Like most companies, Dobbin’s design process really starts with fabric. Our first step is to visit the offices of various fabric agents in New York City, and to contact the fabric mills and agents we’ve worked with in places like Los Angeles, Paris and even New Jersey. Fabric agencies are small — usually just one or two people — but they each represent multiple fabric mills across Europe and Asia. While mills employ agents all over the world, the agents in New York usually service the entire USA, part of what’s kept the Garment District the epicenter of the American fashion industry. 

Small designers like us tend to buy more expensive European fabric ($11-$30/yard.), because the minimums for ordering are more achievable and because we prefer the high quality of these textiles. Many of the Italian mills we use have been in business for over 100 years, and have vast experience and technology for producing the best textiles on earth.

At agents’ offices (and at fabric shows in NYC), Catherine and I start collecting headers (fabric samples stapled to labeled card stock) and corresponding pricing lists of the fabrics we think might fit our line. Once we have a pile of contenders, we spend days going through the fabrics carefully, looking for the best feeling, most wearable, washable, and luxurious of the bunch. We also scrutinize each mill’s color card for each fabric to see what might work for the season’s colors, and keep a careful eye on pricing so that we don’t fall in love with fabrics that would push us outside of our price range (lest we have to pass the cost on to customers). 

At Dobbin, we’re typically looking for thicker, stretchy fabrics that have both structure and ease. We favor knits, pant fabrics like stretch twill, canvas and flannel, and different kinds of silk for shirting. We go through the process of boiling down the heap of fabrics to our favorites to create a comprehensive collection in which the pieces, fabrics and colors all work together.

At that point, we then have to re-contact fabric agents to find out the fabrics’ availability and minimums. If the fabrics we like won’t arrive on time for production for the season, or if a mill’s minimum for ordering is too high, we then go back to the drawing board to find a similar replacement. It’s kind of like a jigsaw puzzle; throughout the design process, we’re constantly piecing together the very best collection we can, with changes to one piece in turn causing changes in any number of others. Large companies have sizable design, sourcing, pattern making, production and merchandising teams that work together to find and choose fabrics. In our case, it’s just the two of us doing the same thing, though on a smaller scale.  At this point, because we only have two seasons of customer data and feedback, we’re also operating more on instinct than on numbers, as a larger company likely would.

The next step is ordering sample yardage (usually about 10 yards of each fabric). Our pattern maker uses the sample yardage for draping, pattern making and sampling. If we’re on a very tight timeline (which we usually are!), we sometimes have to order the larger run of fabric we’ll actually be using for production, and simply cut some yardage off the end for sampling.

A large UPS bill later, bolts of fabric start to show up at our office. That kicks off the pattern and sample-making process, which we’ll be covering in the next post!

Many, many of my clients have wider feet, but only a small percentage actually purchase footwear in wide widths (footwear sized with a W or WW). The reason is twofold: 

• Wide width footwear is wide all over, and if you have narrow heels, they slip at the heel or fall right off. 
• Wide width footwear is in very short supply. It’s easier to find footwear in regular widths, but in styles with roomy toe boxes. 

Clients with bunions need footwear with extra room on the toe box to avoid pain. They often purchase regular width footwear made of soft leather that can be stretched on the area of the bunion. Footwear made of stretchy fabrications works well too. Sandal styles in regular widths are also great because the cutaway style of the sandal gives uncovered bunions the space to breath. 

My clients with large bunions or with feet that are evenly wide from toe to heel tend to purchase footwear in wide widths. Some add insoles if their narrower heels slip in the wider size, but they still purchase a wide size because it’s more comfortable. 

Do you have wider feet and purchase wide width footwear? Or do you purchase regular width footwear with extra roomy toe boxes that can be stretched to fit. 

Camouflage patterns are shown every season, and this year is no different. We usually see them represented in clothing items like military jackets and parka jackets, button down shirts, t-shirts, knitted tops, casual pants, shorts, jeans, and less frequently in skirts, dresses and blouses. You’ll also find camouflage printed bags, shoes and belts. 

I have never owned an item in camouflage print. I’m just not attracted to patterns that consist of shades of olive, tan and brown enough to purchase them. Other colour palettes always excite me more when the time comes to forking out fashion dollars. So it’s more to do with the colour composition of authentic camouflage patterns, than the pattern itself. 

I almost bought a camouflage blazer in shades of orange, watermelon, pink and citron, but decided against it because it was too loud. I’m partial to the monochromatic grey versions of camouflage print when worn as jeans or casual pants, and would wear those. I also like camouflage print, in its earthy incarnations, when worn by others. I definitely like the pattern best worn as jeans and pants as opposed to a top or topper. I also like camouflage prints on blokes and kids. So I’m a yay vote for others, but a nay vote for my own style unless the pattern is in atypical colours and preferably as a bottom.  

Most of my clients don’t like camouflage print, although I have a handful who absolutely love it, both in authentic and atypical colours. Most find the pattern overly masculine, too “young”, and quite ugly. Some also find it distasteful to sport a pattern that is associated with armed conflict. What’s your verdict?

Hi. My name is Jessica Gold Newman and I’m the CEO and Co-Founder of Dobbin Clothing, a new womenswear online-only brand based in New York City. We founded the company in April of 2012 and are currently in the midst of producing our third season (Spring 2013) and developing our fourth (Fall 2013).

Dobbin is an old English word for workhorse; we want Dobbin’s clothing to be the workhorses of women’s wardrobes. My co-founder Catherine Doyle and I met while working at Liz Lange Maternity; she was the Design Director, I was the Marketing Director. There, we had the chance to collaborate in the many places our duties overlapped, whether merchandising our stores, planning Fashion Week runway shows, or dressing celebrity customers. 

After Liz Lange sold, Catherine went on to design for a large retailer, while I ran a strategy consulting business for small fashion brands. We decided to launch Dobbin in Spring 2012 because we felt that there was a place in the market for high-end basics, made of luxury European and American fabrics that are primarily stretch and washable, fit for real women of all ages (using a size 8 fit model as opposed to the industry standard size 2), manufactured 100% in the USA, and sold exclusively online to cut out the middlemen and keep our prices under $200.

We would like to take you along as we design, fit, manufacture and sell our Spring ‘13 Collection. Many sites focus on fashion and personal style, but few show you how your favorite clothes actually get produced. As clothing budgets have tightened over the past few years, we think it’s helpful to understand how clothes are made and priced, so that you’re better equipped to shop wisely. We’re really excited to bring this series to you courtesy of YLF, one of our favorite fashion and shopping sites.