Trying to decide what garments to design for your upcoming collection is challenging. With various color palettes, fabrics, etc… to choose from, it can be overwhelming. Today, I will be outlining what elements to consider in your collection depending on which season you will be releasing your collection in. The season you will be releasing your collection in can help you determine the best elements you should include.

What Should We Consider When Designing A Garment For A Specific Season? 

The different seasons bring about different obstacles that are unique to its own time of the year. Designing a garment around these will help you build a product that will best suit your consumer and increase its own sales. Here are a few seasonal conditions to consider. 

Seasonal Weather 

Weather is a great factor that contributes to how people dress on a day to day basis. In the Midwest region of the United States, we experience four separate and unique seasons. For Michigan distinctly, our weather patterns change at random. It could be raining one minute, and sunny the next. The forecast will call for snow and 30 degree temperatures one day, and 50 degree weather with sunshine the next. As we say in my state.. “ If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes for it to change”. 

Because of these unpredictable weather conditions, it is important to  design clothing that can sustain any and all weather conditions. In springtime, create lightweight garments that can easily be worn as a layer to add or take off. Design rain-resistant jackets and footwear to put up with the frequent rain the midwest experiences and the melting of snow that will occur. Designing clothing that is versatile in any weather conditions that is present at the time when your collection is dropped. This way, your client will be prepared for any type of weather it faces that particular season. 

Temperature Changes and Climate 

As often as the weather changes in the midwest, our temperature changes just as frequently. Michigan is unique in that it stays colder for a longer period of time. 

When designing clothing for a collection, keep in mind the climate you will be dropping it in. It is better to design clothing that best fits the climate you are in. If you are designing a collection that will be released in a cooler climate such as Michigan, design warmer clothing that can be worn for most of the year. If you are designing clothing that is targeted towards somebody that lives in a warmer, sunnier climate, create lightweight, cooler clothing. Your best design strategy is to create clothing that is more fitting for the climate your target audience is currently living in. 

What Design Elements Can Be Included In Our Garments To Compliment These Changing Seasons? 

After discussing how temperature and weather of a certain season can determine the needs clothing can provide to help the consumers living in these climates, let’s discuss what elements to include in specific garments during the design process. Here are a few aspects to consider. 

Fabric

Fabric is arguably one of the most important aspects of a garment to consider when designing seasonal wear clothing. Weight, moisture-wicking capabilities, and thermodynamics can determine the best fabric to design for your garment. For instance, if designing clothing for a collection that would be released in the fall/winter months, use heavier, denser fabric with thermodynamic properties that would insulate one’s body heat. When designing clothing for spring and summer seasons, or for those living in warmer climates, utilize fabrics with hygroscopic properties and a lightweight, breathable feel to help one’s skin to breathe and absorb their sweat. You can read more about fabric properties in my article How To Choose The Best Fabric For Your Garment and Basic Textile Terms You Need To Know When Researching Fabric For Your Next Project. Choosing the appropriate fabric for the climate you are designing in will help you satisfy the seasonal needs of your client. 

Color

Creating a color palette around a season is also a very important part of the design process for a collection. Color is a very influential factor in dress because it represents mood, contributes to a theme, or compliments a season. The seasons of fall and spring are perfect examples of this. Garments designed with floral prints and pastel color schemes are more popular and utilized during the spring season to represent the growth and rebirth of the natural world around us. In autumn, earth tones such as green, brown, black, and grey are popular because they resemble what nature looks like around us. Taking note of how nature looks around you when designing clothing can complement a season very well. 

Cut 

Cut and Style should play into what garments you design for a collection. When designing clothing intended to be worn in a warm climate, consider how it will be worn on the consumer. The less fabric, the better. Create cropped shirts with short sleeves, raise the hems of shorts and skirts or dresses, drop the neckline to create more exposed surface area for the skin to breathe. However, if you were to use this strategy in colder seasons such as the fall and winter times, it would hurt your business because your clientele will want more warmer clothing. 

Clothing was originally intended as a form of protection against harsh climates. Climate can determine our specific style for that time of the year. Weather patterns, climate, and temperatures determine a season. Beauce of these patterns, we wear clothing to help adapt to these changes. We incorporate color to compliment how nature resembles around us at that time. I hope you can consider these factors to strategize your next seasonal collection.