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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
- Sprache: Englisch
This fourth edition of Metric Pattern Cutting for Children's Wear and Babywear remains the standard text book but has three major improvements.
First, the sections have been re-organised to reflect changes in producing and marketing children's clothes. Today's popularity of easy-fitting styles and knitted fabrics means that basic 'flat' pattern cutting is used to construct the majority of children's wear and babywear and this type of cutting is therefore emphasised in this new edition. Shaped blocks and garments, cut to fit the body form, are still included, and are placed in chapters covering some school uniform garments or more expensive fashion or formal clothes. The book now clearly separates the sections useful to student beginners (Parts One, Two and Three), and also offers more advanced or specialist sections for students who wish to pursue a career in children's wear or for designers working in the different manufacturing sectors of the trade.
The second change in this fourth edition is the introduction of colour coding to the sections; this makes it easier to identify specific processes in the book and enhances the illustrations.
Finally, the size charts have been revised to reflect the changes in body sizing. The clear division of the boys' and girls' measurements in the charts has been in response to the way clothes are marketed and to co-ordinate with European size charts. 'Plus' charts for heavier children have also been added.
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Seitenzahl: 233
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Design and pattern cutting for babywear and children's wear
The growth of children and adolescents
Tools and equipment for making patterns
Chapter 1: The basic principles – sizing – using the blocks
Metric sizing and size charts
Methods of measuring body dimensions
Drafting the blocks for individual figures
Standard body measurements: birth–2 years
Standard body measurements: girls 3–14 years
Standard body measurements: boys 3–14 years
Body measurements for plus sizes: girls 3–14 years
Body measurements for plus sizes: boys 3–14 years
Using the blocks
From block to pattern
Chapter 2: Specific babywear blocks
The ‘flat’ jersey body block
The ‘flat’ woven fabric body block
The ‘flat’ overgarment block
The kimono block and ‘flat’ sleeve cutting
The two-piece trouser block
The one-piece trouser block
The one-piece sleepsuit block
Chapter 3: Specific babywear adaptations
Chapter 4: The ‘flat’ blocks – woven and jersey fabrics
The ‘flat’ body block and shirt block
The ‘flat’ sleeveless body block
The ‘flat’ overgarment block
The kimono block and ‘flat’ sleeve cutting
The kimono block – the ‘flat’ dolman sleeve
The kimono block – the ‘flat’ raglan sleeve
The kimono block – the shaped ‘flat’ raglan sleeve
The tee shirt blocks
The knitwear block
The ‘flat’ one-piece trouser block
The ‘flat’ two-piece trouser block
The ‘flat’ skirt block
The jeans block – close fitting for boys and girls, sizes 98–170cm height
The underwear blocks
Chapter 5: Basic tops, dresses and skirts for girls
Basic dresses and tops
Easy-fitting dresses and tops
Chapter 6: Overgarments for girls and boys
Chapter 7: Sport and leisurewear for girls and boys
Chapter 8: Nightwear for boys and girls
Jersey nightwear
The ‘flat’ pyjama block for boys and girls, sizes 80–170cm height
Classic nightwear
Chapter 9: Constructing sleeves
Simple sleeve adaptations
Complex sleeve adaptations 98–170cm height
Cuffs
Chapter 10: Constructing openings, collars and hoods
Front openings
Collars – basic principles
Simple collars
Classic formal collars 98–170cm height
Hoods (56–170cm height)
Chapter 11: Classic blocks for schoolwear and formal wear
The classic skirt blocks: girls sizes 98–164cm height
The classic trouser block: girls sizes 98–164cm height
The classic trouser block: boys sizes 98–170cm height
The classic shirt block: girls sizes 98–164cm height younger boys sizes 98–116cm height
The classic shirt block: boys sizes 122–170cm height
The classic overgarment block: girls sizes 98–164cm height younger boys sizes 98–116cm height
The classic overgarment block: boys sizes 122–170cm height
The classic blazer block: girls and boys sizes 122–170cm height
The classic bodice block: girls sizes 98–164cm height
Shaping the classic bodice block: girls sizes 98–164cm height
The classic dress block: girls sizes 98–140cm height
The sleeveless dress block: girls
The formal coat block: girls sizes 98–140cm height
The one-piece sleeve block: girls and boys sizes 98–170cm height
The two-piece sleeve block: girls and boys sizes 98–170cm height
Chapter 12: Pattern adaptations for schoolwear
Chapter 13: Pattern adaptations for girls’ formal wear
Chapter 14: The basic blocks and size charts
Standard body measurements: girls (developing figures) 11–14 years
The classic bodice block: girls (developing figures)
The classic jacket and overgarment block: girls (developing figures)
The classic trouser block: girls (developing figures)
The classic skirt block: girls (developing figures)
Chapter 15: Grading patterns for babywear and children’s wear
Babies and infants: the ‘flat’ body, overgarment and trouser blocks
Children’s wear: the ‘flat’ two-piece trouser block
Children’s wear: the ‘flat’ one-piece trouser block
Children’s wear: the ‘flat’ skirt block
Children’s wear: the ‘flat’ body, shirt and overgarment blocks
Children’s wear: the classic bodice and overgarment blocks – girls
Children’s wear: the classic overgarment blocks – boys
Children’s wear: the classic trouser block – girls
Children’s wear: the classic trouser block – boys
Children’s wear: the classic tailored skirt block – girls
Appendix: Aliquot parts
Glossary
Supplementary body measurements
Bibliography and further reading
This edition first published 2009
© 1985, 1991, 1999, 2009 Winifred Aldrich
Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. Blackwell's publishing programme has been merged with Wiley's global Scientific, Technical, and Medical business to form Wiley-Blackwell.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Aldrich, Winifred.
