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November 19, 2021
Formality and Fitting
So I talk a lot here about fitting, and normally folks think that means no wrinkles, when we're standing in a normal pose - you know no shifting weight from one side to the other, arms naturally hanging at side and feet about shoulder distant apart.
But there are other things to consider in fitting and that is the use of the garment. This may seem like a "Duh!" moment, but there's a lot more here than simply fitting.
For example when you are walking or even working around the house as opposed to a red carpet opening, you wear something that fits a little differently.
 
The use for the garment can be as important as the flattering of the garment. Obviously if you showed up in your front yard to plant some spring flowers in the pink number above, people would think you lost your mind. At the same time if you showed up on the red carpet wearing the number on the left, you would have a lot of finger-pointing and guffaws!
In the last 30 years during the reign of Grunge, this boundary has been really blurred. Wearing torn jeans to a very formal event had almost become normal (although I've always wondered about that), at the same time, dressing up was really frowned-upon. I mean really - a Chanel jacket costing around $20,000 and pearls with cutoffs? Really? That shows you how the boundary between formal and casual has been so blurred.
That's going to begin to change, and looking at fine-fitting qualifiers that will become more of a trend than slapping on any old thing and walking out the door.
That's due to the fact that we're going to begin to care more about our finished look when we're doing something a little more formal, and even considering our look for something casual as being a little more dressed-up. This doesn't mean that we're going to have to strap on a corset and 15 layers of foundation garments to have that more finished look. It means that we're going to have a little better-fitted garment with more finished edges
and seams
This also does not mean we have to suffer any discomfort to have that more finished and a little more de rigueur. There are so many more comfortable fabrics out there that can make a huge difference in the comfort level.
One of my favorite fabrics to use for this is ponte, and even scuba knits. I k now you may think I've lost my mind, but these fabrics have tremendous stability (which means they can be shaped and tailored) with great stretch added for immense comfort.
 
Both of these garments are ponte. The one on the left is a more trim style, but still loose enough to not be skin tight and reveal TMI. The one on the right is fairly trim, but the beaded overlay is a lot fuller to make it fun for dancing and twirling.
Currently I'm working on another wonder ponte evening gown, and although I love my ponte for pants and tailored comfortable jackets, but I'm constantly and consistently amazed at how marvelous this fabric is for a comfortable evening gown.
 
Here are a few samples of some wonderful holiday fabrics that are available out there in a comfortable knit that works like and looks like a woven, but has the comfort of ponte.
Of course the more casual you get the structured the garment will be. This is a natural because the more formal event will require less movement and flexibility. The more casual the event the more movement and flexibility will be required of the garment.
The more we progress out of Grunge it becomes more important to know this savvy rule of fashion. The more formal, the closer the fit. The more casual, the more relaxed the fit. Because we are so lucky to have many different weights and percentages of stretch, this can afford us a much more comfortable fit and feel of our more formal garments.
But remember neither this nor this
 
...are a good fit - too tight is just as bad as too loose. There is a happy medium and sometimes it's hard to find, but it's there.
I can't show you more of my clients dress right now, but when I can, I will have pictures splashed everywhere here. She's a classic apple, but with sloping shoulders and small bust. That may sound like an impossible task, but I've used some very familiar and well-thought-out devices to make her gown work. And I can't wait to share these with you.
Part of the beginning was to have realistic yet imaginary expectations. That sounds a little dichotomous, but it's really not. This is where your tenacity and creativity come into practice. And for the professional artist, this is where she/he lives. For the sewist, this can be shortened and made a lot easier and more time-efficient by developing some professional guidelines.
First for shape and fitting: Remember Yves St. Laurent's 7 parts of a woman's body:
1. Shoulders
2. Bust
3. Waist
4. Hips
5. Legs
6. Back
7. Silhouette
Showing too many will make you a tart; showing too few and you will look like a bag lady. YSL said about 3 or at most 4 are enough to be flattering. Very wise designer.
Next be realistic with your shape:
Apples will never have waistlines
Rectangles will never have curvy figures
Pears will never have svelte hips
Hourglasses will never have sleek looks
It's cruel and sometimes hard to admit this, but the sooner you come to grips with your own body shape, the faster you can get to flattering your figure - and believe me there is a way to flatter every figure type:
Apples look great accentuating their hips
Rectangles look great in sleek up and down looks
Pears looks fabulous flattering their busts and sleeking down their hips, and
Hourglasses look best without waist hugging styles.
One last professional clue to help you along the way is the development of a core pattern. With a few core patterns (no more than 3 or 4) you can suddenly be presented with a myriad of variations that you thought were unapproachable or even possible. The core pattern lays out the basics of the style that best flatters your figure. Using that base pattern allows you to do some pretty awesome trickery with colors, seams that you might not have even though possible.
This is probably one of the most important garment I've made since my scoliosis debutante, who wanted a strapless dress after her back surgery!
Her smile belies her true joy that night as she had such a wonderful evening.
At this point it's hard not to share, because I'm in the throws of it being completed, however my client hasn't worn it yet, and that should always be the big show!
But it's still hard to share!!!
This is the quintessential toolbox for the wannabe designer, and you don't even have to draw to use them. All you have to do is trace. That may sound just a little too far-fetched, but believe me, not all designers can draw, and most of them do not sew. So you are one up on most designers.
This package includes a lot:
Elements & Principles of Design w/Color
Proportion (Divine and Rule of Thirds) and Apex Point Fitting
and something new:
 Sketching - taking the idea to sketch, to pattern to garment and yes, you can do that. It's not that hard. There are a lot of steps, but this is the final part of the whole package of creating something especially for yourself.
You know all those pictures on Pinterest or pinned in your studio or on your bathroom mirror?...those ones you know you would look smashing in if...1.) you could find the right pattern, 2.) you might be able to find it in RTW, but to fit you would be a problem or 3.) you've always wanted to create a look or certain collar or fabulous sleeve or some other detail and never knew how. Here's how to do that.
This does require that you have your core pattern up and running. That's what the whole pattern will be based on and it is what makes all this work so well. Whereas commercial pattern makers and designers have to go through 5 to 8 iterations to get it right, with your core pattern, we already know it works, and what we're doing is copying that to make the style you want.
If you already have only one of the above, then you have the opportunity here to bring your toolbox up to date by acquiring the only what you need at a discounted price. The Sketching Resource is the only one that's new that no one has before this month.
At the same time if you want the whole kit and caboodle, it's at an even greater discount than normal. Here's everything with the whole kit and caboodle at the bottom!
Enjoy!
Elements & Principles of Design with Color Primer - This is what art and design students learn in art school. The only difference between them and you is that they have the time to play around with them. But we can do the same, albeit a little less time.
Fitting with Proportion and Figure-Flattering Tools
(This one comes in two parts)
Sketching - From Idea to Garment
The Design Toolbox - All Three Resources above in one download at a terrific price.
Once this special is over, the Sketching will go into both the Proportion and Elements & Principles (it's already in the Toolbox), at regular pricing.
On the Blog
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