Clothing Basics

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CLOTHING BASICS

For clothes to work they need to relate to the wearer in terms of:-

• Colour suitability
• Shape and line suitability
• Fabric compatibility
• Fit and scale

Clothing must complement the hairstyle too.  Colour of the clothing needs to play a supporting role and should not dominate the overall image.  For clothes to look good they need to flatter the figure and complement the natural colouring of the individual. 

A person wants:

• Colours that looks good against skin tones and eye colour.
• Clothes that complement natural body shape.
• Clothes that visually balance body proportions
• Fabrics that complement bone structure and drape well on the body.
• Clothes that are scaled to the overall size.
  

Need to consider:

• External shape and silhouette
• Style lines
• Fabric
• Colour

It is the design detail, when correctly applied to the body, which creates the illusion of style.  The exterior shape or silhouette and interior detail or style lines affect the look of a garment because the eye tends to follow them.  Singularly or collectively they can make a person appear taller, shorter, slimmer, and fuller or even draw attention away from a figure image problem.

Silhouette Line - These are formed in clothing by using seams, darts, pleats, tucks, gathers, yokes, openings or any construction technique which helps to control the shape of a fabric or how it hangs on the body.  It is this stage which givens the garment its silhouette.

Style Lines - Style lines within a garment or outfit are formed by the type of neckline, collar, lapel, waistline, hemline, pockets, pleats, buttons, sleeves and other design decoration.  The four basic style lines are horizontal, vertical, diagonal and curved.  Each has the effect of drawing the eye in a particular direction. 

Fabrics - Garments take on a straight, soft or curvy shape. Fabric properties which need to be considered are - texture, drapability, weight, print and lustre.

Key Colour Questions:

• What effect do certain colours have on facial skin tones?
• How colour breaks on the body?
• How colour affects the body proportions?

Colours worn near to the face should be chosen carefully for suitability and harmony.  The aim should be to select colours that complement natural colouring and colour direction.  There is a need to appreciate the relationship between colour properties of clothing and colour profile of the individual in terms of:-

• Warmth and coolness
• Lightness or darkness
• Brightness or softness
• Contrast

Styling Objectives 

1. Colours which complement natural colouring.
2. Choose garments and outfits with style lines that complement natural body shape.
3. Visually changing width and length proportions on the body to create a more pleasing body form.
4.  Ensuring that fabric is compatible for bone structure.
5. Using focal points to accent or divert attention to or away from a specific part of the body.
6. Getting the scale of the clothes, accessories and jewellery correct.

Basic Styling Principles

Colour: Light colours make the body appear larger.  Dark colours have a slimming effect.

Line:     Vertical - draw the eye up and down - illusion of height and slimness.  Can be widening if placed too far apart.   Horizontal - draw the eye across.            

Fabric: In order to create clothing lines, which complements physical characteristics, select            crisp, smooth fabrics for the straight body or softer, more textured material for the contoured body.

Patterns:  Clear, defined geometric patterns look good with straighter body lines. Blended lines and softer patterns (such as paisleys) suit contoured silhouettes.  Wear a larger print where you want people to look and smaller print where you do not want them to look. An all over print can camouflage figure problems, but prints here and there can create a fuller you. Prints around the neck and over the shoulder can make your shoulders appear wider. Just wear prints near the parts of your figure's assets, because they are usually more eye catching than a solid colour.

Repetition:    Repeat related lines, angles, curves, textures and colours to create harmonious effect.

Need to create consistency and a visual experience that is pleasing to the eye by:-

• Matching body shape - in silhouette of outfit/garment.
• Matching body line - by selecting garment which reflects body shape (straight or curved)
• Matching fabric types to body type (e.g., straight - crisp, taut materials)
• Prints can be mixed successfully if they are colour co-ordinated
• The stronger the colouring the bolder the print
• Only place prints on the parts of the body you wish to draw attention to
• Straighter body - little or no texture, use volume if necessary to balance figure proportions.
• Softly curved body - consider softly woven fabrics that fall into soft to straight lines without creating too much fullness in the wrong places.
• Curvy or fuller figure - looks better in soft, flat fabrics.