What to do if Your Samples Do Not Turn Out Perfect
If it’s your first time investing in clothing product development for your brand, your expectations may be that every task you have hired out to do- print design, pattern making, technical design, sample making, to name a few, should turn out perfectly. Or maybe you’ve been doing this for awhile now and are just really confused why you can’t manage to get a perfect sample at the get go.
Well my friends, today I’m walking you through the whys of this conundrum and how it relates to pattern making and sample making- what to do if your clothing samples do not turn out perfect. It’s important to get really clear on this because going forward, your workflow will involve a lot of incorrect samples and finding a way forward. It’s not that anyone is purposely doing shoddy work or trying to get you to spend extra money. No, instead it’s about fine tuning to get everything right.
Adjust your mindset: rarely will your sample be perfect the first time you see it
My ongoing joke is that if a pattern I make is 100% perfect based on the first sample, I’m going to go out and play the lottery because it’s my lucky day! I’m a good pattern maker and would not shy away from virtually any task. I’ve been doing this for over two decades now so I’m not going to waste time on too many samples. But I do know that the first sample and pattern is not the end. In fact, it is just the beginning. This is the start of a conversation. We are trying out shapes, silhouettes, and construction methods and reviewing the output so the next sample can be even better.
When you hire someone to build out your own creative vision, there is always going to be an interpretation difference. Also, what exists in your head is perfect, but maybe the supporting documents, images, and samples are not quite. Then the pattern maker has to bring it all together and ends up imparting a bit of their own touch on your vision. The first sample is the part where the conversation starts.
I had a client that was making fast fashion t-shirts. They wanted to add a raglan style to their line up. I made the pattern and the sample that they received back from their factory did not fit the best. Now, anyone who has ever done a raglan style knows that they can be tricky. Raglans sometimes take a few tries to get things right. But this client didn’t want to “waste anymore time.” Instead they scrapped the style. I probably could have gotten in right on the second fit, but that was a turnaround of maybe 3 weeks with the factory’s workload. Yes, they could have been on a tight schedule, but if they had been patient then there would have been a totally new product to offer as part of their line going forward.
Realistic Revisions
You may be on a tight budget and really can’t afford to make too many samples. That is completely understandable. If this is the case, you need to mention it to your pattern maker from the get-go. If they are novice, they may admit that it could take another 3 or four fit rounds before getting it right. For my own purposes, it generally takes about two fit samples and then we are ready for grading. Please use this as a guideline and always ask about how many fit rounds your style may take so you can budget for that.
However, I do have a caveat- I can only move fast on revisions as long as the style doesn’t change dramatically. Other professionals will say the same. If there is a major makeover it’s sometimes the equivalent of making something, like a pattern, from scratch.
How to avoid too many revisions
If your sample is not perfect, no one is to blame. We work to get clear on expectations and fine tuning as the process moves along. Even as someone who gets paid for revisions, I don’t want to be stuck on your style too long either, and I’m sure others you hire would probably feel the same. We have full schedules and are ready to move on to the next project.
But you as a designer can do your part before even hiring someone by being very clear on what you want. I understand that a lot of designers are very tactile and cannot really say for certain what they want until they see a sample. However, if you are on a budget this may not be the best approach.
Instead, it may be useful to utilize 3D renderings to work out the overall look, or even make your own rough mock ups to get the style at least proportionally right before hiring a pattern maker.
Let’s say you are making a fully lined blazer. This is probably the most expensive pattern you can have made because it takes a bit of time. You have a pattern maker make the first draft and you get it sampled. From here you find that you don’t think the boxy look is really working and you want to change the collar from a standard lapel to a shawl shape and make it double breasted. This is a major makeover!
Communication makes all the difference
When you have your first sample and it’s not perfect, your instinct could be that it’s money lost. Maybe you should hire someone else, or maybe give up entirely. As we’ve been discussing, the first sample is the first step, but the next step is totally up to you.
The difference between wasting time and money and really working towards the product you envision is the level at which you are able to give feedback. Telling someone, like a pattern maker, that “it’s just not right” doesn’t really make it clear what needs to be fixed. Similarly saying things like make it a “tad shorter” or a “touch wider” doesn’t help to get you the garment of your dreams.
Instead, be as clear as possible with your directions. If you are able to give specific measurements this is absolutely the best way forward. For instance, “make it 3” shorter” or “reduce the chest 2” total".” Your pattern maker will love you.
Don’t get too hung up on trying to solve it all either. You do not need to know how to resolve everything. That is what your pattern maker is for. If something isn’t right, but you just don’t know how to say it, then point it out, and admit that you are unsure and just try to describe it. Chances are professionals will know what is happening and how to make it better. If they are unsure then at least they know what questions to ask and can help prompt the conversation forward.
When production is late and you gotta move now!
Now when I say my average as a pattern maker is two fits and then production ready, that is an average. I’ve definitely found myself in a position fighting with a style to make it perfect maybe three or four times. It just happens sometimes for many reasons. In a large production capacity, I know the clock is ticking and production needs to start.
At a certain point the call needs to be made if the style can be approved for production with corrections. This is generally how things go anyways, so if you are feeling nervous, don’t be. There will always be something that you would want to change, fix, tweak on a style. But waiting for the perfect sample to arrive may never happen.
Whether or not a style is approved for production is always up to the designer. However, as a pattern maker, I may give you my thoughts as well. If I feel the changes are really big and may still be off I’m going to say something. Afterall, once it’s cut, you can’t change anything and I don’t want to be blamed. Or if the changes are really minor and simple on my end, but you as a designer are worried, I’ll let you know as well. Options and second opinions are always good, right?
Preparing your reference samples
If your factory has never seen the garment they will be producing, you will want to provide them with a sample as a reference. Yes, you should have a tech pack, but sometimes information could be missing that the factory could only tell by looking at the garment, so I encourage you to provide it. Don’t waste time waiting to give the factory the perfect sample. Instead, work with what you have and make the differences clear.
Usually the factory won’t care about measurements too much. For example, if you had to drop the neckline 1/4”, chances are they don’t care. They do care about how something is sewn together and overall presentation. If you have made changes that will affect their processes or how the garment should look, make a note and pin it to the sample. This could be something like, “buttons are substitute style”, or “waistband changed to full elastic instead of partial”.
You always want to cover all your bases and be clear how there could possibly be differences. This could even be done for your own records so you don’t have to make another sample or request a TOP.
Final Thoughts
When I’m starting a new pattern project I think if it like starting a sculpture or a painting. It’s not a step by step process. Instead, we are laying out the basics first and then building, subtracting, and discussing as we go. Even though the process of bring a garment to life a technical, it truly is a creative flow.