The White Shirt project’

(An exploration into the influence of geometrics and tactile knowledge in fashion pattern
cutting.)

Introduction
The ever-changing fashion design world will always require new ways to create products and desirable
objects but, although the design industries are renowned for breaking down traditional routes and
constantly questioning ideals, we have arrived at a point where technology is probably moving too fast
for the complete design process to cope with. While visual computer programmes and design software
can now assist the designer with virtually all aspects of design creation, the sensory aspect and tactile
manipulation of materials is either being forgotten or left to such a late stage in the design process that it
is affecting the quality of the end result e.g. In fast fashion, designers are often sending CAD designs to
factories without having explored tactile properties of the materials. In order to create better products
from a fashion design perspective, we need to explore the challenges opportunities and forward thinking
that tacit and tactile knowledge and experience can offer, particularly in the learning process of garment
construction. Within this a key part of the process is the ability to cut a pattern that can both help create
the design and also assist with the manufacturing process. The paper is positioned as pedagogic
research, which involved a project assigned to students, and evaluates the project’s effectiveness in
teaching and learning using the inspiration of geometric shapes to aid tactile knowledge in pattern
making.

• It questions whether we have allowed designers to depend too much on technology to the
degree that designers are missing out on developing garment construction and pattern cutting
knowledge through a lack of tactile skills both in industry and in education. Are we allowing the
next generation to move even further away from Sennett’s vision of the novice to practitioner

and eventually expert? In fact he goes further to say ‘thinking and feeling are contained within
the process of making’. Sennett (2008)

The paper concludes that there may be creative benefits if pattern cutting teaching methods are
developed in a more tactile direction in fashion design education in the future.

The importance of pattern cutting and pedagogical research

‘Looking around us, we can easily imagine how most objects can be unfolded if we picture a thin layer of
skin covering them’ this quote, from the ‘Block Party’ exhibition created by Lucy Orta,(2011) visual artist
and Fashion Professor at London College of Fashion, describes the new attitude to pattern making is
about thought processes.

Fig 1.Henry G 2015

Pattern cutting is an integral part of the fashion design and garment make process but it is also an area
that has been a stumbling block for many fashion students who see it as either boring, too technical or
something that should be done by a pattern cutting technician. However, in order to develop design
skills, a knowledge of pattern making cannot be ignored.
What is key is to adopt a method of teaching this subject that allows the students to experiment, and go
straight into challenging shapes, volume and silhouettes and learn with a sense of enjoyment and
satisfaction.
There is a gap in the reference material available to students between for instance the books by authors
Campbell (1980) or Aldrich (1996) which are slightly mathematical in approach and the ‘Pattern magic’
series by Nakamichi (2010) which is overtly creative and not for the inexperienced. Chunman(2011) has
to some extent bridged this gap. Chunman also suggests that the creative approach to the art of pattern
making can act as an inspiration for garment design rather than just a means of translating a 2D sketch
to a 3D shape.
If we consider the work of fashion designers John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Yohji Yamamoto,
their creations carry a unique signature in terms of cut, silhouette and shape. While they were trained as
pattern makers as well as designers it was the major impact of the work of Rei Kawakubo for Comme
des Garcons in 1980 that gave garments and pattern cutting a sense of freedom with the deconstructed
approach. This attitude was echoed in the Balenciaga A/W 2013 collection designed by Alexander
Wang, which was inspired by geometric shapes such as the triangle, circle and square. The discussion
in this paper is around how such an approach can be used as a teaching tool that challenges the
students, allows them to experiment and provides both a functional and conceptual training.

The geometric inspiration method, where step one is creating pattern shapes rather than a design
sketch is different from other methods used by some lecturers and institutions. Almost all introductory
pattern cutting courses or books start from the basic bodice block, showing how to manipulate it to
create changes in design and style. This classic approach tends to maintain the existence of side seams
and darts. We wanted the students to challenge this design standard – it’s like breaking the rules before
they are learnt.

The project brief

The project is designed to act as an introduction to garment construction for 1st year fashion students.

