FDCC

Types of Dyes

2010-11-13T06:50:00.001-08:00

Yarn drying after being dyed in the early American tradition, at Conner Prairie living history museum.

A dye can generally be described as a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber.

Both dyes and pigments appear to be colored because they absorb some wavelengths of light preferentially. In contrast with a dye, a pigment generally is insoluble, and has no affinity for the substrate. Some dyes can be precipitated with an inert salt to produce a lake pigment, and based on the salt used they could be aluminum lake, calcium lake or barium lake pigments.

Dyed flax fibers have been found in the Republic of Georgia dated back in a prehistoric cave to 36,000 BP.[1][2] Archaeological evidence shows that, particularly in India and Phoenicia, dyeing has been extensively carried out for over 5000 years. The dyes were obtained from animal, vegetable or mineral origin, with no or very little processing. By far the greatest source of dyes has been from the plant kingdom, notably roots, berries, bark, leaves and wood, but only a few have ever been used on a commercial scale.

Dye Types

The first human-made (synthetic) organic dye, mauveine, was discovered by William Henry Perkin in 1856. Many thousands of synthetic dyes have since been prepared.[3], [4]

Synthetic dyes quickly replaced the traditional natural dyes. They cost less, they offered a vast range of new colors, and they imparted better properties to the dyed materials.[5] Dyes are now classified according to how they are used in the dyeing process.

Acid dyes are water-soluble anionic dyes that are applied to fibers such as silk, wool, nylon and modified acrylic fibers using neutral to acid dye baths. Attachment to the fiber is attributed, at least partly, to salt formation between anionic groups in the dyes and cationic groups in the fiber. Acid dyes are not substantive to cellulosic fibers. Most synthetic food colors fall in this category.

Basic dyes are water-soluble cationic dyes that are mainly applied to acrylic fibers, but find some use for wool and silk. Usually acetic acid is added to the dyebath to help the uptake of the dye onto the fiber. Basic dyes are also used in the coloration of paper.

Direct or substantive dyeing is normally carried out in a neutral or slightly alkaline dyebath, at or near boiling point, with the addition of either sodium chloride (NaCl) or sodium sulfate (Na2SO4). Direct dyes are used on cotton, paper, leather, wool, silk and nylon. They are also used as pH indicators and as biological stains.

Mordant dyes require a mordant, which improves the fastness of the dye against water, light and perspiration. The choice of mordant is very important as different mordants can change the final color significantly. Most natural dyes are mordant dyes and there is therefore a large literature base describing dyeing techniques. The most important mordant dyes are the synthetic mordant dyes, or chrome dyes, used for wool; these comprise some 30% of dyes used for wool, and are especially useful for black and navy shades. The mordant, potassium dichromate, is applied as an after-treatment. It is important to note that many mordants, particularly those in the heavy metal category, can be hazardous to health and extreme care must be taken in using them.

Vat dyes are essentially insoluble in water and incapable of dyeing fibres directly. However, reduction in alkaline liquor produces the water soluble alkali metal salt of the dye, which, in this leuco form, has an affinity for the textile fibre. Subsequent oxidation reforms the original insoluble dye. The color of denim is due to indigo, the original vat dye.

Reactive dyes utilize a chromophore attached to a substituent that is capable of directly reacting with the fibre substrate. The covalent bonds that attach reactive dye to natural fibers make them among the most permanent of dyes. "Cold" reactive dyes, such as Procion MX, Cibacron F, and Drimarene K, are very easy to use because the dye can be applied at room temperature. Reactive dyes are by far the best choice for dyeing cotton and other cellulose fibers at home or in the art studio.

Disperse dyes were originally developed for the dyeing of cellulose acetate, and are water insoluble. The dyes are finely ground in the presence of a dispersing agent and sold as a paste, or spray-dried and sold as a powder. Their main use is to dye polyester but they can also be used to dye nylon, cellulose triacetate, and acrylic fibres. In some cases, a dyeing temperature of 130 °C is required, and a pressurised dyebath is used. The very fine particle size gives a large surface area that aids dissolution to allow uptake by the fibre. The dyeing rate can be significantly influenced by the choice of dispersing agent used during the grinding.

Azoic dyeing is a technique in which an insoluble azo dye is produced directly onto or within the fibre. This is achieved by treating a fibre with both diazoic and coupling components. With suitable adjustment of dyebath conditions the two components react to produce the required insoluble azo dye. This technique of dyeing is unique, in that the final color is controlled by the choice of the diazoic and coupling components.

Sulfur dyes are two part "developed" dyes used to dye cotton with dark colors. The initial bath imparts a yellow or pale chartreuse color, This is aftertreated with a sulfur compound in place to produce the dark black we are familiar with in socks for instance. Sulfur Black 1 is the largest selling dye by volume

Food dyes

One other class which describes the role of dyes, rather than their mode of use, is the food dye. Because food dyes are classed as food additives, they are manufactured to a higher standard than some industrial dyes. Food dyes can be direct, mordant and vat dyes, and their use is strictly controlled by legislation. Many are azo dyes, although anthraquinone and triphenylmethane compounds are used for colors such as green and blue. Some naturally-occurring dyes are also used.

Fashion Forecasting

2010-10-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

To cope with the ever-changing world, the marketing segmentation and targeting techniques are rapidly evolving from traditional, static, demographic-based criteria towards dynamic, mood, lifestyle and psycho graphic influences. Fashion forecasting is the prediction of mood, behavior and buying habits of the consumer. It is no longer a question of identifying your customers by age, geography or income, but looking into how and why they buy, based on their mood, beliefs and the occasion.

Fashion is a style that is popular in the present or a set of trends that have been accepted by a wide audience. But fashion itself is far from simple. Fashion is a complex phenomenon from psychological, sociological, cultural or commercial point of view. Fashion trends are the styling ideas that major collections have in common. They indicate the direction in which the fashion is moving. Fashion forecasters look for styles they think are prophetic, ideas that capture the mood of the times and signal a new fashion trend.

