Unisex by Construction: What It Demands from Pattern-Making

Unisex is used as a marketing term more often than it is used as a construction principle. In our case it is a construction principle, which means it produces constraints that affect every pattern decision from the initial block outward.

The primary challenge is shoulder width. Conventional menswear and womenswear blocks differ significantly at the shoulder — not just in measurement but in the angle of the slope and the placement of the armhole. A garment that simply uses a menswear block in larger sizes is not unisex. It is oversized menswear. The distinction matters because oversized menswear worn on a different body reads as costume rather than intention.

The Block

We developed a base block over two seasons that accommodates a wider range of shoulder-to-hip ratios without requiring separate pattern grading by gender. The block uses a slightly dropped shoulder line — which softens the fit across a broader shoulder range — combined with a longer torso length and adjusted armhole depth. Sleeve pitch is set to work with the dropped shoulder without producing the forward-rotation pull that typically makes unisex garments read as ill-fitting.

Trousers are a separate problem. Waist-to-hip differential varies significantly across the bodies we are designing for. Our trouser blocks use a higher rise than conventional menswear — which provides more room for hip variation — and a tapered leg that holds its line regardless of what is above it.

Fit Testing

Every new silhouette is fit-tested across multiple body types before it enters production. This is not a review of how a garment looks on a single fit model. It is a structural assessment of whether the construction functions as intended across the range of bodies it will actually be worn on. When it does not, we go back to the pattern. This is standard practice at the atelier. It is not an exceptional step.