So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer (So You Want To Be A...)

"So You Want to Be a Fashion Designer by Linda Soules drops you into the real world of fashion. A designer isn’t only an artist. As one, you also have to think like a scientist, a problem-solver, and a storyteller, among others. Clothing is treated like a powerful, three-dimensional art form, a universal language for identity. The book shows the creativity and magic behind a runway show, and the impact of helping someone feel confident in their own skin. But it also makes you aware of the demanding side of the industry that involves deadlines, copycats, the push for sustainability, plus the fair treatment of workers. It’s also about creating something responsibly and making it under pressure. Soules also talks about forecasting trends, surprising fashion tidbits, and stories about well-known designers like Coco Chanel and Issey Miyake. The book provides a glossary of terms and some practical steps for aspiring designers on how to start right away, like keeping a sketchbook, draping fabric, and repairing garments. Fashion isn’t just glamor; it’s a way to help people feel noticed and valued, exactly the way they are.

Linda Soules’ So You Want to Be a Fashion Designer is an exceptional guide that covers important topics in modern fashion. It reframes everything as a craft that can help people feel noticed and valued. Soules has an encouraging and empathetic way of writing. She meets her readers eye-to-eye, and it never comes off like a lecture or a talking down. The language keeps the balance between the magical runway allure and the gritty technical realities of the work. The AI-assisted illustrations are vibrant, detailed, and full of energy. It makes the bustling fashion studios, or ateliers, and those colorful collages and mood boards feel almost touchable with texture and a lively atmosphere. This is a multi-dimensional and informative resource, not just a basic career overview. Recommended for creative young readers, aspiring young artists, and anyone curious about the overlap of art, engineering, and artistic expression in fashion and clothing."

"So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer by Linda Soules is an inspiring and highly engaging introduction to the world of fashion design for young readers. Written for kids ages 10 to 14, this illustrated guide follows the creative journey of a garment from the first rough sketch to the runway. Soules presents fashion as far more than glamorous clothes; she shows it as a form of communication, identity, problem-solving, and wearable art.

I loved how the book balances the excitement of fashion with the realities of the profession. Readers learn that designers must think like artists, engineers, storytellers, material scientists, and problem-solvers. The book explores trend forecasting, fabric choices, sketching, sewing, garment production, and the teamwork involved in bringing a collection to life. It also doesn’t ignore the more difficult parts of the industry, including tight deadlines, copied designs, sustainability concerns, waste, and the importance of fair treatment for workers.

Soules fills the book with fascinating history, memorable facts, and stories of creative visionaries such as Coco Chanel, Virgil Abloh, and Issey Miyake. Young readers will be surprised to learn details such as the origins of high heels and the extraordinary amount of handwork that can go into a single haute couture gown. The hands-on activities are especially valuable, encouraging readers to start a sketchbook, drape fabric, redesign or repair garments, and begin thinking like designers right away. The glossary and “The Most Important Qualities of a Fashion Designer” sections make the book feel practical.

This is much more than a simple career guide. Linda Soules writes with warmth, encouragement, and respect for her young audience, never talking down to them while still making complex ideas easy to understand. The vibrant illustrations and lively descriptions make studios, fabrics, and runways feel vivid and exciting. So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer is an excellent choice for creative kids, aspiring artists, and anyone curious about how clothing can help people feel seen, confident, and valued. It is educational, realistic, and wonderfully inspiring."

"Linda Soules' Fashion Designer is a career guide that earns its confidence. It treats clothing as skilled work with ethical weight, not runway gloss. For kids aged ten to twelve, and parents reading with them, it is a solid introduction that respects how much young people already care about dress.

The book covers fabric choices, studio tools, a full day on the job, and the tougher realities behind the glamour, including deadlines, clothing waste, and fair labor. Fun facts about denim, zippers, and couture keep the pace moving. Short profiles of Coco Chanel, Virgil Abloh, and Issey Miyake give the career a human face. The closing section on sketching, draping, and repair projects is where most will want to start. Parents will find plenty to discuss too, especially around empathy and body inclusivity, topics the text handles without flinching.

