This is you, chasing driver compatibility

There are a lot of practical reasons to set up an OS like Windows 10 in a VM rather than using it as a native installation. If you have to deal with files you can’t trust, need to test multiple OS installations on the same system, or need access to the operating system without wanting to use it as a daily driver, using it a VM offers access to its features and capabilities without worrying about needing to keep the OS installation around long-term. Luckily, setting up Windows 10 in a VM isn’t particularly difficult.

VirtualBox installation

1. Download the Windows 10 ISO

First off, head over to the Windows 10 download page. If you are a Windows user, MS will prompt you to download the Media Creation Tool before allowing you to download an OS image. You can use this tool to create an ISO file locally, or you can follow these additional instructions if you want to download the ISO manually without being forced to grab the tool first.

2. Create a new virtual machine

Go to the VirtualBox website, and download the latest version of Oracle’s free, open source software. Go through the installation process, and then launch the application. Press the “New” button, and name your virtual machine. Make sure your “Type” is set to “Microsoft Windows,” and your “Version” is set to “Windows 10.” Just make sure you match the x64 version with a 64-bit VM, and the x86 version with a 32-bit VM.

3. Allocate RAM

Now, you need to decide how much RAM you want to allocate for this VM. For the x86 version, you’ll need at least 1GB of RAM. For the x64 version, you’ll need 2GB. I have 16GB of RAM in my desktop, so I decided that 4GB was right for my configuration. Whatever you decide, just make sure you stay in the green. If you allocate too much RAM, you’ll end up with serious performance issues.

4. Create a virtual drive

Next, you need to create a virtual drive. Microsoft says that 16GB is the minimum space needed for the 32-bit version, but 20GB is required for the 64-bit version. I decided on a 50GB virtual drive on my desktop, but feel free to make it as large as you need. Just be sure that you have enough space on your actual hard drive to handle the size of your virtual drive. Depending on what you intend to do with the OS, you may want to allocate more or less storage. Applications installed to a VM should be assumed to require the same amount of “real” storage that their standard installations would.

5. Locate the Windows 10 ISO

Now, go into the settings for this virtual machine, and navigate to the “Storage” tab. Click the disc icon with a green plus next to “Controller: SATA.” Click “Choose disk,” and then locate the Windows 10 ISO you downloaded earlier.

6. Configure video settings

Before you jump in and start installing Windows 10, move over to the “Display” tab. You can configure how much video memory you’re willing to allocate to the virtual machine, but make sure you stay in the green. You can also toggle on 3D acceleration if you like.

7. Launch the installer

With all of that setup finished, press the “Start” button in VirtualBox, and begin the Windows 10 installation process. Follow the instructions on the screen, and you’re well on your way.

8. Install VirtualBox guest additions

Once you’re at the Windows 10 desktop, you’ll need to install all of the proper drivers for VirtualBox. In the VirtualBox UI, go to “Devices,” and then select “Insert Guest Additions CD image.” Navigate to that disc image in Windows Explorer, and run the installer. Once you’ve gone through the entire process, you’ll need to reboot the VM.

9. You’re ready to rock

Back at the desktop, you can finally use full-screen mode at the proper resolution. In the VirtualBox menu, go to “View,” and select “Switch to Fullscreen.” For the most part, this is now the same experience you’d have running it natively. Enjoy yourself, and feel free to poke around all the new features.

Now Read:

• Blocking MS Telemetry in HOSTS File Now Triggers Windows Defender Virus Warning
• Google Details Its Plans for Windows Apps on Chrome OS
• Windows 10 Is Five Years Old Today

People adopt a semi- or total vegetarian diet for many reasons. You may choose to refrain from eating meat, seafood, dairy, and/or eggs to improve health; for ethical or religious reasons; to cut down on the environmental effects livestock has; to cut costs; or just to experiment. Following a vegetarian diet may even reduce the risk of developing certain chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.^[1] However, adopting a vegetarian diet does not simply mean removing meat from your plate and eating what's left. Changing your diet means changing your lifestyle. Further, eliminating significant food groups can place you at risk for developing nutritional deficiencies, including iron, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, and riboflavin.

