FUNDAMENTALS OF CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION 3(1+2)

Lesson 11 : Fasteners and Hems

General considerations

As the fasteners are generally expected to last till the life of the garment, they should be chosen with utmost care and attached securely to the placket. The choice of a fastener depends on the following factors:

1. Garment type: Not all fasteners are suitable for all types of garments. For example zippers are suitable for pants, jeans and skirts while buttons and buttonholes are suitable for shirt plackets. Hooks and thread eye are more apt for a saree blouse or salwar kameez than a shirt. Invisible zippers are to be used on evening gowns and skirts or shaped tops.
2. Fabric type: Different types of the fabrics like lightweight, medium weight or heavy weight fabrics, govern the choice of fastener. For example snaps are unsuitable for heavy fabrics, while buttons are suitable for medium weight fabrics.
3. Position of fastener on the garment: The position or location of the fasteners on different areas in a garment affects the choice of the closure. For example a hook and loop tape (commonly called Velcro) cannot be used in areas of garment that are subjected to a lot of stress and strain. In skirts and pants plackets, zippers are used while buttons are used on the waistband.
4. Type of the opening: An inconspicuous opening requires a fastener that is almost invisible. For example the zipper in a women’s tailored skirt or evening gown will have to be inconspicuous, hence only an invisible zipper can used. Although there are some fasteners that are designed to be seen on the outside of the garment, most are designed to be unseen.
5. Garment Design: The type of fastener to be used depends on the design of the garment. If the design requires buttons made from fabric, then only those kinds of buttons are to be used. If the design calls for graduating fasteners, which is the focal point of garment, then suitable size buttons in various sizes should be selected.
6. Age of the wearer: Large decorative buttons are generally used in children’s clothes and are quite unsuitable in an old lady’s dress. Similarly leather buttons are more relevant in teenager’s clothing than a middle aged woman.
7. Overall cost of the garment: Fasteners add up to the overall cost of the garment and hence their number and choice depends on the price range of the garments.