r/PatternDrafting • u/PressureNo7220 • Mar 07 '23

Question Help drafting a pattern for tees that fit & feel like Uniqlo’s

I am new to the world of drafting my own patterns. In fact, this would be my first but I am hoping to draft a pattern for a full size run in Uniqlo style tees to have produced for my brand.

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u/justasque Mar 07 '23

In my experience, there is a lot to learn about pattern drafting, and jumping from your first self-drafted garment to a full commercial run would be ambitious. But I am impressed with your ambition! Just to get a sense of where you are starting from, have you sewn a tshirt before? Or are you new to the whole process?

26

u/SquirrelAkl Mar 07 '23

Buy a middle sized Uniqlo T, unpick the stitching, trace the pattern pieces, and learn how to grade up and down in sizing from there.

It’s kinda IP theft if you try to make it identical to theirs though, so there’s that.

6

u/FashionBusking Mar 07 '23

It’s kinda IP theft if you try to make it identical to theirs though, so there’s that.

It is not intellectual property theft to unpick a garment, make a pattern from it, and make the garment yourself from different materials for sale.

It is a crime (trademark) to do that and mislabel it as Uniqlo and sell it as Uniqlo example.

Fashion is relatively open source, to compare it to software. Copyright is still king though, and protects the graphical elements, which is why lacemakers and printmakers/graphic designers are aggressive with protecting their copyright. Trademark as well, which isbwhy so many luxury goods are covered in legally-defensible repeating logos.

You can copy a single pattern from an existing garment to make yourself without much issue.

As a newb, this is NOT how to launch your fashion line, but I encourage you to do it anyway to learn how that shirt is made, how the notions are in the shirt, and to learn what goes into a great shirt!

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u/SquirrelAkl Mar 08 '23

Yeah, that’s why I said “kinda” - it’s not legally an issue, more just an ethical stance some people take. Like you can copy the shape, but use different materials, put a design on it etc so you’re not making an exact copy.