Pancyprian TS Fashion Design II key terms

A written statement agreed with a client or tutor that sets out the target customer, purpose, budget, deadlines and constraints of a design project, giving the designer fixed criteria against which ideas are judged.

The stage after initial research in which rough ideas are selected, tested and refined through sketches, toiles and material trials until a resolved design is ready for technical drawing and production.

A visual collection of images, fabric swatches, colour chips and text that communicates the feeling, palette and direction of a design concept to a client, tutor or production team.

A drawing that communicates a garment's mood, proportion and movement, usually exaggerated in figure and pose, made with media such as marker, watercolour, gouache or digital tools.

A quick, loose sketch of a figure, often elongated to nine or ten heads, used as the base on which garments are drawn and repeated to build a consistent illustration range.

A precise, to-scale, flat representation of a garment showing seams, darts, topstitching, closures and proportions, annotated with measurements and construction notes so a sample maker can reproduce it exactly.

Two-dimensional outline drawings of garments as if laid flat, drawn without a figure and used on specification sheets and line sheets to show construction details clearly and consistently.

A production document listing a style's measurements by size, fabrics, trims, colourways, construction methods and tolerances, used by sampling rooms and factories as the reference for making the garment.

The basic hair-like unit from which yarns and fabrics are made, either natural (cotton, wool, silk, linen) or manufactured (polyester, viscose, nylon), whose length, crimp and fineness determine fabric behaviour.

The two length categories of fibre: staple fibres are short and must be twisted together into yarn, while filament fibres are continuous and can be used as a single long strand, giving smoother, stronger fabrics.

A continuous strand of twisted fibres or filaments produced by spinning, whose twist direction and amount affect the fabric's strength, handle and tendency to snag or pill.

The two yarn systems in woven fabric: warp yarns run lengthwise and are held under tension on the loom, while weft yarns run across the width and are interlaced through them.

The firmly woven finished edge running along both lengthwise sides of a woven fabric, which prevents fraying and marks the direction of the warp yarns.

The direction of the warp yarns in woven fabric, marked as a long arrow on pattern pieces; garments cut off grain hang and twist incorrectly and wear unevenly.

The diagonal direction of a woven fabric at 45 degrees to the warp and weft, which gives maximum stretch and drape and is used for bias-cut garments and bias binding.

A basic, tested pattern for a bodice, sleeve, skirt or trouser drafted to a standard figure without design details, from which working patterns are adapted by manipulation.

The technique of moving a dart's intake from one position to another on a pattern block, or converting it into seamlines, gathers or pleats, to create a new design without changing fit.

A trial garment made in inexpensive calico or similar fabric from a pattern to test fit, proportion and construction before cutting the final fabric.

The method of developing a garment shape by pinning and manipulating fabric directly on a dress form, then transferring the marked seamlines to paper to create a pattern.

The set of incremental measurements that determine how much each point of a pattern grows or shrinks between sizes, ensuring a style fits consistently across a size range.

The extra width of fabric added beyond the stitching line, commonly 1 cm to 1.5 cm, which is trimmed, clipped or finished to allow the seam to lie flat and not fray.

A fully enclosed seam in which the raw edges are sewn, trimmed, then enclosed inside a second row of stitching, producing a neat finish suitable for sheer or unlined lightweight fabrics.

A machine that trims the seam allowance and wraps the raw edge in interlocking threads in one operation, preventing fraying and often joining stretch knit seams simultaneously.

Two adjustable machine settings: stitch length controls how far fabric advances per stitch, and tension controls thread tightness; incorrect settings cause puckering, looping or weak seams.

A first full garment made to the specification sheet to check fit, fabric behaviour and construction before bulk production, usually reviewed and corrected in several rounds.

The French legally protected designation for made-to-measure clothing produced by houses meeting strict criteria, including handwork, a Paris atelier and a minimum number of employed artisans.

Ready-to-wear clothing produced in standard sizes and sold finished from retail collections, as distinct from made-to-measure or couture pieces.

One specific combination of colours in which a style or print is produced, allowing a single design to be offered in several seasonal palettes while sharing the same pattern.

A standardised colour matching system in which each colour has a reference number, allowing designers, mills and factories to specify and reproduce exact shades consistently.

A circular arrangement of hues used to plan relationships such as complementary, analogous and triadic schemes, helping designers build balanced palettes with deliberate contrast.

The research practice of identifying emerging shifts in colour, silhouette, fabric and consumer behaviour, published as seasonal direction reports that inform commercial ranges.

A production and consumption model in which garments are designed for durability, repair, resale and recycling, keeping materials in use and minimising waste at every stage of the lifecycle.

Unused surplus fabric or finished garments left over from previous production, which can be bought and reused by designers instead of being discarded or incinerated.

The practice of disclosing where and by whom a garment's fibres, fabrics and components are produced, allowing buyers to verify labour conditions and environmental claims.

A written evaluation of hazards in a studio or factory, such as cutting blades, irons, chemicals and machine guards, recording who may be harmed and what controls reduce the risk.

A concise sales document showing each style in a range with a flat drawing, style number, wholesale price, colourways, sizes and delivery dates, used to present collections to buyers.

A curated body of work showing research, illustration, technical drawing, construction and finished garments, sequenced to demonstrate a candidate's design thinking and skills to employers or examiners.