Draping is the art of clothing arrangement loosely or casually on or around dress form. In fashion designing, fashion draping is the main part of garment design. Fashion draping is the process of positioning and pinning fabric on a dress form to develop a clothing design into a three-dimensional form.
“Draping” is the term for using fabric to create a design directly on a mannequin or dress form. It is an essential skill for a fashion designer.
Draping is the most creative way for a fashion designer to turn design ideas into reality. To create new garment design, designer can draped fabric using a design sketch as a basis. After complete the draping process, fabric is removed from the dress form and it used to create the sewing pattern for the garment.
One that is made on the individual is more adequate and less costly than a commercially made form.
Mainly Draping can be approached in 2 ways. They are:
Planned way of draping – based on reference image / sketch
Spontaneous draping - driven by the weight and fall of the fabric
Importance of fashion draping:
Most of the fashion industry, like high fashion, haute couture fashion houses, evening, and lingerie companies most garments are created through draping. When draping a garment, the designer can immediately see what her apparel design will look like on the body, and immediately correct any fit or design problems before putting anything down on paper. In addition, some apparel designs are just impossible to make via flat pattern making and need to be draped first. And some fabrics need to be experimented with on a dress form to see how they behave.
Every fashion designer should have the knowledge about draping. It also helps to developing your artistic and manual skills. Some other necessity of fashion draping are as follows:
It helps to be able to combine new up-to-date looks
To understand the human body proportions also get the required shape and fit of the garments.
To understand about various fabric grains and its advantages
To introduce the basic vocabulary of the fashion such as - high waist, empire line, low waist, princes line, style line, Halter, etc.
To improve manual skills.
To improve concentration & precision
To develop your design creativity
It make capable of processing various types of fabric and giving them form and harmony.
Be able to work in an international ambient
To gain knowledge to work with professionals
To improve your fashion portfolio
Materials or tools are needed:
Two shirts of thin knitted fabric like a T-shirt.
US8, US10, US12 sizes of dress form can be chosen according to the requirement.
Thin muslin fabric which is cut in the bias direction or a dress form kit, which will contain all the required material.
Medium weight 1” wide adhesive papers.
Sewing machine.
Iron box
Brown paper for pattern making.
Measurement chart
Those are also used as draping tools; Coloured scotch tape, two sponges, two small basins for water, arm hole curve, graduated-square, pins, marking-chalk, needle, thread, sharp scissors, pencil, ruler, tapeline, a sharp razor blade, sharpeners, notches, French-curves, foot-ruler, grade-ruler, dark colored twill tape, measuring tape, hip curve, sleeve curve tools are required.
Draped pattern making:
Draped pattern making is the link between designs and production of a specified garment. At first fashion designers sketch the design and that turns into a three-dimensional functional garment. Draping process is a way of interpreting the design regardless of the style, size and shape. The fabric is manipulated, molded, and shaped through the skillful use of the draper/designer's hand, until the design is replicated in three-dimensional form.
In the fashion industry, patterning paper is often used to create the flat pattern. Most of the professional theatrical costume shops and educational institutes use brown craft paper instead because it is much less expensive and easier to find.
Basic sloper patterns (master-patterns) are also used to create draped and stylized garments. Even sleeves are constructed with the help of the sloper.
Preparation of draping for Muslin fabric:
The fabric you choose to drape with should be woven, not knit, and of similar weight and drape as the actual fabric that you will be using to build the costume. Most drapers use 100 percent cotton muslin (which is why a fitting mock-up is often referred to as a “muslin”). In the traditional garment industry. Muslin is the standard used for “toiles,”or fitting prototypes. Muslin comes in a variety of weights, and inexpensive synthetic fabrics can also be used in fitting and draping for apparel design. There are four different types of muslin are used for draping.
Standard muslin
Cotton twill
Cotton voile
Silk/hemp muslin
Tearing:
Estimate the size of muslin needed, allowing a reasonable amount of extra fabric for ease, seam allowances, and styling.
Clip the edge of the muslin with scissors and tear across the grain with sufficient pressure to break the yarns evenly.
The true crosswise grain or the true lengthwise grain should from the edge of muslin used for draping. Because the selvage is closely woven, it tends to hold in the muslin and often will throw the weave off; therefore, the center front and center back should be planned at least 3” from the selvage.
Blocking:
Before draping, muslin may have to be re-shaped so that yarns of the crosswise and lengthwise grains are at perfect right angels to each other. To re-shaped muslin, pull the edges diagonally until the fabric is squared.
Pressing:
Once the fabric has been blocked, set the position of the yarns with the steam and heat of pressing.
Press in the directions of the lengthwise and the crosswise grains. Never press on the bais.
Apply steam followed by a dry iron.
Seam allowances:
Seam allowances in apparel demand. Beginning students of draping are usually expected to add 1” seam allowances on all straight seams, including side seams, waistline seams, and under arm seams. All curved seams are planned with ½” seam allowances.
When draping the fabrics on dress forms some important points should be consider.
GSM of the Fabric (Weight)
The bias, selvage of the fabric
Pattern, texture and muslin mock-ups
Darts, seam location, finishing
Different methods of draping:
Draping is a key skill which allows apparel designers to understand what creates a great fit and how to achieve it. Cutting and draping special occasion clothes concentrates on the construction of blocks and patterns for very close-fitting bodices and other dramatic style features found in evening and party wear.
Fashion designers drape garments in sections i.e.: front bodice, back bodice, front skirt, back skirt etc. and only the right side of the garment (when worn) is draped, unless the apparel design is asymmetrical.
Generally four persons are required to build the body form quickly. Two persons are needed for moistening the cloth strips and two persons for pasting the fabric strips to a person who should wear a tight garment which gives the needed style lines. All strips should be cut prior to creating the form on the person concerned (Yarwood 1978; Armstrong 2006; Anon 2015).
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