Fashion and
Clothing
Objective 11 & 12
The Impact of
Clothing
Chapter 56
A Personal Statement
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The clothes you wear tell people something
about you
It is a clue to your personality
Clothing reflects personal values
It can show pride in cultural heritage
Cont.
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Clothing can show how you feel about
yourself and your world
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Certain clothes reflect depression or show low
self-esteem
Remember that clothing only tells a small
portion of a person, don’t judge a person
solely by what they wear
Social Aspects
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In the mid 19th century, women were not
allowed to wear pants
Clothing is a social symbol
Some places and events have dress codes
(set of rules describing required or
appropriate clothing)

May be written or have “unwritten rules”
Dress Codes
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Designed to promote a certain atmosphere
Some people dislike dress codes because
it does not allow people to express
individuality
Some dress codes are very loose and
others are restrictive
The issue of a dress code will probably
never be resolved
Peer Pressure
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Pressure from friends can act as an
unwritten dress code
The pressure to conform to certain
standards is very high among teens
Conformity can be healthy like wearing a
team uniform but it can also be unhealthy

Buying clothes that are overpriced or not
comfortable for your style or taste
Clothing and Relationships
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As a teenager, you have a huge say in
what you wear
Not always are your parents going to like it
Be flexible and compromise to help prevent
fights
Dressing the Part
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There are certain events that require a
certain type of clothing
Some situations include:
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Job interviews
Weddings and proms
Funerals
Religious services
Multicultural events
Cont.
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Dress for the climate outside
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If it is hot, wear loose fitting clothing
If it is cold, cover your head and wear several
layers
Dress for safety
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Certain jobs require certain dress
Could include: safety goggles, steel-toed boots,
bright colors, helmets, etc.
Fashion in Your Life
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Who decides what is fashionable?
What is the fashion industry? – all the companies
involved in the design and manufacture of clothing
A designer is a person that creates clothing styles
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When a designer’s work becomes popular, others will
copy it
This is how trends start
Cont.
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Even if you do not follow the latest trends, the
fashion industry still affects you because you are
limited to what they are producing
Designers play on people’s emotions by placing
their labels in prominent positions
People buy clothing just because of the label
The fashion industry also decides what people
should look like by the type of models they use
Wearing It Well
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Clothing consciousness is important to a
person’s personal satisfaction and success
in certain situations
Understanding what influences your
clothing choices helps you to make better
ones
Clothing and the
Consumer
Chapter
Where to Shop
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The store you choose has an effect on the
selection, quality, and cost of what you buy
There are several different places to buy
clothes:
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Department Store: slightly higher prices than
other stores, divided into sections
Factory Outlets: run by the manufacturer;
generally lower in price; fewer customer services;
have high-quality clothes and “irregulars”
Cont.
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Specialty Shops: sell only one type of clothing;
prices tend to be higher
Mail-order Catalogs: convenient but may take
awhile to get items; pay for shipping
Resale Shops: secondhand shops that sell items
that look like new
Garage, Yard, and Rummage Sales: buy used
items for not a lot of money
Cont.
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Flea Markets: low prices
and a variety of quality
Art and Craft Fairs: have
original, one-of-a-kind
designs; expensive
When to Shop
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Choosing when to shop is just as important
as choosing where to shop
Clothes are marketed for different seasons
At the beginning of the season, the prices
are at the highest
As the season progresses, prices go down
Cont.

Sales are also a great time to buy
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End-of-Season Sale: sale that is held to clear out
merchandise to make room for the next season’s
styles
Holiday Sales
Markdowns: reduced-priced items; the longer an
item is in the store, the more the price goes down
Special Purchases: items that the store has
bought for a lower than usual price
Sizing Things Up
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In order to buy clothing, you have to know
your size range – category you fit into
Female sizes: Junior sizes are all odd
numbered (1,3,5,7,9,ect.) and are cut for
trimmer, shorter-waisted figures; misses
sizes are all even numbered (4,6,8,10, etc.)
and are designed for a well-proportioned
figure; petites are for women under 5ft. 4in.
Cont.
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Male sizes: sold in two sizes-boy’s and
men’s; pants sold by waist and inseam
Special sizes: clothes made to fit different
body shapes like women’s, slim, husky, tall,
and short
How To Find the Right Size
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Sizes are based on measurements of
typical bodies
Finding the right size is difficult
Most clothing is marked extra small, small,
medium, large, and extra large
It is best to try clothing on before you buy it
If unsure of what size to buy, always buy
the larger one
Avoiding Pitfalls

