5 Easy Ways To Drape Dress – What is draping & how to do it?

What is draping & how to do it?

Fashion draping is the oldest method used since the 18th century. Draping is  an  art in fashion to play with fabric  ,The techniques for draping fabric require the knowledge of the fabric’s characteristics, Fabrics and clothes must relate to our lifestyles and our active lifestyles are made of many different fabrics such as stretchy knitted fabrics, chiffon, georgette, organza, sheer cottons ,oldest garment of draping is from ancient period , people of ancient period use to drape their costumes  a single fabric  without stitching  they use to wear , specially  men garment.

THOUGH HISTORY MAY SHIFT, THE SHIFT DRESS REMAINS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

Over the course of fashion history we have seen certain silhouettes re-imagined over and over again. When you think of decades past, visions of Porte’scorsetless high-waited hobble skirt may come to mind as translated by Yohji Yamamoto. Chanel’s once rebellious, and now iconic, pantsuit has been a source of inspiration for countless designers.  And Vionnet’s celebration of the female form through the use of the bias cut has shown up in the designs of the many present day designers who feature garments which highlight the natural curves of a woman’s body.

Draping Tutorial – An Ultimate Guide for Beginners

5 basic steps for draping on a dress form.

1. Prep your dress form.

Make sure the measurements are accurate. If you haven’t already, mark the center line of the dress form with tape. This will help you keep your draping even across the body. If you already have an idea of the lines of yourgarment,, such as the shape of the neckline, you can add those with tape, as well. This helps keep your draping on track.

2. Work from a sketch or photograph.

You should have a design idea in mind when you get to the dress form. A sketch or reference photograph will give you an idea of how you need to manipulate the fabric. Of course, you can also just play with the fabric and use its behavior as the basis of your design, but less experienced designers will be

3. Start with muslin

You might want to start with fitting muslin to avoid wasting good fabric, but keep in mind that different types and weights of fabric behave very differently when draped, so choose a muslin weight that is close to the weight of your fabric.

4. Create your foundation piece and pin it to your dress form

Most fabrics will require a foundation piece of some sort to support the weight of the fabric. You can skip this step if you’re working with a very sturdy fabric. If your main fabric is sheer, be sure to choose a fabric that’s close to your skin tone or one that matches the main fabric if you don’t want to see the foundation fabric when the garment is worn.

5. Start pinning

Make sure you have enough fabric to cover the area. You can always cut the extra off later. Draping is usually done in sections: front bodice, back bodice, front skirt, back skirt. Choose a spot where the folds are most prevalent and begin there. Your sketch or photograph will come in handy at this point.