Pattern shapes can often have small differences in edge lengths and edge shape from front to back or from left to right. These small differences can have a big impact on fit. For example, in a raglan sleeve, it’s essential to stitch the sleeves correctly, or the armhole seam will show extra fullness. Since the differences in edge curve are very small, errors can sometimes occur during production. Using 3D simulation you can verify that the stitching instructions are correct before samples are made.

For example, take this hoodie with raglan sleeves. In the first 3D simulation in VStitcher, the sleeves are sewn correctly:

Correct sleeve

In this second simulation, the sleeves are flipped back to front so that the length of the edges isn’t equal. You can clearly see the extra fullness at the front armhole caused by the incorrect stitching:

Flipped sleeve

Here are the patterns. On the left, the two sides of the sleeve are correctly aligned and the edge lengths are equal. On the right, the sleeve pieces have been accidentally reversed, resulting in a small difference in edge length and poor fit in the finished hoodie.

Correct stitching of sleeves

Wrong stitches for flipped sleeves

With VStitcher, what you see is truly what you get, even when it comes to those small things that have a big impact on the final garment.

To learn more about simulating different edge lengths, read our post about gathering

The way fabric pieces are cut in relation to the fabric grain line has a big impact on the way a garment looks. While you’re designing or making the pattern using 3D software, you should be able to see the effect accurately in the 3D simulated garment.

For example, take this long T-shirt. The bias-cut drapes softly. The straight-cut is stiffer, and there are fewer folds in the fabric.

What is the Grain Line?

The grain line is the direction of the weave in which the thread runs the entire length of the fabric and is parallel to the salvage.  For fashion designers and pattern makers, it refers to the way a pattern is cut when it’s laid out on the fabric, which affects the way the final garment stretches and drapes.

When a “straight cut” is used, that means the grain line is parallel to the vertical thread (the warp) of the fabric.  This is the most common placement.

In the “bias cut”, the piece is cut 45 degrees in relation to the vertical thread in the fabric. The bias cut is most often used in evening wear, bridal gowns, couture and other high-end garments.  Bias-cut garments have a softer look with more ripples.

True-to-Life 3D Grain Line Simulation

Since the bias-cut is typically more costly, it’s important to visualize the effect and evaluate the benefits before manufacturing. With true-to-life 3D, that’s possible. Here you see the same dress, with the same fabric on the same model – once straight cut, and once cut on the bias. With vSticher, it’s simply a matter of indicating on the pattern how the fabric should be cut.

Straight Cut

Bias Cut

VP of Sales | North America

LENNY WEISS

We’re very pleased to welcome Lenny Weiss, Browzwear’s new VP of Sales for North America. Lenny has a long, successful track record in Sales Management and comes to us from one of our technology partners. Throughout his career, Lenny has sold a variety of digital manufacturing solutions for the apparel industry including CAD, ERP, and PLM, which has given him an in-depth understanding of the importance of 3D to an end-to-end digital workflow. His experience will be a tremendous asset to our customers.

Lenny, please tell us a little about yourself:

I have been involved with the apparel industry for a long time. I have seen the vital role that new technologies play in enabling apparel companies to grow and manage their business. I actually started out on the technology side and at one time I was Director of Information Systems for HIS Sportswear (Chic Jeans).

However, being a people person, I was always drawn to being in front of customers, sharing ideas and making a difference. I was sitting at the wrong side of the table, so I switched to the sales and marketing area. Sometimes change is difficult but for me it has been a blessing. Working with people, meeting customers, helping them realize how technology can benefit their companies, helping clients face and overcome challenges, have all been so rewarding.

My last position was at Yunique Solutions, a PLM start-up. I helped build it into a major PLM player which was eventually acquired by Gerber Technology. My experience at Yunique made it clear to me that to complete the digital value chain, 3D was a requirement.

 Why did you join Browzwear?

From networking over the years I was familiar with the 3D software suppliers for the apparel Industry. After doing my due diligence, I found that unlike conventional 2D companies that also do 3D, Browzwear is the only true 3D supplier for the apparel industry. Browzwear is the only supplier with a solution for both PC and Mac environments – essential for accommodating all of the players in the digital workflow. And Browzwear holds the patent for 2D to 3D simulation in the apparel industry. But the most important reason I joined the company is Browzwear’s dedication to making 3d as simple and user friendly as possible.

 What do you hope to accomplish with Browzwear?

