Designing Clothes

I'm a retired (for now) fashion designer. When you are actually the designer, you are not able to spend your time making the patterns or sewing the garments. YES, with the best degree behind you in the world, you will have had those core foundations, but many designers do not. For years in various companies, I only sketched and let the tech department do everything else. Yes, I had basic sewing knowledge and knew the garments COULD be made, they weren't totally esoteric or anything. Then, when I had my own business and was paying through he nose myself for pattern-makers etc, I went back to school and learned those skills.....only to find out, there is no time for that and you need to just let others do it.

So. If you just want to see how your ideas would look, I don't know of any sources for that-though there may be some and how cool! but I say, keep sketching and BELIEVE your vision is good. Put together look books and tear sheets of fashions you like, learn some sewing if you don't sew already (but again, not TOTALLY necessary if you have an instinct for garment construction), and who knows what direction you'll take. Why don't you order a school catalog from FIT and read all the course descriptions and see what speaks to you. Then see if there are any comparable classes or even design books that would help you. They may even have leads to the resource you seek (website for finished garments from sketches). There are so many elements to fashion design, you should find what your appropriate talent is. It's very rewarding!!!

My daughter likes fashionplaytes.com.

Sewing classes are great. The more advanced classes you take and the more you learn about how garments are constructed the more you will know if your sketches would look like. If I were you, this would be a great time to take a sewing class, buy a simple machine and upgrade as your skills improve.

Also learning about patterns and how they are constructed will go a long way to learning what it would take to take your sketches to real life fashions. I say go for it. You have nothing to loose.

Kimberly F is right. Garment construction is the first step in design, as you need to understand how the pieces fit together (like a car designer would need to understand how to assemble a car before putting an idea to paper.) Most places that sell sewing machines offer classes (like Joannes) and so do some community colleges.

Do you sew at all? You should be able to find a sewing class at a local continuing ed school or technical school. You can also check out local fabric stores to see if they know of any classes in your area.

Once you become a seamstress you can look over patterns and learn how to make a new look from a couple of basic patterns. I have taken the sleeves from a top and put them on a bathrobe for summer, I wanted a robe with short sleeves. I also took the top for a sundress and attached it to a pair of pants and had a backless jumpsuit, this was back in the '80's. I got tons of compliments on it and the fabric was a clearance find for under $1/yard. All it takes is a lot of imagination and some basic training --- and practice practice practice. Learning how to fit a pattern to your body, what fabrics look best, and then trying the look.

My grandma was an expert seamstress, one of the things I learned was when in doubt make it out of old bed sheets. This way you can try it on and see exactly how it will look on you and if you need to make adjustments.

I would go to my community college and see if they have a fashion design class...then I would sign up for it...I would also check into a sewing class then start making my own stuff!!! You never know where it will lead!!! :)