15 Garment Assembly and Fit

V. Krishnaveni

1. INTRODUCTION

The fit of clothing is very important in emphasizing the certain aspects of your body. The fit of a garment is the most obvious factor in the total effect, but fitting and garment assembly in dress making are dependent on each other and each contribute equally to the success of the garment. The fit checking process starts with the first piece of fabric to end pieces of fabric to be cut and made for construction of garment. This is a continues process throughout the construction of any garment or apparel wears. The fitting of garment refers to how the garment is matured on the curves of the body structure with well balanced manner confirms the three dimensional effect of body fit. The good garment fit is mainly based on the satisfaction of any individual personal feel.

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand about the importance of fit and Assembly on garments
To know about the principles of good fit
Standards for developing garment fit
Outline of various steps involved in analyzing fitting problems with remedies

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF WELL FINISHED GARMENTS

The sewing process is the one of the heart process of apparel industry. The sewing process involves the manufacturing of well finished garments by various key processes such as laying, cutting and assembly. The Good fit is normally achieved by doing the sewing work with care, sincerity, lack of complaint and follow up. The well-fitted garment always possesses some characteristics like feels comfortable, adjusts naturally according to the activities of the wearer, satisfaction of the wearer, line and amount of ease and consistent with current fashion.

The well finishing of garments is mainly based on various factors which includes

correct measurements
layout of fabrics
type of grain
Method of cutting
Seam allowance of samples
assembly of garment pieces
method of sewing process
fit chart preferences

4. REASONS FOR POOR FITTING

There are various reasons for developing the poor fit in garments. The most important reasons areas follow as :

The garments are inaccurately cut.
Badly fitted under garments proides bad fit.
The basic bodice patterns are not in the right size, the fitting problem will arise
Pattern alteration method is not correctly done according to the body measurement then poor fitting occurs.
Poor posture might be the reason for differences in the bodice blocks and not suitable for thewearer.
Disproportionate body cures will deelop poor fit
The garment should be cut and stitched correctly to the cures of the body structure.
Lengthwise fabric should be folded into darts are cut into seam to allow enough ease oer the cures.
Wide darts are to be stitched carefully to control the excess material

5. MAJOR AND MINOR FACTORS AFFECTING GOOD FIT

The goal of any pattern alteration is to make the pattern fit better, but before you alter, one person should decide the type of fit needs. The following factors which affect the individual requirements of fitting either medium or good fit.

There are four major and minor factors to be considered for affecting the fitting of any garment. These factors only decide the loose fit, medium fit, and tight fit of any wear. .The factors are

fabrics appearance,
comfort of wearer,
design of fabric
Fabrication method and the miner factors are
Grain parameters
Character of the garment
Indiidual personality
Age group
type of figure
current fashion and style
Pattern of fabrics

These factors are interrelated if any one factor will be a fault, automatically the fit of a total garment will get disturbed.

6. ASSEMBLY OF GARMENT PROCESS

The assembly of garment is a fundamental step which creates the new design of garment. The various steps provide the information about the techniques and components essential to the assembly of sewn parts to the silhouette of garments. This will help the fashion students, entrepreneurs, tailors and designers to adopt the right way to manufacture the good fitting of garments. The assembling of entire garments is mainly based on the setting of correct components in correct places.

The various steps to be followed for assembling the garment such as

Selection of stitch and seam types for sewing
Type of darts to be stitched
Method of sewing front edge fastenings
Techniques of Inserting zip fastenings
Method of attaching waistbands
Assembling and attaching simple and complex pockets
Sleee cap and band construction
Attaching of collars
Joining of cuffs
Construction of yokes
Placement of plackets
Insertion of fasteners
Finishing of necklines
Bounding of hems

7. IMPORTANCE OF FIT ON GARMENTS

The importance of fitting will be based on the individual preferences, current styles and also fashion trends. The type of loose fitting, medium fitting and tight fitting of garment always depends on the particular type of apparels, time and type of wearer.

Regardless of your body type, fit is always of supreme importance.
Unnecessary fullness of clothing is unflattering, so need fit
Overweight people looks heavier in appearance on loose fitting garments ,so the fit of clothing is important .
The persons are of average weight, you can use your clothing to make you appear slimmer, larger or stronger.
Individual persons you want to avoid clothing that is too tight or too loose; too long or too short.
Normally proper fit enhances all body types and structures.

8. ASPECTS OF A GOOD FIT

The most important aspects of fit concern about

proximity of the garment to the body,
comfort of the garment,
features placement

9. TERMINALIGIES RELATING TO FIT

The different terminologies are followed when designing and manufacturing of garments. These terms are interrelated and it will enhance the fitting. Such important terminologies are strain, tightness, looseness and gapping .

•Strain: Strain is characterized by slight folds that begin and end within the garments outline, such as those created by pulling fabric taut from two opposite ends. Strain results from using insufficient fabric for the dimensions of the form or figure.

•Tightness: Tightness is characterized by a garment that fits too closely to the figure. Tightness results from using insufficient fabric in one part of the garment, or in the whole garment.

