How to write a clear brief for a custom children’s outfit

Why the brief matters

Whoever makes your child’s outfit can’t see the picture in your head. Anything you leave out of the brief gets decided by someone else: the sleeve length, how deep the neckline sits, whether the trousers have elastic or a fixed waist. None of those choices will be wrong exactly, but they may not be yours.

A good brief isn’t long. Five to ten clear lines, a couple of photos and a set of measurements will do more than a page of description. What matters is that it answers the questions a maker would otherwise have to guess.

The six things to cover

• Who it’s for: the child’s age, and whether they are small, tall or about average for it.
• What it’s for: the occasion and date, plus what the day involves, such as a long drive, an outdoor mehndi, a photo shoot or crawling around a relative’s house.
• The piece itself: a top and trousers, a romper, a kurta, a frock, or one of our existing pieces with changes.
• The look: colours, how festive or plain, and one or two reference photos.
• Must-haves and deal-breakers: snaps rather than buttons, long sleeves, nothing scratchy at the neck.
• The practical side: the date you need it in your hands, the delivery city or country, and whether you’ll pay a 50% or full advance.

Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves

Mark which details you can’t do without and which you’d simply like. If the exact shade you want isn’t available, or time is short, that list tells everyone where there is room to adjust. “Must be soft at the neck; would like gold thread if possible” is far easier to work with than ten equally weighted wishes.

It also protects you. When the quote comes back, you can check it against your must-haves first, rather than getting distracted by details that matter less.

Describe the child, not just the size

Two children of the same age can need quite different clothes. Mention anything that affects comfort or fit: a baby still in nappies, a toddler who pulls at collars, a child who is long in the body, or one who will be running around a wedding hall until midnight. These details often change the advice you get about fabric, fastenings and cut.

Mention what hasn’t worked before

Some of the most useful lines in a brief are about past disappointments. “Last year’s kurta was fine in the chest but far too short”, “she refused to wear anything with a stiff collar” or “the trousers were impossible to change a nappy in” each tell a maker something no measurement can. If a particular outfit fitted beautifully, say that too, and send a photo of it laid flat.

The same goes for the occasion itself. If the last wedding meant five hours in a hot hall with no air conditioning during load-shedding, or a freezing outdoor walima in Islamabad, that experience should shape this outfit’s fabric, sleeves and layers.

A short example

Here is the kind of brief that works well: “Top and trousers for my daughter, 14 months, long for her age. For her first birthday photos at home on the 20th. Soft sage or mint, simple, with her name in small letters on the chest. Must have easy nappy access. Would like frills at the shoulders if possible. Needed in Islamabad by the 15th. Measurements below; they are body measurements taken today.”

It is short, but it answers who, what, when, where and which details matter most. If you’d rather fill in blanks, use our custom request form.

Sending it

Send your brief through our custom request page or on WhatsApp, with photos attached in the same message thread. Take measurements using our size guide and state whether they are body or garment measurements. We usually reply to messages within an hour, and confirm the price and making time before you pay anything.

Quick answers