Can we talk about when you realize you've been designing for the wrong body type?

I was working on a linen jumpsuit for months, sketching it for a tall, slim figure. Then my friend Mia, who's 5'2", tried on my muslin and it was a total disaster, bunching in all the wrong places. It hit me that I'd only ever designed for my own body shape. I'm debating now if designers should stick to what they know or force themselves to learn other silhouettes. Has anyone else had a moment like this that made you rethink your whole process?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy81724d ago

Oh wow, that's such a real moment. I started keeping a cheap dress form in a totally different size than mine, just to drape on. It forces you to see where the waist actually hits or how much ease you really need over the hips. You can't just scale a pattern up or down, the whole balance changes. Making a simple t-shirt for a few different friends taught me more than any book.

harpery4723d agoProlific Poster

Exactly! It's like how you can't just guess how a tree will fall without looking at the lean. You gotta see the real thing to understand the balance. That hands-on check changes everything.

jamie77024d ago

Honestly, same thing happened to me designing a coat for my frame and then seeing it on my curvy sister. Totally changed how I sketch now.