This ensured they wouldn’t split or fracture under the weight of whatever you put in them, particularly at the opening where they have to endure friction from your hand moving in and out. Pockets are an obvious marker of something that’s well-made because, as Press says: “It’s cheaper not to bother with them, but much nicer to have a skirt or dress with pockets.” But more and more, pockets are entirely absent, too shallow to use, or aren’t made with suitable materials.ĭimasi says pockets used to require several steps of reinforcement. Lots of thought was once put into the placement and reinforcement of pockets. But techniques like this that keep seams tidy are also vanishing. “If you looked inside a garment you used to see beautiful internal binding along the seams,” says Dimasi. There was a time when the inside of garments were so well constructed and neat, they could be mistaken for the outside. These materials breathe, “so they help you keep the outer garment clean and you don’t have to launder it as much,” Dimasi says. “It also helps you slip your arm through the sleeve of a jacket and makes the garment hang better on the body.”Īlthough it is almost impossible to find now, lining made from a natural material like cotton or silk, rather than polyester or acetate, also helps preserve the outer material. “Lining is really important in the back of the skirt because if you sit down it helps the skirt not crease,” Dimasi says. Lined garments are stronger and hold their shape better over time – especially when that lining is made from a natural material like cotton or silk. Another was to prevent the outer material from showing signs of wear. One was reinforcement – lined garments are stronger and hold their shape over time. Traditionally, lining served several purposes. “Seam allowances have almost disappeared from most garments,” says Dimasi, and without them, “there is nowhere to go if your hips get bigger”. But they also mean garments can be altered if your size changes over the course of years.Įnsuring there is extra fabric in the seams so they can be let out at least one size is part of this too. These techniques mean garments adjust to the body as it changes over the course of a month, due to hormones or fluid retention, or even after eating a big meal. “Dressmakers used to be incredibly skilful at making clothes that moved with our bodies.” “The really subtle art of dressmaking is all about putting ease in the right place,” says Dimasi. Increasingly designers are relying on that elasticity to save them the trouble of building movement and flexibility into garments through traditional techniques.Ĭutting patterns that ensure ease of movement through the arms because the back shoulder is longer than the front or adding strategically placed gathers and folds pin tucks, pleats or darts can all make garments more comfortable – but require time and extra fabric. ‘Dressmakers used to be incredibly skilful at making clothes that moved with our bodies.’ Photograph: Frances Roberts/Alamy “It’s doing a lot of the work that good pattern making and good construction used to do.” “Elastane has been put in everything to make one-size-fits-nobody,” says Dimasi. “People might say, ‘Well poly is durable,’ but for me it’s just nasty, sweaty plastic – and the only reason to add it to a garment is to save money.” Easeful dressmakingĪlthough it’s rare for elastane to be the main fibre in a garment, the material (also known as Lycra and Spandex) has become common in blends because of its four-way stretch. “I do get mad when I see very expensive designer pieces made from poly crepe – it’s like they’re taking the piss out of the customer,” says Press.
By comparison in 2021, wool represented just 1% of the global fibre market and silk was just under 0.2%, although the total production of most fibres has increased significantly in that time. In 1975 fabrics derived from fossil fuels like polyester, nylon and acrylic represented just 30% of the global fibre market. She says they have a “natural intelligence” that makes them better to wear because they thermoregulate and don’t need to be washed frequently. They should also bounce back when rubbed between your fingers or stretched apart.ĭimasi prefers protein fibres like wool and silk.
Quality materials should have an even finish and substantive weight. From the weave to the yarn to the dyeing process, “it’s the real technical aspects of cloth that make it look and feel good”.
“It starts with the cloth, of course,” says Dimasi.
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