The fashion system has spread across all other sectors, from cosmetics to cars via politics and sports. All sectors observe fashion as an endless source of inspiration. Gilles Lipovetsky points out that the more the fashion society develops, the less importance will be given to the affordability of clothes! To hold on to its role as a pioneer and enhance its brand image, fashion has to continue to innovate.

Forecasting the future demand for particular styles, fabrics and colors is an important aspect of the fashion industry. Textile specialists work two years ahead to determine the general guidelines for each fashion season. Fashion forecasting is an important activity to ensure that the process of observation related to short and long term planning can be based on sound and rational decision making and not hype. Forecasting can bridge the gap between ambiguous, conflicting signs and the action taken by the design team. "Fashion forecasting combines theories of fashion changes with the process of organizing and analyzing the information and synthesizing the data into actionable forecasts." (Brannon 2000) Forecasting is a creative process that can be understood, practiced and applied. Forecasting provides a way for executives to expand their thinking about changes, through anticipating the future, and projecting the likely outcomes. (Lavenback and Cleary 1981)

Long term forecasting (over 2 years ahead) is used by executives for corporate planning purposes. It is also used for marketing managers to position products in the marketplace in relationship to competition.

Short term forecasting is used by product developers, merchandisers and production managers to give style direction and shape collections. For short term forecasting most apparel companies subscribe to one or more services, whose job is to scan the market and report on the developments in color, textiles and style directions.

Forecasters reflect the earliest views on trends some eighteen months in advance of the season. At this stage, color is a crucial consideration of yarn mills. It is also the focus of discussion among others who are interested in very early trend decision-making. Fashion forecasters combine the views emerging about color and fabric from the early yarn and fabric trade shows with their socio-economic and cultural analysis. Major trends in lifestyles, attitude and culture in particular music, sport, cinema and television are used to predict changing consumer demands.

Fashion forecasting involves the following activities such as studying market conditions, noting the life style of the people, researching sales statistics, evaluating popular designer collections, surveying fashion publications, observing street fashions etc.

The Direction of Fashion Change
Observation is not enough. If the trend watcher is to take advantage, he needs a framework for explaining how the trend began and its likely path within a social system. The directional theories of fashion change trickle down, trickle up and trickle across to make prediction easier by pointing to the likely starting points for a fashion trend, the expected direction that trend will take and how long the trend will last.

Tie and Dye - Techniques, Methods and Process

2010-10-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Tie-dye is a process of resist dyeing textiles or clothing which is made from knit or woven fabric, usually cotton; typically using bright colors. It is a modern version of traditional dyeing methods used in many cultures throughout the world.[1] "Tie-dye" can also describe the resulting pattern or an item which features this pattern. Tie-dyeing became fashionable in the West in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of hippie style. It was popularized in the United States by musicians such as John Sebastian, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead [2] and Joe Cocker.

General
Tie-dyeing is accomplished by folding the material into a pattern, and binding it with string or rubber bands. Dye is then applied to only parts of the material. The ties prevent the entire material from being dyed. Designs are formed by applying different colors of dyes to different sections of the wet fabric. A wet t-shirt is much easier to use rather than just dyeing on a dry t-shirt. Once complete, the material is rinsed, and the dye is set.

Dyes
Although many different kinds of dyes may be used, most tie-dyers now dye with Procion MX fiber reactive dyes.[3] This class of dyes works at warm room temperatures; the molecules permanently bind with cellulose based fibers (cotton, rayon, hemp, linen), as well as silk, when the pH is raised. Soda ash (sodium carbonate) is generally used to raise the pH and is either added directly to the dye, or in a solution of water in which garments are soaked before dyeing. They do not fade with washing, but sunlight will cause the colors to fade over time. Place in the freezer to hold over time.

Traditional tie-dye
The earliest surviving examples of pre-Columbian tie-dye in Peru date from 500 to 800A.D. Their designs include small circles and lines, with bright colors including red, yellow, blue, and green.[4]

Shibori includes a form of tie-dye that originated in Japan. It has been practiced there since at least the eighth century. Shibori includes a number of labor-intensive resist techniques including stitching elaborate patterns and tightly gathering the stitching before dyeing, forming intricate designs for kimonos. Another shibori method is to wrap the fabric around a core of rope, wood or other material, and bind it tightly with string or thread. The areas of the fabric that are against the core or under the binding would remain undyed.

Tie-dye techniques have also been used for centuries[citation needed] in the Hausa region of West Africa, with renowned indigo dye pits located in and around Kano, Nigeria. The tie-dyed clothing is then richly embroidered in traditional patterns. It has been argued that the Hausa techniques were the inspiration for the hippie fashion[citation needed].

Plangi and tritik are Indonesian words, derived from javanese words, for methods related to tie-dye, and bandhna is a term from India, giving rise to the Bandhani fabrics of Rajasthan. Ikat is a method of tie-dyeing the warp or weft before the cloth is woven.

Tie-dyeing was known in the US by 1909.[5] Later in the 20th Century, tie-dye became associated with the Hippie movement.

Folds and patterns
Below is a list of common modern tie-dyeing folds and patterns.

Spiral
Spiral patterns are created by gathering a small section,usually with a clothes pin or a kitchen fork, in the middle of the fabric and slowly rotating the piece creating pleats of fabric arranged in swirls around a central point. It is then gathered into a flat round bundle and the different wedges of the circular bundle are usually dyed different colors to create a greater spiral effect. [6]

V
The 'V' shape is achieved by folding a shirt in half vertically, then a line is drawn diagonally from the shoulder area down to the center fold of the shirt. The fabric is then accordingly folded along the line and bound into one or more areas to which the dye is applied. This will show in the shape of a 'V'.

