Quality Standards in Clothing Construction
An essential task in comparison shopping for ready-to-wear or for evaluating home sewn garments is to recognize and identify standards that give a garment a finished, professional look. Many techniques can produce the same result. Either conventional sewing or serging may be used for many construction processes. The technique used should be compatible with the garment style, the fabric, the sewing equipment available, and the individual's skill (for home-sewn garments).
In an objective evaluation, it is essential to play down personal preferences and to build upon identified and accepted standards. The standards outlined in this publication refer to basic styles of garments. Fashion innovations continually change fit and technique. An objective evaluation should include recognition of the intentions of the designer for the style.
Some standards apply to almost all construction techniques. A technique should result in a detail, finish, or area that is:
- Attractive or Inconspicuous
- Flat and smooth
- Free from bulk
- Stitching that is a uniform distance from an edge or told
- Functional
- Durable
Specific standards that can be expected in good construction of home-sewn garments and of ready-to-wear garments are listed in the remainder of this publication. They are organized by techniques and/or areas, and are presented in alphabetical order.
Appearance, Overall
- Overall neatness
- Plaids, stripes, checks, and other designs matched at seams
- Fabric with a direction to the design (such as vertical flowers) or nap (such as corduroy) is cut in a consistent direction unless garment design requires variation
- Notions compatible
to fabric
and
garment design
- Color
- Fiber
- Weight
- Design
- Basting threads and construction markings removed
Belts
- Flat, smooth, free from bulk
- Straight belt is uniform in width
- Contour belt has smooth, gradual curves
- Interfaced to maintain shape
- Even, uniform shape at end of belt
- Closure is appropriate, attractive, durable, secure, and functional
- Appropriate size and length for garment and individual
- If used, belt carriers should be secure and even
Button
- Have a purpose, either functional or decorative
- Securely and neatly fastened
- Have a shank (to allow room for the buttonhole fabric under the button)
- Placed in relation to buttonholes; when buttoned, fabric is completely flat and smooth
- Reinforced on the wrong side with interfacing or reinforcement button
- Appropriate spacing for size of button and garment type
- Appropriate type for fabric and garment (dressy or sporty; light or heavyweight)
Buttonholes
- Flat
- Secure (all stitching intact)
- Even in length, width, equally spaced
- Uniform in appearance
- With grain or yard direction of fabric
- Correct length (large enough to allow button to pass through easily and yet small enough to hold garments closed)
- Correct placement
- On right front of women's garments
- On left front of men's garments
- Overlap wide enough to cover without a gap
- Overlay occurs where it was designed (center front, center back, side seam, cuff)
- Hold garment securely closed
- Placed in direction of strain from the button (eliminates gapping)
Bound Buttonholes
- Rectangle has perfectly square corners
- Rectangle has the appearance of being about 1/4 inch (6mm) wide
- Lips are an even width
- Lips meet exactly at center of opening
- Facing securely fastened to back of buttonhole
Machine or Hand-Worked Buttonholes
- Stitched in thread that matches or decoratively contrasts with fabric
- Stitching is regular and smooth in appearance, uniform in length
Casings
- Flat, do not twist
- Stitching even and secure
- Even in width
- Width allows drawstring or elastic to slip easily and to stay in place during wear
Collars
- Free from bulk
- Curved seams clipped or notched
- Seams trimmed or graded
- Only the top collar is visible
- Seamline just under the edge of collar
- Built-in roll prevents under-collar from showing
- Understitching or topstitching holds under-collar in place
- Collar-stays inconspicuous if used
- Interfaced to maintain shape
- Enclosed seam allowance
is invisible
on outside
- Appropriate use of interfacing to prevent imprints from seam allowances
- Collar smoothly pressed
- Left and
right sides are
same shape
- Curve of collar
- Angle of collar points
- Location in relation to center front or center back
Cuffs
- Flat, smooth, free from bulk
- Enclosed seams trimmed or graded
- Appropriate use of interfacing to prevent imprints from seam allowance
- Interfaced to maintain shape
- Even in width
- Built-in-roll prevents cuff facing from showing
- Seamline on edge of cuff
Darts
- Tapered and smooth
- Come to a tapered point
- Free of puckers or bubble
- Securely fastened at end
- Appear as straight lines from outside of garment evenly spaced, if in groups
- Matched on left and right side of body in shape and length
- Well pressed
- Stitching line smooth, without bubbling, puckers, or folds
- Shaped to conform to body
- Vertical darts pressed toward center
- Horizontal darts pressed downward
- Slashed and pressed open in bulky fabrics
Facings
- Flat, smooth, free from bulk, pulling or strain
- Enclosed seam graded, clipped, or notched
- Interfaced, if needed
- To prevent stretching
- To provide stability
- To maintain shape
- Free edge
- Secure, stable, and free from raveling
- If finished, finish is flat, smooth, free from bulk
- Securely held in place, not visible
from
outside
- Turned on seamline
- By tacking only at seams and darts
- Inconspicuously attached to garment
- Smoothly pressed from outside
Fitting
Fitting molds flat cloth pieces to the body and allows the garment to be comfortable and attractive. Good fit is based on five factors:
- Grain or yarn direction (relationship of yarns in the fabric to hang
of garment on the body).