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When shopping, look for clothes that won’t go out
of style
These are called classics
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Examples: blazers, pullover sweaters, and polo shirts
Some clothes are popular for short periods of time
These are called fads

Examples: short skirts, oversized sweatshirts, certain
shoes
Cont.
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Most closets contain classics and fads
Study magazines to find out what is going
to last and what is not
Styles with clean lines and solid colored
tend to last longest
Taking Care of
Clothing
Chapter 20-5
Situations to Respond To(Chap60)

1. I’ve decided to buy myself a new winter
jacket. I’ve seen a beautiful leather jacket
on sale for half the price in one store. I’ve
also seen a washable cloth jacket I like in
another store, but its price is higher. I think
the leather coat is a better buy, since it
costs less. My brother however, says it’s
not. How can I decide which coat to buy?
Cont.

2. When I go to the supermarket, I see a
whole aisle of detergents, bleaches, fabric
softeners, and stain removers. Some are
super strength, others are concentrated,
and a few even dye free. How can I make
a decision about which products to
choose?
Reasons for Care
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Your clothing will last longer
Your clothing will look better
You will save money
You’ll have a selection of clothes to wear
General Care
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Bathing daily and using deodorant helps
keep garments fresh
Air clothing out
Inspect clothing
Set aside dirty clothes
Put away aired clothes – once clothes have
dried, put them away
Seasonal Care
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When seasons change, some people store
their clothing until the next season
Stored clothing can become damaged by
insects and strong light. To prevent this:
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Clean clothes before storing
Prevent moth damage- like wool products
Prevent mildew- make sure completely dry and
store in a dry place
Use clothing bags or boxes
Simple Repairs
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Repairing snags – grasp snag from back with a
crochet hook and pull it through the underside of
garment
Mending seams – stitched by sewing machine or
by hand
Patching holes – use iron-on patches or pieces of
fabric (should be hand-sewn)
Replacing fasteners – buttons are most common
Cleaning Clothes
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All clothes need to be cleaned, but they all
have different methods
Always check the care label before
washing
Follow directions to help make the clothes
last
Removing Stains
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Blood: soak in cold water and detergent; wash
using bleach safe for fabric
Candle wax: scrape off wax, place between layers
of paper towels with wax side down and press
with iron to melt wax to towels; then wash
Chewing gum: harden by rubbing with ice; scrape
off with dull knife; apply pre-wash, rinse, and
wash
Cont.
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Chocolate: soak in cold water; rub
detergent onto the stain and wash
Cosmetics: pre-treat with pre-wash stain
remover; rub detergent on stain and wash
Grease: sponge with cleaning fluid; rub
detergent into stain and wash; use bleach if
stain still exists
Cont.
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Ink: Sponge with
rubbing alcohol or hair
spray, rinse, and wash
Nail polish: never use
nail polish remover;
sponge with alcohol
mixed with small drops
of ammonia, rinse,
and wash
Washing Clothes
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Cleaning Agents: used to remove soil
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Two types: soap and detergent
Enzyme presoak solutions help remove egg, meat juices,
and blood
Disinfectants kill bacteria
Water softeners soften hard water
Bleach removes tough stains and acts as a disinfectant
Fabric softeners decrease static electricity and makes
fabrics feel softer
Washing Machines
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Used to clean a variety of clothes
To use a machine:
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1. select water temperature
2. add clothing and cleaning agent
3. adjust water level
4. select cycle
5. turn on the wash cycle
Sewing Equipment
Chapter 21
The Sewing Machine
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The sewing machine is one of the most
important pieces of sewing equipment
Joins pieces of fabric together with a
lockstitch, a stitch that uses a thread above
the fabric to join another thread (the bobbin
thread) coming from below the fabric
A tension control devise helps keep the
stitches even
Cont.
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Fabric is moved along with the feed dogs
The machine is controlled by foot and knee
controls
A handwheel raises and lowers the needle
as you begin and end stitching
Threading the Machine
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Every machine is threaded differently
They all have the same basic steps:
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1. thread goes from spool to upper tension level
2. from upper tension level to take-up lever
3. from take-up lever down to needle
Cont.
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Thread guides keep the thread from
tangling along the way
In order to thread the machine, a bobbin
must be wound and inserted
A bobbin is a small spool that holds the
bottom thread
Types of Stitches
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Regular Stitch: medium-length stitch (10-12
stitches per in. or 3-5 per cm.) that can be
used for most stitches
Basting Stitch: long stitch used for
temporarily holding layers of fabric together
and for gathering
Cont.
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Reinforcement Stitch: short stitch used to
strengthen a corner or a point
Zigzag Stitch: sideways stitch used to finish seam
allowances, make buttonholes, and sew special
seams
Specialty stitches are built into some machines