Random
This category can hold several different patterns, the majority of which have nothing to do with each other; they can be combinations or they can be as chaotic as bundling the item to be dyed.

Random circles
This effect is made by tying knots with string or elastic bands in different places. The more fabric that is tied, the larger the circles.

Peace Signs
The Peace Sign can be made by folding a t-shirt in half, drawing a half circle, then the center line and arm of the peace sign. The shirt is folded along the lines and tied using rubber bands. The dye is applied to form the outline of the peace sign then a lighter color is used to fill in the colors.

The information and resources I provide here will teach you how to create your own colorful, tie-dyed t-shirts or other articles of clothing. You can also make matching tie-dyed sheets, pillowcases, and curtains if you like. It's easy if you follow the simple tie-dye directions below. If you want to be one of the first to know when new tie-dye and other craft projects are posted, take a few moments to sign up for the Family Crafts Newsletter.

•Tie-Dye Supplies - There are different kinds of dye you can use in your tie-dye projects. No matter what kind of dye you use, there are a few items you will definitely need.

•Basic Tie-Dye Directions - Here are some basic directions for tie-dyeing along with some helpful hints and tips.

•Step-By-Step Tie-Dye Project Directions - Here are some step-by-step tutorials to help get you started on your tie-dyeing adventures. I share several different folding techniques. Try my tying techniques and then experiment with your own.

•Tie-Dye Crafts Photo Gallery - Take some time to browse through photos of tie-dyed crafts, some submitted by visitors just like you! You can add your photos to this gallery too, all you need to do is submit your photos using these simple directions.

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Christian Dior's "New Look"

2010-08-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

"I wanted my dresses t be constructed, molded upon the curves of the feminine body, whose sweep they would stylize," Christian Dior proclaimed in his autobiography. This concept was the Paris designer's aim when, in the spring of 1947, he launched a new line of women's clothing that stunned and delighted the rest of the fashionable world. "Corelle," Dior dubbed the line of post-war clothing (naming it after the botanical term for the frail petals at the center of a flower), though fashion magazines in Europe and the U.S. quickly and adeptly nicknamed the Dior collection "The New Look."

It was Dior's belief that women were fed-up with the uniforms and unadorned clothing of WWII. A new lady-like charm was being adopted by post war women--who were mimicking screen idols such as Grace Kelly. The New Look took women back to the more simple, traditional days of their great-grandmothers; Vogue described The New Look as being "from the era of Madame Bovary…wasp-waisted Gibson Girl shirtwaists, pleated or tucked…slow-sloped, easy shoulders…wrapped and bound middles--barrel (almost hobble) skirts--longer, deeply shaped shadow-box décolleté-padded hips…" And while Dior's New Look was received with excitement by post-war women, the Look didn't last past Dior's death in 1957--perhaps because the design proved impractical for the growing number of women; however, the look of the 1950s can certainly be looked upon as a less extreme version of Dior's New Look.

A Peek Inside
If the vintage clothing enthusiast of costumer wishes to re-create The New Look, however, she will be disappointed to discover there no patterns available that re-create a true New Look garment (although, thankfully, the major pattern companies have begun to publish wonderful patterns from the 1950s). So, unless you're fortunate enough to discover a period New Look pattern in your grandmother's attic, you'll need to rely on your own resources to re-create the Look. The first step toward doing so is uncovering patterns that are as similar as possible to the design you wish to re-create.

The most important aspect to look for is basic style lines. For instance, if you want to re-create Dior's famous "Bar" suit, use a circle skirt pattern (not a gored or A-line pattern) as your basis. Once this is done, an experienced seamstress or dressmaker can alter the existing modern pattern. However, to do so, they'll need to know as much as possible about how Dior created those exaggerated hour-glass style lines.

Sloping Shoulders
The New Look transformed the square shoulders of the war era into more feminine, soft, sloping shoulders, inspired by pre-Civil War fashions. In nearly all Dior designs, this look was achieved by the use of shoulder pads. Today, modern shoulder pads should be home made or re-cut to achieve a sloped look. Sometimes, drop shoulders, like those seen in early Victorian fashions, were also used.

Tiny Waists
Once essential ingredient needed for New Look fashions is a corset-though the fashion magazines of the period preferred to call them the more exotic term "guepieres."

Dior's own corset (famous for taking inches of the waist) was named "the waspie;" this new version of the Victorian corset was five or six inches deep, made of rigid fabric with elastic inserts, and contained boning and back-lacing. Generally, all corsets of the era were described by fashion magazines as "super-light weight" and were advertised as containing feather boning. Such corsets were worn well cinched at the waist, and were usually worn over a panty- or roll-on girdle.

In addition to the use of corsets, Dior frequently lined the waists of his skirts and dresses with feather boning. For women who could only afford to buy the mass-produced version of The New Look, Vogue suggested the use of a "waist-liner," which was a strip of muslin or seam binding with boning sewn into it, which Vogue said gave "a thin strip of indentation about [the] waist, and could be sewn into each…dress…"

Full Hips
By themselves, "waspies" and other post-war era corsets added some fullness to the hip area, but Dior didn't rely upon natural plumpness to achieve the full hips his designs called for. All his designs required some sort of added fullness to the hip area--either with padding, or modern farthingales and bustles.

Dior's suits contained padding at the hips to achieve an ever more exaggerated hour-glass look. Dior added flounces or peplums (usually made of gathers or tucks) to the back of all his suit tops. Further, nearly all his skirts had built in back flounces (similar to the smaller built-in bustles of the Victorian era); these were usually pieces of taffeta, organza, or some other stuff fabric gathered tightly at one end and sewn to the center back of the skirt at the waist.

