How to become a true partner for the pattern maker, seamstress and production.
- How to set tasks correctly and formulate revisions.
- Why respect and clarity save money.
- Examples of “toxic” versus partnership-style communication.
- How to talk about dissatisfaction with the result without destroying the relationship.
1. How to communicate with the pattern maker, seamstress and manufacturer
1.1. General principles
- Formulate the task, not your emotions.
- Respect the other person’s profession.
- Fix agreements in writing.
- Separate “like / don’t like” from “right / wrong”.
Example:
not “Make it beautiful”,
but “A semi-fitted dress, knee length, I want a more fitted waist”.
1.2. Communication with the pattern maker
You need to:
- give a proper tech brief: type of garment, silhouette, fabric, fit,
- during fitting, speak facts:
“tight in the bust”, “loose at the hips”,
“I want the neckline 2 cm higher”, - understand that major changes after the patterns are approved
count as a new job.
1.3. Communication with the seamstress
It is important:
- not to give the seamstress instructions that contradict the patterns and the technology,
- not to demand “adjust on the spot” instead of correcting the pattern,
- not to shift onto the seamstress questions that belong to the pattern maker or technologist.
The seamstress is responsible for the quality of execution,
but not for mistakes in the pattern or in the brief.
1.4. Communication with production / factory
With the factory you should speak in terms of:
- quantities and sizes (breakdown by size range),
- deadlines,
- documents (patterns, TOM, tech spec, sample).
It is not acceptable, during the process, to:
- constantly change the style, fabric or size range
while expecting that this “is included in the job”.
2. Why respect and precise wording save money
- The clearer the task, the fewer reworks are needed.
- The calmer and more respectful the tone, the more willingness there is to engage and help.
- With a “difficult” client, people either don’t want to work at all, or they include risks in the price.
- With a reasonable and clear client, they are much more willing to meet halfway.
Respect + specificity =
fewer mistakes, fewer long message threads, fewer hidden markups in the price.
3. Examples of “toxic clients” and partnership-style communication
3.1. “Toxic client”
Signs:
- communicates in judgments (“this is nonsense”, “you did everything wrong”),
- does not formulate the task, only expresses dissatisfaction,
- keeps changing the decision but assumes this is free,
- takes out their emotions on the contractors.
Result:
- people don’t want to work with them,
- quality drops because everyone just wants “to close the order quickly”.
3.2. Partnership-style format
Signs:
- acknowledges the professionalism of other participants,
- clearly states what result they want to get,
- gives feedback based on facts,
- asks “how is it better to do this” instead of “why did you do it wrong”.
Result:
- the pattern maker and seamstress genuinely try to help,
- contractors themselves suggest ways to simplify or improve the style,
- relationships become long-term.
4. How to give correct revisions and comments
4.1. Principle: not emotion, but fact
No — “I don’t like how it fits.”
Yes — “At the waist it is too loose, please remove 2–3 cm on the half-girth.”
No — “Make it more elegant.”
Yes — “I want it slightly narrower at the hips and the neckline 1.5 cm higher.”
4.2. Structure of a comment
- Where exactly the problem is: bust, waist, hips, shoulders, armhole, length, etc.
- What is felt or seen: it pulls, it hangs, it creates a crease, it is too loose.
- What you want: shorter/longer, higher/lower, looser/tighter — and approximately by how much.
4.3. How to discuss things if you are unhappy with the result
Instead of:
- “You ruined everything for me”,
it is better to say:
- “The result doesn’t match my original request. Let’s see at which stage we diverged in understanding.”
The goal is not to “defeat” the contractor,
but to get a workable style and preserve the working relationship.
Story from the workshop
Two young designers came to the same studio.
Both had ambitions, both had sketches, both wanted “their own collection”.
First designer
The first one, from the very door, spoke fast and sharply:
– “I need 10 styles, deadlines are tight, there must be no mistakes.”
– “It’s important for me that everything is perfect, you are professionals, right?”
He brought the brief in pieces, often changed his decisions “on the go”.
At fittings he said:
– “Something is wrong here.”
– “You have a mistake here.”
– “I didn’t ask for this.”
When the collection was ready, 9 garments passed without any comments.
In one dress, he was unhappy with the sleeve fit.
He discussed this one dress for a long time.
About the other 9 styles he said nothing.
No “thank you”, no “this turned out really well”.
The team did the job, but inside everyone thought the same:
“We don’t want to deal with him again.”
Second designer
The second came with the same volume of work: also a big collection.
But he started differently:
– “I have an ambitious task, and I understand it is a lot of work.”
– “Help me do it right, I’m ready to listen to your recommendations.”
He brought a neat brief, listened to the pattern maker’s questions,
clarified fabrics and silhouettes.
At fittings he spoke like this:
– “Here, from how it feels, it’s a bit tight in the bust. Can we check it?”
– “In this place it seems a crease appears. How do you see the reason?”
– “Thank you for your suggestion about the armhole, it really is better this way.”
When the collection was ready, he said:
– “I can see how much work there is here. Thank you to you and the factory.”
– “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have figured this out on my own.”
And yes, not everything was perfect for him either from the first attempt.
Somewhere things had to be redone, somewhere the fabric was changed,
somewhere a construction detail had to be simplified.
But each time it was a shared task, not a search for the guilty.
Result
Both designers had ideas.
Both had complex styles.
Both had revisions and reworks.
The difference was only in one thing:
- the first saw around him only “mistakes” and “people who owe him”,
- the second saw partners whose work is no less difficult than his own.
And when people in the studio were asked:
– “With whom would you agree to create a collection again?”
the answer was obvious.
Conclusion for a beginner
Gratitude and respect do not cancel the requirements for quality. But they are exactly what make you the kind of person people want to keep working with.