EditSteps

EditPlanning to Become a Vegetarian

1. Reflect on the motives for changing your lifestyle. What attracts you to a vegetarian diet? Health benefits? Compassion for animals? Religious or spiritual beliefs? The first step in making a drastic lifestyle change is to understand your reasons for wanting change, which will help keep you motivated during the transition.
   
2. Identify which type of vegetarian diet you want to follow. Different types of vegetarians follow varying degrees of food restrictions. Selecting a type that suits your motives and is practical will make changing and maintaining your new diet easier. The different types of vegetarians include:^[2]
   
   • Vegan - Avoids all animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, and gelatin. Many also do not eat honey. Some may avoid consumer animal products, such as fur, leather, silk, or certain cosmetics.
   • Lacto vegetarian - Eats dairy products, but avoids meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.
   • Ovo vegetarian - Eats eggs, but avoids meat, poultry, fish, and dairy.
   • Lacto-ovovegetarian - Eats dairy and eggs, but avoid meat, poultry, and fish. This category is the most common type of vegetarian in the United States.
   • Pesco-vegetarian - Eats fish, dairy, and eggs, but avoids meat and poultry.
   • Flexitarian – Follows an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet and does not eat meat at most meals, but will occasionally eat meat, poultry, or fish.
3. Build a support system. Discuss your intentions and motivations with your friends and family and ask for their support. A strong support system will make the process of changing your lifestyle habits less difficult and can help you fight the temptation to lapse. Engaging with a vegetarian community by participating in online forums and reading magazines or blogs can help you find advice, tips, and helpful resources.
   

EditUnderstanding Your Nutritional Needs

1. Research your nutritional needs. Whether you talk to vegetarian friends or comb the internet, there is a lot of advice about eating vegetarian. But, to eat healthy as a vegetarian you must understand your nutritional needs in terms of daily calorie and nutritional recommendations, which differ according to age, gender (nutritional needs differ not only for men and women, but also for pregnant women), and lifestyle (e.g., your needs will be different if you exercise rarely or you’re training for a marathon).
   
   • Seek out and read information that is specific to your age group, your gender, your health status, and your lifestyle.
   • Utilize the Vegetarian Food Pyramid, which provides recommendations for amounts and types of food that form a daily, well-balanced, plant-based diet.
   • Consult your doctor and/or a registered dietitian. Registered dietitians are credentialed through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Commission on Dietetic Registration.
2. Eat a variety of foods. Whether vegetarian or omnivore, variety is the key to a healthy, well-balanced diet.^[3] Any time you cut a food group out of your diet, you may put yourself at risk of a nutritional deficiency. The nutritional benefits of the missing food group must be made up in other places in your diet. Vegans, with the most limited diets, may be at the most risk.
   
3. Consume plenty of protein. Protein is foundational to the human body, present in every cell. It is essential for growth and maintaining healthy organs, bones, and muscles.
   
   • Recommended daily amounts of protein differ according to age, gender, and physical activity.^[4] Most adults need of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, a 140 pound woman (63.6 kg) would need 51 g of protein per day (kg x 0.8).
   • Good sources of meatless protein include eggs and dairy. Plant-based foods can also provide enough protein if you eat a great enough variety every day. These can include meat substitutes, legumes like beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, and whole grains.
4. Ingest enough calcium. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body.^[5] It is necessary for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth.
   
   • Children and teenagers have higher recommended daily amounts of calcium than young adults. Aging women must also be careful to get enough calcium to prevent osteoporosis, which weakens bones. A calcium calculator can help you determine if you're getting enough calcium.
   • Dairy products provide the most calcium, but dark leafy vegetables, like kale, broccoli, and collard greens, are also good sources if eaten in sufficient amounts. You can also meet your daily calcium requirement by consuming calcium-enriched and –fortified products like plant-based milk and yogurt, juices, and cereal.^[6]
5. Include plenty of vitamin B-12 in your diet. This vitamin is required for red blood cell production and the prevention of anemia.
   