Separate bustle or farthingale-like garments could also be worn to further enhance the figure. These were also made of stiff material and gathered tightly, although they were often made of several layers and were worn all around the waist-not just at the back. Such garments were frequently sewn to a fabric belt and buttoned at the waist.

Full Busts
The "waspie" and other New Look corsets also accentuated the bust somewhat, but most women wearing The Look also used push-up bras to help fill out their bust line. Some of these newly invented push-up bras also contained rubber padding. Women who needed further help were told by fashion magazines to sew a taffeta or acetate ruffle to the bust line of their bra.

Full Skirts
The number one item Dior used to make his long (twelve inches or less from the ground) skirts stand full was another borrowed Victorian item: The New Look petticoat, reminiscent of early Victorian petticoats. Most New Look petticoats were made of stuff nylon, taffeta, or horsehair net. Most often they had a fitted hip yolk leading to several smooth layers of netting that ended with a few ruffles. In order to avoid snags in nylon stockings, Dior ingeniously softened the bottom ruffles of his petticoats with eyelet.

Some New Look petticoats copied Victorian fashion even further by the addition of hoops-but this practice never gained much popularity since the hoops had an annoying way of tilting--revealing a little more than their Victorian counterparts because of shorter skirt lengths. New Look fashion followers also favored petticoats in brightly colored shades (especially red and green) just like their Victorian ancestors.

True Dior designs were also marked with incredible built-in support--which spin-offs never were able to achieve. Dior's full skirts were interlined with stiffened muslin and lined with taffeta or acetate. In addition, his skirt hems were lined with stiffened muslin or calico (usually brightly colored in case a flip of the skirt revealed the lining) in order to hold out the hem. A new product called Pellon (now a popular home-sewer's interfacing) was also sometimes sewn in to hold skirts out.

If Dior's skirts and dresses were not full, they were nearly skin-tight. New Look jackets, tightly fitted to the figure, were lined with acetate and muslin to help stiffen and support the outer fashion fabric. Dior's right, long skirts were given strong linings in order to ward off "seating." Mass-produced skirts were usually sold without linings and therefore women wore straight, firm underskirts made of taffeta or acetate under them. In addition, right skirts were frequently made with back walking slits or had pleats or gathers at the back in order to make walking easier.

Evening Dresses
Evening dresses were generally built in the same manner day clothes were; however, the new strapless evening gown required extra support. "Merry Widows" first appeared in The New Look era and were helpful in pushing up the bust and trimming down the waist, but many of Dior's gowns contained built-in feather boning to hold strapless gowns up.

If re-created accurately, New Look garments should nearly stand up by themselves; the interlining, linings, interfacings, bonings, and stiffenings Dior used all but supported his garments on their own. Of course, not every woman was fortunate enough to won and wear true Dior clothing. Mass-produced items (which contained less foundation and support) were worn by most women of the post-war era. Unfortunately, neither original Dior designs or spin offs are easily found in vintage clothing shops and shows today. It's a rare treat to find a New Look garment in an auction, and when they are found, collectors generally pay $4,000 and up for Dior's early creations. While regular Christie's and Sotheby's buyers may be able to fit such purchases into their budgets, most of us will have to settle for the next best thing: A new Look "look alike garment."

HISTORY OF SKIRTS

2010-08-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Introduction
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.

At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of material (such as pareos), but most skirts are fitted to the body at the waist and fuller below, with the fullness introduced by means of dart, gores, pleats, or panels. Modern skirts are usually made of light to mid-weight fabrics, such as denim, jersey, worsted, or poplin. Skirts of thin or clingy fabrics are often worn with slips to make the material of the skirt drape better and for modesty.

The hemline of skirts can be as high as the upper thigh or as low as the ground, depending on the whims of fashion and the modesty or personal taste of the wearer.

Skirts have been worn by men and women from many cultures, such as the lungi, kanga and sarong worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia, and the kilt worn in Scotland.

Skirts in the 19th century

During the nineteenth century the cut of women's dresses in western culture varied more widely than in any other century. Waistlines started just below the bust (the Empire silhouette) and gradually sank to the natural waist. Skirts started fairly narrow and increased dramatically to the hoopskirt and crinoline-supported styles of the 1860s; then fullness was draped and drawn to the back by means of bustles.

Skirts in the 20th and 21st centuries

Beginning around 1915, hemlines for daytime dresses left the floor for good. For the next fifty years fashionable skirts became short (1920s). then long (1930s), then shorter (the War Years with their restrictions on fabric), then long (the New Look), then shortest of all during the 1960s, when skirts became as short as possible while avoiding exposure of underwear, which was considered taboo.

Since the 1970s and the rise of pants for women as an option for all but the most formal of occasions, no one skirt length has dominated fashion for long, with short and ankle-length styles often appearing side-by-side in fashion magazines and catalogs.

"New Look", a line of clothing by Christian Dior

Basic types

• Straight skirt or Pencil skirt, a tailored skirt hanging straight from the hips and fitted from the waist to the hips by means of darts or a yoke; may have a kick-pleat for ease of walking

• Full skirt, a skirt with fullness gathered into the waistband

• Short skirt, a skirt with hemline above the knee.

• Bell-shaped skirt, eponymous to its namesake

• A-line skirt, a skirt with a slight flare, roughly in the shape of a capital letter A

• Pleated skirt, a skirt with fullness reduced to fit the waist by means of regular pleats ('plaits') or folds, which can be stitched flat to hip-level or free-hanging

• Circle skirt, a skirt cut in sections to make one or more circles with a hole for the waist, so the skirt is very full but hangs smoothly from the waist without darts, pleats, or gathers

• Hobble skirt, long and tight skirt with a narrow enough hem to significantly impede the wearer's stride

Fads and fashions

• Ballerina skirt, a full-length formal skirt popular in the 1950s.