Metric pattern cutting for children's wear and babywear : from birth to 14 years / Winifred Aldrich. – 4th ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4051-8292-8 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Children's clothing–Pattern design.
2. Infants'clothing–Pattern design. 3. Garment cutting. I. Title.
TT640.A43 2009
646.4′072–dc22
2008047435
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following people and organisations for their help with the original, second and third editions of this book:
Alec Aldrich, Ann Rodgers, Howard Long and Stephen Chalkley;
Mr J. Dolman, the National Childrenswear Association;
Dr A. Ward, Loughborough University;
The British Standards Institution for their information on size designation of children's wear. Material based on BS 7231: Part 1; 1990 was reproduced by permission of the British Standards Institution.
I would also like to thank the staff of the play groups and schools listed below and the parents for consenting to the measurement of their children for thefirst edition of this book. Without their interest and co-operation I could not have compiled the original size charts.
Quorn Nursery Group;
Dearnley Play Group;
Smithy Bridge Play Group;
Shelthorpe Play Group;
Woodhouse Eaves Baptist Play Group;
Loughborough Baptist Play Group;
St Paul's C. of E. School, Woodhouse Eaves;
New Parks House Primary School, Leicester;
New Parks House Junior School, Leicester;
Glenfield Hall County Junior and Infant School;
Hathern C. of E. Primary School;
Danemill County Primary School, Enderby;
New Parks Senior School, Leicester;
The Martin High School, Anstey;
Stonehill High School and Community College, Birstall;
The Bosworth College, Desford.
I would like to thank the following people and organisations who have contributed advice for this fourth edition:
Dr Tim Cole, Institute of Child Health; Elizabeth Fox, the National Childrenswear Association;
Dr Philip Trelevan, University College London.
I would also like to thank Christine Smith for her copy checking of the book.
Finally, I would like to thank James Sowden of Wiley-Blackwell who has been responsible for the technical production of this book.
Introduction
The fourth edition
The first major change from the third edition is the reorganisation of the sections in the book. The popularity of easy-fitting styles and knitted fabrics has meant that basic ‘flat’ pattern cutting is used to construct the majority of children's clothes and therefore, this type of cutting is found in most of the garments in the large retail stores. Shaped garments, cut to fit the body form, are mainly purchased for some school uniform garments or as more expensive formal garments.
The second change is the introduction of colour coding to the sections; this makes it easier to identify specific processes in the book. After Chapter One, ‘The basic principles – sizing – using the blocks’, the book is divided into six parts.
Part One covers specific ‘flat’ blocks and pattern adaptation for babywear styles (birth–2 years).
Part Two covers ‘flat’ blocks and pattern adaptation for a wide range of garments for boys and girls (1–14 years).
Part Three covers the pattern cutting of the basic sleeves and collars. These are standard processes that are used in almost all types of pattern cutting adaptations.
Part Four demonstrates ‘form’ pattern cutting, this method requires blocks that conform more closely to the body form and often involves complex methods of cut and construction. This section includes basic blocks for classic formal garments used for schoolwear and styled formal garments and also chapters on methods of adapting them. The different methods of ‘flat’ and ‘form’ cutting are explained further in ‘Design and pattern cutting for children's wear’.
Part Five addresses the problem of providing clothing for girls with developing figures. It offers blocks for those designers who want to create ranges specifically for the early teen market.