   • Unfortunately for vegetarians, vitamin B-12 is found almost exclusively in animal products. Vegetarians may rely on dairy products, eggs, foods fortified with the vitamin, including breakfast cereals, nutritional yeast, and soy products, and vitamin supplements.
   • Vegans should be particularly careful about monitoring their intake as the vegan diet is rich in the vitamin folate, which can mask a B-12 deficiency. If you are vegan, ask your doctor to check your B12 level regularly. Your doctor may prescribe a B12 shot.
6. Replenish your body's supply of riboflavin every day. Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B-2, aid growth and red blood cell production by working with the other B vitamins in the body. The body cannot store it because it is water soluble; it must be ingested every day.^[7]
   
   • Sources of riboflavin for vegetarians include dairy products, eggs, dark leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fortified breads and cereals.
7. Eat enough iron. Iron is a mineral found within red blood cells; it is found in the protein hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood.^[8]
   
   • Iron deficiency is known as anemia, a condition where your body is not getting enough oxygen from your blood. It is also possible to get too much iron. Daily recommended amounts differ for adults and children.
   • Vegetarians can get iron by eating legumes, lentils, enriched breakfast cereal, whole grains, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried apricots, prunes, and raisins.^[9]
   • It is more difficult to absorb iron from plant-based sources, so vegetarians’ daily recommended intake of iron is double that for omnivores. Consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus, strawberries, and tomatoes, at the same time you eat iron-containing food aids the body’s absorption of iron.^[10] For example, if you eat red peppers (good source of vitamin C) with your beans and rice, you will absorb the iron from the beans more effectively.
8. Get your daily recommended amount of zinc. Zinc, a mineral, supports a healthy immune system and is necessary for cell division and producing proteins.
   
   • As with other vitamins and minerals, your recommended daily intake of zinc is based on your age and gender.
   • Zinc is best absorbed from animal sources, so dairy products are a good source for vegetarians. It can also be found in whole grains, soy, legumes, nuts, wheat germ, and zinc-fortified breakfast cereal. However, the zinc in plant based foods is less available to your body for absorption.^[11]
9. Eat food rich in omega-3s. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats in the human body. They maintain the health of the heart and may help fight heart disease.^[12] Unlike other fats that the body can make, people must get these fatty acids from food.
   
   • Getting plenty of omega-3s may help fight various illnesses, from allergies to asthma, from cancer to bipolar disorder.^[13]
   • Fish and eggs are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, as are canola and soy oil, walnuts, ground flaxseed, and soybeans. If you are relying solely on plant-based sources of omega-3s, fortified products or supplements may help you reach daily recommended amounts.^[14]
10. Consider a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D supports calcium absorption and thus is important for healthy bones. It occurs naturally in few foods, but the human body also produces it through exposure to sunlight.
    
    • Rich food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish like herring and mackerel. Vitamin D-fortified foods for vegetarians avoiding seafood include dairy products, soy and rice milk, breakfast cereals and margarine. Consumers should check food labels for amounts.
    • Those who have limited sun exposure or don’t eat enough foods containing vitamin D may need to take a plant-derived supplement.^[15]
11. Mind your portion sizes. Getting enough of your nutritional requirements from a vegetarian diet requires eating enough of a given food. However, just because you’re not eating meat does not mean you can eat as many French fries and cheese pizza as you’d like.
    