Creative Shirt Design

A NEW ANGLE
This brief presents a creative cutting approach to your shirt design that encourages you to think ‘out
of the box’, to develop your designs in a practical, 2D to 3D manner, while focusing on silhouette and
control of volume around the body.
Japanese Designer, Yohji Yamamoto expresses a similar sentiment:

…Sketches do not determine the clothing. It is, rather, the fabric and the human form that guide one
towards the discovery of a personal mode. I have repeatedly said, ‘ are you listening?’ The fabric has
much to teach us, how does the cloth want to drape, to sway, to fall? If one keeps these things in mind
and looks very carefully, the fabric itself begins to speak, ‘this is the type of clothing I wish to become.’
“
From this starting point and using inspiration from your summer research (if applicable), your shirt
design (men’s or womenswear) will exemplify, A NEW ANGLE, in its widest possible interpretation.
The module briefing presentation will explain the experimental approach in more detail.
The only constraints on your creativity are that the shirt must contain the standard neckline with a 2-
piece collar, a straight shirt placket (long or short), and a cuff with opening on the sleeve(s). These are
key elements of a classic shirt, which you have already studied.

CPJ – Creative Process Journal. From day one record your activities in an A3 journal that shows your
creative journey in this project: your experiments, developments, tests, samples and conclusions.
Presented through drawing, notes, digital work, photography, with some relevant technical
information and design inspiration.

Work Requirements and Submission Dates

Submit: Creative Shirt; Final Pattern including flat drawing; A3 Creative Process Journal with summary
page.

Creative Shirt Critique - to be held in CCE2 Foyer (tbc)

This critique will take the form of a walk-thro’ fashion show of all the shirts, presented on models in
groups (tbc). Staff will complete tick-box evaluation forms. Following this, students will put their shirts
onto mannequins, alongside the Process Journal summary page, and complete the self-reflection
form. Brief feedback tutorials with each student will be held, based on the self-reflection forms.
It is the student’s responsibility to find suitable models for the walk-thro show - you can use each
other but it must be planned in advance.
Throughout the project the authors of the brief provided some guidance:

1.Lay out the shirt blocks, joined in the order that they sit on the body. This layout will help you
to create 3D style lines that have continuity, that contrast or compliment the body on the front,
the back, the sides, and hem. Style/seam lines here may come from your research.

2. Draw seam positions. Draw lines that will be seams - straight - Curved - Angled

3. Decisions on Volume: Consider where you want the shirt to have volume – where are you
going to place the slash lines? Also, you can draw a new hemline.

4. To create volume Trace off, cut out and separate the pieces at the new seam lines & at the
existing side seams. Cut up the slash lines, leaving them joined on the edge where you don’t
want to change the volume. Spread the sections.

5.This shows the new shapes - to be traced off as pattern pieces.

6.Make sure you understand where, on your draft, the seams are… a seam is where your
pattern will be separated into two or more pieces. You can keep the side seams as on the
block, or choose new positions. But always be aware of the width of your fabric – this could
restrict large pattern pieces. (150cm wide for this project) Also be aware, as pattern shapes
become changed, of how the grain line of your fabric sits on the pattern pieces.

7.Trace off your newly developed shapes.

8.Each pattern piece needs a grain line, balance notches and seam allowances.

9.The block already has sleeve/armhole notches to copy. 

10.Write useful names on each pattern piece, notches and marks that help you understand it
e.g.: Centre Front (CF), Centre Back (CB), Side Seam (SS), and if needed, neckline, armhole,
underarm point, angle point, pleat, gather, fold, hemline etc.

11.You will work with mini blocks and half scale mannequins, so you can have several attempts
and save on time and materials. Fit your created styles on the mini mannequins. You can
experiment with mini shapes and trials at home – a plastic bottle could be your mannequin.
Use Vilene (holds shape and doesn’t fray). Vilene can be pinned or sewn together.

12.You will follow up the trial models into a full-scale pattern and toile, to fully test your shirt
design. Use the same pattern cutting techniques on the full scale as you used in miniature. 

The method
We conducted research to observe the creative process of a group of fashion students who were set a
fairly open brief with a few precise restrictions in order to learn about basic garment construction.
Through a method of pattern cutting teaching we were able to look at the pedagogic learning process.
The study comprised of a group of 60 1st year BA (Hons) Fashion students. The research and
observations had been conducted over a 3 year period. The paper however intends to focus on the most
recent brief which involved the introduction of using geometric shapes as the inspiration and proved
particularly successful.

