Arkdefo

A useful way to think about clothes is like architecture.

Every garment has a structure -bodice, sleeve, skirt, or trousers.
And then it has decoration -pleats, pockets, seams, details.

Decoration can change how something looks.
But structure determines whether it works at all.

With trousers especially, most frustration comes from trying to decorate a structure that was never right in the first place.

I explain this distinction in the latest video.

3 days ago | [YT] | 6

Arkdefo

If trousers have always felt like a personal failure, I want to say this clearly:
It’s not your body.
And it’s not because you “haven’t learned enough yet”.

Trousers are trying to do a lot at once - waist, hips, bum, thighs, leg length, movement - and most systems are built as if bodies are just small variations of the same shape.

They’re not.

When the system doesn’t match the body, no amount of “fixing” helps.
This is exactly what I unpack in the new video.

6 days ago | [YT] | 11

Arkdefo

Most women don’t struggle with the same trouser fit problem.
They struggle with opposite ones.

If trousers fit your hips, they gape at the waist.
If they fit your waist, you can’t sit down.
Some bodies need more rise. Others less.
Some need space in the thighs. Others drown in fabric.

These problems cancel each other out.

That’s why one trouser pattern can’t work for everyone and why this garment feels uniquely frustrating.

We talk about this in more detail in the latest video.

1 week ago | [YT] | 18

Arkdefo

Some garments hide structural problems.
Trousers rarely do.

This is where fit issues become more visible and why understanding pattern structure matters more than sewing technique.

1 week ago | [YT] | 9

Arkdefo

When garments don’t fit, bodies are often treated as the problem.

In reality, most issues come from starting with a generic base and hoping adjustments will compensate.

Design based on individual measurements reverses that logic and removes the need for constant compromise.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 15

Arkdefo

The fit is not created at the sewing stage.

By the time sewing/stitching begins, the outcome is already largely determined by:

– the shape of the pattern pieces
– the assumptions made about the body
– the logic of the base block

Clean seams cannot correct a structure that was never designed for the wearer.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 19

Arkdefo

In this context, “sewing” and “clothes making” are not the same thing.

Sewing = stitching seams.
Clothes making = the full process: design decisions, pattern structure, fitting logic, and only then sewing.

Confusing these two is where most fit frustration begins.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 24

Arkdefo

Making my new favourite black dress in the latest video: I’m in love with the ruffles, there will be more of those next summer 💃🏻

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2 months ago | [YT] | 64

Arkdefo

Our fabric shop is back :) Only 100% natural fibres (cotton, linen), lots of knits and a few wovens. All deadstock & surplus sourced directly from Portuguese Mills. Shipping from Portugal, for now only to EU, EEA & UK.
arkdefo.com/collections/100-natural-fibre

P.S.
If you are in the States and you have recently ordered anything from the EU, could you let us know in the comments how it went? What’s the deal with tariffs & charges? We didn’t have a chance to look into that yet but we’d love to hear some real-life experience, thank you!

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2 months ago | [YT] | 36

Arkdefo

Hi everyone! Our 4 months sabbatical is finally over and we're back with new content. We're rested and prepared to create with new energy, new ideas and a clearer vision.
We will be releasing YouTube videos on 5th, 15th & 25th of each month. If you want more daily content, make sure to follow us on Instagram, (it's @arkdefo on all socials).
First video is now up: sharing first steps of our immigration from UK to Portugal and also making a quick and easy sports bra, check it out!

6 months ago | [YT] | 21