What is Industry Standard?
Does the term “industry standard” elicit feelings of inadequacy, like, maybe you need to go back to school and learn what these standards are? Perhaps there is some kind of online course where you can find out this missing information. They sound pretty important, so you should be aware especially if you want to be taken seriously.
Well my friend, you can relax. You are not missing any key information. The term “industry standard” is even a little ambiguous within the fashion industry. Standards are not set by a ruling organization of fashion industry veterans. Nope, it’s a much broader concept. Industry standard refers to norms, practices, or specifications that are widely accepted and followed. There is no definitive guide that says that one “must” do it a certain way, but it does act as a reference point that industry professionals lean on.
Fashion industry standards start from this place of common ground but then evolve on a brand by brand basis where they are built upon experiences, process demands, and customer requirements. So don’t stress if you don’t know it all.
There are potentially a lot of standards to discuss like regulatory compliance, ethics and sustainability, costing, efficiency, etc…These are valuable bits of information, but I want to get you into the basics and touch upon some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding industry standards from a product development perspective.
Industry Standard Terminology
It’s easy to communicate if everyone is speaking the same language. But you’ll often find dialects within a common language. This is the garment industry verbiage in a nutshell. There is an industry standard language that is widely accepted, but there is a lot of variance in terms. For example- pattern makers need to coordinate with technical designers and factories for quality control. This is why it’s important to use similar terminology for parts of a garment. The bottom opening of a skirt can be referred to as the hem, sweep, or bottom opening. Or you can have the most common interchangeable terms- block, and slopers. Or muslins and toiles. Names may be different, but essentially we are all referring to the same thing.
You will also find that a lot of shorthand is part of this garment industry language like CB, CF, HPS, FND, Xshoulder, to name a few. This comes in handy for writing fit notes quickly and sending emails, or issuing fit comments where you don’t have to write out the entire word. There are short hands that I use frequently that I take for granted and you’ll find others that you work with will do the same. If you don’t know what someone is meaning, then be sure to ask. No one will think less of you and then you’ll know going forward. The good news about these short hands is that they are just acronyms for the most part.
Industry standards for quality control
The way garment industry professionals talk and review garments can be considered mostly standard for the industry. By having a shared language and relatively predictable garment shapes, there are specific ways we can control the quality of the production output. To do this, garments are broken down to their essential measurement points that are defined by specifications. Having these standards in place means that everyone should be measuring the same for the chest, waist, sleeves, etc.. to (hopefully) get the same results. If everyone is getting different measurements, then this could indicate a problem. These measurement points should be easily recognizable by everyone without a lot of explanation, such as length from HPS (high point of shoulder), chest, waist, across shoulder, to name a few.
When a garment is ready for production, a final spec should be generated to ensure that everyone is aware of what parameters will define the garment and the standards that need to be met for consistency in quality, fit and sizing.
Also within the quality control wheelhouse is the industry standard use of tolerances. Tolerances are increments of allowance of deviation from the set measurement. It’s rare that a garment will measure perfectly to spec. (If it does it was probably made as a sample for the express purpose of perfection). Tolerances are important because we have to factor in a lot of variables that can happen during production such as cutting off an 1/16” extra from all side seams will mean ¼” smaller in circumference, or pressing causes a bit of shrinkage to happen, so you lose length or width, or a sewer is tired and the seam allowance taken is a little more than it should be. A lot of things can happen when human hands are involved, so we allow for that through tolerances.
Garment Measurements
Before someone starts talking you into an idea where all inseams have to be 32”, let me stop you. The measurements that make up a garment are only based on the designer's vision and the way in which a fabric behaves. There are no industry standard measurements for t-shirt body lengths, sleeve lengths, chest measurements, etc.
The individuality in product measurements on a brand by brand basis are part of what makes us loyal customers to specific fashion labels. Measurements define the fit and who they are intended to fit based on individual brand sizing and fit initiatives.
Standards that exist are basically just loose guidelines. Such as trouser inseams and long sleeve length. Every fashion brand will define their own standards for measurements. I can personally attest to this. I know certain measurements by heart based on the brand I am working for.
Pattern making
If you were to take a pattern making class I’m sure the teacher would be having everyone follow the exact same drafting formula that clearly specifies ease, and techniques. The thing is, to teach something it’s easiest to rely on absolutes to get the point across and for everyone to be on the same page. I can tell you definitively that the pattern making process is much more organic than text books describe. Yes, there are ways that shapes should be and a few fixed guidelines that are relied upon, but it is fluid. For instance, I don’t make patterns based on formulas. I use a method called “rock-of-eye” which isn’t really taught, it's just developed over time.
There are loose rules and guidelines to be followed in pattern making, but even these are negotiable under the right circumstances. For instance, I can have a perfect bodice pattern drafted. It fits the model like a glove. But in the hands of an inexperienced technical designer it can be broken down and warped into something only once resembling a professional output in exchange for a fit approval that keeps production running on time. (Spoiler, this is why a lot of clothing fits poorly).
As a pattern maker I am subject to the fit vision of the designer and what they feel is best for their customer. I don’t always have to agree, but I go with it and their customers love it. If my clients are happy then I am happy and I’ll modify my own standards to accommodate them. I make patterns differently for different clients.
But part of pattern making is how the pattern should look. In this area I would say there is more of an industry standard practice of including notches for key areas and labeling on each pattern piece with the piece name, style number and size.
Sizing
When people find out what I do for a living (besides being confused) they generally start asking why can’t there be an industry standard for sizing. Oh boy, that’s a big one! It deserves a blog post of its own. But really, every brand decides its own sizing and bases it on their customer feedback and their average measurements.
The challenging part of sizing is that it is an average. It’s not an absolute. These averages are built with the idea of creating repeatable formulas (grade rules) that can be used for all garments within a product line so the fit is consistent. The numbers that make up a grade rule all work together and if one doesn’t work, then something has to give. There are limitations to how the numbers can be set up and still make the formulas work.
I know what you are thinking by now: But what about ASTM standards? If you’ve been around these parts then you know my bane is ASTM standards. It’s not that I disagree with them or dislike the idea. It’s more like people see the word “standard” and assume that this is an absolute that can be utilized exactly as it is laid out. It’s like saying a raw piece of beef is beef bourguignon. Yes, it can be eventually, but it needs work. ASTM standards are guidelines.