Research methodology
The following methods were used to gather data

1. Shadowing /observation
The method used for the research is a series of projects using geometric shapes as a theme
for a research project instigated by BA Honors Fashion students at the University of
Northumbria. The students investigated new ways, concepts and technical research that would
influence the way we design, make and retail fashion products. The research project was
designed to re-engage the fashion industry to the intimacy of materials through touch and
emotion. The project vision was to capture and communicate the tactile senses through visual
concepts that mix sensory, tactile experiences and garments. The students were observed
over several weeks. The aim being to show that understanding volume, and more specifically
drape, 3D contours and tactile handling of material adds to a designer’s knowledge while also
aiding comparative thinking in teaching and learning.
2. Documenting peer critique comments were recorded.
 For the first student cohort, two circles of calico were given to each student.

Fig 2. Examples on mini mannequins.

 Working in full scale, they cut a hole or slit for the neck and began draping,
pinning and seaming with the very large expanses of cloth. Eventually,
refinement of the shapes evolved into shirt-like 'sculpted' garments (also with
the rule of including collar, placket and cuff). These final designs tended to
feature billowing silhouettes, curved drapes and hems. 

 The second cohort were given ready cut square pieces of calico and again
worked with slits, holes, draping, folding and seaming. The final designs tended
to feature sharper corners and folds, and generally straighter lines.

 In the third cohort we aimed to address arising issues above, as well as

introduce a different approach. We concluded (after discussions with tech staff
and thro' our own reviews) that set necklines and set armholes were needed to
control the ‘technical’ details of the shirts. Having set elements like this, and
needing to be more economical on cloth meant we returned to the use of
blocks. In order to maintain an experimental approach that did not fall into the
'front, back, side seams’ formula, we introduced the slashing and flaring
technique, and applied it to shirt blocks that were joined together in the first
draft. The layout of the blocks and the way research imagery could be
superimposed on the first draft was what, in theory, could provide surprising
seam positions and exciting silhouette potential. 

 This project was entitled 'A New Angle': The title reflected the research we had
asked the students to do as preparation. It reflected aspirational silhouettes,
and the seam structures that we encouraged the students to utilise (this was
demonstrated in powerpoint slides). The student's development of these ideas
was done on half scale mannequins, using Vilene material, which was easy to
handle and quick to sew. 

3. Exhibition
The final results were selected for a curated exhibition called ‘The White Shirt Project’.
Fig 3. White shirt exhibition

Research findings
The observations and end garments produced for the exhibition showed that a greater understanding of
pattern cutting techniques can be achieved and that the barriers of students feeling that pattern cutting
is too mathematical and technical are easily overcome .The garments produced changed the concept of
the classic white shirt as a male dominated item. The research helped to celebrate the shirt as an ‘item’
that could make a design statement, yet be functional while learning important stages of garment
production. While shirt details were researched this was very much about learning through doing,
creating a sense of space and volume in the designs, taking 3D design to another level. Understanding,
for instance, that side seams are not essential in a garment and that without them an aesthetically
pleasing and functional shirt can be produced, is technical knowledge that can benefit future designs.
Working in calico to poplin, 3D to 2D pattern, reversing the process but touching the fabric early, allowed
the students to feel they were making a jigsaw that must go back together as they intended. This way
they felt in control of the process. The use of working on small scale saved time, financial resources on
materials and allowed the students to continue to work off site. As the students continued to evaluate
and refine the design they then saw the garment in 3D form before utilising sewing skills to turn their
experiments into brilliant and desirable fashion garments!

How the student learning experience changes due to the geometric method
The results of this third approach were broadly: Exciting mini mannequin silhouettes, a relatively trouble
free translation to full size patterns and excellent detail in collars cuffs and seam finishes on the final
garments. However, the downsides were: Less exciting silhouettes in the full size - volume was lost or
changed, and slightly more conventional looking garments were produced.