    • The Vegetarian Food Pyramid and food labels provide helpful information about recommended serving sizes to monitor your calorie intake and nutritional requirements.^[16]
    • You may find it useful to visualize your portion sizes, such as a tennis ball for a cup of pasta or fruit.^[17]

EditLiving a Vegetarian Lifestyle

1. Start small and ramp up. Choosing to not eat certain food groups means changing the way you live. While you can quit that food group “cold turkey,” you may find greater success maintaining your new lifestyle if you begin by incorporating one meatless meal a day into your routine, then increasing the number of meatless meals you eat every week.^[18]
   
2. Explore and practice substitutions. If you cook, try some of your favorite recipes without meat, such as making spaghetti sauce without meat or with a vegetarian meat substitute or making your morning smoothie with almond or soy milk instead of dairy. At your favorite restaurant, try your mainstay without meat: order a bean burrito with grilled vegetables instead of your regular beef and cheese burrito. Alternatives for various food groups can be single or processed plant-based foods:
   
   • Plant-based meat and poultry alternatives include beans, tofu, tempeh, textured soy protein, and Quorn products, which are made from Mycoprotein.
   • Milk alternatives may be made from soy, rice, coconut, flax, hemp, almonds, and sunflowers.
   • Alternatives for other dairy products, like cheese and sour cream, are made from a combination of plant-based materials.
   • Egg substitutes include commercially-processed products and single foods like silken tofu, flaxseed meal, pureed fruit such as bananas or apples, buttermilk or yogurt, etc.
3. Avoid boredom in your diet. Being a vegetarian doesn’t mean eating salad at every meal. Variety makes it not only more likely that you are getting enough nutrients, but also helps you stick to a lifestyle change.
   
   • Subscribe to a vegetarian cooking magazine or blog.
   • Check out a vegetarian cookbook from the library.
   • Shop at your local farmers’ market and ask the vendors for vegetarian recipe recommendations.
   • Visit an ethnic restaurant in your neighborhood that you’ve never tried and sample some vegetarian dishes.^[19]
   • Purchase prepared foods from your local health food store’s deli or simply peruse them for inspiration.
4. Follow general scientific guidelines for good health. Researchers agree that healthy diets, whether they are plant-centric or not, consist of preparing more of your own meals so you know what goes into them; avoiding processed food and beverages; drinking enough water; and being mindful of how much you eat and how your food makes you feel.^[20]
   

EditTips

• Keep in mind that the basis of a vegetarian diet should be vegetables. Not all vegetarian foods are healthy, so make sure that you include plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
• When buying fresh vegetables, be mindful of how much you can eat and/or prepare for storage to minimize food waste.
• Consider taking a multivitamin.
• Shop at your farmers' market and buy produce that is in season. Vegetables that come from local sources are more likely to retain their nutritional sources than produce transported over long distances.^[21]
• Gelatin is made from animal bones. Read product labels carefully if you are avoiding gelatin.
• Check the ingredients in food.
• Check soup labels and ingredients if you are avoiding meat/bone broth as well.

EditWarnings

• Don't presume that a vegetarian diet makes you immune to food-borne illness. A 2013 CDC report notes plants are almost as likely to be the source of food-borne illness as meat. Practice food safety.^[22]

EditRelated wikiHows

• Eat Whole Grains for Health
• Buy Vegan Wine
• Buy Food for Vegetarians
• Buy Salad Greens
• Be a Lacto Ovo Vegetarian
• Go on a Raw Food Diet
• Prepare a Healthy Vegetarian Meal
• Eat Healthily over the Holidays
• Make Any Meal Into a Healthier One
• Juice to Lose Weight
• Act Like an Elf
• Lose 12 Pounds in 12 Weeks
• Become a Vegetarian As a Kid
• Make Vegan Chicken Salad
• Store Whole Grains
• Eat and Lose Weight
• Make Vegetarian Filled Eggs
• Eat Mindfully
• Lose Weight as a Vegetarian

EditSources and Citations

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uTorrent displays sponsored advertisements in the free version of its torrent application. These ads help keep uTorrent free, but can bog down slower computers. While you may know that you can pay to upgrade uTorrent to an ad-free version, you may not realize that ads can easily be disabled in your preferences. Learn how to disable ads in uTorrent by adjusting some settings, as well as how to upgrade to the uTorrent Ad-Free.

EditSteps

EditDisabling Ads in uTorrent Preferences

1. Open the uTorrent application. While the free version of uTorrent displays ads by default, you can disable these ads in the Preferences menu.
   
