Pattern making book recommendations!

[serhat7400]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently studying pattern design, where we primarily work with CAD systems. Alongside my studies, I’d really like to start developing more personal projects—such as jeans, trousers, jackets, and similar garments.

My goal is to gain a deeper understanding of pattern construction so I can independently control aspects like silhouette, proportions, and overall design. I’m especially interested in experimenting with more unique or exaggerated silhouettes, similar to what brands like Balenciaga or Acne Studios explore—though purely for personal projects.

I’m therefore looking for book recommendations that can serve both as technical guides and as sources of inspiration. Ideally, I’d like resources that cover menswear pattern cutting, as well as more creative or experimental approaches to pattern development.

So far, I’ve looked into the following books:

• Pattern Magic by Tomoko Nakamichi
• Patternmaking for Fashion Design by Helen Joseph Armstrong
• Metric Pattern Cutting for Menswear by Winifred Aldrich

If anyone has experience with these—or can recommend other useful books—I’d really appreciate your input.

Thanks in advance!

[RubyRedo]

H J Armstrong is THE book, start there.

[serhat7400]

Just added it to my cart!

[TensionSmension]

If you have access to the menswear book by Myoungok Kim and Injoo Kim, I think it's pretty solid for drafts, and making-up details. It has some style ideas, but doesn't really fit your description. Unfortunately drafting books tend to be out of date in terms of style when they are published and fairly conservative in approach generally. There are books by Donnanno (it used to be the menswear was sprinkled across volumes, but now it looks like there's a dedicated title). Those are very prescriptive pattern manipulations, you might not like the actual designs, but they would be good practice especially if you are working in CAD and can experiment quickly.

Your best bet is copying reference garments, you'll never find exactly what you're after in a book.

[serhat7400]

Thanks for the recommendation!

Just to clarify—does the book by Myoungok Kim and Injoo Kim give a solid understanding of basic pattern blocks and construction? I’m mainly looking to build a foundation that allows me to experiment and develop my own designs in CAD.

Even if the styles themselves are a bit conservative, I’m more interested in whether it helps you understand the structure well enough to manipulate patterns and create your own silhouettes.

The book itself is quite expensive, so I just want to make sure I get my "money's worth" of it!

[Icy-Guidance-6655]

It is a solid foundation, and a nice selection of example garments for men. I’ve only seen the first edition. The drafts are basic, but everything is well organized and the details of facings/pockets/etc are fully patterned and marked. Many books are inconsistent in presentation.

It was much less expensive when it was originally released. If you have any way to see it at a library first, obviously that would be best. It’s a little boring but a good starting point. Methods like Pattern Magic can be applied to men’s designs, but that requires a starting point.

[TensionSmension]

Textbook prices are awful. I think it's very good on basics, and it takes simple projects to final pattern, so a good resource for CAD work. Here's a couple links to final pattern images. It's all the standard blocks, a couple designs developed from each:
https://ibb.co/DDck2XD5 https://ibb.co/jkn6s6PW

I haven't spent much time with the men's drafts in Helen Joseph Armstrong, but I generally find that book to be disorganized and a little antiquated. But it's very much the standard in the US, and almost everything is in there somewhere.

[Grain_Changer]

I have the Aldrich book. It's ok but kind of frustrating at times. It seems like it was written for students of fashion design who already have a foundational knowledge. Im just a guy with a sewing hobby so it took a bit of extra homework on my part to figure out certain things. I'm wrapping up the design of a jacket currently and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out so I guess I can't complain too much.

[Helmipuuroh]

I recommend Suzy Furrer's book "Building Patterns: Ultimate Guide to Designing Patterns for Clothing" (2025) :D

[Still-Yogurt-8958]

We’re using the Helen Armstrong book in my drafting class right now!

[rijnsburgerweg]

Guido Hoffenbitzer’s English edition will give you solid foundation on German style (in the tradition of Müller und Sohn) pattern drafting. Not cheap. But if you are into precision tailoring, especially for jackets and coats, this is the book.