Part Six covers the grading of garment patterns into different sizes (birth–14 years).
Pattern grading has to take place with reference to body growth and body size charts. Although different manufacturers and retailers offer their garment ranges in the stores in different age groupings, the grading of their garments takes place with reference to basic body size charts.
The data from the author's original survey still provides a basis for the size charts in this book. Some reorganisation of the size groupings in the size charts has been made to reflect the present marketing strategies of children's clothes and the sharp design divisions between clothes for boys and clothes for girls. The changes have not altered the sizing divisions that are based on children's growth.
Some grading increments in the main size charts have been refined. However, it has become apparent that over the last decade a proportion of children has become larger in girth with reference to their height and also the shape of children who do little exercise is also changing. Because the control measurement that directs the labelling and selling of clothes is height, this can be confusing for customers. This problem is addressed by the inclusion of additional ‘plus’ size charts for children of larger girth. The increase in overweight and obese children is also discussed in more detail on in ‘Overweight and abese children’.
The book now clearly separates the sections useful to student beginners (Parts Two and Three). It also offers more advanced or specialist sections aimed at students who wish to have a career in children's wear or for designers working in the different manufacturing sectors of the trade. There is an increasing demand for original designs that recognise the practical demands of a child's lifestyle. The blocks can be made for individual children by mothers who want to experiment with original designs or have children that are not of the standard sizes available.
The blocks and pattern adaptations could be very useful in senior schools for examinations and the section on the developing figure could be useful for project work with individual teenage students.
Design and pattern cutting for babywear and children's wear
Retailing
Since this book was first published, an enormous difference has taken place in attitudes to the design and marketing of children's clothes. A major obvious trend in children's wear design is the separation of the sexes from an early age. This is particularly noticeable in the large retail stores.
These stores, mail order catalogues and the Internet offer a wide range of good quality well designed garments for children, but there are also many niche market collections. There are concept own label stores that offer a unique style of childhood. Although some buyers were doubtful about the trend for collections of children's clothes inspired by men's and women's ranges, with a strong fashion influence of current colours and fabrics, it is proving to be a growing market. Some of these ranges are up-market offshoots of established Designer collections. However, other ranges offer classic British designs that offer a timeless vision of childhood. Other growing markets are Fair Trade clothing and garments made from organically grown or recycled sources. These are responding to customers' concerns about the exploitation of workers in developing countries and the environment.
The most difficult market is the sub-teen group. Boys' attitudes are fairly rigid, responding to peer pressure and group demands. Particular labels become important, the fashions often starting at street level. Girls in this age group are very fashion conscious, yet their figures may not have developed sufficiently to wear adult clothes. However, there comes a point when the sub-teen or early teenager does not want to be seen in a childrens' shop. Large or wealthy stores set up sections aimed directly at this group; the garments on offer can include ranges from the top designers. Other fashion retail outlets, which originally aimed at a ‘teen twenty’ market have extended their size ranges downward to fit smaller figures. This is possible because many of their garments are ‘flat’ cut in jersey fabric and with little body shaping.
Design
Children's wear is no longer a neglected area of design in Britain. The increasing quality of mass production garments from the Far East and developing countries has allowed designers to offer complex detailing and cut on low-cost garments. The use of new technological communications has reduced response times and increased the practicality of manufacturing offshore. Children's wear offers special opportunities for design to be creative yet functional by using colours, prints, shapes, trimmings and textures with imagination. Garment designers often work directly with textile designers to produce new exciting prints.
The designer must understand the requirements and the lifestyle of babies and children at different ages. Designing garments for young babies is complex with the special considerations of fabric choice, ease allowances, and garment openings that allow for the minimum handling of the baby. Most babywear ranges are available up to 92cm height (age two years). Toddlers still require extra ease allowances for nappies; however many ranges from children's wear are available as small as 80cm height (age one year). The pattern adaptations in this book allow for this overlap in sizing.
Whilst many children spend hours indoors with computer games, it is ironic that sportswear has been such a huge influence on children's design; it has directed many new fabric developments, and changed methods of cut and manufacture. But designs based on sport and leisurewear are also ideal for most children's activities in terms of comfort and practicality.
The designer is responsible for providing information to those who source materials and manufacture garments. The British Standard BS 7907: 2007, Code of practice for the design and manufacture of children's clothing to promote mechanical safety, states precisely the areas for which the designer is responsible. It covers the materials of the garments and all the trimmings, fastenings and other components. It also states the ages below which certain components cannot be used. Wear and fit trials undertaken by manufacturers and retailers usually also include risk assessment. A child's everyday garment has to be made up in a fabric that will stand up to punishing wear and repeated launderings. Some manufacturers are using new technological fabrics such as those that have ‘breathing’ properties or UV protection.