   • uTorrent ads ensure that the developer can provide a free version of the program without losing money. If you like uTorrent and want to thank the developers, you may consider paying $4.95 USD to upgrade to the ad-free version.^[1]
2. Click "Options" and then select "Preferences" from the menu bar.
   
3. Select "Advanced” from the list on the left side of the Preferences window. “Advanced” is at the bottom of the list.
   
4. Click to highlight gui.show_plus_upsell in the long list of Advanced Options. You can find this option in one of two ways:
   
   • Type gui.show_plus_upsell into the Filter box and select it from the search results.^[2]
   • Scroll down the list until you find it. The list is in alphabetical order, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
5. Select “False” beneath the Advanced Options box. When you clicked “gui.show_plus_upsell”, two radio buttons labeled with “True” and “False” appeared beneath the Advanced Options box. Clicking the button next to “False” will disable the ad at the bottom left corner of uTorrent.
   
6. Click to highlight offers.sponsored_torrent_offer_enabled in the Advanced Options list, then click “False.” Just like the previous option, scroll down until you find it or use the Filter box. Switching this option to false disables the banner ad at the top of the torrent list.
   
7. Set additional Advanced Options to “False.” Now you will need to locate and select all of the options listed below and set their values to “False.” Some may already be set to False, but check to be sure.
   
   • offers.left_rail_offer_enabled
   • offers.sponsored_torrent_offer_enabled
   • gui.show_notorrents_node
   • offers.content_offer_autoexec
   • bt.enable_pulse
8. Click "OK" to save your changes.
   
   • Note that if you did not find one (or more) of the above options in Advanced Options, don’t panic—uTorrent sometimes changes the names of these options. Return to the Advanced Options screen and type “offer” into the “Filter” box. Now, change all of those currently set to “True” to “False”.^[3]
9. Click “File” and then “Exit” to close uTorrent. To make sure all of your changes take effect, restart uTorrent.
   
10. Open uTorrent and enjoy your ad-free experience.
    

EditUpgrading to uTorrent Ad-Free

1. Open the uTorrent application. uTorrent displays sponsored advertisements so that it can provide a free application without losing money. You can upgrade to uTorrent Ad-Free to both remove the ads and support the developer.
   
2. Click “Options” in the top menu and select “Get uTorrent Pro.” There are two upgrade options—Ad-Free and Pro. Both versions provide an ad-free user experience but have some notable differences:
   
   • The Ad-Free upgrade costs $4.95 USD and is billed annually.
   • The Pro version costs $19.95 USD and also includes malware protection, technical support, file conversion tools, and the ability to stream torrents instantly.^[4]
3. Click “Upgrade to Ad-Free.” This will open a payment processing website in your default web browser.
   
   • If you don’t see “Upgrade to Ad-Free” and you are using a Mac, try clicking the small X on the ad in the bottom left corner of the application.^[5]
   • If you want to upgrade to uTorrent Pro, click “Upgrade to Pro” instead.
4. Enter your payment details into the provided blanks.^[6]
   
   • To pay with a credit card, enter the information from your card next to “Credit Card.”
   • If you prefer PayPal, click “PayPal.” You’ll be prompted to log in and pay with your PayPal account as soon as you’re done on this page.
5. Verify that your information is correct and click the “Buy Now” button. If you’re using a Mac, uTorrent will automatically upgrade to the Ad-Free version. If you’re using Windows, exit uTorrent and then continue with this method.
   
6. (Windows) Click “Bundle Installer” to download the Ad-Free version of uTorrent.^[7] Now you’ll be downloading an installer file to your computer. The file will end with “.exe” and be saved to your default download location.
   
7. Double-click the .exe file to install uTorrent Ad-Free. Once the installer has downloaded to your computer, double-click it to run the installation. Follow the prompts to replace the free version of uTorrent with your new paid, ad-free experience.
   

