Reddit reviews Metric Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear

(Part 4/4)

​

​

Fit

​

Fit rules are obviously entirely dependent on your body type and personal preferences, so I won't write mine out here. Almost everything I know about fit I learned from Antonio Donnanno's series Fashion Patternmaking Techniques and Winifred Aldrich's Metric Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear, which are actually textbooks about pattern drafting but have decent sections on addressing fit issues in making those patterns that can also be applied to buying RTW. Kenneth King's Smart Fitting Solutions is also good. (Expensive books -- check your library for them or something similar if you don't actually want to learn pattern drafting.)

​

--Tailoring: If you don't know enough to know what needs to be done, I usually recommend that people buy the item and take it to a trusted tailor to ask what they think. (Obviously don't do this if it can't be returned, and *definitely* don't try to return something you've already had altered!) I don't normally trust department store alterationists -- I think they're usually talented people, but I also suspect they're encouraged to tell you that anything is possible so they can make a sale. I also don't trust any tailor/alterationist where you (1) can't see any sewing machines in the shop (like most dry cleaners' offering alterations), or (2) they don't make you try on the item in the shop and pin it there for you. Sewing machines + changing cabins are both signs that you're working with someone who actually knows what they're doing.

​

​

Maintenance

​

--Washing and drying: So, continuing to prove that I am insane, I hand-wash all my clothes in the sink or shower and hang them to dry or dry them flat. Washing and (eek!) drying are probably the cause of most wear on tear on the average garment. I find commercial detergents are too harsh, even the fancy eco/gentle ones. Instead, I use Marseille soap (which is called Castille soap in America I think), a variant of Marseille soap called savon détachant (stain-removal soap, link in French), and washing soda.

​

--Dry cleaning: I never dry-clean my things because I think it damages the fibres, but I have no proof this is actually the case. I had my coat dry-cleaned once and swear the fabric felt thinner when it came back. At any rate, I find it a hassle and can't stand the smell.

​

--Ironing and steaming: I actually have no rules on this (other than that my Rowenta iron was NOT worth the money), but I wanted a chance to share this awesome video of an absolute master ironing a shirt.

​

--Repairs: I expect to have to repair my stuff. Learn to mend holes both by re-stitching seams and by darning (knits) or patching (wovens), and to sew buttons. Anything else can be done by a tailor if you don't want to learn how to do it yourself.

​

I also always like to put in a plug for invisible mending whenever I can. It's a dying art where they basically pull threads from invisible parts of the garment fabric (like seam allowances) and weave it back into the main fabric to repair holes. The end result is basically undetectable. It's expensive to have done, but if you have a beloved piece that's got holes, this might be worth it. There are similar techniques for knit fabrics, but I'm not aware of anyone offering them commercially (but here is an awesome video of a pro repairing a ladder in a knit).

​

--Pilling: A wool comb is also a necessity if you wear sweaters. I don't go in for any of the electric sweater shavers, but TBH I've never tried them -- the £3.50 wool comb works just fine, lasts years, and doesn't create any electronics waste. There is a variant made specifically for cashmere with differently shaped 'teeth' (they're less sharp/abrasive) that is also worth owning if you wear a lot of cashmere. I think most specialty cashmere shops sell their own one of these, and they're usually a lot cheaper than 9€ (I think mine was like £4).

​

Ethics

​

I will admit that I'm not a hugely 'ethical' shopping -- I fall solidly into the demographic of people who would like to shop more ethically, but then gets lured away by shiny things elsewhere. Frankly, I'm moderately sceptical of most companies' claims to 'ethics'. I prefer to look for items that meet all my rules -- consuming less is one way to reduce environmental damage, and trust me, with all these rules I *really* don't buy much lol. I also have a slight preferences for brands that manufacture in the EU (where I live), mostly because I am a nerd for heritage factories and like locally produced goods, but also because the environmental regulation is mostly decent.

​

The brand blacklist

Sometimes, despite all of the above, I end up buying something that doesn't meet my quality standards over repeated wears. If this happens, I blacklist the entire brand. The one exception: if it's a legitimate manufacturing fault (shit happens) and the company offers a suitable repair/replacement without making me fight for it. I don't know why I'm this vicious about it, I just am. *shrug*

Pattern drafting and clothing sketches are two entirely different things. I didn’t get much out of school in terms of sketching but some books that helped me were Illustration Techniques - Takamura Fashion Illustrator - Morris and this one which was a textbook of ours Fashion Drawing - Bryant. When it comes to flat pattern making, “art” and “drawing” have little to do with it, it’s measurements, rulers, curves, tracing paper (medical doctors office paper is my favourite), cardstock “oaktag” paper, mechanical pencils and the foggy kind of cello tape you can draw on. Basically you learn to make a bland sheath to fit the body first (“block”) then you can learn to manipulate the block into different pieces and designs and there you go, you’re drafting. It’s the whole reason I’m in school right now and if they had it on YouTube I would never have bothered enrolling.
The best books for that are first and foremost Patternmaking for Fashion Design - Joseph-Armstrong, Patterncutting/Patternmaking - Chunman-Lo and I’m looking forward to getting The Costume Technician's Handbook (3rd Edition) - Ingham/Covey which a classmate said is great for blockmaking, and Metric Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear - Aldrich which I’ve been told is a staple.
As far as editions, the later ones of Patternmaking for Fashion Design are better for basic block making and they have way more than the earlier ones, and the girl who put me on to the Technician’s book said the 3rd is essential. The rest I wouldn’t really know because I haven’t used them extensively. Afaik Chunman-Lo’s book has only one edition.
There’s also Fitting and Pattern Alteration- Liechty/Rasbrand/Pottberg-Steineckert. We haven’t used it yet but it’s on the curriculum.
With these resources either bought or borrowed from the library you’ll learn everything a fashion student learns. As far as sketching goes, YouTubers are out there and can help, and practice makes perfect.
I hope this helps. Post progress photos so we can see how well you’re doing! Good luck.

I'm personally a fan of McCunn's How to Make Sewing Patterns and Aldrich's Metric Pattern Cutting series, but as /u/JBJeeves said, everyone has their own way of doing things. It's really a matter of experimenting to find out what you like best; personally I like having books in front of me to follow along, but some people thrive on the creativity that can be had in draping their own patterns from their imagination.

This is the one we use at my school, it is good. https://www.amazon.ca/Metric-Pattern-Cutting-Womens-Wear/dp/1444335057/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2CN4YN88AJWK1&keywords=metric+pattern+cutting+for+women%27s+wear&qid=1566755333&s=gateway&sprefix=metric+pattern+cutt%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-1