Designing clothes: from sketch to stitch, so much art

ChildArt, Jan-March, 2006 by Matthew Brush, Theresa Brush

Every day, you put on your clothes. Did you ever think about the artistic talent that goes into those clothes? It actually takes several different artistic skills to make clothes people enjoy wearing.

The creative process begins with a designer using their imagination to create ideas about clothes they'd like to make. Then, they use their eyes and hands to select fabrics (made by other designers!) that will look good together and feel good to the person wearing the finished product. They may pick stripes or solids, or different kinds of prints to match a season or a theme. The fabrics may be soft and stretchy, or they may be tougher to provide protection or to hold a certain shape. Sometimes designers will turn their original artwork into a print for a t-shirt or a colorful blouse. Clothes are usually sewn in a factory.

The designer works with a pattern maker to create a set of instructions--called a pattern--for the cutters and sewers to follow. The pattern maker uses both art and math skills to create the pattern, which is usually made out of paper but may be created on a computer. The pattern must be made carefully so that the finished garment fits just the way the designer wants it to.

In a large clothing company, there are many other kinds of designers that work on small details that make up a winning clothing line. The labels that go in the clothes, the packaging that the clothes go in to be shipped to stores, the advertisements that appear on TV and in magazines, and even the way the clothes are displayed in the store--every detail is carefully considered by designers with artistic skills. The final product is clothes that kids love to wear!

As the designer creates a line of clothes that go together, more artwork is required. Sales people need a simple way of describing the clothes they have to sell, so the designer creates sketches of the garment that customers can look at before they have the finished product. These sketches, which may be abstract or very technical, are also helpful when the designer is working with a factory that's far away. The sketches help the sewers understand how to put the garment together.

Theresa 'Tree" Brush is a designer for a children's clothing company that supports the International Child Art Foundation's efforts to nurture the artistic talents and interests of children around the world. Visit www.Togs2Go.com.