EditVideo

EditTips

• Be careful when modifying the advanced options in uTorrent, as modifying the wrong options can result in problems with the application.
• You cannot use the Windows uTorrent Pro license on the Ad-Free version for Mac.
• If you use private torrent sites that are known to be strict about torrent clients they allow, consider disabling "Automatically Install Updates" Preferences > General. If uTorrent automatically updates to a version that isn’t yet allowed by your private torrent site, you will not be able to download anything new until the new version has been added.

EditSources and Citations

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Fashion design is an exciting, constantly evolving field. It also takes a lot of work, and can be incredibly competitive. If you want to become a successful fashion designer, you have a long road ahead of you, but there are some straightforward steps you can take to begin the process.

EditSteps

EditAssembling a Mental Toolkit

1. Learn about drawing. You don’t need to be a master illustrator; a lot of designers use a funky personal style when they design. That said, you do need to be able to communicate your vision visually.^[1] Take a drawing class, study some books, or just practice, practice, practice.^[2]
   
   • The most important part of learning any new skill is just doing it a lot. Set aside 30 minutes every day to practice drawing.
   • A good book to reference is Mark Kistler’s You Can Draw in 30 Days.
2. Learn about sewing. Even if you don’t want to be the one to actually sew your designs, you need to know about sewing. Understanding the possibilities presented by your medium is an important part of being able to come up with innovative, exciting ideas.^[3]
   
   • Many craft stores like Jo-Ann Fabric offer relatively cheap sewing classes.
   • Studying pattern making is a must if you intend to sew your own garments.^[4] You will need to know how a garment is physically assembled. Knowing how to break a design down into shapes is a crucial part of being able to sew a garment.
   • Buy some simple patterns at a craft store to practice with.
3. Learn about design. If you want to produce innovative designs, you have to know about design theory.^[5] Molly Bang’s book Picture This: How Pictures Work is a great place to start. It will help you learn to think like a designer.
   
   • Don’t limit yourself to studying fashion design exclusively. The principles of design theory apply across all sorts of disciplines. It may surprise you how much studying something like typography can teach you about fashion design.^[6]
4. Learn about fashion. If you want to be a fashion designer, you need to learn all you can about the world of fashion. You may think of yourself as a very stylish person, but knowing how to dress yourself well is only the tip of the iceberg.^[7] If you are designing based on what is hot right now, by the time your design is complete it might already be out of style. Professional fashion designers are constantly thinking ahead, to what the next big thing will be.^[8]
   
   • Watch videos or look at pictures from high-profile fashion shows online, or go in person if one is happening near where you live. Professional designers design their seasonal collections months in advance, so these shows can give you an idea of what kinds of trends will be trickling down into commercial fashion in the future.
5. Learn about technology and resources. There are more tools available to designers now than there ever have been before. On top of knowing your way around a sketchbook and a sewing machine, you will need to know your way around Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
   
   • Websites like Linda.com or Tuts+ are good online resources.
   • If you want to do your sketching on a computer instead of in a sketchbook, you will need to purchase a good pen tablet, such as a Wacom.

EditDreaming Up Designs

1. Find your inspiration. What are you passionate about? What makes you itch to create? It might be a particular fabric, a work of visual art you saw, something you want but can’t seem to find in stores, a garment you saw on the street, a particular color pattern, a retro trend you want to bring back, or any number of other things. There is no right way to get inspired. The important thing is to find something that excites you.
   
   • Consider your customer. What kind of person do you imagine buying your designs? What does that kind of person need in a garment?
   • Combining existing styles and trends can be an interesting way to generate new looks. What would it be like to blend military elements with softer, more flowy ones? What would 1990s meets 1930s look like? How can you incorporate menswear elements into womenswear?
2. Consider fabric. Do you want a stretchy material, or something with less give? Is your design flowy, or rigid and architectural? Should the fabric be smooth, or textural? If your original inspiration was an amazing fabric you found, you already have this covered. Otherwise, think about what kind of material your design demands.
   
   • Consider embellishments such as buttons, lace, beads or embroidery floss as well. These can often impact your fabric choice.
3. Consider color and pattern. A lot of the impact of your design hinges on your use of color and pattern. Think about the garment's intended purpose and how you imagine someone wearing it. Consider your customer, and what she might want to wear. Most of all, go with what you think looks good. There are no hard and fast rules here. You are the designer, and you should be true to yourself above all things.
   
