Pancyprian TS Fashion Design II cheat sheet

Design process order: research → mood board/source of inspiration → design development (croquis, sketches) → fabric and colour selection → technical drawing → toile/muslin → final garment → evaluation.

A collection is unified by a limited colour story (typically 3–6 colours), repeat of silhouette families, and shared fabric or trim references.

Mood board content types: inspirational imagery, colour swatches, fabric swatches, text/words, and material samples; it communicates a concept, not a finished design.

Elements of design: line, shape/form, colour, texture, space. Principles: balance, rhythm, proportion, emphasis, unity/harmony, scale.

Silhouette families to classify designs: A-line, H-line (straight), Y-line (fitted top/flared bottom), X-line (fitted waist), hourglass, tent, empire, shift.

Design brief minimum content: target customer, occasion/season, price point, size range, delivery date, quantity, and constraints (fabric, budget, sustainability).

Technical pack (tech pack) components: flat sketches, points of measure, construction notes, bill of materials, colourways, grading, label and packaging instructions.

Sample stages: prototype/fit sample → size-set samples → salesman (SMS) sample → pre-production (PP) sample → top of production (TOP) sample.

Standard fashion croquis proportions: total figure height ≈ 9 heads; shoulder width ≈ 1.5 heads; waist ≈ 1 head wide; hips ≈ 1.5 heads wide at about 4 heads down.

Croquis landmarks from top: head (1), bust line ~2 heads, natural waist ~3 heads, hip/crotch ~4 heads, knee ~6.5 heads, ankle ~8.5 heads, floor at 9.

Illustration media and effects: marker = flat quick colour with visible strokes; watercolour = translucent washes; gouache = opaque matte; coloured pencil = grainy layering; ink = crisp line.

Rendering order: base skin/figure → flat garment colour → shadow (multiply) → highlight → texture/print → line definition.

Fabric rendering cues: silk = long soft highlights and fluid drape; denim = visible twill texture and topstitching; knit = rib/gauge lines; leather = sharp specular highlight and stiff folds.

Fashion figure vs. technical flat: the figure is elongated and stylised for mood; the flat is proportional, symmetric and measurable for production.

Colour media layering rule: light to dark for transparent media (watercolour, marker); dark to light for opaque media (gouache, acrylic).

Hand and foot shorthand: hands drawn as tapered mitten shapes with a thumb split; feet as wedge shapes with a defined heel and toe box.

A technical flat (working drawing) is drawn to scale, front and back, with no shading, no figure, symmetric centre front/back, and all seams, topstitching, and closures shown.

Common scale: 1:5 or 1:6 for flats on A4 specification sheets; 1:1 for pattern pieces; state the scale on the drawing.

Points of measure (POM) are taken flat across the garment unless noted; state whether measured half or full, and whether seam allowance is included.

Stitch type references (ISO 4915): 301 = lockstitch (straight), 401 = two-thread chain stitch, 504 = overedge (serger), 406 = bottom coverstitch.

Seam class references (ISO 4916): SSa = superimposed seam, LSc = lapped seam, BSa = bound seam, FS = flat seam.

Line-weight hierarchy on a flat: heaviest for outer silhouette, medium for internal seams and style lines, lightest/dashed for topstitching and hidden detail.

Callout symbols to include: grainline arrow, notch marks, buttonholes, zipper stops, darts, and a north arrow or scale bar for clarity.

Bill of materials (BOM) lists every component with code, description, colour, supplier, quantity per garment, and placement.

Fibre classes: natural (cotton, linen, wool, silk) vs. manufactured (regenerated: viscose, modal, lyocell; synthetic: polyester, nylon, elastane, acrylic).

Staple fibres are short and spun (cotton, wool, linen, staple viscose); filament fibres are continuous (silk, polyester filament) and give smoother, stronger yarns.

Yarn twist: higher twist = stronger, leaner, harsher hand; low twist = softer, bulkier, more pilling-prone.

Weave structures: plain (balanced, stable), twill (diagonal, durable, e.g. denim), satin (float-faced, lustrous, snag-prone), basket, dobby, jacquard.

Knit structures: single jersey (curls at edges, stretchy), rib (1x1 recovers widthwise), interlock (stable, no curl), purl, and warp knits (tricot, raschel).

Non-woven and other: felt (fibre entanglement, no grain), bonded, lace, net, and laminated/coated fabrics.

Key tests: GSM (mass per area), fabric count/threads per inch, shrinkage after wash, colourfastness to wash/light/rub, pilling (Martindale), and tear/tensile strength.

Elastane content changes behaviour: 2–5% gives comfort stretch; 15–20%+ gives high stretch/athletic recovery; always test recovery, not just stretch.

Block (sloper) is a fitted, no-ease, no-style basic; patterns are created by manipulating the block, not by drafting from scratch each time.

Dart manipulation moves fullness without changing the garment's fit: pivot method (rotate around dart point) or slash-and-spread method.

Bodice block standard ease: approximately 5–7 cm at bust, 2–3 cm at waist, 3–5 cm at hip for a fitted woven garment (adjust by fabric and style).

Grainline must run parallel to centre front/back on the pattern; the straight-grain arrow is drawn on every piece.

Seam allowance conventions: 1 cm on most seams, 1.5 cm on curved/armhole seams, 4–5 cm on hems; add to the block, not the block itself.

Draping sequence: prepare and mark the dress form (CF, CB, bust, waist, hip lines), block muslin on grain, pin at CF, smooth, then clip/notch and mark; transfer to paper as a pattern.

Balance marks (notches) are cut in pairs on seam edges to align pieces; a single notch = front, double notch = back is a common convention.

Trueing: after drafting, walk seams and match lengths; dart legs must be equal, and side seams front/back must match after seam allowance.

