Why Flat Garment Sketches Don’t Show Styling: A Fashion Designer’s Guide

Join me as we embark on a journey through the realm of flat garment sketches.

Why do we create flat garment sketches in the first place? Well, in the fast-paced world of fashion, these sketches serve as our technical storytellers. They meticulously detail the structure, seams, and intricate components of a garment, allowing us to communicate our vision without any distractions. However, there’s a catch – styling, that extra layer of magic, often gets left out.

Styling, in the fashion realm, is the soul of an outfit. It’s the art of how a garment is worn – the tucks, cuffs, and layers that breathe life into our designs. When it comes to flat sketches for portfolios or the industry, we strip away the styling to let the technical details shine.

This is critical in the fashion industry to have a sketch that properly represents the technical aspects of the garments for people like technical designers, developers, patternmakers, and garment factories. All parts of the garments must be visible.

Now, the problem can come in when the flat sketches look overly flat and don’t have any depth, making it hard to catch the eye of decision-makers – be it management, sales teams, or buyers. This is where we, as designers, have room to play.

Even in the realm of 2D sketches, we can infuse a touch of the third dimension. A subtle wrinkle here, a slight curve in the lines there – these small additions breathe life into the flatness, making our sketches more visually appealing. After all, a little depth goes a long way.

If you’re creating flat garment sketches for yourself or a client, why not take that extra step by showcasing the garment but styling an entire outfit? Suddenly, your sketches transform from technical blueprints and allow your client to understand your vision.

By adding depth to our sketches and a little styling of our designs, we can elevate our sketches and catch the attention of those making crucial decisions.

This styling can also allow you to communicate a bit more about your vision as a designer since so often fashion illustrations are not always done in the garment industry due to time restraints.

Find a balance that works for you in your flat garment sketch. Do you want something super flat-looking and very technical? Or do you want a little bit of life in them with some more dimensional folds or styling? Sometimes the company you work for may make this decision for you. Other times, it’s up to you to sketch as you prefer!