Any student wishing to design clothes for children must be aware of the changing shape of the growing child and the different proportions of different parts of the body. The proportions and lengths of children's garments are crucial. Students should experiment with shapes that are innovative yet practical, and also allow for the child's growth.
The size charts in this book are constructed and divided in response to the needs of designers and pattern cutters working for the large retailers and mail order companies who have the largest share of the children's wear market and dictate the size range groupings. The ranges and size charts are discussed in detail in Chapter 1.
‘Flat’ pattern cutting: Parts One and Two
The number of garments cut from simple ‘flat’ blocks now covers the majority of garments sold in the main retail outlets. This dramatic increase has taken place for three main reasons: the popularity of easyfitting styles and sportswear, the increase in the use of knitted fabrics and the use of manufacturing methods that keep price levels low. Methods of computer grading encourage the re-application of existing grades, and this is easier when applying them to simple styles. The insertion of sleeve heads is faster when machined on ‘the flat’ with little ease in the sleeve head. Most garments constructed by simple flat cutting and manufacture lay flat when completed and therefore are easier to store, transport and package.
The attraction of these garments depends heavily on fabric design, simple but innovative shapes and decorative features. The flat blocks are used for a wide range of garments, i.e. dresses, shirts, blouses, most types of leisurewear, overgarments, knitwear, nightwear, and almost all types of babywear. ‘Flat’ pattern cutting processes for these garments are demonstrated in Chapters 2–8.
The simplicity of ‘flat’ pattern cutting means that it is a method that allows students, beginning pattern cutting courses, to combine colour, pattern and shape in an uncomplicated yet experimental way.
Some basic pattern cutting processes are applicable to both ‘flat’ pattern cutting and to classic ‘form’ cutting. These basic methods are located in Part Three, Chapters 9 and 10.
Special note The changing body shape of many sedentary children means that there are wide variations in waist measurements (‘Overweight and obese children’). Many children's designs avoid fitted waistlines using stretch jersey fabrics, and elasticated or adjustable waistbands.
Classic ‘form’ pattern cutting: Part Four
There remains a demand for school uniforms and also a small but steady demand for more formal clothes and well cut high quality garments that refer directly to the child's shape.
Classic ‘form’ pattern cutting is used for garments which have a close relationship with the body shape and which is achieved by pattern cutting. This is required mainly when working with fabrics without stretch characteristics, for cutting garments for traditional masculine and feminine clothes or for ranges that are influenced by more adult fashion styles.
‘Form’ cutting entails more complex methods of sizing and pattern construction and therefore is suitable for more advanced students who may wish to specialise in this type of children's wear.
The growth of children and adolescents
Designers of children's clothes should be aware of the way that a child's body shape changes as it grows and to recognise the shape of a child at a particular stage. Well-designed children's clothes take account of the child's continually changing shape.
In the first two editions of this book the size charts were constructed and divided in the way a child's body develops and changes. Today, clothes are designed and sold as ranges for particular target groups dictated by the large retailers. The revised size charts in the third, and this fourth edition, have been divided to enable pattern cutters to cut clothes for these ranges. However, by creating sub-divisions, the size charts still reflect the uneven body shape changes that occur during children's growth.
The problem of overweight and obese children has had to be considered when updating this edition. It is useful to understand how it may affect the size and shape of approximately 25% of children, and therefore the problem is discussed in ‘Overweight and Obese Children’. However, the following descriptions of the basic features of growth are relevant to the majority of children.
Basic features of growth
The rapid growth and changing shape of the child from birth to age one means that close increments in sizing have to be made; this is done usually in three-month intervals. It is at this stage that weight and the age of the child are the predominant descriptions for garment selection, whereas height becomes the critical sizing division once a child begins to walk.
The speed at which a child grows decreases steadily from shortly after birth onwards until puberty when the rate of growth accelerates (this acceleration is known as the ‘adolescent growth spurt’). Until this growth spurt occurs, there appears to be little difference between boys and girls in the speed at which they grow. There is a short-lived mid-growth spurt at about 7–8 years but this is often not detectable.
