Ten Lessons from Patternmaking

lessons in patternmaking

About one year ago, I decided to start taking some coursework in patternmaking and apparel construction. I was working on launching my brand and was hiring patternmakers and product development consultants to help get my ideas ready for production. Overall, I found this process very frustrating – hiring these people was expensive, the work was […]

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Wool For Warm Weather

warm hot weather fabric wool

Now that most of us are easing into the warmer months we’re beginning to once again hear quite a bit about classic spring/summer fabrics – in particular, popular plant fibers like cotton and linen. Since we’re now in the peak of wedding season prep (and many guys are on a hunt for tailored clothing that will keep them from sweating too much during all those outdoor ceremonies) it’s worth discussing how each of these fibers affects overall comfort, breathability, and appearance. […]

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A New Project

Britex recently had a 30% markdown on almost their entire stock, and I popped in to see if any new remnants had appeared on the 4th floor.  Although I didn’t end up taking home any of those, I did have a bit of luck downstairs. This deadstock wool flannel by Etro was already surprisingly inexpensive, and the sale […]

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A Closer Look at Beckett & Robb

Part 1: Cloth and Customization There’s been a decent amount of chatter about Beckett & Robb, a made-to-measure clothing outfit from Salt Lake City that recently came to San Francisco (admittedly, a good deal of that chatter has come from my blog). I have seen their products in person a few times and have spoken […]

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Hard & Soft Textures: A Balancing Act

Over the past couple of years my wardrobe has remained quite small and centered around simple classic items (for reasons that are both fiscal and spatial). As I’ve mentioned in the past, the expansions in my closet usually come in the form of new materials and textures rather than new colors or styles. I find […]

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Out & About: A Trip to Britex Fabrics

In my experience, one of the best ways to make a mass-produced piece of clothing a bit more luxurious and enjoyable is to replace plastic machine-sewed buttons with high-quality, hand sewn ones. There are many places to find great horn, mother-of-pearl, leather and metal buttons: thrifting and ebay are always good options and there many online […]

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