When Designing Lingerie, is the Fit Model Important?

"The choice of house model will directly affect your company's profitability, sales and perceived style of your product" David Morris De Montfort University, Leicester.

The model you use to fit bra designs should reflect the final customer in age and body shape. The following variables should be considered :-

•  Lifestyle including diet and exercise regime
• Ethnic background
• Age
• Hormonal activity
• Thickness and elasticity of skin
• Generic inheritance

The age of  your model is very important when looking at a bra's underband measurement. The under 28's do not have a fixed breast plate so their underband measurement varies throughout the day. The underband measurement on a woman under the age of 28 can be 2.5cm bigger after eating a meal and conversely 2.5cm smaller just before a meal time.

 Once you have found your house model, detailed measurements, describing the model's shape should be taken:-

• Measurement between 2 bust points
• Measurement from bust point to sternal notch
• Measurement from bust point to breast root (to help with bottom cup fit)
• Width across each breast (Centre front to breast root) 

A flexi curve should be used to trace the shape of the model's breast root to establish/confirm the correct bra  wire.

The above measurements should be used when creating patterns and checked with the model at each fit stage in the design and technical process.

Custom Dress for a September Bride

The work started in May; a quiet meeting with the bride to exchange thoughts. Florence brought her ideas on paper and I brought my notebook, tape measure and fairtrade, organic and sustainable swatches.

Next came working drawings and a further discussion, focusing on fabric choice and design detail. This included a request for a baby bridesmaid dress.

Several fittings and many design decisions later, my beloved mannequin, Deidre is modelling the dress. I have to point out that Deidre is a little fuller figured than the bride....oh boy did the perfect tape take some sourcing....the final and best version arriving days before the wedding.....

And the big day arrives.......just blessed...in the chapel and by the sunshine!

What is the gorgeous baby girl wearing???

The bride with my babes. A truly beautiful bride....thank you for the commission  and the day!

The Value of Good Research

I have never been good at science or at least I thought not. Perhaps this is more to do with the way the subject was taught when I was at school. I have just watched this year's Dimbleby Lecture from Sir Paul Nurse and I am inspired. I hope that one of my young daughters becomes interested in science. The lecture takes 45 minutes but it's well worth a viewing
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01cx7x0
If you prefer to read the lecture, http://royalsociety.org/uploadedFiles/Royal_Society_Content/people/fellows/2012-02-29-Dimbleby.pdf

What has all this got to do with Fashion and Fashion Auntie I hear you ask?

"Today the UK is second only to the USA in contributions to the world’s 
science, and is probably first in terms of cost efficiency. This is an amazing 
achievement for our country. 


Science is one of Britain’s greatest resources. In the future we will not be able to compete on the world stage with low labour costs or by exploiting vast reserves of mineral 
resources. We will have to compete with our brains and with our science.
Many features important for good science are well embedded in the 
UK. We have a tradition of respect for empiricism, emphasising reliable 
observation and experiment"

                                         Sir Paul Nurse - Dimbleby Lecture 28th February


If you read the small excerpt above you the words science could design  be interchangeable.

The final two words observation and experiment. Observation is a research method. Experiment is another way of describing a creative process.  For me, research drives good design, whether you are researching a market you wish to design for, a question or problem which needs to be answered, trend intelligence, or looking for aesthetic inspiration. I have always found my best designs flow when I have done my research in a thorough and inspired way.

The other really important aspect related to design is researching and sourcing the best materials (hoping,we're all thinking sustainable here!)

The point is if you carry out your own research you're creating your own unique design, not some weak imitation of someone else's work. Let's all explore with inquiring, creative minds......

What's really happening with Sustainable Fashion?

Wow I think things are hotting up! There's real movement at the top of the chain and great things happening with the High Street retailers.

Meryl Streep, yes Meryl Streep the Academy's Best Actress award winner this year wore Lanvin's first ever sustainable gown.

Livia Frith is the wonderful lady who is responsible for Meryl's awareness of Sustainable fashion. Livia Frith (Colin's wife) started the trend amongst the stars with GCC - Green Carpet Challenge. Livia vowed in 2009 to only wear gowns that are eco friendly. Frith is the founder of eco-age.com. Miranda Porter is the site's editor who takes on a Frugal challenge. She's seen looking beautiful in her own version of sustainable fashion as well as editing a really good site.

Here are the Oscar Eco queens togther, Streep in Lanvin and Frith in Valentino. The Valentino dress is made with silk, and polyester from recycled plastic bottles. Do they these gowns look sustainable? No, they just look like red carpet frocks! There were other stars getting sustainable on the red carpets this Winter and there are more high end designers ready to join the Sustainable band wagon.

How about the Bafta's? Just as hot in a different way...really excited about this.

Michelle Williams, nominated for best actress wore - H&M monochrome - Wow

H and M are trailblazers on the High Street for Sustainability and Fair Trade - check out 'Conscious' http://about.hm.com/content/hm/AboutSection/en/About/Sustainability.html

So we have a growing number of A listers wearing Sustainable Fashion, and a well dressed star in customised,  high quality High Street. My hero!!

Well done GCC and really well done H & M with Michelle Williams. Who is next? What is everyone up to as we all type, read and create?

Sustainable Project .....Day 4

Got a name now...................

Sustainable Project....Day 3

                                   ????

Well the fabrics and trims have arrived...whoopee...time to start creating. I had better give this simple little product a name...going to need a domain name. This is the fun part.

.......later. This is much harder than I anticipated. Trying to find a name that conveys a sustainability message which doesn't sound flavourless and lacking in style with a word which sums up some element of style. I'm finding this to be a difficult marriage, especially when I'm looking for a name which is still free, but I will find something  which conveys the mesage....................space to be watched!

Luxury...What's Special About Couture?

Givenchy Collection Autumn Winter 2011-2012

Haute Couture literally translated means "sewing at a high level" and the centre for haute couture is still Paris. Couture had been in decline for many years with the couture houses being thought of, as exclusively expensive workshops where highly creative ideas could be satisfied. These design houses were subsidised by their fragrances as no-one could afford the extravagantly high prices.

Now, amazingly some couture houses are back in profit. It seems that the super rich have revived this declining sector. Sadly some believe that it's at the expense of great design as the couture designers are designing to their customers tastes and not exploring creative fantasy. I believe that this is fashion going through a natural cycle as talented seamstresses which preceded Couture were designing what their customers craved. Charles Worth (1826-1895) is considered to be the first Couture designer. He was the first to dictate design to his customers with sketches.

Couture, of course uses the finest fabrics with top notch cutting skills, all individually made. What many fashion followers don't realise is that most of the stitching is done by hand by highly skilled seamstresses using very intricate processes.

To my mind, really good quality ready to wear clothes are preferable. I would choose not to pay £50,000 to £100,000 for even the most heart stoppingly beautiful item. In terms of luxury and sustainability I'd like to see some fitting and finishing techniques being borrowed from Haute Couture......please...