Fashion-Enter’s Garment Technologist – Elle Argyrou shares her 5 top tips on how to become an aspiring Garment Tech.
Internships – It’s so important to get good work experience when it comes to landing this role. The best experience would be to shadow a garment tech and see the day-to-day activities and participate in some of the tasks. Better still, take a course here at Fashion-Enter / FTA, where we have a whole stack of expertise and skills to offer you.
- Learn about the different qualities of fabric – Understanding fabrics and their properties, as each fabric behaves differently to another. There are stretch and non-stretch fabrics and both will react differently if cut using the same pattern. As well as fabrics, an understanding of fabric faults, also known as flaws need to be identified and reported. Some common examples of flaws would be shading, dropped stitches, misprinting, holes and snags. If this is spotted on the garment, it maybe that the roll of fabric used was faulty and needs reporting. This could play a major role with the outcome of the production if not noticed and rolls are faulty.
- Understanding the principles of pattern cutting – The main focus is on the shape or cut of the garment you require, whether it’s a loose or fitted dress for example. A good block is recommended to be used as a guide to begin your pattern. If it’s a loose dress, the pattern may be done flat using spot and cross paper. If it is a fitted dress, then the principles may change and you may need to use a mannequin to form a toile. This means using fabric instead of paper to create the pattern, and using a mannequin to give you the fit you require. The fabric will then be laid on spot and cross paper and traced, to give you your pattern.
- Practise problem solving – The best way to practise this method will be to make up a toile, using the pattern you have drafted. Once it has been sewn up, this will help you identify any issues with the fit, especially if you have used the flat pattern method. In some cases, you may need to add darts which when pinched out, gives a more contoured shape to the body and makes it fit better.
- Learn the entire garment cycle – From the moment you see your sketch, you need to be able to judge if the fabric you are using and the shape you need to draft are all in sync. If these do not go together the finished product will not look like the sketch. You need to be able to recognise if a fabric is suitable for the garment you need to make up.
That, my budding garment tech’s, are my 5 Top Tips for a career in this role. If you have read this and are excited at this job prospect don’t waste time – go and sign-up for our Garment Tech course NOW!!!