Page 40 - CITS - Fashion Design Technology - Trade Theory

FASHION DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY - CITS

3 Armhole dart

4 Mid shoulder dart
5 Centre front bust dart
6 Centre front neck dart
7 Straight side seam dart
8 Shoulder tip dart
9 Mid neck dart
10 Centre front waist dart
1 Standard Waist Dart: The standard waist dart is a vertical dart from the waistline up to the bust point.
(Fig 9)
It is one of the key darts used for manipulating fabric around the bodice. The standard waist dart can be divided
into two or three darts and sewn as darts, external pleats or tucks, for some style.

Fig 9

2 French Dart: The French dart is a diagonal dart from the side seam up to the bust point. It is created by
transferring the excess in the waist dart into a dart at the lower side seam The French dart is often found on
silk tops for a more ‘finished’ look.(Fig 10)
3 Armhole Dart: The armhole dart is a diagonal dart from the mid armhole down towards the bust point- usually
2-3 inches up from the waistline. This is quite a popular dart, used to shape tops and blouses around the bust
that then fall straight down or into a flared hem.(Fig 11)
4 Mid-Shoulder Dart: The mid-shoulder runs from the middle of your shoulder, down to the bust point. You’ll
often find this dart is drafted in when drafting a female bodice block. (Fig 12)
5 Centre Front Bust Dart: The centre front bust dart is a horizontal dart from the centre front towards the bust
point. If the pattern is cut on the fold, this dart becomes a fish-eye dart, running horizontally. This dart is often
manipulated to create a little gathering on the centre front rather than an actual dart. (Fig 13)
6 Centre Front Neck: The centre front neck dart is a diagonal dart from the centre front down to the bust point.
It is often used as part of a style-line to suppress the fabric in an interesting way. (Fig 14)
7 Straight Side Seam Dart: A straight side seam is a horizontal dart from the side seam towards the bust point
– the least used dart by me when I’m working on dart manipulation! (Fig 15)
8 Shoulder Tip Dart: The shoulder tip dart is a more dramatic diagonal dart from the shoulder tip, running in and
down; to the bust point. Using a dart in this position is tricky, because you do end up with a very thin section of
the bodice pattern next to the shoulder. (Fig 16)
9 Mid-Neck Dart: A mid-neck dart – from the middle of the neck down to the bust point – is often used to open
up the neckline and add fullness in the form of gathers around the neckline. (Fig 17)

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CITS : Apparel - Fashion Design & Technology - Lesson 2 CITS : Apparel - Fashion Design & Technology - Lesson 2