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This is a show for burnt-out fashion designers (and TDs, PDs, patternmakers and beyond) who want more flexibility while still doing work they love. As a freelance fashion designer, you can build your fashion career on your own terms. Freelancing in fashion is the only way to get freedom in your day (instead of being tied to a desk). Whether you want to earn extra money on the side, fund your fashion brand, or replace your salary, the FDGP podcast will help you get there. Listen in for actionable tips and strategies to kickstart or grow your career as a freelance fashion designer, build your confidence, and create the life you want. Hosted by $100k+ fashion freelancer Sew Heidi, the show features interviews and strategy sessions with successful freelance fashion designers from around the world who've ditched toxic fashion jobs and taken control of their own destinies. This is the only place to get REAL insights from REAL freelancers who have built REAL careers on their own terms. (Formerly the Successful Fashion Freelancer podcast.)
Heidi [00:00:00]:
Could your email address make you look old in the fashion industry? Yes, it sure can. As you get older, you may feel like you're getting passed up by younger fashion designers or TDs, PDS, pattern makers, et cetera.
Heidi [00:00:13]:
When it comes to job opportunities in.
Heidi [00:00:15]:
Your fashion career, maybe they're willing to work for less. Or it's just because at the ripe age of 35, you are considered old. Whatever the reason, it is crap deal. Which is why, in this episode, I'm sharing five quick and easy things you can adjust on your resume and portfolio to make yourself look a little younger. And yes, one of them is as easy as changing your email address, because that can instantly change someone's perception of you. I'm also going to share an alternative path to traditional employment in fashion, where ageism isn't nearly as prominent. And no, I'm not talking about starting your own fashion brand. If you've experienced any sort of ageism or felt it in your fashion career, you're going to love this episode.
Heidi [00:00:58]:
Let's get to it. Ageism in fashion is a legit problem, and depending on who you ask, some people claim that you're old in the industry after the age of 35. F you fashion. I'm 41, so I'm an ancient dinosaur. Now. While age discrimination is technically illegal, it's pretty hard to prove, and you likely won't have any recourse because no brand is going to come out and say, we didn't hire you because of your age. Instead, you just get a boilerplate response of we found a more qualified candidate. So how do you avoid ageism? When looking for fashion design jobs? You of course want to follow standard.
Heidi [00:01:35]:
Job hunting tips, like using keywords and.
Heidi [00:01:37]:
Results driven achievements on your resumes.
Heidi [00:01:40]:
You want to personalize your cover letters.
Heidi [00:01:42]:
And showcase a relevant portfolio.
Heidi [00:01:44]:
I've got some articles on that.
Heidi [00:01:46]:
We'll link to those in the show notes. But beyond that, there are some simple changes that you can make to avoid aging yourself. Hello, I have lots of gray hairs. If you're watching the video, there they are. There are some simple changes that you can make to avoid air quote, looking so old. You can also consider options outside of full time employment where ageism is less prevalent.
Heidi [00:02:07]:
We'll get to that option in a second.
Heidi [00:02:08]:
But first, let's look at five strategies to make yourself look a little younger other than dyeing your hair. Right. First up, use a modern email address. The first thing that gives away your age is a dated email provider like Yahoo, Hotmail, Hi Mom and Your Hotmail Address, or especially AOL.
Heidi [00:02:26]:
I'm sure your old dial up memories.
Heidi [00:02:28]:
Are just as fond as mine, but it does not belong in your email address. Set up a free and modern email account with Gmail. Avoid kitschy, monikers like fashionista for life. Instead, just choose something professional, like Firstname last name@gmail.com. Next up, take off those graduation dates. You are not required to put your graduation dates on your resume. In some states, it is actually illegal for an employer to ask. So skip this detail and instead just include the school name, your major, and any notable details, like cum laude.