• Broomstick skirt, a light-weight ankle length skirt with many crumpled pleats formed by compressing and twisting the garment while wet, such as around a broomstick. (1980s and on)

• Bubble dress/skirt, a voluminous skirt whose hem is tucked back under to create a “bubble effect” at the bottom. Popular in the 1950s, 1980s and from the mid 2000s to currently.

• Cargo skirt, a plain utilitarian skirt with belt loops and numerous large pockets, based on the military style of Cargo pants and popularised in the 1990s.

• Dirndl, a skirt made of a straight length of fabric gathered at the waist

• Jean skirt, a trouser skirt made of denim, often designed like 5-pocket jeans, but found in a large variety of styles.

• Leather skirt, a skirt made of leather

• Kilt-skirt, a wrap-around skirt with overlapping aprons in front and pleated around the back. Though traditionally designed as women's wear, it is fashioned to mimic somewhat closely the general appearance of a (man's) kilt, including the usage of a plaid pattern more or less closely resembling those of recognized tartan patterns of Scotland.

• Maxiskirt, an ankle length-skirt (1970s, but has made a comeback in the 2000s)

• Midi skirt, mid-calf length. See: 1970s in fashion.

• Miniskirt, a thigh-length skirt, and micromini, an extremely short version (1960s)

• Poodle skirt, a circle or near-circle skirt with an appliqued poodle or other decoration (1950s)

• Prairie skirt, a flared skirt with one or more flounces or tiers (1970s and on)

• Rah-rah skirt, a short, tiered, and often colourful skirt fashionable in the early-mid 1980s.

• Sarong, a square of fabric wrapped around the body and tied on one hip to make a skirt; worn as a skirt or as a cover-up over a bathing suit in tropical climates.

• Tiered skirt, made of several horizontal layers, each wider than the one above, and divided by stitching. Layers may look identical in solid-colored garments, or may differ when made of printed fabrics.

• Trouser skirt, a straight skirt with the part above the hips tailored like men's trousers, with belt loops, pockets, and fly front

• T-skirt, made from a T-shirt, the T-skirt is generally modified to result in a pencil skirt, with invisible zippers, full length 2-way separating side zippers, as well as artful fabric overlays and yokes.

• Legwear and footwear with skirts. Popular legwear trends now include: skirts with striped tube socks popular with the Rocker style of dressing, skirts with bike shorts or leggings sometimes with lace trim and opaque footless tights, and opaque tights especially in black and also in gray and other colors, and skirts with fun knee socks in styles such as argyle in many colors and solid bright colors. Uggs, classic sneakers like Converse, Chuck Taylor All-Stars and Keds, flats, and Sperry Top-Siders are popular footwear now with skirts.

Male wear

There are a number of male garments which fall under the category of "skirt" or "dress." These go by a variety of names and form part of the traditional dress for men from various cultures. Usage varies - the dhoti is part of everyday dress on the Indian subcontinent while the kilt is more usually restricted to occasional wear and the foustanella is used almost exclusively as costume. Robes, which are a type of dress for men, have existed in many cultures, including the Japanese kimono, the Chinese cheongsam, the Arabic thobe, and the African Senegalese kaftan. Robes are also used in some religious orders, such as the cassock in Christianity and various robes and cloaks that may be used in pagan rituals. Examples of men's skirts and skirt like garments from various cultures include:

• The kilt is a skirt of Gaelic and Celtic history, part of the Scottish national dress in particular, and is worn formally and to a lesser extent informally. Irish and Welsh kilts also exist but are not so much a part of national identity.

• The foustanella is worn by men in Greece and other parts of the Balkans. By the mid-20th Century, it was relegated to ceremonial use and as period or traditional costume.

• The gho is a knee-length robe worn by men in Bhutan. They are required to wear it every day as part of national dress in government offices, in schools and on formal occasions.[2]

• The sarong is a piece of cloth that may be wrapped around the waist to form a skirt-like garment. Sarongs exist in various cultures under various names, including the pareo and lavalava of the Hawaiian islands and Polynesia (Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, and Fiji), the Indian dhoti and lungi, and the South Indian mundu.

In the Western world skirts, dresses and similar garments are considered primarily women's clothing today although historically that was not the case.[3] The wearing of skirts by men in these areas was generally seen as cross-dressing although some fashion designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier have produced skirts for men and kilts are widely accepted in some situations.

Introduction to Embroidery

2010-04-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Embroidery is an inovative art of decorating fabric with needle work and thread. This art of decorating fabric is been practised from ages. The art of doig embroidery is passed on from generations to generations. The fine needle work is most decorative form to enhance the beauty as well as expense of the fabric. The fabric is embroided with different types of switches, varities of thread - cotton threads, silk threads, semi-twisted silk-threads (also known as Patka daga), nylon threads and transparent threads. The beauty is also enhanced by beauiful motives which can be worked by fine to medium depth of stitsches. The titches worked on a fabric are of three types:-
1. Temorary Stitches : - Running
2. Permanent Stitches ;- Back, Hemming, Slip Stitch, etc.
3.Decorative stitches :- Chain, Satin, Stem, etc.

Running Stitch
It is a type of a temporary stitch which is usd in giving outline oa motif or a filling effect. It is also used for the trail purpose to stitch a garment for fitting or to tack two or more pieces of fabric together before applying machine stitch on it. It is worked in such a way that two or three stitches are taken in one attempt. In this, he length and the gap is equal.

Back Stitch
It is a permanent stitch which resembles same as machine stitching. As this was the mode of stitching garments years before when sewing machines were not invented. It is also used to alter the damags of the garment in the place when machine stitch cannot be used. For decorative purpose this stitch is used to give outline.

Hemming Stitch
This is a permanent stitch used to finish the edges of the finish the edges of the cloth.This stitch gives the garment a neat look. In decorative purpose,it is used for applique work.

