LESSON THE IMPROVISATIONAL

4 DRAPING

LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of the lesson, you must have:

1. Identified important points in improvisational draping;
2. Acquired knowledge on how to do the improvisational draping
3. Valued the knowledge on how to do improvisational draping.

LEARNING CONTENT

Improvisational Draping
Improvisation is the act of creating in the moment. In draping, this means
working directly on the dress form on a new design without having a sketch or
blueprint to follow.

Exercises
Asymmetrical draped neckline
This dress, with its simple fitted bodice and full
skirt, needs an interesting neckline. Use the intense
flourish and long, smooth, tapering brushstroke of
Chögyam Trungpa’s Abstract Elegance (see p. 302) as
inspiration.
Approximating the required width, prepare a bias
panel, as that will fl ow the most smoothly of all the
grainline choices. This improvisational drape will not be
planned out, but the flat sketches below will help you
translate the energy flow of the calligraphy into a
neckline.
In the drape, the flourish will be created at the
back left shoulder. The change in direction at the top of
the calligraphy will correspond to the center front. The
uninterrupted drape across the back represents the long
brushstroke on the right, and the finish point will be at the
left shoulder in the front.
Step 1
 First, create the bodice to use as a base for the new neckline.
Step 2
 The calligraphy in the inspirational image has a flourish at the beginning
so, starting at the back, build volume with the bias panel by working in
some layered tucks, securing them with pins as you go.
Step 3
 Creating a twist, bring the bias panel around to the front.
Step 4
 Form CF neckline and right shoulder area, keeping the neck open and
low.
Step 5
 The back will have a long, smooth area of visual relief, taking inspiration
from the long, rounded part of the calligraphy.
Step 6
 Finish with the pointed end of your piece by echoing the line of calligraphy
that tapers off into space.

Draping project
Vivienne Westwood is the grande dame
of improvisational draping. Throughout her
career, she has taken current trends one step
further by doing the unexpected. Her wildly
creative silhouettes have challenged our
conventional view of beauty for decades.

In doing an improvisational drape of this

Vivienne Westwood dress, the goal is to capture
the essence of the look without being too literal
about the construction.
If you are doing a truly improvisational drape,
you are starting with only your own idea or
concept. Creative inspiration can come from
anywhere.
In either case, begin by mapping out the
energetic flow of the piece through the grainline
configuration. If you are clear on the mood
and tone you want to express, this can be
something very simple
Without thinking about specific
seaming, decide on some parameters for the
scale of your garment. This will help you to
determine the size of the muslin pieces to
prepare. Mark the length grains on each
piece. Mark bias grains as well if you think
that some areas of your piece will utilize the
specific benefits of the bias, such as a cowl or
draped section.
If you are draping in muslin, consider
the final fabric you will be using. Familiarize
yourself with the hand of it so that you can use
your skills of visualization to understand how
the outcome will differ from that of the muslin.
When you are ready to begin, relax into your
environment and feel the confidence that your
skills have become second nature. By
anchoring your vision or inspiration foremost
in your mind, your own unique style of
expression will surely emerge in your work.

Step 1
 Drape and sew a
foundation garment
similar to the
Georgian bustier in
 Keep upper edge
wide across mid-
front to
accommodate the
wide set of the
straps.

Step 2
 Drape the front
underskirt by aligning a length grain with the side front of the form.
 First hold in the amount of fullness and flare to create the look that you want
in the skirt, then refi ne the volume into tucks to keep the waistline flat. Keep
skirt section flatter in front with more flare to the sides.
 Cut from the side piece the excess created by the flare—basically, the large
triangle that is smallest at hem and largest at waist.
 Cut hem a few inches (about 7 cm) off the ground from CF to side seam.
Step 3
 Calculate the length of the skirt and turn
up the hem.
 The hem must be very deep as it will
show when the folds and drapes are
pulled up.
 Pick up the front corner and experiment
with placement, watching how the folds
change with different positions.

Step 4
 Drape the back by forming tucks in the same way that you did for the front,
folding up a deep hem.
Step 5
 Turn up the front hem of the skirt to create the asymmetrical drape.
Step 6
 Attach a long rectangular piece of muslin to left side of form, leaving a little
more in the back than in the front.
 Hold the center of the piece and pin it at the waist.
Step 7
 Fold the piece in half lengthwise,
bringing the outside edge
underneath, and pin it to the
foundation at the waist.
 Create some volume at the waist
by holding in gathers at the waist to
create fullness at the hip in the front
and back.
 Keep the side seam fairly flat.
 Pin the two long edges of the inside
piece together.
 Pin up a hem, at least 3" (7.5 cm)
deep.

Step 8
 Pin a butterfl y-shaped fold by
reaching in and picking up some of the
pinned side seam and connecting the
two pieces, as shown.
Step 9
 Refine gathers at waist until they are flat and the drape falls in a balanced
way.
 This is a good time for a perspective check. Look in the mirror from a
distance and observe the silhouette closely. The pieces should flow with
each other at the hems. Make sure you like what you have; after you add
the top sections, it will become harder to make alterations.

Step 10
 Start front upper section by aligning one of the bias grainlines with CF of
form.
 The length grain will follow the torn lower edge.

Step 11
 Fasten the muslin corner at the right shoulder
of the form.
 Notice the broadness across the front chest
and keep the shoulder wide.
 Trim off the top edge.
 Make a tuck at right shoulder, folding it down
and aiming ease toward bust.
Step 12
 Wrap lower edge of front piece around to the
back, draping some deep folds into the
back, emanating from left back of waistline.
 Drape a back bodice section centering the
bias line on CB of form.

Step 13
 Trim the excess at the left shoulder.
 Wrap fabric around the side to create
side seams.
 Clip to the waist at both side seams and
pin them front over back.
 Fold over the top edge.
 Cut away excess at the right shoulder,
leaving a tail for shoulder wrap.
 Drape left side of bodice by slipping the
muslin underneath the top edge and
creating a strap similar to the right side.

Step 14
 Create sleeves by
wrapping rectangular pieces
around the arm and fitting
them up into the lower
armhole. This is an off
shoulder sleeve without a
real cap, so a rectangle
shape will work.
Step 15
 Pin the back sleeve
into the “armhole,” which is
actually the side-seam area.
 Step 16
 Using an extra piece of bias muslin,
create a twist effect on the top of the sleeve,
as in the photograph. The bodice will be
pinned to the foundation, and the off-
shoulder treatment should serve to keep the
sleeve up.

REFERENCES

Draping for Fashion Design. Retrieved from

https://www.pdfdrive.com/draping-for-fashion-design-e187301311.html
February 10, 2021
Draping the Complete Course. Retrieved from
https://www.pdfdrive.com/draping-the-complete-course-
e157984926.html February 10, 2021
Dress Design, Draping and Flat Pattern Making.
https://www.pdfdrive.com/dress-design-draping-and-flat-pattern-making-
e186946068.html February 10, 2021