Heidi [00:02:59]:
Third, only include ten years of work history. If you're showing 20 or gosh even 30 years of work history, you are instantly giving away your age. Now, while you have a lot of experience and it's impressive, showing too much indicates that you've been in the industry for a while and that you're an older candidate. Just like dropping a cute style from the range axing, your work history may feel like killing your darlings, but including experience beyond a decade can be just as damaging as producing a design that won't sell. So simply remove anything that dates past ten years and don't include any more work history available upon request. That's just putting up a different kind of red flag. Next up, number four, we have remove dated projects from your portfolio. I have seen hundreds of portfolios, maybe even thousands, since I started my fashion career back in 2008.
Heidi [00:03:51]:
Yes, like I told you, I'm in that old category. And let me tell you that dated projects stand out worse than a close, but not quite matching zipper. You guys all know the zipper I'm talking about. Not only do these dated styles in your portfolio look old, there's just something.
Heidi [00:04:08]:
About the sketches and the low resolution.
Heidi [00:04:10]:
Scans and the outdated imagery that gives it away. All right, I have a free guide on putting together a professional fashion portfolio. I'm going to link it in the show notes, and it's going to show you how to get yours done this weekend to make sure that you stand out. Last up, number five, you need to show that you're tech savvy. While showing tech savvy is not as easy as taking a graduation date off your resume, it is arguably one of the most important things you can do to prevent ageism. Unless you're applying for C suite roles, you're likely going to need to know Adobe Illustrator and Excel for tech packs.
Heidi [00:04:44]:
Depending on the brand, you may get.
Heidi [00:04:45]:
Bonus points for having 3D skills or PLM or PDM experience. So make sure to include relevant digital skills in your portfolio, such as fashion flats, tech pack screenshots, and other work. And yes, it is okay to use self directed projects in your portfolio if you aren't sure where to start. I have a ton of free tutorials on Adobe Illustrator and Tech Packs, and we will link through those in the show notes as well. Now, those are the five quick tips you can use to avoid ageism. Sometimes, no matter what you do to prevent it, you won't get picked because of your age. Even if you make it to the interview stage, you're now getting judged solely on how you look or maybe your higher salary requirements. It is unfair, and like I said, I feel you.
Heidi [00:05:26]:
These grays in my hair started coming in at the age of 30, and I refuse to dye it. So what other options do you have?
Heidi [00:05:34]:
If you've been around here for a.
Heidi [00:05:35]:
While, or if you've listened or watched other videos of mine, you might know what I'm talking about. It is freelancing and freelancing as a fashion designer or a TD, PD, textile designer, pattern maker, what have you is the best way to avoid ageism in your fashion career. Now, I'm not talking about these months long temp job freelancing gigs where you work 40 hours a week for one brand. Now, those are great matches for some people, but you're just as vulnerable to ageism as you are with full time employment. Additionally, those opportunities are pretty exploitative in the fashion industry. I have a podcast episode on that. We'll link to that in the show Notes instead. What I'm talking about is true remote freelancing where you work with a variety of clients on your own terms.
Heidi [00:06:17]:
Here's the thing brands that hire freelancers care more about your skills than the fact that you're old enough to remember rotary phones. I know this from my ten plus years of freelancing, and I know this from the almost 700 students we have inside of my freelance program Fast. I have coached some students who are well into their fifty s and sixty s to great success in their freelance careers. Beyond avoiding ageism and discrimination, you can earn way more as a freelancer than you can in traditional jobs. The reality of it is, in the fashion industry, not a lot of people have your back. You have to look out for yourself. And the older you get, the more important that becomes. As a freelancer, you are in control of who you work with, when, and how much you earn.
Heidi [00:07:03]:
It's a pretty priceless work life balance that you can set up for yourself. So if you are feeling the pains of ageism, I suggest going after freelancing and giving that a shot. You might find it's a lot easier to get your foot in the door with multiple clients on a project level basis than it is to land that dream gig, because you are just too darn old at the ripe age of 36. You got this I'm here to support.