Slip Stitch
This is known as blind stitch or hidden stitch. It is nother mode of permanent stitch used to finish the raw wdges of the garments. Mostly it is used in the front side of the garment. mostly it is front side of the garment where you do not want any sort of visiblity of the stitch. Tis stitch is more stronger to finish the raw edge.

Button-Hole Stitch
It is a permanent stitch as well as decorative type.of as titsch. This stitch is also an ancient mode of stitching rather finishing internal seems when button-hole machines or internal machines were not invented. For decorative purpose it is used on necklines and collars, sleeves, hemlines of troursers, shorts or skirts.

Blanket Stitch
It is a permanent stitch as well as decorative stitch. In ancient days it was used to stitch blanket edges. It was also used to finish the raw edges. It was also used to finish the raw edges. It is uded to finish sarees and dupattas along with at the end of hemlines for hanging look.

Whipped Stitch
This is done on the edges of dupatta and sarees to stop the fraying of yarns. It is done with the same color thread and now-a-days with transparent thread. Basically, this stitch is a mode of permanent stitch. In earlier times to give a finishing look to sarees and dupattas when pickoo machines were not invented. It is also used to give the finishing to frills and fringes.

Fashion Forecasting

2010-03-03T03:37:00.003-08:00

To cope with the ever-changing world, the marketing segmentation and targeting techniques are rapidly evolving from traditional, static, demographic-based criteria towards dynamic, mood, lifestyle and psycho graphic influences. Fashion forecasting is the prediction of mood, behavior and buying habits of the consumer. It is no longer a question of identifying your customers by age, geography or income, but looking into how and why they buy, based on their mood, beliefs and the occasion.

Fashion is a style that is popular in the present or a set of trends that have been accepted by a wide audience. But fashion itself is far from simple. Fashion is a complex phenomenon from psychological, sociological, cultural or commercial point of view. Fashion trends are the styling ideas that major collections have in common. They indicate the direction in which the fashion is moving. Fashion forecasters look for styles they think are prophetic, ideas that capture the mood of the times and signal a new fashion trend.

The fashion system has spread across all other sectors, from cosmetics to cars via politics and sports. All sectors observe fashion as an endless source of inspiration. Gilles Lipovetsky points out that the more the fashion society develops, the less importance will be given to the affordability of clothes! To hold on to its role as a pioneer and enhance its brand image, fashion has to continue to innovate.

Forecasting the future demand for particular styles, fabrics and colors is an important aspect of the fashion industry. Textile specialists work two years ahead to determine the general guidelines for each fashion season. Fashion forecasting is an important activity to ensure that the process of observation related to short and long term planning can be based on sound and rational decision making and not hype. Forecasting can bridge the gap between ambiguous, conflicting signs and the action taken by the design team. "Fashion forecasting combines theories of fashion changes with the process of organizing and analyzing the information and synthesizing the data into actionable forecasts." (Brannon 2000) Forecasting is a creative process that can be understood, practiced and applied. Forecasting provides a way for executives to expand their thinking about changes, through anticipating the future, and projecting the likely outcomes. (Lavenback and Cleary 1981)

Long term forecasting (over 2 years ahead) is used by executives for corporate planning purposes. It is also used for marketing managers to position products in the marketplace in relationship to competition.

Short term forecasting is used by product developers, merchandisers and production managers to give style direction and shape collections. For short term forecasting most apparel companies subscribe to one or more services, whose job is to scan the market and report on the developments in color, textiles and style directions.

Forecasters reflect the earliest views on trends some eighteen months in advance of the season. At this stage, color is a crucial consideration of yarn mills. It is also the focus of discussion among others who are interested in very early trend decision-making. Fashion forecasters combine the views emerging about color and fabric from the early yarn and fabric trade shows with their socio-economic and cultural analysis. Major trends in lifestyles, attitude and culture in particular music, sport, cinema and television are used to predict changing consumer demands.

Fashion forecasting involves the following activities such as studying market conditions, noting the life style of the people, researching sales statistics, evaluating popular designer collections, surveying fashion publications, observing street fashions etc.

The Direction of Fashion Change

Observation is not enough. If the trend watcher is to take advantage, he needs a framework for explaining how the trend began and its likely path within a social system. The directional theories of fashion change trickle down, trickle up and trickle across to make prediction easier by pointing to the likely starting points for a fashion trend, the expected direction that trend will take and how long the trend will last.

Blogger Buzz: Monetize!

2010-01-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

Blogger Buzz: Monetize!

Fashion influence thinking

2010-01-05T04:47:00.000-08:00

Fashion is a style which is accepted in its given time. It has influenced alot on thinking of people in today's scenario. As now-a-days latest fashion is in high demand by the fashion leaders as this latest fashion is tremendously seen in page 3, cooperate, film & silver screen industry. They are the Fashion tycoons of the industry.....each & every one of them wants to be in high class fashion & are not ready to compromise with their looks.Upgradation with the fashion industry is on extremely on high peak as fashion followers - we the common people are in rush of grasping the latest fashion trends being dictated by the fashion leaders to us. Those leaders who are ruling in mind & heart. So they think themselves to be in lastest fashion trend or a part of that.

To be upgraded with fashion industry many fashion institutes have been opened proviing degree or diploma programmes to provide a excellent job opportunities for young & talented designers.

Explain international designers in international markets?

2008-10-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

FASHION is a style most popular in the given time. It has three components – Style, Acceptance and Timeliness.

FASHION CENTRE are the selected places where global fashion circuit develop and spreads and takes a organic form. These are the centers where fashion emerges and relates it popularity peaks, these are hallmark areas for designers to bring up their creativity and reach international market.

The main fashion centers are – New York, Milan, Japan, London, Paris and India.

