Welcome to How Fitting

Hello and welcome to the How Fitting podcast. I’m Alison Hoenes. On this podcast, you’ll get to hear from independent fashion designers and entrepreneurs about how they grow their business making clothes that fit their customer and values.  I’ll be your host for this show, but I’m also a freelance patternmaker who helps independent womenswear brands keep control of product development without the technical hassle. As a patternmaker, I care about how clothes fit. There is something special about how well-fitting clothes make us feel. But even beyond how a garment physically fits a body, I think our clothes should also fit well with our lifestyle and values. Clothes affect our view of ourselves and others and how we go about manufacturing and buying them reflects what our values are. How do my designs fit with my market niche? How do I make this specific style or trend fit my customer? How do I find a factory that fits my business needs? How do I find fabrics that fit with my brand’s value of sustainability? How do I make sure my designs really fit an inclusive size range? These or similar questions are things you’ve probably asked concerning your own brand. And you’re not alone. I have conversations about these topics all the time with fashion business owners. These conversations are what inspired me to start this podcast to share these "fitting" stories and questions from independent fashion businesses. While the answers to these questions, the exact business values, and specific target markets are slightly different for each brand, I think there is alot that can be learned from seeing how other brands fit it all together. My goal is that you’ll find these stories inspiring and insightful and they’ll help you find the right fit for each area of your fashion business. So, again, welcome! I’m glad you’ve joined me and I hope you are as excited as I am to hear these conversations.  To make sure you never miss an episode, go ahead and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or Stitcher and visit howfittingpodcast.com for show notes and links to resources mentioned in each episode.  I’d love to hear from you as well! What questions do you have? Do you have a fitting story you’d like to share? Reach out to me anytime here. Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.