Draping: Second Edition

by Karolyn Kiisel

Draping - the art of using calico to design directly on a dress form - is an essential skill for fashion students. Covering the most basic to more advanced techniques, this series of master classes provides a complete course. Projects include dresses, skirts, trousers and jackets, highlighting key fashion garments such as Audrey Hepburn's dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's.Starting with the basics of preparing the dress form and fabric, the book advances through pinning, trimming and clipping, and creating shape using darts and tucks, to adding volume using pleats and gathers, and handling complex curves. Advanced skills include how to use support elements such as shoulder pads, under layers and petticoats, and how to handle bias draping.Each exercise and project throughout the book is explained with step-by-step photographs and line drawings that bring to life the art of creating womenswear in three dimensions.

Genres: Fashion, Sewing, Nonfiction, Fashion Design

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 6, 2013

Reviews

[Irene Adler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second edition appears to be an update so this can be used as a text book by students. As a general sewist it also has some value, though you probably won't want to waste time following the projects exactly. For example if making for yourself you would drape a full bodice, make alterations, then true to best fit, not muck about with a half bodice, alterations, full bodice, alterations... Has QR codes linked to 40 videos that demonstrate the draping techniques.

What do you get?

INTRODUCTION
Draping is an art / Using this book / Preparatory skills and equipment / Terminology

PART 1
1.1 The Foundation of Draping: History / Woven fabrics and their grainlines / Draping preparation / 4 exercises and 1 project but in reality a tunic, a Roman draped and folded tunic and a caftan
1.2 Draping Skills for Classic Fit including: History / Developing a block from a drape / 2 exercises and 2 projects with 2 variations. Includes bodice and skirt block development.
1.3 Dresses: History / 3 exercises - swing dress, cheongsam (or qipao), princess line / 1 Project - Breakfast at Tiffany's dress / 3 bodice variations

PART 2
2.1 Skirts - History / 5 exercises - Kilt, Skirt silhouettes (dirndls and ballet skirts), A-line, bias circle skirt (nup, beats me what the distinction is about here too), flounced skirt / 1 project - pegged skirt / 3 variations - flounced dress, yoked skirt, sarong skirt
2.2 Blouses - History / 3 exercises - 'peasant' blouse with raglan sleeve (ie a blouse with a gathered neckline), Gibson Girl blouse, easy sleeve draft (easy-ish anyway) / 1 Project = Organza ribbon blouse / 4 variations - tunic with bell sleeve, mandarin collar, Peter Pan collar, peplum and bishop sleeve
2.3 Pants - History / 4 exercises - Harem pants, Hakama, classic 40s-style pants, easy pant draft (as easy as I've seen). Project = Developing a block from fitted pants - don't bother! Seriously, compare the flat pattern drafting method eg the easy pant draft in comparison to draping same. Don't 'drape' pants, because legs. Make a flat pattern toile and alter to fit. Unless you have to pass a course.
2.4 Knits - History / 2 exercises - Knit top with ribbed neckline, strapless knit top / 1 Project - Halter neck knit top / 1 variation - knit top with 'kimono' sleeve (not actually, it's a long cut on sleeve, there's a kimono sleeve on pg 255)

PART 3
3.1 Coats and Jackets - History / Two Piece Sleeve / 3 exercises - understanding shoulders, Chanel style jacket, easy two-piece sleeve draft (okaaaaaaay) / 1 Project - Leg of mutton tuxedo jacket / 4 variations - raglan jacket, trench coat, swing coat with shawl collar, cocoon coat (sadly not adapted from the Balenciaga one).
3.2 The Bias Cut - History / 3 exercises - camisole, cowl-neck top, chemise with godets / 1 Project - 'Dinner at Eight' dress / 1 variation - Dress with asymmetrical draped neckline
3.3 The Grand Gown - History / 3 exercises - supporting the skirt, full length skirt, corsets and foundations / 1 Project - Charles James gown / 1 Variation - princess-line bustier

Glossary / Resources / Index / Credits / About the videos

It has its good an bad points - good being the excellent draping photographs and instructions, bad being the 'historical and cultural' text. 'Classic fit' means classic Western European fit of the last century or so (pg 50) - but that's not the pinnacle of clothing development, just what is currently fashionable in the West. Clothing functions the same in every culture - protection and expression of aesthetics, so saying things like '(e)thnic versions of sarongs were simple wraps with practicality as a priority' is inappropriate and incorrect (pg 158). There was far too much of this. I skim read / skipped these opinion sections as much as I could. The pictures are quite often interesting, but the commentary made me twitchy.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Draping is an art form where Vionnet, St. Laurent, and Westwood excelled. I can't give this book a hard rating until I've tried to make a few things on the dress form as described by Kissel, through her illustrations and DVD. The book looks very useful though, and has had quite a few blog posts and videos submitted online from fans. Kiisel is a professor in Los Angeles. This book is a beauty in the same style as Tomoko Nakamishi's "Pattern Magic" books.

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent instruction. Will be using techniques learned here