Consumption habits and the dominant business model take-make-use-dispose with a focus on economic growth in the global fashion industry is generating massive pre- and post-consumer waste. The advanced design process starts with the design research phase and development. Using close to, or zero waste approaches in clothing design with respect to aesthetics and function, is the way how to eliminate waste in the beginning stage. There are different ways to approach it. In most of the cases, the cloth is central to zero-waste design practice; the qualities as width and length of it needs to be taken into account. In the advanced design process, minimal or zero waste clothing design can also start from cloth technology and production system perspective, for example, seamless knitting, etc., experimental methods like innovations in making fabrics, laser-cut, 3D technologies, layered woven technology, etc. Zero waste practice from pattern perspective can be seen from construction preferences - creative draping design, rectangular-cut, tailored patterns, or even geometrical figured. A rich source of minimal and zero waste rectangular pattern shape ideas can be found in the ethnographic and historical costumes solutions in the existing literature. Also, 20th-century zero-waste design approaches can be found in the literature. In nowadays context, there are few 21st-century designers formulated methods to support creative zero waste practice. Good source and inspiration are also other practicing designers as well as online platforms. Research shows that there are various examples that could inspire designers to create modern zero-waste patterns. The collected principles are a way to transform the fashion designer's thinking, creating new possibilities of waste minimization in the early development stages of costume idea.