to your survival in the business?

Vital Equipment You Need as a Fashion Designer are:

For sketching, you will need a sketchbook or paper, pencils, or an art computer program. For creating patterns, you need pattern paper, measuring tapes, rulers, pencils, and a dress form. To create your clothing, you will need a sewing machine and various accessories, muslin fabric in which to practice, your final fabric, measuring tapes, scissors, rulers, findings, and a way to iron your fabric. 

There are a few different categories of tools that you will need as a fashion designer—sketching and art, pattern making, and sewing. Read on to find out more about what you will need before you start your first design. 

Vital Sketching and Art Tools

Vital Equipment You Need As A Fashion Designer.

Your most important item to start out your fashion designing career is going to be the way you create your fashion. You will need some way to sketch out your designs—whether it be a sketchbook, tracing paper, and pencils or a computer program, it doesn’t matter. To even start, you need some way to create your art. 

While there are many programs on the market for fashion creation, you can also invest in a fashion sketchbook. Fashionary creates sketchbooks that have a “fashion dictionary” outlining different types of clothing while providing figure templates for the rest of the notebook. 

Vital Pattern Making Tools

Once your art is created, it’s time to start looking at how to turn it into a reality. You’ll need to make a pattern as a direct representation of the art you’ve sketched. This is a much more hands-on process, so you’re going to need some items to make sure you’re successful, including some sort of pattern paper and measuring tape, along with a pencil to draw out the pattern onto the paper. 

The best way that you can visualize your own designs is going to be making your patterns using some sort of dress form. That way you can see how the patterns fall over the form instead of simply trying to visualize it from your finished sketch to the parts of a pattern. You should also have weights to hold down your pattern as you cut the paper and so you can see how everything lays out properly. 

Whether you’re creating your pattern or your final product, both steps require some sort of tape. Where you cannot pin the fabric or pattern, you can tape it, with either styling tape or cotton stay tape. 

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Vital Sewing Tools

Once you finish creating a pattern, you’ll need to start sewing your pieces together. Of course, the most vital part of that kit is your sewing machine. The type that you need will vary depending on what kind of clothing you will be creating, but a basic sewing machine is best for those just starting out. 

Vital Equipment You Need As A Fashion Designer.

With that sewing machine, you’re going to need thread, needles, scissors, and any other findings you may need—zippers, fasteners, buttons, decoration, etc. You should also have a seam ripper on hand in case of any errors. If you intend on taking your show on the road, or if you just want to find yourself being useful to others, consider putting together a small sewing kit to take with you wherever you go—you may need it in a time of emergency. 

Before you start putting your clothing together, you’ll need to make sure your fabric is ironed and cleaned. For that part of the process, in most cases, you can simply wash the fabric and then steam it or iron it using a fabric steamer or steam iron. 

As you start working with your homemade pattern, it’s important to save your best fabric for last. Use some sort of muslin fabric to cut out a practice pattern and pin it to your dress frame to make sure that your pattern works the way you want it to. At this point, you’ll need pins, tape, pencils, and any other measuring items that you may need, including curved rulers and the hip curve ruler. These are vital because they help you shift your measurements against the curvy part of the body. 

As you sew the fabric together, it’s also important to have your tools handy. As mentioned before, you need a measuring tape and pins, along with scissors, but you’ll also need tailor’s chalk in case you need to mark any lines in the fabric. When it comes to scissors, you have a few options, including shears, which are best for cutting fabrics; tailor’s, which are best for heavy-duty material; all-purpose, or your standard non-fabric scissors; and lightweight, which are best for linings and silks. It’s important to note that your standard office scissors are not made for fabric or sewing—invest in several decent pairs of scissors that are made for the fashion industry. 

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Other Vital Equipment Items

These items don’t necessarily fall into the equipment list and are technically optional, but have been known to make fashion designers’ lives and processes easier. First is a tool bag. You can even make your own with patterns found online, but having all your tools in one place can make your job easier, cleaner, and even portable. Consider using a tool or equipment box if you do not want to create your own tool bag. 

Another item is a magnetic pin holder. While a box of pins is vital, having them close by and easy to grab can make your life easier. You can also use what is called a pattern notcher to help make your patterns line up easier—while not necessary, it can help in the design process. 

Easy Equipment Checklist

Looking for a better, easier way to go through your vital equipment? Here’s a list of what you will need in an easy checklist:

Drawing Supplies

  • Sketchbook or sketch paper
  • Pencils
  • A way to color your sketches, such as colored pencils or markers
  • Tracing paper
  • An art computer program
  • Pattern paper

Tools

Vital Equipment You Need As A Fashion Designer.
  • Dress form
  • Sewing machine
  • Iron or steamer
  • Ironing board
  • Scissors
  • Seam ripper
  • Tailor’s chalk 
  • Pattern notcher

Fabric & Findings

  • pins
  • Sewing needles
  • Findings depending on your design: buttons, zippers, etc.
  • Thread
  • Fabric
  • Some sort of muslin to practice with
Cutting & Measuring 
  • Measuring tape
  • Weights
  • Styling or cotton stay tape
  • Rulers
  • Curved ruler
  • Hip curve ruler
Other
  • Emergency sewing kit
  • Equipment box or tool bag
  • Magnetic pin holder
Vital Equipment You Need As A Fashion Designer.

Whether you’re creating the next haute couture line or designing an outfit for yourself to love and wear, it doesn’t matter—all types of designers start with this list of equipment. Regardless of your skill level, you will still need these items, so learn to use them and make upgrades as you grow in your passion and profession. Sewing continues to be a dying art, so learning to do so will only give you a skill that not many people have. Design your fashion with pride knowing that you have a skill that people have lost—and be sure to share it with the world. 

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RELATED QUESTIONS

What is the best sewing machine for a beginner in fashion design?

If you’re just learning to sew and starting your career as fashion designer, it’s best to have a sewing machine that fits your budget and your skill set. When you’re learning, one of the best sewing machines to use is the Singer M5300 Sewing Machine. You can also use basic, inexpensive sewing machines such as the Janome Graceful Gray Basic, the Brother Sewing and Quilting Machine, the Janome 2212 Sewing Machine, or the HC1850 Sewing and Quilting Machine. 

What kind of computer programs are best for fashion design? 

While it depends on personal preference, there are many art and fashion design computer program options for you. Most software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or Coral Draw work best for aspiring fashion designers. Some other websites that may help you as you create your fashion are websites like Pantone Connect, which can help you search for colors and matching colors in the Pantone color family, or WGSN, which outlines trends and provides articles about the fashion industry. 

How do you start a fashion sketch?

While you can easily start a fashion sketch by using a template or by tracing a form, you can create a fashion figure—also known as a fashion croquis, or the quick, almost “paper doll” like sketch—in a few simple steps. First, make sure you understand body proportions and use reference images and guides. Next, choose a character pose, then start sketching your clothes. If you need help, there are plenty of step by step guides on how to draw a person online, or you can purchase a notebook like Fashionary to provide forms for you—and all you have to do is draw your clothing on top. 

To learn more about how to start your own fashion clothing line check out my startup documents here

Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.