APPAREL MANUFACTURING - I 3(1+2)

Lesson 4 : Garment Designing: Techniques

Importance of dress form

1. Dress form is must when designing with draping method.
2. Because of being three dimensional in shape, it provides better understanding and greater opportunity in designing by draping method, because we can change the draping style many times before cutting the fabric,.
3. Clothing store owners may prefer having some dress forms rather than all mannequins as they are easier to dress since there is no head or limbs.
4. Dress forms are also easier for fashion designers and merchandisers to transport than full-size mannequins for travel to designer shows.
5. Dress forms are usually lightweight and may be made of wire, rattan or foam although most are made from layered paper materials covered with cloth.
6. People who make their own dress forms often use foam. Foam pads may also accompany purchased dress forms so that extra sizes can be created.
7. Many, but not all, dress form are adjustable in size.
8. A dress form may be a basic ladies size i.e small, medium, large or extra large and then be adjustable within those ranges to different sizes. For example, a ladies size small mannequin dress form may have adjustments for sizes between 0 to 6 or 7. The fashion merchandiser would adjust the size to the one that most closely fits his or her display outfit and may pin excess fabric at the back of the form to adjust the fit.
9. The cloth surface of dress forms is designed to hold pins well.
10. Dressmakers sew sections of garments and then pin them onto the dress form to adjust the fit to the particular garment section.