•Looseness: Looseness is characterized by a garment that fits too loosely around the figure, causing the shoulder lines of the garment to droop over the shoulder tip of the form or figure, or by excessive looseness around the bust, waist and hips.

•Gapping: Gapping is characterized by misplaced excess around the neckline and armhole causing looseness. Gapping can be identified by its cone-like shape, with the widest part of the cone at the outline of the garment.

10. A GOOD FITTING

The good fitting of garments is normally reflected by some inherent quality in the system of garment manufacturing process. The silhouette of the figure need not be perfectly symmetrical, the proportions and stance may be less than ideal, but the garment will still align properly when well fit.

The whole garment that fits well will hang from the shoulder to the hemline without the appearance of strain, tightness, gaping, or looseness.
The right and left side of sleeve will be in perfect alignment with the arm.
The stitched garment will appear neither too short nor too long from neckline to waistline and from waistline to hemline and waistline to floor level.
Apparels appear neither too tight nor too loose for comfort.
The hemline and horizontal balance lines will be parallel with the floor.
The straight lines and grain balance lines will be perpendicular with the floor.

11.DIFFERENT STANDARDS FOR GOOD FIT

The basic some standards are commonly used for checking the fit or to be followed in construction of any garments. The various agencies formulating the basic standards for fitting of garments by nationally and internationally. Based on the requirements of export and import order of garment manufacturing, the standards will be followed for each construction. The five basic standards present in every fitting decide whether a garment fits well or not and good or poor fit. The ease, line, grain, set, and balance standards are all interrelated and also which is used for all type of garment manufacturing.

11.1) EASE ALLOAWNCE

The Ease is the difference between the circumference measurements of the figure and of the garment measurement .The sum of ease should be adequate for comfort and it is based on fashion, style and type of garment and type of fabric used. Loose fitting garments look clumsy and also insufficient ease in a garment is indicated by tight horizontal creases. The standard ease allowances for different seam lines are as follows:-

• Back shoulder to front seam -1/2″.

• Bustline -4″.

• Across back -1/2 ” to 3/4″

• Across ches – 1/4″ to – 3/8″.

• Hipline -11/2″

• Skirt at waistline to belt – 1″ or 1/4″ on each quarter.

• Back of sleeve cap -2″ to 3″

• Elbow – 1″

11.2) LINE

The Line always defined by the joining of two points or seams used for creating the silhouette of the garment and proportion of the garment and of various parts of the garment to each other, the shape of curved lines and the proper placing of the details of the design features. When fitting for line, one should study the general appearance of the entire garment taking particular note of each silhouette and proportion apparently. The type of silhouette varies according to fashion, style, and body proportion.

The correct proportion can only be found when in position of fitting the garment on the figure.

11.3) SET

Set is nothing but the way in which the fabric exactly fit to the contours of the body figure and the fabric should be positioned perfectly smooth without any creases in all areas. In common with balance, the set will be correct when the grain is correctly positioned, but as set is such many people prefer to fit by observing and eliminating any creases, rather than by correcting the position of the grain. Balance -fitted garment has a smooth set without any wrinkles. The diagonal creases are caused by the garment being strained over some curves or bulges of the body. The smooth free wrinkles is required for set or freedom of silhouette for a good-looking fit.

11.4) BALANCE

The balance is defined as the relationship between the garment and the figure, and between various parts of the garment. The balance is correct when the garment hangs equally either side from the centre of the figure at all points. It is balanced from the front, back or side and with vertical seams perpendicular to the floor level. The manufactured garment should look balanced from left to right and front to back.

11.5) GRAIN

The interlacement of warp and weft yarns in an angles to form grain and it represented in the direction of the threads. The length wise threads are heavier than cross wise threads. Heavier threads tend to drape well on the figure with graceful folds, when gathers, pleats and ruffles occur on the straight grain. Length wise grain should be perpendicular to the floor. The crosswise yarns are parallel to the floor at centre front and centre back. In the standard basic pattern at center front and back of measurements like bust and hip, the length wise grain is perpendicular and the crosswise grain is parallel to the floor. From the point of grain on the right half of the garment should match that on the left half, except in asymmetrical designs as in a side draped skirt. These factors, which determine whether a garment has a good fit or not are ease, line, grain, set and balance.

12. PREPARATION OF GARMENT FOR FITTING

Before going to the construction of any garment, the garment components should meet some requirements. All facings should be in position except those at hem of a jacket or sleeve or collar. Seams to need any adjustment such as those in a pleated or gathered skirt may be stitched. The Centre front and centre back seams to be stitched on the straight centre seams. Tack all other darts and seams at a point.Tack the hem as it enables the proportion of the garment. Do not attach the collar or the sleeve as the neckline and armholes must be perfectly set before these are attached .

