Trying on the first fit sample of my satin hoodie

The other day, I received the first set of fit samples for the inaugural House of Caswell collection. Since the collection consists of 14 pieces, the fit samples are coming in batches of 3-4 garments which makes it easier not only for the manufacturer but also for me, because I can give each garment the attention it deserves when analyzing the fit and details of the pieces. The first set I received contained 4 pieces: the t-shirt, hoodie, cargo top, and cutout dress.

Since these were my first fit samples of this collection, I was so excited, but also a little nervous to see how they looked. I have mentioned this before, but we had a 5-piece cut-and-sew collection designed for Berried Alive and all but one of the pieces were never manufactured and sold because the pandemic hit right when we were going to start thinking about production and it didn’t seem like the right time to take such a risk. So this wasn’t my first experience with fit samples, but there was a major difference this time. For the Berried Alive collection, we worked with a manufacturer to produce the samples based on my 2D sketches. But for this collection, the samples were made from the actual clothing patterns I designed myself.

I didn’t go to fashion school. I wish I would have, but I have a lot of interests and I chose to pursue other things for my formal education. That means that I’m a self-taught fashion designer, and that’s always going to come with some self-doubt and imposter syndrome. I have done fashion sketches my whole life, and taken sewing classes, but everything I know about making patterns has come from watching videos, reading books (the best in my opinion is Pattern Making for Fashion Design by Helen Joseph Armstrong), and online courses. All that to say that I wasn’t sure how these pieces were going to come out.

I’ve said this many times, and I’m sure I’ll say it many times more, but the only thing that gave me the confidence to start my dream brand this year is the fact that I learned to use Clo3D. That program allows me to view my designs on a body the way my 2D sketches never did. I can develop an intimate knowledge of every piece, so it starts to feel like all the buttons, zippers, and tiny details are close personal friends of mine. I can also read fit maps to see if there are any places where the garment is too tight or causing strain on the fabric, and this gave me confidence too that my designs and patterns would actually work on a real body. But a 3D avatar, as great as it is, still isn’t a real body in the real world, so there is some fear that the samples would come back and wouldn’t work whatsoever.

These were all the thoughts running through my mind as I opened the package and saw my first set of fit samples. I pulled out the t-shirt first. I was pleasantly surprised to see the print on the front was in full color. The printer had originally said they could only print the artwork in 12 colors. This had disappointed me a little because the whole basis of my brand is that the clothes are inspired by original artworks, and I really wanted those exact artworks printed on the garments. But the printer found a way to make the art full color, and it looks incredible!

The t-shirt fits a little snug through the shoulders and chest. Since this was the first piece I tried on, it made me a little nervous that maybe my patterns had been bad after all, that somehow, despite all my fit maps and careful measurements, I couldn’t make it as a pattern maker after all. But the thing to keep in mind about fit samples is that they aren’t supposed to be perfect. That’s why they’re fit samples and not final samples or final pieces. They are there so we can make adjustments, and the shoulders and chest can be adjusted to fit better. It doesn’t mean that I failed at designing the piece.

Next, I tried on the hoodie. The hoodie is a luxe satin material, and the sample is in a shade of red that I decided doesn’t match the rib trim good enough, but we already had the sample fabric, so the manufacturer used it just for the samples. The real color will be more of a blue-red. Also, they made a mistake and printed the artwork on the back of the hoodie instead of the front. Again, this is just a sample so it isn’t a big deal. It’s important not to sweat stuff like this during the sample phase. I was so happy to find out that the hoodie fits like a glove! The sleeves could be a touch longer, but otherwise the fit is perfect, and this gave me a lot of confidence in my design abilities back.

The back of the hoodie fit sample. Artwork was printed on the back accidentally, it should have been printed on the front of the hoodie.

Next I tried on the cargo top, and much like the hoodie it fit perfectly. I was going for an oversized fit on this shirt, and that was achieved. I decided the front plackets are a little wider than they need to be, and the pockets were sewn closed so nothing more than a pen could fit inside them, but the fit of the shirt itself was exactly how I imagined it! The main fabric hadn’t been dyed yet, so it came white and I had to imagine how it will look when it’s printed with my repeating pattern, but right now the focus is on fit, and I was totally happy with that aspect.

Finally, I received the cutout dress. Unfortunately, this was too small for me as well and I wasn’t able to get a real look at how it will look on me, but it looked so cute on the hanger. I know that if I were in a store and saw that dress, I’d have to pick it up and try it on. The repeating pattern and the style make it totally unique, and the colors are bright and happy. I’m sure that once I’m able to try it on in my size I’m going to love it.

There are 10 more fit samples to go before I’ve tried on the full Still Life collection. A few more samples are on their way to me at this very moment, and more are in the process of being produced. Some will fit perfectly, and some will need adjustments, and I’m okay with that. I’m so proud of all I’ve learned through this process and the fact that I took my knowledge of 3D design and pattern making and didn’t hesitate to build the brand I’ve always wanted. If I didn’t try, as scary as it can be, I’d always wonder what could have been.

Unboxing, revealing, and trying on the first set of fit samples for the brand’s first collection.

Fit Samples

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