Context

There are many types of fashion design schools in the US:

• Fashion specific schools with 1 or 2 year associates and 4 year bachelors degrees (usually BA or BFA)
• Art schools with fashion programs (again with associates and bachelors degrees)
• Vocational schools with fashion programs (usually just associates degrees)
• Liberal arts schools with fashion programs (usually bachelors degrees)

My school is a four year liberal arts school, and is somewhat unusual in that is offers a bachelors of science degree for fashion design (compared to the usual bachelor of arts or bachelors of fine arts). Admittedly, the full version of my specific major is “Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies with a concentration in Apparel Product Design”, so while I’m learning fashion design, there’s also more of a business focus than you may see in many other design programs. My major is actually under the business school at my university, so that results in me showing up in colorful suits to business functions and there’s nothing they can do about it 🤷🏼‍♀️

I really like watching YouTube videos from people who are at other types of design schools in other places, and I find in comparison that my program is slower paced, which makes sense given that it’s a four year public university and we have to take all the general education classes like any other liberal arts student. Like many design programs, it assumes no sewing ability when entering the program (though we do have to apply for official acceptance into the concentration at the end of our first year after our first sewing studio class). I’ve honestly found this somewhat frustrating. I had sewn for like six years, two of which in a factory, before I went back to school (I’m an overgrown undergrad 😅), and they don’t allow anyone to test out of any of the sewing studio classes, so my first two studio classes have been a lot of me showing that I already know how to do what’s asked of me and getting an A.

I’m in my second year and I’m really looking forward to next semester because I’ll finally get to start learning the kind of pattern drafting and draping that it’s difficult to learn outside of design school. I went back to school to get my degree for a number of reasons, mostly because it can be very difficult to get into the fashion industry doing the kind of work I want to do without design school. The patterndrafting, CAD training, and specialized business knowledge are all things that are very difficult to acquire outside of design school, and I was fortunate to live down the street from a public university that could teach me those things.

Anyway, here are some of the things I’ve made for class. The first studio class was mostly learning techniques and sewing small samples of different types of seams, zippers, and finishes, but we did all make a robe at the end of that class.

My second studio class (which I’m in right now) has us learning more specific garment construction techniques and we’ve made a few different things. We made some pants that really weren’t a flattering style on me, so here’s just a picture of a perfect welt pocket I made on my pair.

I’m really proud of this vest I also made for this class. I’m still pretty salty that it was a one size sample we all had to make (so it fit the thinner girls in class, but anyone larger than that was shit out of luck), but I like the work I put into. I custom dyed all the fabric myself (a cheap cotton twill I picked up from Joann for like $4/yard after coupons), designed and printed the patches on the back, hand studded the yoke, and finished it a week early. The patch and pin in the front are from Sugarbones.

We’re working on our last project for this class, which is draping a straight skirt from scratch. This is new territory for me and I’m very excited to learn more next semester! My next steps are creating paper pattern pieces from my drapes and then making the skirt from the paper pattern.