How Is Geometry Used in Fashion Design?
Geometry is integral to all forms of design and fashion designers make use of it in decisions regarding shapes, patterns and prints. Angles play a role in determining necklines and hems, for instance, and sophisticated geometrical patterns are very often seen on garments.
Fashion designers routinely make use of geometrical implements such as T-squares and rulers, with straight lines being a common sight in contemporary fashion. These include crisp, straight-edged collars and A-line dresses that flare out from the body.
Particularly in prints, checkers, bold zigzags and grids are common. Some designers aim for a disguising of the natural figure with such geometry, often by combining straight-edged garments with grid-like patterning.
Geometrical principles underpin fashion design more generally. For example, garments must be balanced on the body around a central fulcrum. This can be achieved through the use of symmetry or, with greater difficulty (and therefore greater expense), by exploring asymmetrical pattern designs.
Of course, fashion designers also keep in mind the way in which garments will fit on the body and which parts of the body will be drawn attention to while wearing the garment. This is accomplished with a keen knowledge of angles, and the way in which lines come together to create a garment’s focal point.
