Individuals interested in this career must have a thorough knowledge of design development, design engineering and manufacturing methods. They must have expert patternmaking skills and a thorough knowledge of patternmaking theory. Knowledge of apparel construction, the capabilities and limitation of production equipment and the principles of mass production is essential. Assistants in the patternmaking area must have a solid understanding of fabric construction and behavior. Patternmakers entering the apparel field must understand body proportion and garment fitting, and be detail oriented.
Patternmakers often interact with sample sewers who represent many nationalities.
The ability to speak Chinese or other Asian languages, or Spanish is an asset. An appreciation of cultural diversity is essential. Most apparel firms now use computers for some, if not all, steps in the design and manufacturing process. To be particularly employable, individuals should have the ability to make patterns and grade them into size ranges by computer. The San Francisco bay area is the third largest apparel producing region in the United States.