A useful first step: Before ordering another jacket sample, use a 3D fitting to look for possible fit issues. First, make sure the avatar, size and material inputs are right.
- Check that the avatar matches the target size and jacket measurements.
- Make sure the digital shell, lining and other materials reflect the intended fabric inputs.
- Use fit maps to spot areas worth checking, then look at how the jacket moves.
- In CLO, review 2D pattern edits alongside the 3D garment simulation.
A digital fitting gives jacket patternmakers a way to spot possible fit issues and see how a pattern change looks before making another physical sample. CLO brings 2D pattern creation and editing together with 3D garment simulation, making it a practical option for this kind of review. The results are only as useful as the avatar and fabric inputs, though, and a physical fitting is still important for assessing movement and feel.
As you work through the six steps, sort each finding into one of three next steps: adjust the pattern, correct a setup input, or check the fit on a person.
1. Check the avatar and target jacket size
Begin with the wearer’s or customer’s size specification, the jacket’s finished measurements and the avatar selected for that size. A study of body measurements and virtual garment fitting notes that designers need to understand how body measurements relate to clothing sizes before fitting garments to virtual avatars. It identifies garment dimensions, ease allowance and avatar size as important inputs for a fitted 3D prototype.
Check the avatar’s chest, waist, hip, shoulder and body-length measurements against the measurements for the target size. Then compare the jacket measurements and intended ease with the same size chart. Hohenstein’s apparel sizing guidance describes charts for standard and special target groups, along with charts tailored to particular customers and products. Use the chart that actually defines the jacket’s target size.
Keep a record of where the avatar came from, which size you selected, the key body and jacket measurements, and the fit allowance. In one body-measurement study, researchers used each participant’s Styku body scan and point-cloud data to create a matching virtual avatar, then imported it into Optitex to evaluate garment drape. The 2024 fit-model study also points out that digital avatars cannot fully represent human bodies, including soft tissue. If a result looks unusually tight, check the body shape and ease before treating it as a judgment about comfort.
2. Match the digital fabric to the production material
Start with the shell fabric, then check the lining, interfacing and any padded or layered pieces that affect the jacket’s shape. Note which material is assigned to each pattern piece so the digital jacket reflects the intended construction. If a property value is an estimate rather than a measurement, mark it as such; otherwise, a material mismatch can be mistaken for a pattern problem.
Fabric behavior depends on more than color and surface appearance. A 2025 study of woven-fabric simulation in CLO3D measured stretch along the lengthwise (warp) and crosswise (weft) directions, resistance to bending and shearing, fabric weight and thickness. These properties affect how fabric responds to forces. As a result, changing the shell, lining or padding inputs can change the jacket’s simulated drape and shape even if the pattern stays the same.
Use the best material measurements your team has, and keep track of their source. An IEEE industry report on fabric-property measurement reviews methods such as the Kawabata Evaluation System (KES), CLO Fabric Kit 2.0 and Browzwear FAB. Before treating digital material data as a match for production fabric, note which properties it includes and whether the values were measured or estimated.
For a jacket, how the fabric looks and how it behaves are two different things to check. In CLO, set up the shell, lining and structured or padded components as closely as your fabric data allows. Let the actual fabric specification or a measured sample guide those settings.
3. Run a consistent first simulation
For the first pass, use the checked avatar, jacket pattern and material assignments. Let the simulation settle into a repeatable resting appearance, then save front, side and back views along with the selected size and material setup. When you change a pattern piece, run the same review again with the same avatar and material settings. That makes it easier to see what the edit changed.
CLO lets patternmakers revise a 2D pattern and inspect the matching 3D simulation as part of the same review. For an initial jacket check, that means you can assess a specific change on the same digital garment without changing the avatar or material setup at the same time.
4. Use fit maps to spot areas to check
Fit maps can point you to areas where the simulated garment is stretching. Compare those spots with the jacket’s shape, seams and pattern pieces. CLO’s fit-map guidance explains that strain is garment stretch displayed as a percentage. In Fabric mode, the display is based on each fabric’s stretch limit, so its scale depends on the material assigned to the garment.