NEW YORK, AS A FASHION CENTRE

New York City is one of the major centers of U.S. Fashion Industry. New York, New jersey are the largest areas followed by North Caroline, Georgia, Tennessee in the South Texas and California in the west.
The Americans genius designers for organization and manufacture, promotion and distribution were a building of a powerful empire. Four of the five designers prepared themselves in the schools and workrooms of Paris during Second World War II.
American fashion steamed the flow of imported fashion new industry from sports wear to grand couture came into full power and recognition. American designers championed as their excellent brilliance.
The fashion industry in the US has two different levels, each influencing each other. The vast majority of firms involved in the fashion business concentrate on clothes and accessories in the middle and popular priced range.
These companies are very specialized and usually produce a single category of clothing or accessories. There are entire markets, concentrated exclusively on such items as rain wear, leather coats, and men’s sweaters, party dresses, coordinated sports wear or bridal wear.

CALVIN KLEIN

Calvin Klein is one of the famous designers who has won many awards three consecutive years by American Fashion Critics. Calvin Klein has shown his work excellence by his simplified refined shapes and employing Natural Fibers such as Cashmere, Mohair, Wool, Cotton, Silk, Leather and Suede. He prefers earthy tones with a lean, superior elegance and luxury.
In addition to ready-to-wear, Klein designs furs, umbrellas, scarves, shoes, bags, bed linens. In 1978, introduced cosmetics, skin care and a fragrance, a line of men’s wear. He is a faculty consultant at Parsons School Of Designs and at Fashion Institute Of Technology.

DONNA KARAN

Karan was one of the designers who stepped in fashion from childhood. Karan derives a shape from the fabric, not from a sketch. She believes that things must change and should never be allowed to become boring but that each change must be a logical development and not simply for the sake of change or to make headlines. She mostly deals with neutral colors. Cashmere Sweaters, Coats and Shear lings are knitted and shagged, crating the new fur fantasy.
Karan’s focus on the body through simple yet sophisticated designs such as body suits, wrap skirts and corseted evening wear made her a favorite throughout Hollywood.

BRITAIN AS A FASHION CENTRE

British styles are admired and imitated the world over, the universal currency in design. An enduring image that dresses an attitude and a lifestyle and continues to combine quality and tradition with the contemporary and new.
Britishers are innovative in tailoring for Savile Row, and has been famous since the 18th century, and enduring popularity of woolens, tartans and other traditional British fabrics. The refraining of the classic British design houses are specialized in best of fashion accessories and the new wave of radical designer's wear.
The incorporated society of London Fashion Designers had designed prestige garments throughout the earlier times during world wars. The raw materials of Scottish tweeds and English worsted suit materials were renowned as being of exceptional quality. The wools were also used by the French and the British did everything they could do to promote the fine materials with fine designs. The result would be 1950's glamor.
Fashion for women returned with a vengeance and the 1950's era is known mainly for two Silhouettes, that of the full skirt and the pencil slim tubular skirt, with both placing great emphasis on the narrowness of the waist.

PAULSMITH

Paul Smith is a unique fashion designer for classic men's wear with twisted appeal.
Paul Smith surprised the fashion business, offering classic British cuts, but combining them in an unusual manner or using striking colors to make them standout. Grey business suits worn with colorful flower decorated shirts honored the tradition of British tailoring and took it a step further into young and progressive fashion. Thus, garments of the business world became attractive for the fashion oriented people.
Smith discovered that 15% of his clothes, were bought by women, who were attracted to the fine and classic materials with a modern approach.
Paul Smith's unique brand of British eccentricity strikes a chord with women everywhere. Sir Paul's old world-meets-new-world empire has expanded to include home wares and fragrances. He is another designer to explore the territory of updating British tailoring for modern market. The second British fashion designer to be knighted. He represented the single most important shift in attitude to British mens wear in 1980's. He is a mark of excellent taste. The rediscovery of the classic encouraged a new market in which old establishments such as Cording in Piece ability, sports wear and country clothes in British Fashion.

2. ZANDRA RHODES

Zandra Rhodes lifestyle has proved to be as dramatic, glamorous and extroverted as her designs has stamped her identity on the international world of fashion.
She was one of the new wave of British designers who put London at the forefront of the international fashion scene. The designs have been clear, creative statements, dramatic but graceful, bold but feminine and her garments have a quality that makes her creation exclusive.
Zandra's inspiration has always been from organic material and nature. Her innovative approach to the construction of garments was stylish.
Zandra showed her venerable skills as a fashion designer and also began to design costumes for Mozart's. The magic flute i.e. For the Opera. She has also designed for Late Lady Diana, Princess of Wales, and continues to design for the royal and rich famous personalities around the world.

INDIA, AS A FASHION CENTRE

Indian couture is the magocal band of hours of workship, centuries of tradition and a modern sense of culture.

The art of Indian decorative fabric treatments has inspired and amazed the world. Few artisans so such a beautiful embroideries and differnt weaves of fabrics with gold, silver threads and thus creates a wonderful designs.

Indian women was a fashion conscious as her western counter part. While the woman in the west took her time oving from tree leaves to animal skins to cloth, her Indian counterpart had not only draped fabrics around her but even made an attempt at tailoring a costume.

The ealiest prototype of sari was discovered on the statue of the Mother Goddess of Mohenjadaro. The early fashion revolution in India began during the British rule. The experimanting process made its way through time till it reached its peaks of populaity.

India has come a long way in its growth of Textiles. For that high powered executive, the Indian mills offer a wide range of suitings that could be equipped with the best in spinning texturizng and weaving machines to produce finished fabrics.

RITU BERI

The most visible designer of the Indian fashion scene is undoubtedly Ritu Beri and is operative and versatile enough to design anything from ceramic ware - T-shirts, olympic and Indian Cricket team uniform and haute couture. The designer in her does not hesitate to take up a new challenge and shows her creativity strategy vary from - tribal wear. she has acquired from the master craftsmens. she is that designer who can attract every women.