- Lengthwise grain is perpendicular to the floor
- Crosswise grain is parallel to the floor
- Grain on right side of garment matches that on left side of garment
- Line (silhouette and seamlines
of garment)
- Silhouette lines on garment follow silhouette
lines on the body
- Vertical seams fall perpendicular to the floor
- Vertical side seams divide body in half visually
- Circumference lines follow body circumference at neckline, waistline, armhole
- Darts point toward and stop short of fullest part of the area they shape
- Hem is parallel to the floor
- Silhouette lines on garment follow silhouette
lines on the body
- Ease (looseness or tightness of garment)
- Adequate ease for comfort
- Correct
amount of ease for smoothness
- Neither too loose nor too tight
- Free of wrinkles that pull and draw indicating too little ease
- Free of wrinkles that lie in folds indicating too much ease
- Balance (hangs equal distance from the body)
- Design
features and
fitting
factors are equal
- From right to left
- From top to bottom
- From front to back
- Design
features and
fitting
factors are equal
- Overall Smoothness (freedom from wrinkles)
- Smooth on the body
- Free from wrinkles
- Enhances appearance of wearer
- Good design
on wearer
- Line
- Color
- Texture
Fitting Set-In Sleeves
- Grain or yarn
direction
- Crosswise grain or yarn direction parallel to floor above the elbow
- Lengthwise grain or yarn direction perpendicular to the floor above the elbow
- Line
- Sleeve cap rests at end of shoulder
- Curve of armhole is smooth and gradual
- Ease
- Sleeve has adequate room for upper arm
- Sleeve is smooth and free from wrinkles (diagonal wrinkles pointing to the cap indicate additional length needed in the cap; crosswise folds at the underarm indicate additional width needed in sleeve)
- Length adequate for style and individual
- Balance
- Short sleeve is balanced on the arm
- Hangs neither forward nor back
- Doesn't hug the arm
- Ease at cap seamline is smooth
and
even
- Not puffy or puckered
- Fullness is even front and back
- Short sleeve is balanced on the arm
- Overall smoothness
- Sleeve is eased into garment, not the garment eased onto the sleeve
Fusing
- Smooth, unpuckered
- Invisible from right side
- Garment edges unstretched
- Does not significantly change hand (or texture) and color of fabric
Gathers
- Uniform, evenly distributed (none are stitched so as to form pleats)
- Full
and attractive
- Not pressed flat
- Enough fullness
Hems
- Width
- Appropriate for weight of fabric, style of garment, and size of individual
- Adequate to suit present styles and provide weight to hang well
- Uniform in width
- Free from bulk
- Fullness reduced or controlled by easing or shrinking; free from tucks or pleats
- Seams pressed open and graded
- Seams clipped at edge of pleats
- Flat
and smooth
- Finished to prevent raveling if required
- If finished, finish does not add bulk or create ridge
- Seams are matched
- Inconspicuous (unless meant to be decorative)
- If topstitched, stitching is uniform and corresponds with other topstitching on the garment
- Hemming stitches are evenly spaced, secure, free from drawing, and invisible on outside
- Fused hems are acceptable if they do not alter hand appearance of fabric
- Pressed to avoid ridges
- Hangs evenly, uniform distance from floor
Hooks and Eyes, Snaps, Other Fasteners
- Neat
- Small, even stitches used to attach
- Stitches do not show on right side of garment
- Reinforced on wrong side (usually with interfacing)
- Location
- Sets aligned
- Hook usually placed 1/8 inch (3mm) from edge of overlap so it will be secure and lay flat
- Functional (correct placement of the two parts)
- Secure
Interfacing
- Adds shape, body, and support
- Without Bulk
- Without changing the character of the fabric
- Enhances the hand of the fabric
- Color blends with color of fabric or is inconspicuous, especially at buttonholes
- Prevents seam allowance from showing through to outside of garment
- Not visible (covered by the facing)
- Free from raveling
- Interfacing seams and darts are treated to eliminate bulk
Lapels
- Lie flat against body
- Left and right are same shape
- Free from bulk
- Interfaced to maintain shape
- Reinforced or taped on roll line in tailored garments
- Only facing is visible above end of roll
line
- Seamline slightly under edge of lapel
- Inner edge of facing not visible
Lining
- Conceals inner construction
- Color and weight coordinated with garment fabric
- Care requirements compatible with garment fabric
- Fits smoothly inside the garment
- Has a neat, finished appearance
- Lining and garment seamlines aligned
- Allowance for body movement
- Vertical pleat in back lining of jacket or coat
- Ease length allowed in fold at bottom of sleeve and at garment hem of jacket
- Free-hanging lining linked to garment seams at hemline with thread tacks
