As a fashion designer, it’s hard to remember what every type of garment detail is called (there are SO many kinds of pockets, sleeves, necklines, etc). Add textiles, trims, dyeing and printing techniques to that list, and your head will explode with all the variations.

Enter Fashionpedia: The Visual Dictionary of Fashion Design. I had no idea what amazingness was inside this book until my husband gifted it to me for Christmas. And I was impressed.

So impressed that I decided to write a book review. This isn’t a sponsored post — I just had to get the word out because I know how valuable of a resource this will be for you!

Bottom line, get Fashionpedia on your shelf, ASAP.

Fashionpedia Is High Quality

As designers, we care about what things look like. Feel like. Sometimes even smell like. And we care that they’re made well. Fashionpedia nailed it.

A woven label for front cover branding, neon orange painted edges, and black and gold interior pages scream attention to detail. Sometimes, it’s the little things that mean so much. And the folks at Fashionary paid attention to all of them.

The stitched binding also makes sure you won’t lose any of these precious pages (unlike cheap glued together books). Thank you Fashionary for making sure this gem would last our lifetime and then some.

The 10 Best Parts of Fashionpedia

The 336 pages between the black hard cover is more information than you’ll learn in any fashion school course. To give you an idea, I picked 10 of the best things they included.

1. Detailed fashion flats of every garment imaginable with callouts

What’s that’s part of the jacket where the collar meets the lapel? It’s called a gorge, which I didn’t know before, but now I do. There are so many fashion flats (jackets, coats, shirts, blouses, dresses, vest, sweaters & cardigans, denim, pants, skirts, jumpsuits, suits, sleepwear and underwear) in here. They’re really well drawn and just lovely to look at. The sketches also show common points of measure (POMs).

2. Names of different garment styles (jackets, dresses and more)

How do you know if it’s a blazer or a tailored jacket? Unless you do menswear, you may not have the answer. But with a quick glance at page 34, you can figure it out. Know what a gymslip or column dress is? Page 73 will tell you. Any garment type, it’s in here.

Check out my garment cut and fit dictionary (with pictures).

3. Names of different garment components (collars, cuffs and more)

What’s the difference between a spread and a barrymore collar? Good question. Luckily, Fashionpedia breaks garments down into their individual components. Think sleeves, collars, necklines, pockets, cuffs, hems, and more. Now, you can confidently say your shirt dress has a semi-notched collar and a tab cuff.

4. Names of different footwear and accessories (jewelry, handbags and more)

Dear footwear and accessory designers, you have not been forgotten! My friends, you have not been forgotten. Watches, wallets, gloves, scarves, glasses, bags, rings, necklaces, the list goes on.

5. Fiber names in 4 different languages (English, French, German, and Italian)

How do you say rayon in French? Fashionpedia will tell you. Even though this section is just one page, it’s one of my favorites. I also wish there were a bit more. Too many times, I’ve scoured Google for content and care label translations. Surprisingly, they’re hard to find. Thanks Fashionary for giving us fiber names, but I would have killed for one more page with care instructions too.

Check out my fiber dictionary and fabric dictionary (both with pictures).

6. A guide to selection fiber structure and construction

Should you use worsted or woolen yarn…and what’s even the difference? This section is thorough with closeups of different fibers and constructions (knit / woven + different types of each). It even outlines yarn aesthetics, cost, durability, comfort and care, making it easy to decide the best option for your design.

7. Different types of printing and dyeing methods

Who knew there were so many? After 10+ years in the industry, I still don’t know all of them. Fashionpedia shows us the different types, explains the process, and gives examples of their best use.

Here are the 6 most common types of printing methods in fashion.

8. Interfacing quiz: do you need it or not?

How do I know if interfacing should be included? I often ask my factory this or copy a sample from the market. With this simple chart, you can figure it out on your own.

9. Common label and hang tag placements

Where should you put your labels? The answer is up to you, but there are common options. This one page diagram shows you those…and more. Flip the page to find hangtag examples, and packaging types (for both shipping and gifts).

10. Care label symbol dictionary

What do all those squares and triangles mean? It’s a lot to keep track of, and even I don’t know them all by heart. With Fashionpedia, you can look them up at a glance.

Get my free clothing care label templates (and a guide on how to use them).

I could tell you more, but don’t want to ruin all the fun. Instead, do yourself a favor and add this book to your collection. At $49.90, it’ll pay for itself in no time.

This post represents my honest opinion on a product / service that I have first hand experience with. I have not been compensated in any way and if you choose to purchase Fashionpedia from a link on this page, I do not receive any money.