Things You'll Need:
- Selected fabric:
- Cotton jersey, fleece, velour or terry cloth
- Selected trims:
- Zipper, zip-pulls, taping, snaps or Velcro (optional)
- Paper pattern
- Ruler/french curve
- Elastic (optional)
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Step 1
Determine fit and silhouette prior to sketching. Most warm-ups are designed for wearability, comfort and ease, and these are important factors when sketching your concept. An exercise warm-up will require more yardage for movement ease than a fashion-driven, sleek warm-up with contoured seams meant for leisure activities.
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Step 2
Select your fabric and trim during the sketching and design process. The key factor for these suits is fabric weight and trim. Most designs incorporate a matching jacket and pull-on bottom pant. For example, when selecting plush fabrics such as heavy-weight velours, the silhouette will reflect a relaxed, shaped fit. For a lightweight fabric, such as Lycra jersey or terrycloth, the designer can opt for a contoured, shaped fit.
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Step 3
Select trims and/or accessories. Zipper and zipper-pull choice will change the suit style. A brass zipper will showcase a rich appeal as opposed to a Delrin nylon zipper, which will signify casual wear.
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Step 4
Determine the jacket and bottom construction. Jackets can be either pullovers or full-front openings; the full-front openings do not have to be limited to zipper or snap-front placket closures. Incorporate the pocket shape and closure into the design. The same rule applies to the bottom pant. Some warm-up bottoms incorporate self-fabric multi-needle elastic waistbands, adjustable drawcords or separate yarn-dye stripes and jacquard welts.
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Step 5
Complete your sketch with concept colors. Use the sketch as your design plan prior to purchasing materials. Calculating jacket and pant fabric yardage can be challenging at this stage. A retail paper pattern can be used to make approximate estimates. Warm-up suits normally require more fabric due to the silhouette shape.
It is important to note that the more detail incorporated into the original sketch, the higher the cost will be to produce the garment.