   • Look at a color wheel. Remember, contrasting colors (the ones across the color wheel from each other) make each other stand out. This can add a dramatic affect to your design, but if not handled well it can also be jarring and off-putting.^[9]
   • Get some paint swatches from a paint store, and use them to experiment with different color combinations before you purchase fabric.

EditDrawing Your Design on a Croquis

1. Draw the outline of a person. When designing clothes, it’s important to think about how your garment will look on the body. This is why most designers draw their designs onto a human form. It can be intimidating and time-consuming to have to draw a figure from scratch every time you make a new design, so many designers use a croquis.^[10] This just means a template you can use each time you sketch out a new garment. You will need to start by drawing the outline of a person in pencil. This is an intimidating prospect, but it doesn’t need to be difficult.
   
   • If you’re not too daunted, freehand it. The idea here is not to be anatomically correct, and most designers’ croquis drawings are rendered in some kind of personal style. Your design will look even more unique on a figure you drew yourself. Don’t worry about small details; think of your drawing as a 2-dimensional mannequin.
   • If you don’t feel up to the task of drawing a human figure from scratch, use someone else’s work. Trace an image from a book or a magazine, or download one of the hundreds of free croquis templates you can find online.^[11][12]
   • Many designers use something called the 9 heads method to make sure their drawings are evenly proportioned.^[13] The idea is to use a head as a unit of measure, and to draw a body that measures nine heads from the feet to the top of the neck.^[14]
     • Draw a straight vertical line, and divide it into 10 equal parts. This will be your guide as you draw.
     • Section 1 starts just under the head, and measures the body from the top of the neck to the middle of the chest; section 2 measures from the middle of the chest to the waist; section 3 from the waist to the bottom of the hips; section 4 from the bottom of the waist to mid-thigh, section 5 from mid-thigh to knee, section 6 from knee to upper calve, section 7 from upper calve to mid-calve, section 8 from mid-calve to ankle, and section 9 measures the foot.^[15]
2. Retrace the figure in dark pen. You are going to need to be able to trace this drawing onto another piece of paper laid on top of it. To make that possible, you’ll have to retrace the lines of your figure drawing with a dark pen.^[16]
   
3. Trace the figure onto another sheet of paper. For this step you will need to put down the pen and pick up a pencil again. Lay another piece of plain white paper on top of the croquis you just drew. You should be able to see it relatively well, as long as you used a dark pen and your paper isn’t too thick.^[17]
   
   • If you have a lightbox, this would be a good time to use it. Just lay the croquis onto the lightbox, put the blank sheet of paper on top of it, turn the lightbox, on, and trace away.
   • If you don’t have a lightbox and are having trouble seeing through your paper, try taping the two sheets of paper to a window on a bright day. You’ll have to trace at an odd angle, but the effect is basically the same as if you used a lightbox.
4. Start sketching your design. Still using your pencil so you can erase inevitable mistakes, lightly draw the garment you’ve been imagining. Start with more general things like the basic shape of the garment, and gradually add details as it takes form. When you are satisfied, retrace the whole drawing in pen.^[18]
   
5. Color your design. You can use whatever drawing materials you want for this step. Markers and colored pencils work particularly well, since they lend themselves to layering. Start with the lightest colors you plan on using, and shade in larger areas with long, consistent strokes that move in the same direction as the fabric. Gradually incorporate darker colors, patterns, and shadow as you go.^[19][20]
   
6. Repeat as wanted. Now that you have a croquis, starting a new design should be much faster. Just trace the figure, and get going.
   

