UNIT 4

ADVANCE DRAPING

This unit, will enable you to gained knowledge and ideas about
advance draping. You will become more highly trained in recognizing subtleties in
shape and form. You will learn to map out the energetic flow of garment, using
grainline placement in supporting the emotional content. You will able to practice
the skill in visualization, critical in maintaining the essence of inspiration while
draping the gowns or while working with support elements such as shoulder pads,
foundations and petticoats. You will continue to train your hand in the skills of
draping through the use of complex seaming and shaping, you will able to lean the
importance of emphasis and focal point and making your own signature look and
by communicating on the garment.

UNIT OUTCOMES:

At the end of the unit, then you must have;

1. Gained knowledge and advance skills in draping the different

types of dress silhouettes;
2. Acquired the knowledge and skills in draping coats and jackets,
gowns, and draping the bias;

3. Practiced the skills in draping bias and improvisational draping

 LESSON Coats and Jackets
1

LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of the lesson, you must have:

1. Identified the point in draping coast and jackets.
2. Acquired advance knowledge on draping.
3. Value the importance of the skills in draping the coats and jackets.

LEARNING CONTENT

Understanding the Shoulders

Shoulder is the focal points of the coats and jackets date back in the Ancient
Greeks, where peploses and chitons fastened at the shoulders. Historically, in
military, the shoulder held the rank it is where the epaulets are worn and where
sashes and awards are hung. Coats and capes often have embellishments at the
shoulders.
There are various types of padding that have been used for over a period
of time just to give the shoulder area more strength and volume, were strong
shoulder tends to give a more stature and dignity and even a sense of power.
The curve of the shoulder line is important to consider, as this is where the
front and back fabric balance. If the shoulder line is off-balance, the front and
back of the dress or jacket will kick out in the front or back, pushing the drape of
the fabric toward the center front or back.

Since many garments are supported by the shoulders, it is important to

understand their structure. The outer shoulder is round, dips down in the center,
and curves up at the neck. In simple clothing construction, this seam is often
drawn as a straight line. Study the shape and silhouette of clothing with different
shoulder treatments, noticing the effect of a well-fitting shoulder
 The curved shoulder shape holds the balance
and must support the weight in many types of
garments.

The decorated shoulder imparts a sense of

dignity.

Variations of Coats and Jackets

Kimono Sleeve
The classic Japanese kimono is an example of a completely unstructured
shoulder. The construction is completely geometric, the woven panels maintaining
their balanced purity.
With this kimono sleeve construction, the fabric falls over the natural
shoulder line unsupported, creating many folds and drapes at the underarm area.
Because of the perfect balance of the front and back, the look is graceful and
relaxed.

Shoulder pads
As a counterpoint to the kimono, the shoulder here is at its most
constructed. With the help of a fitted shoulder pad, the fabric is shaped and molded
closely over the shoulder, eliminating all excess from the underarm area. There
are no soft folds here, the line is trim and crisp. The front of the garment fits
smoothly over the figure.
The large shoulder pad here, typical of the 1940s, makes it an obvious focal
point. The height and angular shoulder line create a strong and sexy look for
Lauren Bacall, the ultimate modern woman of her time, both beautiful and
powerful.
Chanel-style Jacket
The famous fashion innovator Coco Chanel
popularized the fitted tailored jacket for women.
She distilled the modern jacket of her day into a
timeless classic that became her signature look.
The original Chanel jacket was short, with
no collar, and typically boxy in shape. One of the
key features of the
tailored jacket is the
three-panel construction.

Today, Karl Lagerfeld designs for the House of

Chanel. Many of his jackets still reflect the classic Chanel
look—the boxy shape and short length with the three-
panel construction. Other elements that reflect the look
are the flap pockets, the bound edges, and the finishing
touch, the signature strand of pearls.

As jackets are intended to be layered over other

garments, they need to have a comfortable amount of
ease, which requires draping away from the dress form.
The sculpting of the shape and sensitivity to the contour
of the lines becomes more challenging and ever more
important.

The classic three-panel jacket has a side

section that eliminates the side seam and sits
between the princesses lines in the front and
back. The two-piece sleeve angles slightly
forward for the natural hang of the arm, and has
a closer fit at the inside of the arm and more room
at the elbow.
Balancing the three panels requires 360°
awareness of the shape, so that it looks flattering
from every angle.
Draping Steps
Shoulder pads
To prepare the form for the drape, first determine the type of shoulder pads
to be used. They are not necessarily needed for height, but to help support the
shape.
Woolens used for fi ne jackets are often loosely woven; because so much
of the weight of the jacket will be falling from the shoulders, a pad helps to support
the fabric and keep it from stretching while maintaining the specific shape you are
trying to drape.

Draping away from the form

Take care not to drape too tightly. You are draping away from the form to
make a jacket that is not very fitted. The temptation for the beginning student is to
follow the shape of the form, but now is the time to break that habit. Try to accustom
yourself to pinning and shaping the muslin without the support of the form, but just
in space.

