Dress to Go
Inspired by classic paper dolls, the Dress to Go concept was a novel idea that presented numerous challenges in the pattern-making process. Thanks to Heather's expertise in creating garment patterns and her creative problem-solving, designer Roni Swindell's vision came to life with everything she needed to go to production.
The Designer: Roni Swindell
Roni Swindell is a CPA by profession and a fashion designer by passion. Her dream for Dress to Go was inspired by the classic paper doll toys she enjoyed as a child. If girls could have such fun choosing clothes for their paper dolls, why couldn't they have the same fun picking their clothes as adults? Roni decided to pursue her vision for the ultimate stylish modular dress.
The Problem & Opportunity
Roni wanted Dress to Go to be a versatile collection that allows easy packing and chic dressing in a hurry. The key component of the design allows the customer to build their own unique dress, from the bodice to sleeve style to skirt length, colors, and prints. The design includes features such as a built-in bra and hidden side pockets.
The Goal: Create a versatile collection of modular dress pieces for seemingly endless customization options and easy dressing options.
The Obstacles
The Dress to Go design seemed straightforward on paper, but once Heather began breaking down all the pieces that needed to work together, the project quickly became complicated. There were several obstacles to overcome to ensure the design would work and that all the pieces could truly become interchangeable.
The following are some of the more significant obstacles Heather helped Roni overcome:
Fabric Selection: Roni wanted the dress to be a slip-on style, meaning there were no zippers, buttons, or other fasteners. The fabric also had to accommodate a mock neck without stretching out as customers slipped it over their heads. The only way to make the dress work was to use a stretch knit fabric. Otherwise, a zipper or some fastener would have been necessary.
Bodice Design: Roni's initial vision had one bodice style with multiple necklines that would work for all sleeve lengths. However, because the bodice pattern for a sleeveless dress differs from the bodice pattern for a dress with sleeves, the design had to be updated to include two patterns for each bodice: one for sleeveless dresses and one for dresses with multiple sleeve options. Heather's expertise as a pattern-maker caught this obstacle early in the process.
Pocket Design: Adding pockets to a dress is a must-have feature customers want! Designing a discreet pocket that works for multiple skirt flares was a challenge. Heather helped make, modify, and create the perfect pocket to work across each dress design.
Dress Lining: The lining of the dress required strategic planning to ensure the pattern was just right. Heather had to create solutions to ensure the armholes were sewn correctly, whether it was for the sleeveless dress or the bodices with sleeves. Other details required Heather's expertise, such as how to avoid excessive bulk at the waistline when elastic and pockets were added.
Bra Cups: Roni wanted Dress to Go to simplify dressing by including bra cups to allow customers the option to wear the dress braless and still have coverage. This meant that the bra cups had to be carefully placed in the lining to look and feel natural, and it took some experimentation with different cups and testing for placement to get it right.
The Project
Create patterns and a comprehensive tech pack for the Dress to Go concept, which included seven different bodices, six sleeve styles, and five skirt flares and lengths. While the project may sound simple, each combination counts as its own style or pattern—that's over 200 combinations! This project was exciting and unique due to the volume of work, creative problem-solving required, and budget.
Timeline
The Dress to Go project took about a year, with much of that timeline resulting from corresponding with the manufacturer to ensure understanding of each component across all the possible combinations and sizes. Each client's experience is different, depending on which manufacturer they work with and what that company's capacity looks like.
The Process
Illustration Stage
Roni came to Heather with illustrations already created. What she needed help with was professional patterns for her dresses.
Create Renders
Since the Dress to Go concept featured so many options, there was no way to render them all. Heather and Roni realized they could capture all of the options in just seven renders—one for each bodice, and each of those could correspond with one of the options for sleeves and skirts. Heather then created the seven renders to showcase each bodice design in realistic 3D models. Each render had a different sleeve length and skirt style to capture each variable in the dress options.
In this stage, the objective was to ensure the design looked right on the realistic 3D virtual models. The bodice was the critical piece to perfect before moving to the next stage.
Sewn Samples
With the renders refined, the next stage was to create sewn samples of the dresses. Heather made samples of each of the seven renderings. These samples were sent to the client to test and fine-tune, specifically in terms of the shell and lining, the pocket materials, bra cup placement, and elastic waist position.
Tech Pack
In the case of Dress to Go, Heather followed a specific process to create the tech pack in the format required by the manufacturer. While Heather typically provides a comprehensive tech pack in a widely accepted format, clients can request a customized one. The key is getting a tech pack before finding a manufacturer to ensure they have everything they need to give you accurate costing and provide an efficient and error-free production run.
Outcomes
At the end of the process, Roni was precisely where she needed to be to put Dress to Go into production with her chosen manufacturer.
Conclusion
Dress To Go is not yet ready to receive orders, but you can browse the dress options on their website.
Do you have an idea to improve a product? Have reference images ready to go? Book a consultation with Heather to discuss pattern-making. Not sure where you are in the process? Check out our “How It Works” page for answers.