Ritu Beri is an emerging power in the fashion industry, and most world are evocative designs.

ROHIT BAL

Indian fashion designer Rohit Bal, is mostt famous for his masterpieces. He seem to have understood the psyche of the target cutomer, that fashion setting. The trend for every season. His address to the fashion scene is intelligent and studied yet imaginative and inspired

Rohit is not only the most well known Indian designer but also the most media savvy. His creations may hock some and stun a few. Rohit wants to give the wearer his version of style. He is wild, wack and wants to add a touch of humour to his creations. He has access to the best to industry has to offer in terms of materials and workmanship. Rohit Bal has designed Clothes for welll known personalities in India and aboard.

What is a Fashion Design? Careers? Job Opportunities?

2008-09-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

What is a Design?
Design, usually considered in the context of applied arts, engineering, architecture, and other creative endeavors, is used both as a noun and a verb. As a verb, "to design" refers to the process of originating and developi ng a plan for a product, structure, system, or component. As a noun, "a design" is used for either the final (solution) plan (e.g. proposal, drawing, model, description) or the result of implementing that plan (e.g. object produced, result of the process). More recently, processes (in general) have also been treated as products of design, giving new meaning to the term "process design".

A design is the overall appearance of a product. The visual features that form the design include the shape, configuration, pattern and ornamentation which, when applied to the product, give it a unique appearance. A registered design can be a valuable commercial asset - registration of a design gives the owner protection for the visual appearance of the product but not the feel of the product, what it is made from or how it works.
To be registrable, a design must be new and distinctive. 'New' means the identical design (or one very similar) has not been publicly used in Australia nor has it been published in a document within or outside Australia.
For example, a design would not be considered new if it had been 'published' on the Internet before the date it was filed (or its priority date, whichever is earlier).
A design is 'distinctive' unless it is substantially similar in overall appearance to other designs already in the public domain

Problem solving process
Solution find
Strategic planning activity procession
Esoteric and Glamours

FASHION DESIGN INDUSTRIES

Export industry
Men's industry
Women's industry
Kids industry
Domestic industry
Sports industry
Indian industry

PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Buying houses
Designer Label studios
Export Houses
Design houses
Life style designers
Retail brands

What is the meaning of FASHION?

2008-09-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Fashion is a term commonly used to describe a style of clothing worn by most of people of a country. A fashion usually remains popular for about 1-3 years and then is replaced by yet another fashion. Even though there are a lot of changes in fashion, most people do not easily except the changes.A clothing style may be introduced as a fashion, but its use becomes a custom after being handed down from generation to generation. A fashion that comes and goes is called a Fad.During the mid-1800's, a mass production of clothing was made fashionable and available to more people for lower prices. This encouraged more people to wear more stylish clothes which is why we are wearing what we are today.Clothing is made out of all types of matieral such as cotton, rayon, spandex, and polyester,and they are just a few used. Some clothing may even be made of 2 or more different types, this is known as " Blending."Clothing can be decorated or designed with all types of images and colors. The designs can either be embroidered onto the fabric, woven on to the fabric, silk screened, or ironed onto the fabric to create a desired look. Some images that have been used to enhance an article of clothing range from a simple design on front of a T shirt to a famous printing that has been woven into fabric creating a colorful piece of art that one can wear.Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine, literature, art, architecture, and general comportment) that are popular in a culture at any given time. Such styles may change quickly, and "fashion" in the more colloquial sense refers to the latest version of these styles. Inherent in the term is the idea that the mode will change more quickly than the culture as a whole. The terms "fashionable" and "unfashionable" are employed to describe whether someone or something fits in with the current or even not so current, popular mode of expression. The term "fashion" is frequently used in a positive sense, as a synonym for glamour, beauty and style. In this sense, fashions are a sort of communal art, through which a culture examines its notions of beauty and goodness. The term "fashion" is also sometimes used in a negative sense, as a synonym for fads and trends, and materialism. A number of cities are recognized as global fashion centers and are recognized for their fashion weeks, where designers exhibit their new clothing collections to audiences. These cities are New York City, Milan, Paris, and London. Other cities, mainly Los Angeles, Berlin, Tokyo, Rome, Miami, Hong Kong, São Paulo, Sydney, Barcelona, Madrid, Vienna, Moscow, New Delhi and Dubai also hold fashion weeks and are better recognized every year.

Why students should opt for Fashion Designing Clothing Construction - a vocational stream?

2008-08-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

Students should opt for Fashion Designing Clothing Construction - a vocational stream........as the subjects which are taught includes the following objectives to enhance the creativity & innovative thinking .............

Prominent instructions required personnels from design background, so that theyb can excel infield picking up better and quicker terms and the subjects. This is a vocational course offered by CBSE. We have limited number of seats with us. Addmissions are available on selected bases such as creative availability.

The famous colleges & institutes available to fullfill your dreams :-

* NIFT

* Pearl Academy of Fashions

* NIIFT

* FDDI

* SOFT

Detail of each subject of FDCC

1. TEXTILES SCIENCE:-

to unable the students to know about fabrics and fabric behaviour

to study textile from the industrial point of view i.e. science & technology behind textiles

to give a comprhensive view about a fabric studies

2. DESIGN:-

to unable all students to make a creative sketch of his/her designs

to help the students to enhance his creative skills and innovative thinking

to unable the students to study design as a fashion professional

3. PATTERN MAKING:-

to unable the students to handle measurements test of basic types

to unable the students to make paper pattern and learn fabric cutting as per requirement and designer's sketch

to unable the students to give perfect fittings and handle pattern manipulations

4. CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION:-

to unable the students to learn basic stitching and introductory level

to make the students aware of basic seams and stitches through actual construction

to develop tailoring skills of craftsmen