The writing is warm and direct. It is clear enough to follow alone, yet rich enough for a good family conversation over a single page. The illustrations help children picture croquis, dress forms, and atelier work without getting lost in jargon. As part of the So You Want To Be A series, it matches the tone of other titles: generous with the wonder and never talking down.

If your child studies outfits, notices seams and hems, or asks why certain clothes feel right, this one belongs on the shelf. It will not make a designer overnight, but it can help them see creativity, discipline, and the people behind every stitch with fresh eyes."

"This series is consistently on point with describing different professions and what it takes to be part of it. Fashion design is so significant to our daily lives; I never really thought about the creators behind what I wear. I enjoyed learning the step-by-step process. I enjoyed learning how clothes come to life from one person's ideas. Another great read."

"As a first-grade teacher, I am always looking for books that introduce students to different careers in a way that is engaging, age-appropriate, and inspiring. So You Want to Be a Fashion Designer by Linda Soules does exactly that.

What I appreciated most about this book is how it takes a career that many children find exciting and breaks it down into understandable pieces. Fashion design is often seen as simply creating clothes, but this book helps young readers see the creativity, planning, hard work, and problem-solving that go into the profession. It encourages students to think beyond the finished product and appreciate the process behind it.

The writing is clear and easy for young readers to follow, while still providing meaningful information. I could easily see this book sparking conversations in the classroom about creativity, self-expression, and the many different paths people can take to turn their interests into careers.

I also enjoyed how the book encourages children to dream big while reminding them that success comes from practice, learning, and perseverance. Those are valuable lessons that extend far beyond fashion design.

Overall, So You Want to Be a Fashion Designer is an enjoyable and educational read that would be a wonderful addition to any classroom, school library, or home collection. Linda Soules has a talent for making career exploration both fun and accessible, and this book is sure to inspire young readers who love art, creativity, and design."

"This is a great book for any kid aspiring to be a fashion designer. It discusses all the aspects of what the job entails, from sketching to engineering fabrics to putting it all together into a cohesive piece that fits well on a person. It addresses the challenges but also inspires imaginations."

"This series never disappoints! Excellent overview with pros and cons and little known facts about being a fashion designer. Very informative."

"I found this book to be very inspirational! Not only did it share the highlight of being a fashion designer but also the opticals , opportunities, and history in the fashion industry! My favorite part was the schedule in the day in the life section. It gave an idea of how the work is done and what to expect. I also enjoyed learning about the famous people and how you can also help people through a job like fashion. This book was very detailed and educational."

"Certain artistic mediums can seem a bit esoteric, or out of reach for youth--but this book grounds the sometimes complicated concepts in fashion. It talks of the expectations of a fashion designer, the important terms one must know, and tackles more complex issues like: fast fashion, the incorrect beliefs about the industry, and the need to make sure workers who create the clothes are paid fairly and taken care of. The often exclusive nature of fashion design is made tangible and possible for young people who might not think this career is available to them. Very well done all around."

"I got this one because I read the So you want to be a scientist book. Just as good! I really hope they make more of them. I loved it. My 6 year old keeps returning to it as well because she loves fashion."

"I like how the book included the bad ugly side of designing. It’s good to be prepared for possible disappointments. To understand this will help a child understand that it’s not just them and to be motivated to continue to create and not to allow the expected disappointments stop them. I really enjoyed the glossary of common terms too. This will help my daughter out as fashion design is a dream of hers."

"This book was a nice surprise. It is the first time I've read a book by this author, and I didn't know what to expect. The book went into more depth than I had expected, and it didn't gloss over the difficult parts of the job. While this career can be trying, the book does encourage the reader to continue to work through the hard stuff. It discusses the highs and lows of the career; the excitement of creating something from nothing. The accolades may not always be there, but the creative designs often happen during the struggles. This book, as well as the other books that are related to career options, is a great way to introduce students to the variety of careers out there."