In Fabric mode, CLO splits the range from 100% (no strain) to the fabric’s defined maximum into eight segments. Blue marks 100%, while red marks the set maximum. The guide gives 120% as an example. So if an area appears red, the simulated fabric has reached the upper end of that map’s range. Note where it appears, then check the related pattern piece and material assignment.
A fit map and a pressure map show different things: fit maps display simulated fabric stretch. The 2024 fit-model study found that a pressure map does not measure the pressure or discomfort a wearer experiences. Its colors can also be hard to interpret when pressure shifts during movement. Use fit maps to flag a shoulder, sleeve, armhole or body panel for a closer look, then use the garment views and fit observations to judge whether the pattern is the cause.
5. Look at the jacket’s shape and movement
Once you’ve checked the map, look at the jacket from the front, side and back. Check the grainline direction, balance, unintended wrinkles and areas where the fabric looks strained. The fit-model study’s fit discussion describes vertical grainlines as parallel to the torso and perpendicular to bust and hip levels. It also notes that wrinkles can signal too little, too much or misplaced ease. Treat these as clues, while keeping intentional asymmetry and design lines in mind.
Pay close attention to the armhole and sleeve, where the jacket body meets the arm and movement. A technical paper on armhole and sleeve design for men’s jackets describes armhole shape and size as factors in arm movement, comfort and appearance. Compare the front and back of the armhole, the sleeve attachment and any visible drag lines. Pinpoint the symptom on the pattern piece before deciding which seam or measurement to change.
Check the jacket in practical poses as well as a neutral stance. In the 2024 fit-model study, fit models raised their arms to assess comfort in sleeved tops such as jackets; one example also used a hug test to check movement around the armhole. A simulated pose can help you locate a restriction, but only a physical fit model can say whether the jacket digs in, limits reach or feels comfortable. Check pocket and zipper reach in person too, if their placement affects how the jacket is used.
6. Record the change and decide whether a sample is needed
Make notes that another patternmaker could follow. For each issue, record the size and avatar, fabric assignments, affected view and body area, map location, visible symptom, likely pattern piece, proposed edit and what happened when you ran the same simulation again. If the fit map and what you see on the garment point to different areas, recheck the material assignments and avatar measurements before changing the pattern.
Use your notes to separate pattern edits from questions that still need a wearer’s input. A 3D review can help narrow down a likely pattern change. But when the decision depends on movement, comfort or how the fabric feels, check the fit on a person. In the 2024 fit-model study, fit models assessed comfort, movement and tactile qualities while standing and trying several postures.
The 2024 fit-model study says 3D simulation can help teams screen ideas and develop concepts by testing iterations before making physical samples. A CLO woven-fabric study compared simulations of women’s blouses and trousers with physical prototypes under dynamic conditions. For the fabric and method tested, the authors reported average differences in deformation data of up to 6%, with an 8% standard deviation.
For a clear handoff to the sample room, include the revised pattern piece, before-and-after digital views, the unchanged avatar and material inputs, the fit observation to confirm and the movement to test physically. Ask the fit model to check that movement, comfort and how the actual material behaves.
FAQ
Can 3D fashion software reduce the number of jacket samples?
It may help. Patternmakers can review fit and try revisions before making another sample. A physical fitting is still useful for checking movement, comfort and how the fabric feels.
Should I change the pattern whenever a fit map turns red?
No. Red marks the upper end of the selected fabric’s strain range, so check the material, avatar, map mode and affected pattern area first. Then consider the jacket’s shape and movement before deciding whether the pattern needs a change.
Can a virtual avatar confirm that a jacket feels comfortable?
No. If movement, the wearer’s response or the feel of the material matters to the decision, use a physical fit model or sample.
Which software is a good fit for a first digital jacket review?
CLO can be a good fit if you want to create and edit 2D patterns alongside 3D simulation in one jacket-review workflow. It lets the team assess pattern changes on the same digital garment while checking the relevant avatar and material inputs.