Needlework, Decorative
General standards to consider when used as decoration on a garment:
- Secure
- Uniform
- Flat and smooth; free from unwanted pulling
- Correct technique used
- Enhances the garment, attractive
- Care requirements compatible with fashion fabric
Plackets
- Flat and neat
- Free from bulk
- Secure and durable
- No pulling at corners
- No raw or raveling edges
- Functional (opens wide enough for use)
- Made in matching fabric and thread
Pleats, Tucks
- Uniform in width, unless design requires variation
- Flat and pressed in one direction, except released tucks and unpressed pleats
- Free from pressed-in ridges from hidden edges
- Free from marks from basting, pins
- Hang straight and even with adequate fullness
Pockets
Patch Pocket
- Flat and smooth
- Decorative and attractive
- Positioned correctly on body
- Even topstitching
- Length of stitch
- Distance from edge
- Stitching suitable to fabric and garment design
- Facing on hem in proportion to shape and size of pocket
- Upper corners are reinforced
- Square corners are mitered
In-Seam Pocket
- Not visible, unless meant to be decorative
- Lies flat; does not gap; lining invisible
- Seam or foldline reinforced to prevent stretching
Welt Pocket-Single Welt, Double Welt (bound), Flap
- Flat, smooth, even in width
- Free from bulk or buckling
- Corners secure, symmetrical
Pressing
- Garment surface is smooth and free from wrinkles
- Original appearance
of the fabric has been maintained
- Free from overpressing or iron imprints
- Free from shine, scorching or melting
- Free from flattened nap or pile
- Free from imprints of construction details on outside of garment
- Free from stretching or shrinking
- Free from water or mineral spots
- Seams and darts are pressed smoothly on the stitching line; fabric does not fold over stitching line or look bubbled
- Garment areas pressed over curves where garment will fit over body curves (shaping pressed in)
Seams
- Secure, even stitching
- Balanced tension
- Even stitch length appropriate for fabric, except where shortened for reinforcement
- Uniform pressure from presser foot
- Thread color matches or blends
- Thread fiber and type appropriate
- Free from puckering, skipped or broken stitches
- Free from tangles, knots
- Reinforced at ends with backstitching or knotting
- Loose threads clipped
- Seam allowances are flat and smooth
- Even in width
- Crossed seams trimmed to eliminate bulk
- Enclosed seams trimmed and graded to reduce bulk
- Lay flat; curved seams clipped or notched
- \Free from puckering
- Pressed open or in correct direction
- Finished to prevent raveling, if needed
- Finish is flat, smooth, free from bulk
- Fullness eased and smooth
- Crossed seams meet
- Design patterns and plaids meet
- Fabric free from runs or pulling
- Reinforced where appropriate for technique and fabric (shoulder, armhole, waistline, crotch; stretchy knit or loosely woven fabric)
- If done, top stitching is even and attractive
Sleeves
- Smooth
- Curve of armhole is smooth and gradual
- Smoothly rounded cap
- Ease, gathers, darts, or tucks evenly distributed
- Free from bulk
- Armhole reinforced in area of strain
- Underarm seam allowance trimmed or reinforced as appropriate to design
- Free from raveling (finish on seam allowance if needed to prevent raveling)
- Kimono
sleeve
- Free from drawing or pulling
- Seam allowance clipped in underarm
- Evenly eased in shoulder and upperarm
- Reinforced with stitching or stay at underarm
Understitching
- Holds facing in place (neckline, collar, cuff, pocket)
- Not visible on outside of garment
- Thread blends with fabric
- Done from right side of facing through facing and all seam allowances after seam allowances were trimmed, graded, clipped, or notched
Waistbands
- Smooth, free from bulk
- Uniform in width
- Corners are square, tab comes to a point
- Cut on grain or yarn direction
- Interfaced to maintain shape
- Overlap flush with placket; underlap extends beyond the placket and under the band for side or back closure
- Skirt or pants eased slightly onto waistband
Waistline Seams
- Inconspicuous, smooth, and flat
- All seams and details finished and pressed before waistline was stitched
- Secured with
a waistline stay
- Adds reinforcement
- Prevents stretching
- Stay can be woven seam binding, twill tape, or grosgrain ribbon
Zippers
- Placket, when closed, is flat and smooth
- Free from puckering
- Zipper does not buckle or poke
- Zipper tape does not show, unless part of design
- Stitching is straight and even
- Placket is open to end of zipper teeth unless zipper has been shortened, then chain or coil is securely held with several stitches
- Correct length to be useful
- Slides easily and does not catch
- Compatible weight with fabric
- Horizontal seams meet across the placket opening
