A great fit session doesn’t happen by chance. It’s prepared, it’s structured, and it’s one of the most valuable opportunities you have to catch issues before they become expensive problems.
Yet time and time again, I see brands treat it as an afterthought.
Garments go straight on the model, with no measurements taken, no previous comments reviewed, and no formal way to record findings. Someone takes a few photos or a quick video - and that’s it.
That approach might feel efficient in the moment, but it actually costs time, money and accuracy later.
So, what does a good fit session actually look like?
Let’s break it down.
Before the garment even goes near the body, record the flat measurements.
This baseline helps you spot inconsistencies straight away and gives you something solid to compare against future samples.
If a change was requested last round - say, the underband needed to be tighter - measuring tells you instantly whether the factory actually made that change. No guesswork, no wasted time.
Before you fit, do a quick visual check: are the right fabrics, elastics, and trims being used?
There’s no point fitting a sample made in the wrong materials - you’ll get misleading results and lose valuable context.
Pull up the notes from your last round. What did you ask for, and did the factory deliver?
You can often start writing new comments before the model’s even arrived.
This habit keeps development on track and prevents the “didn’t we already fix this?” cycle that slows progress and frustrates everyone.
Bring every previous fit sample - and your block - to the session.
Having the history on hand helps you track progress and spot patterns in fit issues. It’s also a great reference to remind yourself what you’re aiming for.
Keep a small box or pouch ready to grab on your way to the fitting room. Mine always includes:
• Tape measure
• Pins and tailor’s chalk
• Fabric scissors or snips
• Notebook and pen
• Camera or phone
• Extra elastic, safety pins, and clips
You never know when you’ll need to make a snip, pin out an adjustment, or mark a neckline curve in the moment. Having everything to hand keeps the session moving smoothly and means you can capture changes while ideas are fresh.
Bodies change, and one person’s “true size” isn’t static. Taking the model’s body measurements each session ensures you’re fitting to current data, not memory.
Start by putting the block or previous fit on the body to recalibrate your eye - it’s your reminder of where you’ve been and where you’re headed.
Then fit the new sample, assessing it against your previous comments:
Were the amendments made?
Did they achieve the intended outcome?
Is the issue resolved or recurring?
The model isn’t sitting around waiting for you to remember something you forgot to check - so capture as much as you can while you have the chance.
Write clear, objective notes as you go, for both further amendments and potential approvals. And always take photos: front, three-quarter, side and back for every garment, every round.
These images become your visual record - especially important when working with overseas factories that may not have access to a model in the right size. A clear photo tells the story far better than a paragraph of text.
Include close-ups showing pinned areas, annotations, or cut-and-drawn examples where you’ve indicated changes. The goal is to make what you see as clear as possible to someone who wasn’t in the room.
A good fit session can raise new questions about pattern shaping or material behaviour that you’ll need to explore later - but detailed records give you the data to trace those issues properly. Once the garment’s off the body, that moment’s gone, so make it count.
A structured fit session doesn’t take the creativity out of development - it supports it.
t’s what turns “I think it’s better” into “I know it’s better.”
Preparation, consistency and documentation might sound like small things, but together they create a process that saves hours of back-and-forth and leads to products that fit beautifully, feel comfortable, and perform the way they should.
This is where Fit & Comfort begins - and where your systems start to pay off.
If you’d like help creating a structured fit session process or custom checklist for your team, I can help you design one that keeps things running smoothly from sample to sign-off.