I want to help teams – both users and management – experience how 3D software can make a real difference; how it can begin with their creative processes and flow throughout their organization from design to tech design, production, marketing, sales, catalog, internet buying, line planning…the sky’s the limit. It dramatically reduces product development time and the number of samples and enhances creativity. Browzwear 3D makes life easier and more exciting. It has already affected mine for the better and I look forward to sharing that gift with our customers.

Introducing Browzwear’s Co-founder & Managing Director

SHARON LIM

This post is the first in a series of posts written by Browzwear team members, so that our customers and partners can get to know us better and share our vision for the 3D fashion lifecycle.

Since childhood, I’ve liked to ask “why not?” I’m inspired by God and people, and much of my vocational experience has been motivated by the challenges people face. I started my career in my family business (if you don’t count the business I started in school, selling stationery and novelties to my classmates and running a newspaper delivery business). The family business was in Consumer Electronics Manufacturing in Asia. I started out as a sales executive and ended up as the General Manager for Operations of the business, which grew to about USD 80 million/year. I managed the entire supply and manufacturing operation which was located throughout Indonesia and Malaysia with a hub in Singapore. We were considered preferred vendors by multinational brands like Philips, Sony and GE, so I underwent extensive training in operational quality programs such as LEAN, TQC and ISO.

I wanted to learn the retail business, so in 1996 I opened a Specialty Foods franchise with 4 retail stores in Jakarta. In order to help a friend, I began working at Tommy Hilfiger in sourcing with the Liaison office in Singapore.  My role at the company grew and in 1998 I joined Tommy Hilfiger Latin America as a product manager and stayed with them until 2003.

My first encounter with Browzwear’s 3D technology was in early 2000, when the company did not even have a commercial product. I saw a video of 3D apparel simulation when a body measurement was changed. I was awed by the potential to change the way work was done in the industry. However, since it was not commercially ready, it was still just a great idea…

At that time, I was a Production Manager at Tommy Hilfiger and my work with design and development for our lines was tedious. Miscommunication was more common than “communication” and having a global supply chain only made the process more complex. That’s when my vision for 3D was born. I saw how it could transform the fragmented apparel process, from idea to retail.  I knew that 3D could dramatically improve decision-making … but since Browzwear did not yet have a commercial product, I was not able to put it into practice at during my time at Tommy.

I was still determined to realize the potential of 3D, so in 2003, when I returned to Asia for family reasons, I became a Browzwear reseller in Asia, which is the real world center of product development.  Over the next few years, I supported many factories as they made the transition to 3D. I established processes, training and methodology to support the technology as it matured. Over time, I moved on to international brands like Nike and worked closely with them to scale their 3D adoption globally.

During this time, 3D technology for fashion was not intuitive enough and solutions that I scouted from other industries, such as automotive and heavy industry, were not willing to make the changes necessary to succeed in fashion.  Even with our support and training, the fashion industry was treating 3D like a trip to the dentist – something you need to do, but will put off until the situation is unbearable!

My experience with customers and their needs lead me to acquire Browzwear in 2012, so that together with Avi and Noam (the founders of BrowZwear) we could rebuild 3D technology to make the road to a digital workflow much easier. Over the past three years, we have grown from a company with a single product for Technical Fitting to the industry leader, with the first products that digitize the entire process from design to marketing. We now support multiple operating systems and have opened up the platform to enable better connectivity to other systems and people keen on changing the way design-to-sale happens.

I’m passionate about making things work for people. The best compliment we’ve received is “Because of 3D, I get to go home early – I’m not wasting time on repetitive work for styles that would not even be adopted.”  That passion is a plus and in some cases, I have been told a minus – because I don’t give up but keep trying different approaches to solve every problem – consulting, training, process tweaks, education.  So far, I’m enjoying every day that I wake up to.

I’ve grown more mature about how to handle the many new ideas that come to mind every day:  Have a huge vision (bigger than each of us can achieve on his own) but be pragmatic about achieving it. Take small steps in the right direction, side-by-side with good people. Listen to them and work with the team and partners to develop ideas that grow through additional rounds of sharing and feedback and improvement.

My accreditation comes from the scars you earn by being a pioneer. We share our experience openly so that our customers and partners can learn from us and avoid some of the mistakes we made along the way. And my goal is to leverage all of our experience to make our customers’ 3D journey a walk in the park.  I look forward to sharing that journey with you and together, transforming great ideas into successful products through the power of 3D.