Used for hems, stitching stretch fabrics, and decorative
stitching
Machine Needles
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Two types of needles: universal and ballpoint
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Universal or general purpose needles have a sharp point
for use with most fabrics
Ballpoint needles have rounded point and are used for
knits
The lower the number on the needle, the finer the
needle
If a needle becomes damaged, dull, or is rusty,
replace right away
Caring for the Machine
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Requires regular maintenance and care
Clean it regularly with soft sewing machine
brush
Keep lint away
Oil the machine occasionally with sewing
machine oil
The Serger
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The serger is an overlocking sewing
machine
It trims, sews, and overcasts in one step
Work twice as fast as a conventional
sewing machine
Cont.
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Two basic stitches: overlock and overedge
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Overlock stitch is used for seams
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It locks the fabric layers together at the edge of
the seam allowance, finishing the edges as it
stitches the seam
Overedge stitch is used to finish edges of a
single piece of fabric
Cont.
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Used along with a sewing machine; not as
a replacement for a conventional sewing
machine
Can be used for all seams but not for
buttonholes, straight-stitch application for a
zipper, and topstitching detail
More differences from a Conventional
Sewing Machine
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Has more threads; can use up to 5 different
threads
Loopers: do not have bobbins; loopers are
parts that perform as bobbins do on a
conventional sewing machine
Cutting knives: use two sharp blades to trim
and smooth the fabric to the width of the
stitch just before it goes under the needle
Cont.
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Special Edge Finishes and Decorative Stitching:
can do narrow rolled hems and produce blind hem
and flatlock stitches
Special Threads: use special threads that are
cross wound on cones for smoother feeding
Differential Feed: provides different speeds for
feeding the upper and lower layers of fabric
Other Tools
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Sewing projects not only require a sewing
machine and serger, but also many other
tools
These tools include: measuring, cutting,
marking, pinning, hand stitching, and
pressing tools
Measuring Tools
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Tape Measure
Yardstick/meter stick
Ruler
Sewing gauge
Marking Equipment
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Tracing paper
Tracing wheel
Chalk
Liquid marking pens
Cutting Tools
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Pinking Shears
Shears
Scissors
Seam ripper
Rotary cutter
Cutting mat
Pressing and Sewing Equipment
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Steam Iron
Ironing board
Press cloth
Tailor’s hem
Sleeve board
Other Small Sewing Equipment
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Pins: hold pattern on fabric and hold fabric
together
Needles
Pincushion: hold pins so that they can’t spill
Thimble
Using a Pattern
Chapter 21

Now that your sewing
equipment is ready, it
is time to prepare your
pattern and fabric, lay
out your pattern, cut it
and mark the fabric.
Preparing the Pattern
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To prepare the pattern, take out the pattern
guide sheet
This gives step-by-step instructions for
laying-out, cutting, marking, and sewing the
item
Use this time to check measurements and
to make simple adjustments to the pattern
Preparing the Fabric
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Check to see if the fabric needs to be
preshrunk
Preshrink it if necessary by washing it
Find the fabric grain-direction the threads
run; straighten if needed or hems will be
uneven
Laying Out, Cutting, and Marking
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When you are ready, the best place to work
is in a well-lit room with a large, flat surface
The pattern layout is a diagram that shows
how to place the pattern pieces on the
fabric
Always layout your pieces before you pin
and cut
Cont.
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Pin any corners
Pin along the remaining edges, smoothing out the
pattern as you go
Pins should not interfere with the cutting line
Once pins are in place, use sharp shears and cut
along the cutting line
With your free hand, hold the fabric flat
Cut with the grain of the fabric
Do NOT lift the fabric up to cut it
Cont.
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Once the pattern is cut out, then mark it
Use the marking tool most suited for your
fabric
Always test first with fabric scrap
Take your time with these steps
This will save you a lot of disappointment
later!!
Basic Construction
Fundamentals
Chapter 22
Construction Fundamentals
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Once all of the pieces of fabric have been
marked, it is time for unit construction
Unit construction is putting all of the pieces
together in a specific order
When constructing a piece of clothing, the
first thing to do is to find all of the curved
pieces and do a stay stitch (prevents the
curved seams from stretching)
Shaping to Fit the Body

Three different ways to get fabric to fit to
the body: darts, tucks, and gathers
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Darts are a triangular fold of fabric stitched to a
point; used to shape curved areas
Tucks are a fold of fabric stitched from top to
bottom and used to shape a garment; used down
the front of a shirt to give shape
Cont.