Step 1
 Begin by draping without the stuffed arm; it is much
easier to see the balance of the three panels without the
arm in the way.
 Pin shoulder pad firmly in place at the two lower
corners and center of the shoulder area. Make sure the pins
are stuck all the way into the form so they do not interfere
with the drape of the muslin.

Step 2
 Set front panel by aligning CF of muslin with
CF of form. Trim and clip neckline until it fits
smoothly.
 Pin across bust and into shoulder area lightly,
leaving a little ease in the armhole and taking
care not to pin too tightly.
 Pin at side to prepare for the volume you
want. Because this first panel extends further
toward the side than a princess line, you will
need a dart to pull in the waist shape.
 Fold in a vertical dart with a fairly small intake;
½" (1.5 cm) at the waist is about standard.
Step 3
 Set back panel by aligning CB of muslin with CB of
form.
 Pin across back shoulder, keeping Cross grain
horizontal by giving some ease at the armhole and
shoulder area.
 Drape a very small dart into shoulder-seam area, and
also pull in a little extra ease along that seam. It
makes a better fall in the back at the hem if the
shoulder is properly draped with the cross grain close
to horizontal and some ease on that seam.
 This ease and shoulder dart may be eliminated later
depending on how the fabric reacts to shaping. Many
weights of wool can be steamed and shaped to
create room over the shoulder blade.

Armhole ease
Note that as you drape the ease in the body pieces that you need, it will
naturally result in some armhole ease. Don’t pin the tops of the side panel too
closely; allow about 1" (2.5 cm) extra in the front and back.

Step 4
 Set aside panel piece by centering the piece in the
side seam.
 First lay this panel on top of the front and back
sections and try to get a feel for how much volume you
would like to have.
 Pin down as you
experiment with the amount
of ease.

Step 5
 Keeping cross grain horizontal, pin wrong
sides out along back and front, joining the
seams.
 Trim away excess leaving about 1" (2.5
cm) seam allowance.
Step 6
 Turn seams to the inside, front over side and
back over side panel.
 Tape armhole and neckline.
 Position pocket to help you set the
proportions.
 Study the balance of the three sections.
 Do all three pieces have an even look?
 What does the contour of the jacket look like?
Is it similar to the photograph? Does it look
good from every angle?

Step 7
 Look closely at the back side seam. It is
forming a straighter line than the front seam,
which has more of the contour of the body.
 Try unpinning the back waist area, then
clip more at the waist and repin a little tighter.
 Note how this correction changes the
look of the jacket. The back panel seam now
subtly shapes out at the shoulder blade where
more room is needed and gently shapes in at
the waist.

The two-piece sleeve

This is another basic construction element of
the classic jacket. One way to do that is to pin a dart
from the front underarm area to the wrist, pinning
out more at the elbow where the arm curves in.
Then pin the back sleeve area in above the elbow,
letting out at the elbow where you need the room
and pinning in again toward the wrist. Essentially,
these darts made into seams are what form the two-
piece sleeve.
The construction of two seams is a practical
way to create a more comfortable shape to the
sleeve by following the natural hang of the arm. Ideally, the seams should be
minimally visible, falling to the inside of the arm and hidden in the folds of the fabric.
The seams traditionally do not match at the armhole. It is tempting to draw
them that way when designing, because it makes sense for seams to match.
However, in reality, four seams meeting at one point of the armhole would create
too much bulk.

Easy two-piece sleeve draft

There are many methods for drafting sleeves using precise measurement
rather than draping. With draping, however, you have the advantage of being able
to see the shape you are creating as it develops and the flexibility to further refi ne
its subtleties.
This particular method is intended to help you drape the sleeve. Having
some measurements and a basic shape to follow is useful when starting the drape.
It is not, however, intended to be a final pattern, but is rather a time-saving device
to set the general parameters of the sleeve’s volume.
This draft can be done on paper and then transferred to a muslin piece, or
it can be drawn directly on muslin.
Step 1
 Begin with Step 5 from the Easy Sleeve Draft
Step 2
 Divide hem into quarters, and mark new point at the front “F” and new point
at the back “B.”
 Draw dotted lines from the lower marks on the back and from armhole down
to the new points B and F on the hem.
 Notch the dotted lines to keep the fronts and backs from getting mixed up,
with two notches on the back and one on the front.
 Label the underarm lines “UL.”
Step 3
 Cut the sleeve pattern apart on dotted lines from F and B.
 Notch the cut lines on the smaller pieces to match with the larger piece.

