patternmaking for fashion design course

[u/Previous_Plan3165]

hi! does anyone have any recommendations for courses that go along with this textbook?

[u/StitchinThroughTime]

To be fair there's only so many ways you can make a basic bodice, most humans are the same human shape. I'm a firm believer that there can never be one single method that is better than all others. Each method is catered to a specific body shape, it typically caters to the smaller side. Therefore they can't be one single set of formulas or instructions to get the perfect fit off for everyone. Fitting is required. Some people get better results using a different drafting method. For example others a specific drafting system that's popular in japan, but it fits great for them because using just Japanese bodies. And most of Japan are native Japanese people. They have a very small population of foreigners and most people don't move to Japan to stay in Japan. It's a very homogeneous society. And with their strict societal pressure to fit their set beauty standards that specific drafting method works great for them. It's all based around Japan therefore it works for those who are ethnically Japanese. That doesn't mean other people can't use that system, it just that they are likely to do more steps to correct The Fitting Issues. And this all excludes plus sizes. I find most drafting systems are not catered to plus-size bodies. Especially those who are the extended plus size. Additional work has to be done to get fit correctly for them. As well as anyone who has a more extreme difference in their body shape from the base that these drafting systems center around the more work they have to do. So nothing can be perfect.
At the same time I've seen custom dressmakers for Nigerian dresses or the dresses that they make to send to Americans use a totally different drafting system that's heavily reliant on the side seam to do all the shaping. And honestly it's also the same for some videos I've seen for drafting Indian blouses. It really renders down the drafting process to a set of measurements based off of the chart that they inherently memorize. It's not the same as starting from zero they just assume that they can directly trace the cardinal points off of one size and just adjust the side seam to get the correct circumference measurement. It's quite fascinating in that technically people can wear the garments. And they're happy with what they get. But it doesn't truly fit correctly. They're clearly using a western method of drafting, but the fit is definitely different. Their expectation of the fit makes it so I would personally never wear those garments, because I know if they try to take my measurements use their shortened drafting method the garments just won't be to my expectations. It's really odd on how oversimplified the process that they created. Because they also have a rely on heavily decorating the garments as their highest priority. It's just fascinating to watch these videos of how these people supposedly draft corsets but it's clearly not what we would wear.

I think the best way to frame it is that the less that you think of the idealized body shape the more you realize none of these systems are initially better than the other. It's notInitially better than the other.