Alison Hoenes Design

Hear the step-by-step timeline that Ariana took to design, launch, and produce her first product for her historically-inspired maternity brand Glean & Grace. In our conversation in episode 105 of the How Fitting podcast, she reveals the ways the process didn’t go as planned, but how it has been rewarding and encouraging nonetheless. ⁣ Link in the comments below to listen! ⁣ In this episode, you'll learn:⁣ ⁣ - How working with a factory was different than Ari expected⁣ ⁣ - How Ari’s perspective on designing clothing changed when she started making clothes for others instead of just herself⁣ ⁣ - The exact timeline it took to launch Glean & Grace’s first product⁣ ⁣ ... and more!⁣ ⁣ Link in the comments below to tune in. Remember to scroll down wherever you are listening for the show notes and links to resources mentioned in this episode.⁣ --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. ⁣ #howfitting #howfittingpodcast #fashionpodcast #fashionbrand #fashionbusiness #sustainablefashion #ethicalfashion #smallbusiness #madeinUSA #maternityfashion #nursingbra #breastfeedingfriendly #womenownedbusiness #historicfashion

Just as much design goes into the inside of a garment as the outside and perhaps the biggest design decision about the inside of a garment is about lining. Does your garment need a lining? Maybe, maybe not. In this week's blog article, let’s take a look at the inside surface of your garment and talk about the reasons to consider adding a lining and reasons why leaving it unlined might be a better choice. Link in the comments below to read the article. --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. #fashiondesign #patternmaker #apparelproductdevelopment #garmentlining

In episode 104 of the How Fitting podcast, hear how Aiste Zitnikaite designs DEVINTO for longevity, how she’s learned to do better when it comes to sustainability over the years, and what still needs to happen to make ethical fashion brands viable in the long-term. With over a decade in business, Aiste knows what works and what doesn’t and openly shares her knowledge.⁣ ⁣ Link in comments below to listen!⁣ In this episode, you'll learn: ⁣ - Why Aiste sells on Etsy in addition to her own website⁣ ⁣ - How Devinto’s business model works with the seasonality of the location⁣ ⁣ - What Aiste thinks it will take for sustainable fashion businesses to be more profitable⁣ ⁣ Link in the comments to tune in. Remember to scroll down wherever you are listening for the show notes and links to resources mentioned in this episode.⁣ --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. ⁣ #howfitting #howfittingpodcast #fashionpodcast #fashionbrand #fashionbusiness #slowfashion #ethicalfashion #sustainablefashion #madetoorderfashion #patternmaker

If you don’t know how to measure your fit, then you’ll end up confusing yourself, your factory and your customers. Your measuring tape is your friend. Precise measurements keep your fit and communication consistent and it all starts with being clear on what exactly you are measuring and why. You can take garment measurements, body measurements, or both. This week's blog post looks at when to use one type of measurement over the other. Link in the comments below to read the article. --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. #sizechart #gradedspec #fitmodel #apparelproductdevelopment

In episode 102 of the How Fitting podcast, women’s workwear brand founder Aditi Sinha speaks out against pocket inequality for women in the workplace. Hear how she is leveraging extensive research and customer feedback to close this gap - not just with the size of pockets - through her brand Point Of View Label. ⁣ ⁣ In this episode, you'll learn:⁣ ⁣ - Why pocket inequality is a big deal in the workplace⁣ ⁣ - The research Aditi did before starting POV and what it revealed about today’s women in the workforce⁣ ⁣ - How Aditi collects and organizes customer feedback in a way that is useful for future reference⁣ ⁣ ... and more!⁣ ⁣ Link in the comments below to tune in. --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. ⁣ #howfitting #howfittingpodcast #fashionpodcast #fashionbrand #fashionbusiness #pocketsforwomen #womenintheworkforce #womensworkwear

Size-inclusive fit doesn’t just begin with grading more sizes of your pattern. It starts far earlier in the design stage. Size-inclusivity starts with how you think about your customer, conceptualize your designs, and consider each detail for different bodies. Read this week's blog article to learn more! Link below in the comments. --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. #sizeinclusive #sizerange #fashiondesign #patternmaker

In episode 101 of the How Fitting podcast, Kalia Carter gets real about the challenges she’s faced creating Bodycon the Brand exclusively to fit full-bust women. She’s faced pushback from factories and internet trolls alike for her unwavering focus on full-bust fit, but she’s also created the pieces she’s always wished she could wear and has a growing community of women in her niche that get it and support what she’s building.⁣ ⁣ Link in the comments below to listen!⁣ ⁣ In this episode, you'll learn:⁣ ⁣- How to communicate sizing effectively for e-commerce ⁣ ⁣- How Kalia develops her tech packs without having good comp samples to reference⁣ ⁣- The good and the bad sides of going viral for your business⁣ ⁣ ... and more!⁣ ⁣ Link in the comments below to tune in. --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. ⁣ #howfitting #howfittingpodcast #fashionpodcast #fashionbrand #fashionbusiness #fullbustfashion #womenswear

Print (the textile design) and pattern (the garment sewing pattern) may start out separately in design and development, but they converge in production before they meet in the finished garment. The different ways the two can come together each have pros and cons within the final product that need to be considered and accounted for during development. This recent blog article looks at three different approaches to printing clothing and what they each mean when it comes to patternmaking. Link in the comments below to read the article. --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. #printedapparel #patternmaking #apparelproductdevelopment #apparelproduction

It’s episode 100 of How Fitting®! 🎉👗 Each conversation with fashion designers and business owners has explored how they create clothing and grow a business that fits their customer, lifestyle, and values. I have enjoyed getting to know each of these people and seeing what drives their decisions and it has been a privilege to share their stories with you on this podcast over the past four years. Fashion has meaning and significance far beyond the superficial look as I'm sure you know! To celebrate this 100-episode milestone, I asked you, the listeners, which episodes and guests have stood out to you the most. Whether it was because you saw your own story in theirs, picked up a new business idea, or gained the courage to pursue your own values more fully, I want to celebrate the impact these stories have had. In this 100th episode, you’ll hear highlights from five past episodes and what made them your favorite. Each guest and brand have found their unique fit, but there is so much in each story that we can relate to and learn from. How Fitting is that? Link in the comments below to listen to this extra special episode! Elizabeth Stiles, Aja Cohen, Laura Briggs, Emily Bracey, Kimberly Borges, Miriam McDonald, Marina Hayes, Madison Powers, Keti McKenna And shout out to my editor, Jazzy, for rolling with my crazy idea for this episode and making it happen! --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. #howfitting #howfittingpodcast #fashionbusiness #slowfashion #fashionentrepreneur #fashionbrand #fashionindustry #fashionpodcast

There are several components to every good spec chart. First is the POMs or points of measure, second is the graded spec measurements, and third is the tolerances. The tolerances control what variance from the spec measurement is acceptable. Writing proper tolerances is a balance between controlling product quality and having realistic expectations for a production environment. Each POM gets its own tolerance, so how do you get that balance right for each one? This week's blog post shares the factors to consider when writing POM tolerances. Link in the comments below to read the article! --------- 👗 Hi, I'm Alison, a freelance patternmaker who helps women’s slow fashion brands confidently get their designs to production without compromising fit, vision, or values. ✉ I send a daily newsletter with tips and resources on creating clothing and a fashion business that fits. You can sign up at the link in my profile. #techpack #POMs #pointsofmeasure #specsheet #specchart #gradedspec #technicaldesign