J Wears It

Somehow in the industry, we always end up designing for tall slim people, who would just walk around in our garments, looking fabulous. As for this project, authenticity is most important, I am not aiming to find a person, who would look good in my clothes, but rather one, who I am working with closely and making the outfit suited for their needs. 

In this case, the athlete I am working with is a real gym freak and plays all kinds of sports, which eventually leads to a well-built and healthy body (more muscles I’ve ever worked with), so although I’ve checked the body measurements multiple times, I am still a bit concerned about some details and how they would fit his body.

To start with the top, the length turned out to be perfect, so did the shoulder seams. The underarm panels work amazingly and the front openings help access to the tennis ball pocket. One thing I would change is the width of the openings, as at the moment they start from just above the hips, which reveals part of the underwear (not good).

My biggest concern is the turtleneck, as some people don’t like having it next to their skin. However, Joshua loved it, so I have decided to definitely keep it as one of the key elements of the whole collection. What I will try to do over the next few days, though, is to develop a removable version for other people, who would possibly have a problem with it.

As for the shorts, they fit just perfectly. The length and the hight of the waist worked in the best possible way, although I have two other major problems. The pattern I created for the leg panel seemed perfectly correct when I checked with the technicians, whereas, it looks wrinkly and bulky on the model, so I will have to find a way around it. My other concern is the ball pocket, which has to be almost twice as big in order to actually fit and keep the tennis ball. It is yet to be tested.

Another reflection on the make from Joshua is his request for tighter sleeves, as these are currently too flappy at the ends.

All is to be worked on now and can’t wait to see how it turns out.