Fitting and Quality Control
Fitting questions test whether you can read drag lines and wrinkles, check grain and balance, and choose the right alteration. Quality control questions test measurement tolerances, symmetry, stitch density and inspection order.
Fitting principles
Fit on the wearer with the garment inside out and the correct undergarments. Check ease, grain, shoulder slope, bust and waist position, sleeve set and hem level. A garment is balanced when the centre front and centre back hang vertically and side seams do not swing forward or back.
Reading wrinkles
- Diagonal lines from bust to shoulder mean the bust area is too tight.
- Horizontal folds at the back waist mean the back is too long.
- Vertical pulls at the hip mean the hip is too tight.
- Gap at the armhole means the armhole shape or shoulder slope is wrong.
Quality control
Check measurements against the size chart with a tolerance of about plus or minus 0.5 cm on critical points. Check stitch density, seam strength, symmetry of collar, cuffs and pockets, colour matching, trims and thread trimming. Inspect before and after pressing, because pressing can hide or reveal defects.
Worked example
A bodice shows diagonal drag lines from the bust toward the shoulder. Reasoning: the fabric is pulling across the bust, so the bust area is too tight, not too long. Check grain first, then add width at the side seam rather than the centre front. Re-fit after the alteration.
Traps
Altering before checking grain; correcting only one side; measuring over a bulky garment; assuming a wrinkle means excess length when it may mean tightness.
Key points
- Fit inside out with correct undergarments; check grain, ease and balance first.