Designing and Producing

Apparel  
 

Using Design in Fashion

Objectives:  

o Explain the importance of each

element of design in relation to
fashion
o Apply the principles of design to
apparel
 

o Describe how harmony is achieved

in garment designs
o Discuss how to use design to
create illusions that enhance
appearance
 The Design Equation  

o Elements
Color
Shape
Line
Texture
 

o Principles
Balance
Proportion
Emphasis
Rhythm
 
Good design or harmony
The Elements of Design
COLOR  

o Hue
 The name given to a color

o Value
 The lightness or darkness of  a

hue
o Tint
 Adding white to a hue (pastel)

o Shade
 Adding black to a hue

o Intensity
 The brightness or dullness of a

hue
 COLOR Communication  

o Black - elegant, sophisticated,

dignified, strong, serious, sad
o Brown - earthy, casual,
comfortable, natural
o Navy - dignified, cool, classic,
peaceful, calm
o Green – signifies life, nature,
friendly
o Red - aggressive, passionate,
vibrant
o Yellow - sunny, cheerful, warm
 

o Orange - cheerful, youthful, lively

o Violet - royal, wise, dramatic
o Gray - modest, sad, quiet dignity,
professional
o Beige - quiet, tailored
 o White – innocent, youthful, pure
o Pink - soft, feminine
o Gold - wealth, power, luxury

Using the COLOR Wheel  

o Primary Hues
 Red, Yellow, Blue
o Secondary Hues
 Orange, Green, Violet
o Intermediate or
Tertiary Hues
 Yellow-green, Yellow-orange,
Red-orange, Red-violet, Blue-
violet, Blue-green

COLOR Schemes  
 o Monochromatic
 Tints and shades of one hue
o Analogous
 Adjacent hues
o Complementary
 Opposite hues
o Split complementary
 1 hue with hues on each side of
its complement
 

o Triad
 3 hues equal distance
o Accented neutral
 Neutral (white, black, gray,
beige) with an accent of bright
color
Illusions Through COLOR

Using Color in Fashion  

o Extreme contrast makes colors

look brighter
o Light colored objects appear
larger
o Dark colored objects recede or
appear smaller
o Fashion is more attractive without
equal areas of light and dark
o Color is affected by light and
texture
 SHAPE and LINE  

o Shape or silhouette
 Outline or form
 Determined by cut and
construction of the garment
o Lines in Fashion
 Outline the inner and outer
spaces
 Can be structural or decorative
 

The shape of the pants are bell-bottoms,

the lines (stripes) are decorative.
 LINE  Types and
Directions  

o Straight
 Bold, severe, dignified

o Curved
 Flowing, rounded, soft, youthful

o Jagged or Diagonal
 Noticeable, interesting, can

create confusion
o Vertical
 Height, slimming, dignity

o Horizontal
 Width, restful, calming

TEXTURE  
 o Tactile quality of goods or how
material feels
o Can be created from fibers, yarns,
and fabric construction
o Illusions
 Shiny, bulky, fuzzy, or heavy

textures make figures look

larger
 Dull or flat textures tend to

slenderize

The Principles of Design 

Balance  
 o Formal balance
 Symmetrical

 Dignified

 Can look boring

o Informal balance
 Creates balance asymmetrically

 Elements placed unequally in a

way that achieves balance

 

Equality among the parts of a design or

outfit

Proportion  
 o The spatial, or size, relationship of
the parts of design to each other
and to the whole
o Most pleasing when divided
unevenly
o Garments should bring out the
natural proportions of the body to
be pleasing
 

What parts of the jacket are out of

proportion?

EmphAsis  
 o A concentration of interest in a
particular part or area of a design.
o May be achieved with contrasts of
colors or textures, structural
lines, or unusual shapes
 

Is your eye drawn to the tie? Or perhaps

to the “a” in emphasis?

RRRhhyyytthhhmm  

o Creates easy movement of the

observer’s eye by:
o Repetition
 Repeats lines, shapes, colors, or

textures
o Gradation
  Increase or decrease of design
elements (also called
progression)
o Radiation
 Created by lines or colors

emerging from a center (petals

on a flower)

Harmony  

o Pleasing visual unity of all aspects

of a design
o All parts of the design look as if
they belong
o Does not have excess variation
that could displease or detract
 Illusions Created by
Design  

o When selecting garments, use the

elements and principles of design
to accentuate positive figure
traits and de-emphasize the
negative ones. Fashion
professionals know how to do this.
 

Which one is most slimming?

 Do You Know . . .  

o How do cool and warm colors

appear to change the size and
shape of a person?
o How can you use the elements and
principles of design to accomplish
the following:
 Look taller and thinner

 Avoid attention to your hips

 Attract attention to your face