17/10/2026
IF I COULD START MY FASHION JOURNEY AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME THINGS I WOULD LEARN EARLIER.
Let me be honest with you.
If I had the opportunity to start my fashion journey all over again, I wouldn't just focus on learning how to sew beautiful clothes.
I would pay more attention to the things that make you not just a good tailor, but a skilled, confident, and profitable fashion designer.
Because, truthfully, knowing how to sew is only one part of this business.
There are things you may not understand when you're just starting out. Some things will take experience to learn, while others might cost you money, waste your time, or even frustrate you before you finally understand them.
And sometimes, I wish somebody had explained these things to me earlier.
So, if you're learning fashion designing, you're already in the business, or you're planning to start, please read this to the end. ❤️
1️⃣ I WOULD LEARN FABRICS BEFORE MAKING COSTLY MISTAKES.
Not every beautiful fabric is suitable for every design.
Some fabrics stretch more than you expect. Some refuse to hold structure. Some are too soft for certain styles, while others are too stiff to give you the finishing you want.
Imagine buying an expensive fabric for a structured bustier dress, only to discover that the fabric cannot give you the result you imagined without the right support materials.
Painful, right? 😩
I would learn about fabric weight, stretch, drape, texture, stability, and how different fabrics behave during sewing.
Because choosing the right fabric is not just about colour or beauty. It's about understanding what that fabric can actually do.
2️⃣ I WOULD MASTER MY FOUNDATIONS BEFORE CHASING COMPLICATED STYLES.
Let's talk about something many of us can relate to.
You see a beautiful dress online, and immediately, you want to recreate it.
You start looking for the style, watching tutorials, and trying to figure out how it was made.
But sometimes, the problem is not that the style is too difficult.
The problem is that your foundation is not strong enough yet.
If you don't understand accurate measurements, body proportions, pattern drafting, dart manipulation, ease, and fitting, complicated styles can become unnecessarily difficult.
I would spend more time understanding the why behind what I'm doing, not just copying the steps.
Because when you understand the foundation, you can create your own designs instead of depending on somebody else's tutorial every time.
3️⃣ I WOULD LEARN HOW TO FIT DIFFERENT BODY TYPES.
This one is important!
Two clients can give you the same measurements and still have different fitting needs because their body proportions and shapes may differ.
One client may have a prominent tummy. Another may have a fuller hip. One may have a high hip, while another has a more prominent seat.
If you approach every body with exactly the same fitting adjustments, you may struggle to get the result you want.
I would learn how to identify fitting problems, understand what causes them, and make the right corrections.
For example, when a skirt pulls across the hip, the solution may not simply be to loosen the waist.
You need to understand where the tension is coming from.
A good fashion designer doesn't just take measurements. They learn how to interpret them.
4️⃣ I WOULD STOP THINKING THAT NEAT SEWING ALONE MAKES A GARMENT BEAUTIFUL.
Please, don't get me wrong. Neat sewing is very important.
But there is a difference between sewing neatly and constructing a garment correctly.
You can have very neat stitches on a dress that doesn't sit properly on the body.
You can have a beautiful design with a poorly shaped neckline, unbalanced proportions, or a badly fitted bodice.
And you can have a lovely outfit on the outside with unfinished seams, bulky allowances, or untidy internal construction.
I would learn proper garment construction, pressing techniques, seam finishes, lining, interfacing, and how to make the inside of a garment look as intentional as the outside.
Because professional finishing is not something you add at the end when you remember.
It should be part of your construction process from the beginning.
5️⃣ I WOULD LEARN TO PRICE MY WORK PROPERLY FROM THE BEGINNING.
Ah! This is where many talented designers struggle.
You can be busy from Monday to Saturday, sewing for different clients, attending fittings, correcting mistakes, and rushing to meet delivery dates.
Yet, when you check your account, you start wondering where all the money went.
Have you ever wondered why?
Sometimes, it's because you're charging based on what other designers charge instead of calculating what your own business actually needs.
If I could start again, I would learn to calculate fabric and material costs, labour, overhead expenses, transportation where applicable, and profit.
I would also understand that my sewing fee is not supposed to be just money left over after buying materials.
My time, skill, experience, and business expenses matter too.
Let's use a simple example.
If the direct cost of making an outfit is ₦20,000 and you charge ₦25,000, that doesn't automatically mean you've made ₦5,000 in profit.
Have you accounted for electricity, equipment maintenance, rent, packaging, transport, and other business expenses?
