#patternmakingbooks

Fashion Patternmaking Techniques: Technicality and Whimsicality

This technical volume by Antonio Donnanno is one of several by Promopress which show both a garment and how it would be worked out as a flat pattern. This volume’s title equates haute couture with very dramatic evening styles which overlooks all of the neat little suits and daytime dresses couture houses have ever made for their wealthy clientele. (Other volumes treat those kinds of garments). But then most of us only know famous couture houses today because of the dramatic dresses worn at well-publicized galas and ceremonies, so this may explain the approach.

A chapter on pleats, drapes and frills gives us the dress with the short layers of skirt upon skirt, while another chapter on ruffles, flounces and jabots both describes the basics of those design elements and gives us Dress with Collar Flounces and a very deep, and probably impractical V-neckline in the back. Notice the whimsicality of the blouse whose sleeves are then attached hem of its blouse. But what happens when you need to scratch your head, which is what I was doing while pondering this sketch. There are chapters on garments with raglan sleeves, with cut-on sleeves and then later ones consider tailoring and basic draping. There is also a chapter on painting on fabric, and that is the only embellishment covered.

So, this is definitely a volume that will get you imagining evening and cocktail dresses and some of the more dramatic ideas for necklines, skirts, even sleeves, if that kind of garment is your obsession.