Skill Subject: Fashion Studies

The purpose of the course ‘Fashion Studies’ is to tell the students about the fundamentals of Fashion Design. Fashion Design as a profession includes the entire process of designing and producing fashion apparels from the fibre and yarn stage to the finished product.

This course will give an overview of fashion design and elaborate on different aspects like elements of design, history of fashion, fabrics, and understanding of the body, pattern development and garment construction. Fashion is a big business and key driver for several industries.

Part B: Vocational Skills

• Chapter - I: History of Fashion
• Chapter - II: Basic Pattern Development
• Chapter - III: Elements of Fashion
• Chapter - IV: Basics of Garment Making

Chapter - I: History of Fashion

Objectives of the course

• To provide an overview of history of costume from ancient civilization to the present
• To explain the socio-cultural factors influencing costume
• To explain the influence of industrial revolution on fashion industry
• To discuss the evolution of modern Indian fashion

Learning outcomes

After completion of the unit, the students shall be able to the following:

• Explain the significance of studying fashion history as a source of research for developing new collections.
• Express their knowledge on industrial revolution and its impact on fashion.
• Discuss evolution of modern Indian fashion

Course Content

• Introduction to history of fashion, sources of information
• Factors affecting clothing - protection, ritualistic, identification, adornment
• Origin and development of costume - Draped costume(Indian, Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman)
• Industrial Revolution - mechanical inventions, influence on India
• Evolution of 20th century Indian fashion.
• Films and fashion

Chapter - II: Basic Pattern Development

Objectives of the course

• To introduce students to the World of Fashion Designing through pattern development
• To explain the importance of skills for converting a design sketch into a three dimensional form.
• To develop basic blocks for bodice and skirt.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the unit, the students shall be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding the basic skills of Pattern Making.
• Demonstrate understanding of the concept of Fit and Balance.
• Develop Basic Blocks from measurement charts and body measurements.
• Develop patterns for simple Designs using basic blocks.

Course Content

• Pattern Making
• Terminology, symbols and abbreviations
• Methods of measuring body and dress form
• Sizes and measurements
• Tools of pattern making
• Fit- Element of fits, evaluating fits, need to fit and methods of fit
• Pattern development- Basic Bodice: How to develop a bodice from the standard measurement chart and test fitted on the dress form.
• Sleeveless bodice
• Neckline and its variations
• Dart manipulation
• How to develop basic skirt block with one dart or two darts and A- line
• Collar- Principles of collar development :flat collar, roll collar and stand collar, terminology for collars

Chapter - III: Elements of Fashion

Objectives of the course

• To introduce students to the basic segments in fashion clothing
• To teach students about fashion, fashion centers, categories of clothing & trims.
• To sensitize students about different items in each category of apparel for men, women and children.
• To teach students the difference between high-fashion and mass-fashion apparel.
• To distinguish between custom-made and ready to wear garments.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the unit, the students shall be able to:

• Express knowledge of the segments in Fashion Clothing
• Express knowledge and use of appropriate fashion terminology
• Express knowledge of global fashion capitals
• Express knowledge of various categories of apparel for men, women and children
• Demonstrate understanding of trims used in apparels.
• Demonstrate understanding of difference between High Fashion, Mass Fashion and custom-made clothing.

Course Content

• Understanding Fashion - definition and overview
• Haute couture, High Fashion, Ready to Wear, Mass produced garments
• Fashion Capitals
• Menswear - Introduction, Categories, Elements of Design, shirts, pants and shorts, suits
• Women’swear
• Introduction to Indian women’swear, Elements of design, categories of Women’s wear-dresses, blouses/skirts, trousers, kameezs, saris & blouses.
• Children wear - Introduction, garments for different ages - New born, Infants Toddlers, Pre-teens and Teens, dungarees
• Trims used for the fashion apparel

Chapter - IV: Basics of Garment Making

Objectives of the course

• To differentiate between natural, synthetic and blended fabrics.
• To learn the selection criteria and purpose of using underlying fabrics.
• To understand the importance of fabric preparation before cutting fabric.
• To stitch a placket for bodice and sleeve opening
• To finish a neckline using piping and facing

Learning outcomes

After completion of the unit, the students shall be able to:

• Make samples of different garment components - neckline finishes, plackets.

Course content

• Understanding fabric types.
• selection of underlining, interfacing, lining and inter-lining
• Cutting preliminaries, fabric preparation, fabric cutting, grain line, preshrinking, identifying the right side of fabric, pinning and marking methods
• Types of plackets - continuous, simple shirt placket and shirt placket with facing.
• Neckline facing, bias strip and preparation of bias strip.
• Appropriate neckline finishes with piping, bias facing and shaped facing (only practical)