"Excellent book. Full of information, an enjoyable read, would highly recommend to kids of all ages and genders. I enjoyed the facts: not until 1930s was the zipper used in clothing!"

"This was supposed to be a book for my daughter… and somehow I ended up reading the whole thing first. I thought it would just be about cute clothes and fashion shows, but it completely changed how I look at the clothes hanging in my closet. I had no idea fashion involved this much creativity, problem solving, history and hard work. I loved learning about designers like Coco Chanel, Issey Miyake and Virgil Abloh, and I appreciated that the book doesn’t pretend the industry is all glamour—it also talks about deadlines, copied designs, sustainability, and doing things the right way. A few parts were a little heavy with information, but overall it was fun, eye opening, and surprisingly inspiring. Now every time I buy a shirt, I’m going to be thinking about the poor designer who probably survived three mental breakdowns to make it."

"I was very surprised with this book. I have no desire to be a fashion designer but this book was pretty interesting. I finished it in no time. The illustrations were the best part. It not only gave you information on how to become a fashion designer, it gave you the history of it, other jobs that you could do that went with it like trend forecasters, and what else it really meant to design clothing for people. I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to get into fashion, not just kids. It was very informative."

"Interesting read. I used to want to be a fashion designer when I was a little girl. I decided not to take that path, but still remember making a dress from fabric scraps my mom had lying around. It was ugly as sin to be honest, and that’s when I realized dress designing was harder than it looked. I had a vision in my head, but actually making the fabric do what I wanted it to do was difficult. This book dives into all the different facets of being a fashion designer from drawing up sketches and sewing garments, to thinking about the functionality and wearability of the piece. There’s much more to consider to this job than just making outfit designs."

"This is a fun and engaging introduction to the world of fashion design! It explains everything from fabrics and sketching to trend forecasting in a way that’s easy for kids to understand. The colorful, encouraging approach makes learning exciting and inspires young readers to explore their creativity. A wonderful choice for any child who loves fashion, art, or dreams of designing clothes one day. Highly recommended!"

"Love, love, love this series. Each year I have a student that wants to be a fashion designer and I have no idea which direction to point them in. This book is the answer. I appreciate the inclusion of qualities they'll need i.e. empathy and sensitivity to the moment."

"This is a stunning book visually, not to mention informative.

My 12 year old granddaughter aspires to be a fashion designer and I can wait to share this book with her. It's a quick read, but also something you can go back to again and again.

There are so many tidbits included, from terms to a daily schedule example, from what you can do right now to prepare to fun facts about designing.

I enjoyed this very much and I know my granddaughter will also. It's geared toward children maybe 8-12, but even as an adult, it handed me knowledge I didn't have.

My favorite quote from the book was, 'Fashion is art you wear.'

The drawings are beautiful and the book itself is an easy read."

"This book is such a delight. It takes you on a fashion designer’s journey from how clothes are made, to fabric choices, designing tools, garment production, to the runway and ultimately to clothes rack in department stores. I find it helpful when the job is broken down into its day-to-day activites so kids reading it would know the hard work behind the glamor and shape their decisions if it’s a path they would want to take in the future. The fitting room section was an aww-shucks moment for me where the author describes moments where people cry in there because finally, clothes fit them so well for the first time. Whether you’re a starry-eyed kid holding this book or a grown-up getting it for someone, this book will make you look at what you’re wearing in a completely different way."

"The first thing that I noticed while reading this book was that it really caught my attention and kept it. It was easy to read and to understand. It took the world of a fashion designer and made it easy to understand.

I enjoyed how each step of designing an article of clothing was explained. I never knew what it meant to be a fashion designer and it was enjoyable learning the process of making clothing. The author kept my attention from beginning to end.

I enjoyed reading this book and I would happily recommend it to my grandchildren."

"My kids like this series. My daughter especially liked this one and learning about what goes into designing. This is so detailed with info about the job, good parts, hard parts, and things kids can do now."

