A good fit is a result of a good pattern, but not only that. There are other steps in the development process that will impact the final pattern/fit. One of them is your fitting sessions.
You'll be surprised by the impact and how quicker and better you'll achieve your desired fit.
Not to mention how much money you can save!
I have been part of hundreds of fitting sessions during my career, and I'm always surprised to see how quickly a fitting session can go wrong.
You see, the formula is to have a clear process, a plan, and clarity on who is involved and who does what.
To get it right, you'll need experience - either yours or someone else who can guide you through this.
Lucky for you, you are reading this cause I'm going to share here my 8 tips on how to get the best out of a fitting session.
1. Fit Model - I highly recommend using a professional fit model - no friends and family, and DEFINITELY NOT yourself. Yes, fit models can get expensive, but it's not where you want to cut corners. Let me ask you this: would you have your best friend advise you on a business contract just because they are smart? And even though they are not professionals or experienced in the field? The same here, your friend might be the right size, but he/she will not know what and how to address fit issues, and their feedback (if they'll have any because they might not want to hurt your feelings) will not be as professional or detailed as it could be. If you do end up using a friend, then at least use the same one for all your fittings and pay attention to their weight, so it's not changing between fittings.
**Tip - Choose a fit model prior to working on your patterns. This way, you can measure them and base the pattern on their specs. All model agencies will let you audition few models in a go-see. It's free of charge. You can then try a couple of items on the models to see who best fits your needs.
2. Measure your garments - Before the fit session, either you or your pattern maker/technical design should measure the garments. It's not uncommon that the fit sample will have some points that are out of tolerance, so if it does happen, you should be aware of it. Otherwise, you might think the fit issue is in the pattern where it's really in the sewing. Also, have on hand any reference/previous samples, sketches, spec sheets, tech packs, patterns, last fitting notes/photos, etc., that you can refer to if needed.
3. Plan the time - As you already know, hiring a fit model can be expensive. Therefore you want to make sure that your fitting session is productive and that you are not running out of time before you get to fit all the items you need. Know how many styles are you looking to fit, and plan enough time to fit all of them. Then block a certain amount of time for each item, and more importantly, keep an eye on the clock and stick to the schedule. It is very easy to get distracted and lose track of time. A good rule of thumb is to schedule 15 minutes for each style (unless these are evening gowns and items of that nature where they are very detailed). If this is your first fitting, then I would even schedule 20 minutes per style.
4. Plan the styles - Plan the order of the styles that you want to fit. Start with the styles that you must fit that day or the styles that you estimate to have the most work on. This way, you can ensure to fit the priority styles first in case you run out of time.
5. Be prepared - make sure to have all the tools you will need ready re; safety pins, a measuring tape, scissors, etc., as well as any other specific accessories needed re: undergarments, bra cups, shoes, etc. The last thing you want is to stress over looking for one of these things while the clock is ticking. As I said, fittings can be expensive. Get prepared not to add unnecessary costs.
**Tip - If you are using any specific accessories under the garment, remember to use the same ones in the next fitting so the comments will be consistent. Just like with your fit model you want to keep consistency with anything else that you are using.
6. Stay focused - A common mistake during fittings is jumping between issues. That wastes time and creates confusion. Instead, you want to work on a garment from top to bottom, front to back, and scan the garment carefully, so you'll make sure to address all the issues. If you fit 2 items together re; a top and a pant, then start with fitting the top first, and only when you finish to fit the top, address the pant.
**Tip - Design points that can be addressed without seeing the garment on a model should wait for after the fitting. It will distract you from focusing on the fit issues. Not to mention it will waste valuable time. Did I mention that fittings can be expensive?
7. It's not a party - This next one is one of the most distracting/annoying things in a fitting - having an entourage of people present in the fittings. I've been in fittings with 10+ people attending, the owner, the designer, the pattern maker, an assistant, a salesperson, and other people I had no idea what their role was. It's distracting and noisy. There are too many opinions and way too many cooks in the kitchen, and everyone (of course) has an opinion! Can you imagine getting anything done on time, never the less getting everyone to agree about the corrections??? A nightmare! I understand how exciting a fitting could be, especially for the first time, but this is not a party. There should be 3-4 people max in a fitting. A technical person, the designer, and another assistant will take notes, take photos and keep an eye on the clock. If, for whatever reason, you have more people present, let them know to keep their feedback to themselves.
8. Take good Notes - The success of getting a pattern fixed correctly relies on getting good fitting notes. It's best for you to have an assistant with you who will take notes of the comments, keep track of the clock and take pictures. If you can't have one, then you or your technical person would need to do that. If that is the case, then make sure to write everything down and very clear. A common mistake is to forget a comment that seemed so obvious at the time of the fitting but forgotten about the next day.
**Tip - Once you are done fitting a garment, read all the comments out loud to confirm that you didn't forget (or made a mistake on) anything. I like to keep a separate fit comments sheet for each style, so all the comments from all the previous fittings on this style are on that same page. You don't want to forget about a change that was done in a previous fitting and have the same comment again. Therefore, before you fit a style, review all the changes that were made in the previous fittings. And Of course, take pictures.
Fittings can be frustrating at times (especially when fitting a garment for the 3rd or 4th time and still not right). Always review the fit notes with your pattern maker/technical designer after the fittings. Many times it's easier to make decisions when you're not under the gun and have the time to digest and review more carefully.
Not sure how many rounds of fittings you should have when fitting a new style? Check out my answer here.
Need help with developing and fitting your garments? Contact us to find out how we can do it for you!