Linda Soules Releases 'So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer,' a Kids' Guide to Careers in Fashion

Author Linda Soules has released So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer: A Kids' Guide to Fashion Design, Fabric, Trend Forecasting, and the Creative Visionaries Who Sketch, Sew, and Shape the Way the World Gets Dressed, a 38-page illustrated children's nonfiction book for readers ages 10 to 14 and older. The book is listed at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972766341 (ISBN 978-1-972766-34-7). It follows a single design from a rough concept pinned to a studio wall to a finished garment on the runway, and it pairs that narrative with hands-on activities, a glossary of studio terms, and a reading and resources guide. The title is part of Soules's So You Want To Be A... career-exploration series and has already collected three awards.

Many children first encounter fashion as something to wear, not something to make. A kid who sketches outfits in the margins of a notebook often has no clear picture of what a design career involves, how long a garment takes to produce, or who shaped the field before them. Career books for young readers can compound the problem by simplifying the work until it loses its texture. Soules built her series on the opposite premise: that readers between 10 and 14 are curious and capable, and that they respond to books that show a real profession with its rewards, its difficulties, and the path to get there. The fashion volume applies that approach to an industry that blends art, craft, business, and cultural influence.

The book is organized around the way a design actually moves through a studio. Early pages explain why the fashion industry plans styles roughly two years before they feel current to shoppers, an introduction to trend forecasting that shows young readers how the industry works well ahead of the consumer. Later sections turn to fabric and construction, including the point that a single haute couture gown can require more than a thousand hours of handwork. Along the way, the book traces the origins of high heels and of the world's rarest wool, small stories that tie everyday objects to the longer history of clothing. The structure lets a reader see how an idea becomes a product, and why each stage requires different skills.

The book is meant to be used as well as read. Its activities include starting a personal design sketchbook, draping fabric, and redesigning clothes the reader already owns, each aimed at building a practical creative skill without specialized equipment. A full glossary of fashion design terms explains the vocabulary of the studio, and a "want to learn more" guide points readers to books, websites, and programs for continued study. Profiles of designers including Coco Chanel, Virgil Abloh, and Issey Miyake show how different careers in the field have unfolded and how each designer used clothing to express culture and identity. Together, the elements are meant to work as a field guide, a career guide, and a creative prompt.

Among children's career titles, the book stands out for pairing industry mechanics with design thinking. Instead of limiting itself to a list of job titles, it explains why the calendar of the fashion industry runs years ahead of the season, what makes couture labor-intensive, and how individual designers changed the field. The designers it profiles span different eras and approaches, which presents fashion as a discipline with multiple routes in. The book also treats clothing as communication, a framing summed up in its closing line, "What do you want to say? Wear it." That approach gives young readers a way to think critically about their own style choices, in addition to learning how professionals work.

The book has been recognized by three independent award programs. It won the Literary Titan Gold Book Award, received the Grand Prize in the 2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, and earned a Silver Award in Children's Nonfiction at the 2026 CIPA EVVY Book Awards. The recognition reflects the series' emphasis on accessible, accurate writing for young readers on subjects that are often treated as out of reach. For parents, teachers, and librarians selecting nonfiction, the awards offer a third-party signal alongside the book's own description of its contents and intended age range.

"Kids already know when a book is talking down to them," said Linda Soules, author of the So You Want To Be A... series. "Fashion design is a serious creative career, and young readers deserve to see how it really works, including the long hours and the long lead times."

The book is written for the young reader who already treats clothing as self-expression, and for the one who has only begun to sense that what people wear carries meaning. A child who sketches constantly can use the sketchbook and redesign activities as a structured starting point. A reader curious about how trends emerge can follow the explanation of two-year forecasting cycles. Teachers and librarians building collections on art, design, and careers can place the book alongside other nonfiction for readers who like to make things. Parents looking for ways to support a creative child can use the resources guide to find next steps, whether that means books, websites, or programs that build design confidence over time.

So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer is available through the listing at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972766341. The book is a 38-page children's nonfiction title with the ISBN 978-1-972766-34-7. Current pricing, available formats, and delivery options are shown on the listing page, and readers can purchase directly from it. Because the book is aimed at ages 10 to 14 and beyond, it suits both independent readers and families who want to read and try the activities together. Educators and librarians who want to add the title to a collection can use the ISBN to locate it through their usual ordering channels.

The fashion volume belongs to a series that is still growing. According to the author, the So You Want To Be A... series is envisioned to span more than 180 titles, with over 60 published to date and new releases arriving on a steady cadence. Existing and planned subjects range from astronauts and marine biologists to magicians, stunt performers, and roller coaster designers. Each book follows the same basic promise: pull back the curtain on a real career and leave readers with the sense that the world is wider, more interesting, and more reachable than they imagined. The fashion title extends that catalog into the creative and cultural industries, giving series readers another entry point into design.

Soules's approach to children's publishing draws on an unrelated earlier career. Before writing for young readers, she spent 25 years in law and finance, advising hedge funds and sophisticated financial institutions on legal and regulatory matters. She has said that work taught her precision and discipline, along with how to translate intricate subjects into language anyone can use. Those habits now shape how each title in the series is researched and written. Her stated philosophy is straightforward: never talk down to kids, and give them books that respect their intelligence while sparking real enthusiasm for the careers they describe.

About the So You Want To Be A... series. The So You Want To Be A... series is a collection of career-exploration books for readers ages 10 to 14 and beyond, created by author Linda Soules. Each title examines a real profession, including its joys, its challenges, and the path to get there. The series has more than 60 published titles and is envisioned to reach more than 180, covering fields from space exploration and marine biology to stunt work and amusement park design. So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1972766341.