Stitch length and needle rules: fine fabrics (silk, chiffon) use 60/8–70/10 needles and 1.5–2 mm stitches; denim uses 90/14–100/16 and 3–3.5 mm; knits use ballpoint/jersey needles.

Thread types: polyester-cotton core thread for general seaming, 100% polyester for durability, silk thread for fine tailoring, and elastic thread for shirring.

Machine types: lockstitch (301), overlock/serger (504) for edge finishing and knits, coverstitch (406) for hemming knits, blind hemmer, bartacker, buttonholer.

Seam finishes: overlocked, French (fine fabrics, encloses raw edges), flat-felled (denim, sturdy), bound, Hong Kong, and zigzag for home machines.

Pressing tools: tailor's ham (curved seams, darts), seam roll (long seams), clapper (sets wool), pressing cloth (protects heat-sensitive fabrics).

Fusing rule: test fusible on a scrap at the production temperature; fusible interlining adds structure to collars, cuffs, plackets and waistbands.

Production line balancing: split operations by machine type and cycle time; bottleneck operation determines line output, not the fastest station.

Quality checks at each stage: fabric inspection (4-point system), cut panel check, in-line check, end-line check, and final AQL inspection.

Key silhouettes: 1800s Empire (high waist), 1830s–1890s bustle and crinoline, 1900s S-bend corset, 1920s garçonne drop waist, 1947 Dior's New Look (nipped waist, full skirt).

20th-century designers: Chanel (jersey, little black dress, relaxed tailoring), Vionnet (bias cut), Dior (New Look), Balenciaga (sculptural volume), Yves Saint Laurent (le smoking, 1966).

Movements: Arts and Crafts (handcraft revival), Art Deco (geometric, 1920s), Mod (1960s, youth-driven), Punk (1970s, DIY/deconstruction), Minimalism (1990s, reduced forms).

Japanese avant-garde (1980s): Miyake (pleats, garment-as-material), Yamamoto and Kawakubo (deconstruction, asymmetry, unfinished edges).

Couture vs. ready-to-wear: haute couture is made-to-measure in Paris under the Chambre Syndicale rules; prêt-à-porter is standard-sized, industrial production.

Costume terms: farthingale (hooped skirt), panniers (side hoops), corset/stays, crinoline cage, bustle pad, stomacher, ruff, doublet, and hose.

Historical fabric and colour cues: Tyrian purple reserved for status, indigo dye trade, and the 19th-century invention of synthetic dyes (mauveine, 1856).

Archive research uses primary sources: museum garment collections, pattern books, fashion plates, and period photographs.

Colour wheel relationships: complementary (opposite, high contrast), analogous (adjacent, harmonious), triadic (three evenly spaced), split-complementary, and monochromatic.

Colour dimensions: hue (family), value (light/dark), chroma/saturation (intensity). A colour story balances these three, not just hue.

Simultaneous contrast: a colour appears lighter against dark surroundings and darker against light ones; test swatches against the final fabric, not on screen.

Colour forecasting: trend services (e.g. WGSN, Peclers, Coloro/Pantone) publish 18–24 months ahead; brands then adapt to their market and price tier.

Trend adoption curve: innovators → early adopters → early majority → late majority → laggards; the trickle-down, bubble-up and trickle-across models describe spread direction.

Seasonal calendar: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collections are shown about 6 months before retail delivery; pre-collections and drops fill the gaps.

Trend research sources: street style, social media analytics, runway reports, trade fairs (Première Vision for fabric, Pitti for menswear), and retail sell-through data.

Print direction: scale (small/medium/large), repeat type (straight, half-drop, mirror, tossed), and placement (engineered vs. all-over).

Sustainability pillars: environmental (water, energy, chemicals, waste), social (labour rights, wages, safety), and economic viability.

Fibre impacts: conventional cotton is water- and pesticide-intensive; recycled polyester reduces virgin feedstock but is not biodegradable; lyocell uses closed-loop solvent recovery.

Circular design strategies: design for durability, mono-material construction for recyclability, design for disassembly, take-back schemes, and repair services.

Certifications: GOTS (organic textile processing), GRS (recycled content), OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 (harmful substances), bluesign (chemical/process safety), Fair Trade and SA8000 (labour).

EU regulatory direction: Digital Product Passport, extended producer responsibility for textiles, and greenwashing rules requiring substantiated environmental claims.

Chemical safety: REACH restricts azo dyes and other substances; wet processing (dyeing, washing, finishing) dominates water and chemical footprint.

Microfibre shedding: highest from synthetic fleece and loosely twisted knits; mitigation includes fibre choice, yarn twist, and washing-machine filters.

Workplace safety: machine guarding, needle guards, fume extraction in screen printing, ergonomics, and clear emergency exits are baseline requirements.

Portfolio structure: cover → introduction/CV → research and inspiration → design development → technical drawings → final illustrations → photography/garment images → reflection.

Each project should show the full process: brief, research, experimentation, decisions, outcome, and evaluation - not only finished images.

Presentation formats: A4 or A3 landscape PDF under 20 MB for email submission; 15–25 pages per project is typical; label each page with project and stage.

Photography rules: consistent lighting and background, styled on-model plus flat/ghost mannequin shots, and detail shots of construction.

Professional documents: CV (one to two pages), cover letter tailored to the role, and a digital portfolio link with a short description.

Interview practice: be ready to explain the concept, the fabric and colour choices, the construction decisions, and what you would change.

Copyright and credit: never use others' images without credit or licence; state whether design work is personal, collaborative, or coursework.

File hygiene: consistent naming (project_page_description), embedded fonts or PDF export, and a backup copy on cloud storage.