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 The Basic Principles of Garment
Construction: Functional, Structural
and Decorative Design

 LITTLE STITCH STUDIO

NOVEMBER 04, 2020 IN GARMENT CONSTRUCTION, LEARN TO

SEW
Fashion is all about illusions, line, color, space and
texture. These concepts are based on the
Principles and Elements of Design. It doesn’t
matter if we are talking about designing couture
gowns, tailoring, fashion accessories, kids wear or
pet clothes. These foundational art principles
become primary considerations throughout the
construction process. Sewing is an art, that of
making beautiful clothes. It takes time, thought
and practice, plus lots of experimentation.

Why Construction Should Matter

Clothing construction refers to the stitching of

garments and all the sewing techniques involved
in the process. Every choice and detail: pockets,
seams, seam finishes, zippers, facings, linings,
interfacings, closures and hems, as well as a good
understanding of fabric are all intertwined.

Having a strong understanding of construction will

help you to become more confident in handling
your sewing projects. You will no longer be
beholden to the pattern as written. Having savvy
construction skills will allow you to confidently
move a dart or eliminate an unwanted detail. You
will begin to recognize how and why pattern
pieces are joined in a particular way and order.
Function, Structural and Decorative Design

As with other types of applied design, fashion

design is a process of seeking a match between a
set of requirements and clever ways of meeting
them. The success of any design depends on the
designer’s ability to combine aesthetic sensibility
with a strong technical knowledge. Clothing as a
wearable art needs to be, well, wearable. Which
means that it needs to fit and flatter, to be taken
off, cleaned and worn again. The age old
dilemma of form vs. function.

Functional Design

With clothing, it is impossible to separate design

and fit. The garment needs to feel comfortable. It
needs to provide adequate room to move, while
still maintaining its shape, or form. The selected
fabric needs to be a suitable weight and
appropriate for the garment.

What type of garment are you making? Is it

intended for a specific season? How will you care
for it? Does it need to provide protection? What
kind of activity will you be engaged in while
wearing? Swimming? Running? Sleeping?

You see, there is a symbiotic relationship

between the materials chosen and the approach
to construction. Functional design is really about
appropriateness. How the garment physically
works and preforms.
Some may be quite obvious, for example,
uniforms for police, firefighters and
physicians. They all need specific protection for
their unique job. Of course, all clothing, with the
exception of a concept piece, needs to be
functional to actually be worn. A t-shirt or sweater
needs to pull over the head to get it on and again
to remove. Pants and skirts need to be held up at
the waist or hip and have some sort of way to
anchor to the body. It is in this way that you can
see how fashion and function go hand in hand.

Structural Design

The structure of a garment is everything that

holds the garment together. The fabric, the
seams, shaping and everything that goes on
between the outer fabric and the inside. It
incorporates a number of different elements
depending on the desired look that you want to
achieve.

A garment which has been nicely made and

neatly finished will wear better over time, it will
also sit better on the body. Sometimes when a
garment is not finished correctly small details will
not seem to hang nicely on the body – a collar
won’t roll quite the right way, a neckline won’t sit
quite flat or a lining will bunch up in the wrong
areas. A large part of the ability to control the
shape of the garment is in giving the correct
structure to support the silhouette.

Decorative Design

After the functional and structural details have

been carefully considered, decorative design is
next! What is Decorative Design? Decorative
Design refers to the decorative surface finish, but
it is often what catches your eye and draws you to
a garment. Details such as buttons, bows, trim,
embroidery, prints, pattern and color. These
embellishments can be paired to enhance a
design or to subvert it. Their purpose may be
completely decorative, but is always carefully
considered.

As is often the case, the beauty of a garment isn’t

in the “decorative element” but in the lack of
embellishment. Working within a minimalist
framework, a mix of clever pattern cutting, strong
construction skills and correct structure can
sometimes be just as innovative and modern as
any surface design.

In fashion sewing, you can see how a broad

appreciation of function, structure and decorative
design is necessary. Not one of these is
exclusive, as each needs to be considered on
individual merits as well as how they relate to the
whole garment. Some designers start with their
end product in mind and experiment endlessly
until they can turn their mental images into a
physical form. Others start from a point of
experimentation and allow for happy
accidents. The beauty of great design is less
about strict rules and more about the
consideration of balance and innovation.
Next week’s lesson:

Order of Operations in Garment Sewing

 GARMENT CONSTRUCTION

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