The decrease in the rate of growth varies from approximately 8cm per year at three years to 5cm per year at ten years. Manufacturers have decided to accept a 6cm height interval as a base for a coding scheme, as this approximates to the average growth per year over this period. However, it must be noted that the range of heights in children in any particular age group is larger than the amount of growth that occurs in any one year, therefore a child's age is only a very crude guide or ‘designation’ of his/her expected stature. It is better to link other body measurements to height rather than age, and one must recognise that age on clothing labels is only a secondary description. During puberty, age ceases to have even a descriptive value as variations in height linked to heredity are further distorted by the variability of the onset of puberty and the growth spurt.
In early childhood there is little difference between the sexes. Small differences begin to appear at four, but significant differences begin to appear at about seven. This means that it is advisable to offer a size chart for each sex from the age of four but necessary by seven. Puberty brings dramatic differences between boys and girls, the onset of puberty occurring eighteen months to two years earlier in the girl.
Children of the same height can have variable arm and leg measurements and these differences become more apparent as the limb length increases. Children in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been found to be slightly smaller than average. This may be due in part to the greater numbers of working-class children in these areas. Significant differences can be found between children of classes I and II (managerial and professional occupations) and classes IV and V (semi-skilled and unskilled occupations). Children from classes I and II appear to be taller (2–5cm) but not necessarily heavier than classes IV and V.
Children from birth to age seven
The most apparent characteristic of a small child's shape is its head size: by the age of three the child's head has almost completed its growth. A small child has a head one fifth of its height, while the adult's head is only one eighth. The head size of a child must be taken into account when designing bodice openings for the head to pass through. From the age of two, the average child loses fat until about the age of eight. This ‘slimming down’ process is apparent and is generally spoken of as the child ‘losing his baby fat’.
Boys are often a little thinner than girls at this stage, but as the differences in measurements are small, a common size chart can be used. The most significant difference occurs on the hip/seat measurement and some manufacturers of boys’ wear take account of this.
Toddlers have very little waist shaping and their stance gives them a hollow back and protruding stomach. These features decrease as the child grows and loses fat.
Children from age seven to puberty
By the age of seven the posture of the child has straightened. From seven years to puberty the average child has a greater relative increase in body girth to height. Despite this increase, a girl's waist develops more shape. Girls who do little exercise, even if not overweight, will still retain abdominal fat and have less shape. At this period the legs of children of both sexes grow faster than the trunk.
Although the speed at which a boy and a girl grows is similar until puberty, the average girl is slightly shorter than the average boy and slightly heavier. During this period, figure differences become more apparent, the most significant being the wider shoulders of the boy and the smaller waist and larger hips of the girl (the latter features are increasingly apparent as the girl enters puberty earlier than the boy).
Boys and puberty
The average boy starts his growth spurt at about the age of thirteen and grows rapidly until the age of fifteen, then more slowly until he is seventeen. However, as the timing of the spurt varies, height and age have little correlation at this time. Age therefore has little relevance on size charts at this stage. Boys often become thinner during this growth spurt but they begin to gain muscle.
Before puberty, leg length grows faster than trunk length, but during the period of peak growth the trunk grows faster than the limbs, the rate of growth of the shoulders is at a maximum and the rate of growth of the head accelerates slightly. Boys have two more years of growth than girls and therefore attain a greater final height.
Girls and puberty
Girls begin to grow quickly at about the age of eleven or twelve; however, their growth spurt is shorter in duration than that of boys and proceeds at a slower rate. Because girls enter puberty earlier, a proportion of eleven to thirteen-year-old girls is taller than boys of the same age. Girls continue to get fatter during their growth spurt, but this is in the trunk rather than the limbs and a girl's hip size shows a particular increase.
The bust development of a girl is the most dramatic change in her shape. The early stages of development result in little bust prominence and it is only when the bust begins to develop a structural shape that a girl will require to have blocks which have bust darts. The age at which these different development stages of maturity are reached can differ widely; children between ten and fourteen of similar height and weight can have very different bust measurements. Girls with developing figures require a specific size chart and block construction as children's blocks are inadequate and women's blocks too mature. At this stage in a girl's development the relationship between height and age is now too variable to be recorded as yearly increments.
Overweight and obese children
Obesity and overweight is usually measured by BMI (body mass index, weight kg ÷ height m2). Although not a perfect measure, it is seen as the best single method of assessing these features over extensive populations. It was used by The Health Survey of England in 2002 which published some important statistics on children's weight and height from 1995–2002. The following findings would seem to be relevant to clothing producers.
Later studies appear to show that the trend towards overweight and obesity has continued from 2002. However, there is now a focus on this problem, and government health and education initiatives may begin to reduce this trend.
Exporters should note that the increased prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is also occurring in most developed countries.
Waist circumferences
