A New Point of View on Pattern Slopers or Blocks

If blocks or slopers are your plan of action to develop your patterns and makes the most sense to you, I say go for it! This is especially true if you are just starting out and want to establish a basis for consistency.

The point of this post is to be food for thought. Start your processes right so you can be efficient for when you really need to hustle.

When I say  “blocks” or “slopers” an image of perfect oak tag patterns for bodices, pants, skirt, etc is probably what comes to mind.

“This will be the answer to fit consistency and solve all fit related issues!! They will be law and followed !!!”

Yeeeahhh, that just doesn’t happen.

The fact is, blocks or slopers, in the traditional sense, are pretty much a myth at any established Ready-to Wear brand that I have ever worked for.

“I remember that someone started trying to standardize our patterns back in the day, but you know how it goes…” (If I only had a dollar for every time I heard that!)

It’s not for lack of trying or intent, but rather, fit is always an evolving process. Someone may try to initiate a program, but it usually falls down to the bottom of the list of priorities and by the time it’s returned to the initiatives are different. Or, even if blocks exist, you start out with one, but then the block keeps getting modified and modified and modified as more and more people put their two cents in…then there is no true block anymore.

Semantics

Before we go further, let’s get this over and done- what is the difference between slopers and blocks? Honestly, I don’t even remember or care. I find that clients use them interchangeably to mean the same thing (just as I do for this post). I’ve adapted to use whatever word they feel most comfortable with depending on the person.

But there has to be some truth to this idea of blocks, or it wouldn’t even be a thing, right?

Absolutely. But for most brands, blocks exist as more of a concept rather than physical product. Some brands will base a style on a loose standard, others will live and die by them. It all depends on who’s in charge and the follow-through.

The most common use of blocks happens when a brand has been around awhile and they have their best sellers. When a product is received well you must refer to it forever.. and ever… and over. And over. And over again. If the measurements of a similar style does not match exactly to the original, the poor sales must be the result of a ½” difference (sarcasm- you have no idea how crazy some people get over this!). But seriously, bestsellers are definitely something worth reviewing to see if you can keep building on that success. I’ve found that this is the most common occurrence in terms of “blocks”. It’s always a specific style that we keep going back to and building upon.

Blocks are not specific enough

The problem with the traditional idea of a sloper or blocks is that it tends to be too generic in intent. I’ve had people come and ask me to make slopers for pants, a jacket and blouse, but they end up making only knit tops. So what was the point? Fabric and fit intent vary. If you are doing lots of knit tshirts, then you should have a basic long sleeve simple scoop neck tee that will be followed for all and tweaked for styling and maybe consider even doing another version of the same for a different knit that you use a lot. The same is true for pants. Why set up a traditional woven pants sloper that looks beautiful in muslin, but has no functionality if you are making yoga pants? You should have a basic legging shape that you are following instead. The point is, develop your starting blocks according to what you are producing.

Ease

I remember making blocks in fashion school. We draped bodices on size 8 dress forms and worked to get the perfect amount of ease all around that was, in hindsight, pretty miniscule. I was so excited to use my bodice block for dart manipulation exercises. I thought this was the key!

I can make anything! I am invincible!!!

Well, I made myself a knit t-shirt with some fancy dart nonsense going on. I figured this would be a good place to start since there was such little ease. I squeezed myself into it and looked at my sausage-ey self in the mirror. Oh no. Clearly, I had a long way to go. It was so short and so tight. I thought it was a sure bet but it was a humiliating defeat. Back to the drawing board.

Only later did I realize that this block was pretty much junk (for many reasons other than just ease). The key to a lot of patternmaking is understanding the correct amount of wearing ease. If you start from one of these types of bodice blocks, how would you know how much width or length to add if you are not familiar with the numbers? How do you take a torso block and turn it into a hoodie?

My point is, your slopers should be pretty close to the correct amount of ease based on the silhouettes you are going for, and in a decent place for lengths as well.

But what do I do if I don’t have a block to follow?

For my own products, and most work that I do for clients, I never ever use a block. My method is to pull out a similar style that I have developed for them or build something new from scratch (which is actually quicker for me). I keep consistency by comparing measurements based on fabrication according to similar styles. I also have a pretty good idea of what my finished garment measurements need to be because I work with them all the time. I’m constantly reviewing, double checking the numbers and comparing to past styles. Patternmaking really isn’t all about creating pretty things, it’s actually about number crunching.

This is also how most established RTW companies work because they don’t want to stop the workflow/pay someone to create slopers. Instead we need a sample ready- stat!

This allows me maximum flexibility to keep projects going. I’m a professional and I know how much I can change, what I am willing to live with and the safest way to deviate.  I do the same for my clients that don’t have base patterns to start from and create from scratch each time. If you are a good patternmaker or have a good patternmaker, they will keep your fit consistent knowing the standard measurements, shapes and fit initiatives.

Fashion moves at the speed of light (as well as your production schedule). Be smart on how you build from the beginning. And always keep in that your fit should change as your brand grows because you are working to define who your target customer is. You may think you know her at first, but more than likely she will surprise you.