Learn to Speak the Language of Fashion Design
January 6, 2011
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•IADT Sacramento
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Fashion design is a dynamic, versatile and highly competitive industry. It is filled with creative, talented and ambitious people who have great analytical skills and exceptional foresight. Success in this industry is rarely a matter of luck, and it requires many long hours and lots of hard work. Fashion Design is also largely unpredictable, because its success is linked to opinions and tastes that change almost without notice. Trends are constantly coming and going, and a designer has to be on top of them - or influencing them - in order to be successful.
The Language of Fashion Design: How to Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk
In order to stay on top in the Fashion Design industry you have to be willing to learn each and every aspect of it. Everything that occurs in fashion today is built from trends that have happened in the past. You have to know all the old trends in order to recognize when they are becoming popular again.
In order to design, construct and produce great clothing lines, fashion designers need to understand the industry's vast array of terminology. The world of fashion practically has a language of its own, and if you can't speak it, you certainly won't be able to create garments that properly reflect it.
Spoken Like a True Fashion Designer
Because the tools and tactics of the industry are constantly changing, the language of fashion design is continuously being updated with new terminology. The following is a list of words that have found their place in the vocabulary of fashion designers far and wide. This brief list encompasses various types of clothing decorations as well as ways to cut fabric and design garments.
Fashion Design Glossary
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Basque Waist/V-Waist: A dropped waist that starts at, or just below, the natural waistline, and dips in the center creating a "V" shape.
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Bias Cut: Cut diagonally across the grain of a fabric. Used to create garments that follow the body curves closely.
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Continental Heel: High narrow heel that is straight in front and curved in back, with square corners at the base.
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Dolman Sleeve: Cut as an extension of the bodice, the dolman sleeve is designed without a socket for the shoulder, creating a deep, wide armhole that reaches from the waist to a narrowed wrist. Also called a batwing sleeve.
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Florentine Neck: A wide, square-cut neckline extending to the shoulders.
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Grommet: An eyelet that is reinforced with metal or plastic; used as a durable closure or decoration.
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Open Stitch: Woven or knit fabrics that are loosely stitched, achieving a semi-transparency.
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Picot: A row of small loops woven along the edge of fabric in ribbon or lace for a decorative effect.
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Trench: A waterproof overcoat styled along military lines.
This short glossary gives you a brief look into the vast and varied language of fashion design. Clearly there is a wide variety in the type of terminology that is used, and it is essential that those in the industry understand it. For a more complete fashion design glossary, check out Mallyonline's Glossary of Fashion Terms.
Study up on your fashion design terminology! To be successful in this highly competitive, continuously changing field, you will want to learn the language.
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