To describe a garment to an AI pattern maker, name the garment type first, then give its fit, length, neckline, sleeves, closure, pockets and fabric, in concrete words: "a fit-and-flare dress, fitted bodice, half-circle skirt to the knee, square neckline, short puff sleeves, invisible zip at the back, in-seam pockets, cotton poplin". Leave out your measurements, because they come from your measurement profile, and leave out adjectives such as "flowy" or "cute", which do not map to a pattern piece. One sentence in this order is enough for a good first draft, and you refine with changes afterward.
What should a garment description contain?
A pattern is a set of decisions, and the AI needs each one either stated or left to a sensible default. Go through them in this order; the first three matter most.
| Decision | What to say | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Garment type | The name a pattern company would use | A-line skirt, shift dress, woven top, pull-on trousers, kimono jacket |
| Fit | How close to the body | fitted, regular, relaxed, oversized |
| Length | A body landmark | mini, above the knee, knee, midi, maxi; cropped, hip length; ankle length |
| Neckline | The shape | round, high round, scoop, V, boat, square |
| Sleeves | Length and shape | sleeveless, straps, cap, short, elbow, three-quarter, long; straight, fitted, puff, bell |
| Skirt or leg shape | The silhouette below the waist | A-line, gathered, half circle; wide, straight, tapered, jogger |
| Closure | How it goes on | invisible zip at the back, keyhole and button, buttons down the front, pull-on with elastic |
| Details | What is attached | in-seam pockets, patch pockets, hood, cuffs, ties, tiers |
| Fabric | Fiber and weight, stretch or not | cotton poplin, viscose crepe, linen, cotton jersey, French terry |
You do not need every row. "A knee-length A-line skirt with an elastic waist in linen" is complete, because a skirt has no sleeves and the tool picks regular fit by default. A dress or top needs more rows because it has more decisions.
Why does the garment type come first?
The AI maps your words to a garment in its library and then applies the options. If the type is wrong, every option is applied to the wrong block. "A loose dress with a tie at the waist" could be a shift dress with a belt or a fit-and-flare dress with a sash; say which. If you are not sure of the name, describe the construction: "no waist seam, skims the body" is a shift; "a bodice joined to a skirt at the waist" is a fit-and-flare; "cut on the bias with thin straps" is a slip dress. The garments an AI can draft post lists the types and the options of each.
Which words help and which do not?
Words that name a measurable thing help. Words that name a feeling do not, because two sewists would draw them differently.
- Helpful: knee length, three-quarter sleeves, square neckline, half-circle skirt, 3 cm (1 1/4 in) elastic, patch pockets, boxy, cropped at the waist.
- Ambiguous: flowy, floaty, romantic, elegant, cute, slouchy, vintage, "like the one from the shop".
- Translate them: flowy usually means a drapey fabric and a fuller skirt; slouchy means relaxed or oversized fit and a dropped shoulder; romantic often means puff sleeves and gathers.
Fabric words are worth being precise about, because they change the draft. A T-shirt in jersey is cut with negative ease and sewn with a stretch stitch; the same shape in woven cotton needs more room and a different neckline finish. Say "cotton jersey with 30 % stretch" rather than "stretchy", if you know it; measuring the stretch percentage takes a ruler and a minute.
Should you include measurements in the description?
No. Measurements belong in a profile that the drafting engine reads: bust, waist, hip, height and the rest, taken with a tape by you. Putting "waist 72 cm" in the sentence does nothing useful, and asking the AI to guess your size from a photo does not work either, because no photo tells a tool how big you are. What you can state in words is design length and fit preference: "midi, hem at mid-calf" or "regular fit with room for a shirt underneath". The how to take body measurements guide covers the numbers themselves.
How do you describe a garment you have seen rather than imagined?
Upload the picture and add words for what the picture does not show. A front view hides the closure, the fabric and often the back neckline; a sentence fills these in: "back view has an invisible zip; fabric is a crisp cotton; the skirt is gathered, not pleated". Our screenshot tips cover what makes a readable picture. When you have both, the picture sets the silhouette and the words correct it.
If the picture shows something the tool cannot draft, say what you want instead: "like this blazer but as a collarless jacket" gets you a kimono jacket drafted on purpose rather than by fallback.
What does a good description look like, start to finish?
Three examples that each produce a complete pattern.
- "A pencil skirt, knee length, regular fit, waistband with an invisible zip at the back, back vent, in wool blend suiting."
- "A woven top, boxy, hip length, boat neckline, short straight sleeves, no closure, in linen. Add in-seam pockets."
- "Pull-on trousers, wide leg, full length to the ankle, 4 cm (1 5/8 in) elastic waist, in-seam pockets, in viscose twill."
Each names the type, then the decisions in order, then the fabric. Each fits in one breath. The sewing pattern from a description post shows what happens to these sentences on the drafting side.
How do you refine the pattern after the first draft?
Treat the first draft as a conversation, not a verdict. Look at the 3D preview or the pieces, then ask for one change at a time: "make the skirt a half circle instead of A-line", "lengthen to midi", "V-neck instead of round". One change per message is easier to check than five. In Sewly, options such as length, neckline and sleeves can also be changed by hand in the editor without using the AI at all, and the pattern redraws instantly either way. The AI sewing pattern generator page explains what counts as an AI change and what is a free edit.
When the pattern looks right, the next check is not another prompt. It is a toile in cheap fabric, because a description cannot tell you how the garment sits on your shoulders.