What about your own labour?
Please, don't confuse money entering your account with profit.
A fashion business can have plenty of customers and still struggle financially if the pricing is wrong.
6️⃣ I WOULD LEARN HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH CLIENTS.
Being a good fashion designer is not only about what happens behind your sewing machine.
It also involves how you communicate with people.
I would learn how to explain my processes, discuss expectations, communicate delivery timelines, handle complaints, and set boundaries professionally.
For instance, before accepting an order, I would make sure the client and I understand the agreed design, price, delivery date, and any special requirements.
I would also learn how to say no politely when a request is unrealistic.
Not every urgent order must become your emergency.
Not every client request must be accepted.
And not every disagreement means you should abandon your professional standards.
Good communication can prevent misunderstandings that might otherwise cost you money, time, and peace of mind.
7️⃣ I WOULD DOCUMENT MY WORK AND BUILD A PORTFOLIO EARLIER.
Sometimes, we finish a beautiful outfit, deliver it to the client, and that's the end of the story.
No clear pictures. No videos of the details. No record of the construction process.
Then, when another potential client asks to see examples of our work, we start searching through our gallery.
I would start documenting my work from day one.
I would take clear pictures, record short videos, show beautiful finishing details, and keep my best work organised.
I would also document my progress, including the things I was learning and improving.
You don't need an expensive camera or a fancy studio to start.
A clean background, good lighting, and a phone can help you begin.
Your portfolio is not just a collection of pictures. It helps people understand your skills, your style, and the kind of work they can expect from you.
8️⃣ I WOULD LEARN HOW TO RUN THE BUSINESS, NOT JUST DO THE CRAFT.
This is something I really want every fashion designer to understand.
You can know how to draft patterns, cut accurately, sew beautifully, and finish garments professionally.
But if you don't understand how to manage orders, track expenses, organise your time, keep client records, and plan your business, you may still struggle.
I would learn how to keep records of income and expenses.
I would create a proper order-tracking system.
I would record clients' measurements securely, monitor deadlines, and plan my workload realistically.
I would also separate business money from personal money as much as possible.
Because if you want your fashion business to grow beyond you doing everything by yourself, you need systems that help you manage the work.
9️⃣ I WOULD STOP COMPARING MY BEGINNING TO SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROGRESS.
Social media can make you feel like you're behind in life.
You see another designer making beautiful dresses, working in a lovely studio, attracting premium clients, and posting amazing pictures.
Suddenly, you start questioning your own progress.
But remember, you are seeing what that person has chosen to show you.
You may not know how many years of practice, mistakes, financial sacrifices, or difficult lessons went into that result.
I would focus more on improving my own skills than competing with somebody else's timeline.
I would learn from other designers without feeling threatened by their success.
And I would remind myself that being a beginner is not a crime.
You are allowed to learn.
You are allowed to make mistakes.
You are allowed to improve.
Just make sure you're learning from those mistakes instead of repeating them endlessly.
🔟 I WOULD NEVER STOP LEARNING.
This industry keeps evolving.
New construction methods emerge. Designers experiment with different silhouettes. Clients develop new preferences. Technology creates new opportunities for learning, marketing, and business growth.
I would remain curious.
I would ask questions, practise difficult techniques, study well-constructed garments, learn from experienced designers, and invest in knowledge that could improve my work.
And one important thing: I would learn to practise what I learn.
Watching twenty tutorials without applying any of them will not automatically improve your sewing.
Sometimes, you need to put the video down, pick up your tools, practise the technique, make mistakes, and try again.
Knowledge becomes valuable when you know how to apply it.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
MY FINAL THOUGHTS ❤️🧵
Looking back, one thing I would tell my younger self is this:
Don't be in a hurry to become the designer who can make every style.
First, become the designer who understands what they are doing.
Learn your foundations.
Understand fabrics.
Master fitting.
Improve your finishing.
Know your numbers.
Learn how to handle clients.
Build good business habits.
And please, give yourself room to grow.
You don't have to know everything today.
But you should be willing to learn something that will make you better tomorrow.
Whether you're still learning fashion designing, working from home, running a small fashion studio, or already serving premium clients, there is always something new to learn.
The goal is not just to become a fashion designer who can sew beautiful clothes. The goal is to become a fashion professional who can create beautiful clothes, solve problems, satisfy clients, and build a business that can actually sustain them.
Now, I want to hear from you. 👇🏽
— PELIA ATELIER 🧵✨