13. METHOD OF CHECKING THE FIT OF A GARMENT

The garment should be tacked without sleeves, collars or facings and tried on.
The openings are pinned together accurately, properly and securely
The basting line that marks centre front, and back helps in giving a good fitting.
To check the fit of the body the garment should wear on right side out.
The garment is thoroughly inspected and carefully analysed for fitting.
Checking the fit in the bodice should take extra care when doing major alterations
Left and right side patterns should equal allowance when it check
The garment paper patterns should be altered based the amount of changes required.
When checking the fitting of sleeves, armscye, Necklines and waistlines one should
concentrate the fit of exact curves of the silhouette in the second round of check.
Preserve the patterns which are altered for good fitting
Constantly compare the drafted pattern with the body measurement for accurate fitting.
The garment should look nice from the back to front

14. DIFFERENT TYPES OF FITTING PROBLEMS

In the formation of garment silhouette, the seam lines are most important. This seam lines will differ for each garment. But there are six types of seam lines which are commonly used for forming the garment design silhouette either in the top garment nor bottom garments. The length and width of seam line will differ for each type of apparels namely, children’s women’s and men’s apparels. In the apparels, the garments are classified according to the classification by bodice, skirt and trousers. According to the bodice there are six seam lines namely centre front line, shoulder line, neckline, side seam line, waist line and arm hole lines. The measurement or fault occurs in any one seam line automatically all the seam lines get affected by fitting problems. So the list of different varieties of fitting problems occurs in in bodice pattern, skirt pattern and trouser pattern as follows.

• Broad shoulders

• Narrow shoulders

• Square shoulders

• Sloping shoulders

• Gaping armhole

• Gaping Neckline

• Small neckline

• Deep armhole

• Small bust

• Large Bust

• Underarm dart

• Long back balance

• Short back balance

• Waist shaping

• Crease below collar

• Hollow waist

• High abdomen

15. METHOD OF RE-SOLVING FITTING PROBLEMS

There are different steps to be followed for checking the fit and after checking , once the fitting problem is identified in any seam line it has to be resolved by either with minor adjustments or alteration of full pattern. Depends upon the type and kind of fitting problems, the method of remedy should be used. For checking the fitting problems some common steps should be followed are

First each garment should be checked for ease, comfort, line, grain, set and balance.
If Diagonal folds are arrived in the sewing process, remove the stitch and release at the bulge areas to adjust the neckline than to sleeve and the armhole.
Seam allowances are also used to increase or decrease the fullness at the bust line.
While cutting, the patterns should be placed parallel to the selvedge so that the length of the garment will be along the selvedge side.
While stitching the armhole and neckline should be taken care off.
To get a good fitting in the garment it is better to keep 2.5 cms to 2 cms extra material at the back, shoulder seam, under arm and side seam..
Fullness should be evenly distributed with out irregular or puckering pleats Facings and hems should be finished smoothly.
Seam edges ironing should be done after every shape for neatening
The garments should not be too tight as the figure defects will be more noticeable.
For assessing the good fit in a garment use the accurate measurement and draft the patterns correctly.

16. SOME KIND OF FITTING PROBLEMS WITH REMEDY a) Fitting Problem-Hollow back

Fitting problem:-The skirt has a horizontal fold just below the waist which is caused by the waistline being insufficiently hollowed.

Remedy: Pin the fold at the centre back, tapering to nothing at the sides. Lower the centre back waistline of the pattern by the width of the fold and curve to the original side waist. This fault may also be found at the front of a skirt and the same method would be caused to alter the front pattern.

b) Fitting Problem-Narrow shoulders

Fitting problem: The garment is too wide on the shoulders and the front width line and appears to be slipping off .

Remedy: Re-measure the figure and shoulder length and front width on Draw the new armhole curve. Mark the correct the front pattern. For the purpose of this example, it is assumed that the back width is correct although the back shoulder length will, of course, need to be reduced to correspond with the front shoulder length.• The simplest method of reducing the back shoulder length is to make a shoulder dart of the required width, or widen an existing dart. In this way the curve of the armhole remains unchanged.

Fitting Problem-Narrow shoulders with pattern alteration

C) Fitting Problem-Square shoulders

Fitting problem: This figure causes creases to form between the neckline and the shoulder points. The neckline may also appear loose. The grain on the front width line is raised at each end.

Remedy – Clip the tacking stitches along the shoulder seam towards the neck point and let out the seam until the creases disappear. Raise the shoulder section the necessary amount and raise the base of the armhole by the same amount to correct the size of the armhole.

Fitting Problem-Square shoulders with pattern alteration

SUMMARY

In order to make a good quality fitted garment the manufacturer should stamped in the design and garment assembly part to very perfect and the manufacturer should create good garment silhouette. The fitting determines the requirements of individual’s preferences of fit and serves as a means to communicate one’s fitting clear ideas and its types to the manufacturers. The length, breadth and range factors of fit for garments and assembly of the components are also highlighted .Themanufacturers and customer prefer a good q u a l i t y f i t t e d g a r m e n t s with reasonable cost and style . Finally, the good fit garments enhance the personal appearance , look, style and also its provide self confidence of the individual personals.

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