"The profession of designing clothes fascinates me. The creativity, the work, and the process is very interesting to learn about. In this middle grade nonfiction, you read everything about what a fashion designer does and their tools of trade and team work and the outcome of their collection in the fashion market. Not only does it inform us what it takes to build a career, but it also tells what are the struggles and downsides of producing collections that get rejected or be replicated to sell as a fast fashion.

This book is appropriate for those young individuals who dream to follow this profession or have a spark of curiosity. It’s like a guide book on a beginner level that gives a clear idea of what is fashion designing. You also learn the vocabulary words related to the profession which enhances your understanding. The beautiful illustrations make this a very eye-catching book. You can see the visuals of what the text is about."

"I thought this was a really fun introduction to the world of fashion design. What I liked most was that it explains more than just designing clothes—it also talks about the creative process, the history behind fashion, and the different paths someone can take in the industry. I enjoyed reading about designers like Coco Chanel, Virgil Abloh, and Issey Miyake because it showed how each brought their own perspective to fashion.

The hands-on activities were a nice addition, especially the ideas for starting a sketchbook and redesigning clothes you already have. It makes the book feel interactive instead of just informational. The glossary was also helpful for learning fashion terms without feeling overwhelmed.

Overall, this is a great book for kids or teens who are curious about fashion and want to learn what being a designer is really like. It's encouraging, easy to follow, and does a good job of inspiring creativity."

"If you have a young reader who loves fashion, creativity, drawing, or designing clothes, So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer is a fantastic introduction to the world of fashion. Written for roughly ages 10–14, this illustrated guide takes readers behind the scenes of fashion design and shows that creating clothing is about much more than simply making something look pretty."

"Every little girl loves to play dress up. It’s cute and fun to do . Adding this book to the collection after a day of pretending to be super models was a great addition. My daughter enjoyed learning that it’s more than making the clothes. Team work makes the visions come alive."

"From the time I was eight until I went to college for it I wanted to be a fashion designer. It did not work out, but reading this book made younger me feel the spark that I did back in the day. I would definitely suggest this book for any kid who thinks they want to be a fashion designer. Growing up I thought it was all about just drawing and then I don’t know what I thought but getting to college was an eye-opener. Books like this definitely help to let you know what all goes into being a fashion designer because it is very hard work! I also love the fun facts that were included. I think this is a very informative book actually!"

"This is an in-depth look at what a fashion designer's work entails. It's written for upper elementary and/or middle school students. It's broken up into sections with great visuals to go with each section. My daughter would have loved this book when she was a teenager. The whole series is a great resource when teaching children and teens about different jobs they can pursue."

"My kids and I are enjoying reading different books in this series. We are getting so much insight about the good and the bad of the profession. A day in the life of a fashion designer was our favorite part of the book. I do appreciate the educational angle that the author takes, covering key components such as the history and fun facts about the job."

"This is a comprehensive, interesting, and informative little book. It goes through everything you need to know about fashion design - day in the life, skills, and all the little things you might not have thought about."

"Love this series! The fun facts at the end of each story is something I look forward to reading!"

"I truly enjoyed reading this book. It made me look at making clothes differently. Adding some of the fashion designers in the book was a good thing as well. I believe this is a good book for children or really anyone that is thinking about becoming a fashion designer. I like that a day in the life was added into it as well."

"What a great book! I love how the author understands how kids might feel when they start thinking about being a fashion designer- how their designs, their drawings, their abilities, and their dreams might not be enough to achieve their goal. I love how they are being told to start small and basic, just working with what they have, and then move on to bigger things. It is a great educational book but also a confidence booster. I have very much enjoyed it."

"What a great book!! Very age appropriate and I love the fact that they share the lows as well as the highs of the industry. The history facts was great as well, I definitely learnt something by the end. Beautiful illustrations and so informative for the fashion design enthusiasts."

"I found this book to be very thoughtfully written. It covered far more information than expected. From the creative inspiration to the business side…..to the care of sustainability and compassionate design. I enjoyed the fun facts. The illustrations were very beautifully rendered. I would recommend this book for any aspiring creatives. It teaches in a very special way."