The most important part of learning any new skill is just doing it a lot. Set aside 30 minutes every day to practice drawing. A good book to reference is Mark Kistler’s You Can Draw in 30 Days.
Many craft stores like Jo-Ann Fabric offer relatively cheap sewing classes. Studying pattern making is a must if you intend to sew your garments. [4] X Research source You will need to know how a garment is physically assembled. Knowing how to break a design down into shapes is a crucial part of being able to sew a garment. Buy some simple patterns at a craft store to practice with.
Don’t limit yourself to studying fashion design exclusively. The principles of design theory apply across all sorts of disciplines. It may surprise you how much studying something like typography can teach you about fashion design.
Watch videos or look at pictures from high-profile fashion shows online, or go in person if one is happening near where you live. Professional designers design their seasonal collections months in advance, so these shows can give you an idea of what kinds of trends will be trickling down into commercial fashion in the future. History and film are great inspirations. History is a big answer to how and why we wore things. [8] X Expert Source Chloée Ohayon-CrosbyCostume Designer & Wardrobe Specialist Expert Interview. 23 October 2020.
Websites like Linda. com or Tuts+ are good online resources. If you want to do your sketching on a computer instead of in a sketchbook, you will need to purchase a good pen tablet, such as a Wacom.
Consider your customer. What kind of person do you imagine buying your designs? What does that kind of person need in a garment? Be practical when designing clothes for yourself, design things you’ll love owning or wearing. Combining existing styles and trends can be an interesting way to generate new looks. What would it be like to blend military elements with softer, more flowy ones? What would the 1990s meet the 1930s look like? How can you incorporate menswear elements into womenswear? Get out of your comfort zone and learn about art, photography, history, and fashion icons. These can all inspire you. [9] X Expert Source Chloée Ohayon-CrosbyCostume Designer & Wardrobe Specialist Expert Interview. 23 October 2020.
Consider embellishments such as buttons, lace, beads, or embroidery floss as well. These can often impact your fabric choice.
Look at a color wheel. Remember, contrasting colors (the ones across the color wheel from each other) make each other stand out. This can add a dramatic effect to your design, but if not handled well it can also be jarring and off-putting. [10] X Research source Get some paint swatches from a paint store and use them to experiment with different color combinations before you purchase the fabric. Colors and shapes can all help you get ideas for creating new pieces. [11] X Expert Source Chloée Ohayon-CrosbyCostume Designer & Wardrobe Specialist Expert Interview. 23 October 2020.
If you’re not too daunted, freehand it. The idea here is not to be anatomically correct, and most designers’ croquis drawings are rendered in some kind of personal style. Your design will look even more unique on a figure you drew yourself. Don’t worry about small details; think of your drawing as a 2-dimensional mannequin. If you don’t feel up to the task of drawing a human figure from scratch, use someone else’s work. Trace an image from a book or a magazine, or download one of the hundreds of free croquis templates you can find online. [13] X Research source [14] X Research source Many designers use something called the 9 heads method to make sure their drawings are evenly proportioned. The idea is to use ahead as a unit of measure, and to draw a body that measures nine heads from the feet to the top of the neck. [15] X Research source Draw a straight vertical line and divide it into 10 equal parts. This will be your guide as you draw. Section 1 starts just under the head, and measures the body from the top of the neck to the middle of the chest; section 2 measures from the middle of the chest to the waist; section 3 from the waist to the bottom of the hips; section 4 from the bottom of the waist to mid-thigh, section 5 from mid-thigh to knee, section 6 from knee to upper calve, section 7 from upper calve to mid-calve, section 8 from mid-calve to ankle, and section 9 measures the foot. [16] X Research source
If you have a lightbox, this would be a good time to use it. Just lay the croquis onto the lightbox, put the blank sheet of paper on top of it, turn the lightbox, on, and trace away. If you don’t have a lightbox and are having trouble seeing through your paper, try taping the two sheets of paper to a window on a bright day. You’ll have to trace at an odd angle, but the effect is the same as if you used a lightbox.
Put on a shirt that you don’t want and cover it completely with duct tape while wearing it. This will create a stiff duct tape form in the shape of your body. Remove it by cutting it down the side, from your hip to your armpit, and then up along the sleeve. Tape back over the cut to make the form whole again. Stuff it with newspaper, and close up the bottom, neck, and sleeves with more duct tape. You can decide whether to keep the arms or cut them off.
Ideally you should know a thing or two about pattern making before attempting this, but you don’t have to be an expert. You do need to be able to envision how your garment will be put together, however, and have the skills to execute it. [23] X Research source
Take quality photographs. Don’t just lay the dress you made on your bed and take a poorly lit picture with your phone. Put your garments on live models, make sure they are well lit (if you don’t have the resources to do this inside, go outside on a slightly overcast day—this will give you even lighting), use a decent camera, and pay attention to details like hair, makeup, and accessories. The way you present your work plays a huge role in the impact it creates. [31] X Research source
If you are more of a graphic designer, but think your work would look great on clothing, look into sites like RedBubble, which can print your artwork on a variety of different products.