EditSewing

1. Make a dummy. You will need a dressmaking dummy to be able to see the garment as you work on it, and make sure it fits a human form. If you don’t have one, you can create a makeshift one yourself, in your own size.^[21]
   
   • Put on a shirt that you don’t want, and cover it completely with duct tape while wearing it. This will create a stiff duct tape form in the shape of your body.
   • Remove it by cutting it down the side, from your hip to your armpit, and then up along the sleeve.
   • Tape back over the cut to make the form whole again. Stuff it with newspaper, and close up the bottom, neck, and sleeves with more duct tape. You can decide whether to keep the arms, or cut them off.
2. Draw your pattern on butcher paper. Use a pencil in case of mistakes, and label each section to avoid confusion later. Remember the old carpenters’ adage: measure twice, cut once. You can waste a lot of time with a single mistake. When you’re done, cut out the shapes.^[22]
   
   • Ideally you should know a thing or two about pattern making before attempting this, but you don’t have to be an expert. You do need to be able to envision how your garment will be put together, however, and have the skills to execute it.^[23][24]
3. Recreate the pattern on muslin. Lay the butcher paper pieces of your pattern onto muslin, and trace them. Cut these out too, and pin them into the basic shape of your garment.^[25]
   
4. Sew your mock-up. Introduce your pinned muslin garment to your sewing machine. Remove the pins, and put the garment on a mannequin, or on your own body if you are designing for yourself.
   
5. Evaluate the garment. Look at how it fits. Think about the shape. What’s working? What isn’t? Take notes, make sketches, draw on or cut the muslin, or whatever helps you make sense of the changes you want to make.^[26]
   
6. Decide what your next step is. How close is the mock-up to what you had envisioned? Are you ready to move forward with this design? Do you need to make another before you try it with nicer fabric? Depending on how your mock-up looks, you may want to go back to the drawing board completely, or you may be ready to move on to sewing the actual garment.^[27]
   
7. Move on to the real thing. It’s time to bring your design to life. Proceed as you did with the muslin mock-up.^[28][29] Remember, you are going to make mistakes, especially the first few times around. Make sure you buy more fabric than you think you need, give yourself lots of extra time, and always double-check your measurements. Things will not always go according to plan. Be prepared to problem solve, or tweak your design as you go. Sometimes the most exciting innovations come from mistakes.
   

EditSelling Your Work

1. Build a portfolio. Document your work in photographs as you go. This is how you will sell yourself as a designer as your career progresses. Keep in mind that you want to showcase your versatility, while also demonstrating that you have a unique voice and point of view. There should be a variety of pieces in your portfolio, but they should all scream “you.”^[30][31]
   
   • Take quality photographs. Don’t just lay the dress you made on your bed and take a poorly lit picture with your phone. Put your garments on live models, make sure they are well lit (if you don’t have the resources to do this inside, go outside on slightly overcast day—this will give you even lighting), use a decent camera, and pay attention to details like hair, makeup, and accessories. The way you present your work plays a huge roll in the impact it creates.^[32]
2. Do some research. Are there independent clothing boutiques in your area that sell clothes with an aesthetic similar to yours? Are there websites that sell clothes that remind you of your own? Try to find designers doing work that reminds you of yours, or of what you would like your designs to evolve into. Observe their tactics.
   
3. Use online resources. Some websites will fabricate your designs for you, if they or their users are sufficiently impressed. Look into websites like Gamz and Fabricly if you think you have a killer design that you’re not up to sewing on your own.^[33]
   
   • If you are more of a graphic designer, but think your work would look great on clothing, look into sites like RedBubble, that can print your artwork on a variety of different products.
4. Build a website. If you want to sell your clothes, the world must know about your genius. Almost anyone can design a beautiful website these days; use a platform like Squarespace to create a site to display your portfolio. Keep it simple and elegant. You want to the focus to be on your clothing design, not your web design.
   
5. Brand yourself. Develop a social media presence. Get on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, the works. You need to get eyes on your work, above and beyond all else. Worry about selling things later. Right now, you need to create a buzz.^[34][35]
   

EditRelated wikiHows

• Act Like a Fashion Designer
• Learn to Draw Manga and Develop Your Own Style
• Design Your Own Gothic Lolita Outfit
• Customize Your Basics
• Draw Shoes
• Design Bags

EditSources and Citations

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