Gathers are small, soft
folds of fabric created by
sliding fabric along two
parallel rows of machine
basting
Assembling the Pieces

Stitching seams


A standard seam is
often called a plain
seam and is usually 5/8
in. wide
To secure your seams,
begin and end with a
backstitch, sew in
reverse using the
reverse level on the
machine
Cont.

Additional Seam Techniques help fabrics
to lie flat and smooth, reducing bulk
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Trimming: cutting the seam allowance in half
Grading: cut each layer of a seam allowance
slightly narrower than the previous layer
Clipping: after trimming, clip seam allowances
that curve inward
Notching: cut v-shaped wedges on the outside of
a curve
Finishing Seams
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
Seams need to be finished to prevent fabric
edges from fraying or raveling and give a neat
appearance
Methods:
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Pinked or stitched and pinked: cut with pinking shears
Zigzagged: sew a zigzag stitch close to raw edge
Clean-finished: turn edge of seam allowance under and
sew along the folded edge
Bound: use tape strips and stitch through layers
Serged: use a serger on the raw edge
Interfacing


A lightweight, woven or nonwoven fabric
that is put between layers of garment fabric
to prevent stretching and add extra body
and shape
Two different types: fusible (use an iron to
apply) and sew-in (sew onto the fabric)
Facings
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A piece of fabric used
to finish the raw edges
of a garment
Usually seen at
necklines, armholes,
and waistlines
More Sewing
Fundamentals
Chapter 22
Hand Sewing

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When threading a needle, cut the thread at an
angle to make it easier to thread
Then, hold the needle up against a background so
you can see through the eye
Insert the thread through the eye and pull it
through
Cut the thread at the desired length and knot it
Hand Sewing Techniques


Running Stitch: the simplest stitch and is
used to sew seams, basting , and
gathering. Form a running stitch by making
even stitches about ¼ inch long
Hemming Stitch: a slanted stitch used on
bound, hemmed, or serged hemmed
finishes
Cont.

Backstitch: durable stitch used to repair
seams

Secure thread at the beginning of the seam.
Working from right to left, bring the needle
through the fabric to the upper side facing you.
Then, insert the needle one stitch back, about
1/8 in., behind the previous stitch and bring it out
one stitch ahead. Continue until the seam is
complete
Backstitch
Hems


Usually the last step in construction
The basic steps include:


1. When marking a hem, make sure to wear
shoes similar to the ones you will wear with the
garment and have someone mark the hem line
with chalk or fabric pen.
2. Fold the hem up, matching the seams, and
pin it in place. Then, try garment on again.
Cont.
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
3. Using a sewing gauge or ruler, mark the hem
width plus 1/4inch on the hem allowance for
finishing. Trim away any excess fabric.
4. Once the hem is marked, finish the edge with
fusible web, machine stitching, or hand stitching
using a slip stitch or hemming stitch.
Closures

Buttons and
Buttonholes

Two types of buttons:
sew-through and shank
buttons


Sew-through buttons
are buttons that have
two or four holes in it
Shank buttons are
buttons that have a
built-in shank, or loop,
on the back (don’t have
holes)
To Sew a Button

Sew-through button:

1. Secure the thread to the underside of the
garment at the button location. Then, bring the
needle up through the fabric and one hole of the
button. Lay a toothpick or a large pin on top of
the button between the holes. Bring the needle
over the toothpick and down through the second
hole. Do this several more times.
Cont.

2. End stitches with the needle and thread under
the button between the button and the garment.
Remove the toothpick or pin, and wind the thread
several times around the thread UNDER the
button to create the thread shank. Push the
needle through the underside of the fabric and
secure it.
Cont.

Shank button:

1. Secure the thread to the underside of the
fabric at the button location. Sew a shank button
in place with several small stitches through the
shank and into the fabric. Secure the thread to
the underside of the fabric.