Step 4
 Tape the two smaller pattern pieces together along the UL lines.
 Now you have the two basic pattern pieces for the two-piece sleeve: the
smaller one is commonly called the “undersleeve”; the larger one is the “top
sleeve.”
 Mark the remaining marks on the back armhole curve with a double notch
and on the front with a single notch.
Step 5
 Mark the taped UL line as the length grain of that piece and the center line
of the top sleeve as the length grain.
Step 6
 Now add some shape to the elbow area to follow the natural hang of the
arm.
 Draw an elbow line about 7" (17.5 cm) below the underarm line on both
pieces.
 Slash and spread the elbow line of both pieces open about ½" (1.5 cm).
Step 7
 Then add shape to the bicep area.
 Add a further ½–¾" (1.5–2 cm) to the bicep
area of the top sleeve and a little less to the
undersleeve.
 Blend lines into a curve, smoothing out the
elbow line.
 It is preferable that the front seam of the
two-piece sleeve is not too visible from the
front. Adjust pattern slightly by adding an
inch or so (2.5–4 cm) to lower front edge of
top sleeve; remove the corresponding
amount from undersleeve

Four sleeve types and their pattern pieces

Step 8
 Using the shape from the two-piece sleeve draft, trace top sleeve paper
pattern lightly with chalk onto prepared muslin piece. Cut around the line
leaving about 1" (2.5 cm) seam allowance.
Step 9
 Repeat Step 8 for undersleeve pattern piece.

Step 10
Pin top sleeve over undersleeve on seam lines.

Step 11
Use a clear graph ruler to help you pin the second seam, as shown.
Step 8
 If not already attached, pin the shoulder pad to the muslin. Gently remove
the jacket drape with the pad from the form.
 Attach the stuffed arm. Replace the drape and pad in the same position,
pinning again down CF and CB.
 Chalk armhole and remove tape so it is easier to pin on the muslin sleeve.
 Set the two-piece sleeve onto the shoulder, starting at the cap and angling
it slightly toward the front, following the natural hang of the arm.

Step 9
 Note how the sleeve puffs out slightly at the cap area. This indicates that
there is significant ease at the cap area. It should be no more than about
¾" (2 cm) per front and back. Because the final jacket fabric will be wool,
this amount of ease can be steamed and shaped to fi t the armhole.
 Now check the position of the two sleeve seams. They should be slightly
hidden by the drape of the sleeve.
 Here it looks as if the front undersleeve is angling too far to the front; use
tape if necessary to re-mark the new lines.
 Readjust angle of sleeve drape and/or height of notch points so seams are
either hidden or hanging in an unobtrusive way. Repin if necessary.

Step 10
 Adjust and distribute ease of sleeve cap. Finalize position of notch points.
Step 11
Allow excess at lower armhole of sleeve
to fall toward inside of armhole.
Pin it into a smooth curve, raising and
lowering armhole as you go to find the
right balance aesthetically and for
movement.

Step 12
Repeat from Step 9 for back, remembering that sleeve should be hanging slightly
toward the front, following the natural fall of the arm; therefore, there will be
slightly more ease in the back of the sleeve and a little less fabric in the front,
especially at the lower parts of the curves.

Step 13
Complete the drape by adding the finishing details, taping the pocket flaps,
buttons, and sleeve vent.

Variations of coast and jackets

Raglan jacket
The raglan sleeve was created by a tailor who
fashioned the looser-fitting
armhole for the 1st Baron
Raglan, who had suffered an
arm injury at the Battle of
Waterloo. This sleeve
extends at a diagonal from
the underarm to the
collarbone, often with a dart
at the shoulder line.
 The jacket draped here is modeled after one from the 1940s, an era when
the raglan’s soft shoulder line gained popularity in womenswear.

Trench coat
This is a classic trench coat as defined by the
elements historically associated with that style. It is
belted, roomy, and knee length, with a storm flap at the
front and back, a high stand and collar, pockets, and
epaulets. The coat has a no-nonsense, utilitarian feel,
yet its directness and clarity of purpose impart a
modern, chic, and stylish look.

Swing coat with shawl collar

The swing coat came into vogue in the late 1940s,
its full volume a reaction to the austerity of the war years.
As Dior’s New Look gained popularity, wider coats
that flared away from the hips and legs were needed to
cover the full skirts. Here, the full sweep of the hem adds
a flirty, stylish attitude.
Coat with eggshaped silhouette
This coat from the DKNY Spring/Summer 2011
collection envelops the model with its high funnel collar,
tapered sleeves, and pegged-in hem. The shoulder is a
rounded/kimono style, which supports the look of the egg-
shaped silhouette. The diagonal seam from the neckline
to pocket allows shaping in the front and fi t for the bust.
The silhouette, along with the soft, thick wool, adds
to the sense of warmth and protection of this garment.
Anchor this feeling and the
visualization of the shape before
you begin draping.

REFERENCES

Draping for Fashion Design. Retrieved from

https://www.pdfdrive.com/draping-for-fashion-design-e187301311.html
February 10, 2021
Draping the Complete Course. Retrieved from
https://www.pdfdrive.com/draping-the-complete-course-
e157984926.html February 10, 2021
Dress Design, Draping and Flat Pattern Making.
https://www.pdfdrive.com/dress-design-draping-and-flat-pattern-making-
e186946068.html February 10, 2021