The students developed their ‘fashion eye’ to make design judgements and decisions.
On evaluating their Vilene mini silhouettes, they had to then work through the 2D to 3D process and
evaluate whether the design in full scale would maintain the 3D shape or collapse? Questions arose
such as how the silhouette would react in the shirt fabric? Would ‘collapse’ be a desired design
outcome? Did the silhouette need refinement? How far had the design progressed from the original
shape?

The difficulties with the two methods of the first two cohorts were to do with students handling large
volumes of cloth on mannequins and not having the knowledge or confidence to cut it. On some
occasions they would cut away too much and remove all the interesting volume. The teaching team
endeavored to encourage bold silhouettes and wearable shapes. Many such successes were
achieved. Throughout the research period the drawbacks were: The finish of the shirt details were
sometimes clumsy (possibly due to time and deadline challenges); the pressure towards the end to
finish garments being immense and requiring extra staff support; the draping of squares and circles of
calico on full size mannequins became very costly, with a cohort of 60 students.
The students struggled (a positive part of their learning). They embarked on a journey that was unknown
at the start, and ended up in a new place with new knowledge (to them). Students were ‘drawing’ with
cloth, reacting to how it behaved. The end result was not anticipated and they did not utilise previously
understood standards. The teaching was different because staff presented a starting point that was a
jump into the middle of pattern cutting knowledge, not to start at 'A' and travel to 'Z'. The students gained
knowledge through their diverse approaches, their challenges and through having no preconceptions.
They did not draw a design first. That would be cutting patterns to the vision in their head and their
vision on paper. To reiterate the words of Japanese Designer, Yohji Yamamoto; …Sketches do not
determine the clothing. It is, rather, the fabric and the human form…’ Mitsuda A (2010)
The hands on, practical approach was more like sculpting with cloth and mannequin, an exercise from
which an accurate pattern did have to be constructed eventually. The students were nervous and afraid
to start with, certainly out of their comfort zone. Interestingly, those who had previous fashion and
pattern cutting experience struggled more, as this was not what they knew or were familiar with. They
did not like not knowing where it was leading. In the end however, the vast majority had overcome their
fear and wrote in feedback questionnaires how much they had learnt. They had gained confidence in
pattern cutting. 98% of the final shirts produced were designed without side seams. And the students did
not actually think this was odd or different. Side seams just did not figure in the process because there
were so many alternatives open to them through the approach we presented.  While the students had
not wholly anticipated the end result, the staff  had some anticipation of end results, and indeed judged
the success of the module on how closely these were achieved. Judgments included the evaluation of
harmony between body and silhouette, silhouette and cloth and the tactile understanding demonstrated
therein.

Wider discussion - Tacit and tactile knowledge

Tactile is the ability to touch and understand physical properties using our human senses and emotional
experiences to build up a memory bank that is then used to make decisions from based on previous
experience. Tacit knowledge is unspoken, the knowledge a craftsman possesses. Yet we need touch to
make the tacit decision as to which we prefer.
The architect Ken-Ichi Sasaki (2008)said ‘The most important factor in the aesthetics of the city is not
visuality but tactility. I consider visuality as the viewpoint of the visitor to a city, and tactility as that of its
inhabitants.’ He then linked this to:

"Tactile knowledge" is what we feel in the presence of an object: the smells of a street, the texture of a
building, and the grade of a hill. It is the knowledge gained though contact or direct experience with an
event or environment. This puts into context tactile touch, as a sense that enables depth of sensory
experience and emotion to be added to vision and sound to create new knowledge.

The process of touch during pattern cutting creation is under developed. Touch is a source of new
knowledge; it identifies the pleasure system and can stimulate emotional well-being, through fibres that
pick up on our pleasure and sensory feelings. So can we have clothes that enhance how we feel as well
as being aesthetically pleasing? Our curiosity should enable us to develop memory databases from
touch-absorbed information and use this to create new things. This would allow designers to think how
to create or to solve their design problem rather than simply translate a 2D sketch into a 3D garment.

Craftsmanship
Within the repertoire of a skilled crafts person, an inbuilt knowledge and an appreciation of the five
senses are apparent. Touch, smell, sight, taste and sound. Due to the continued overload of digital
technology it is not surprising that in the fashion world there has begun a return to craftsmanship, skills
and traditional methods of producing product. ‘In a workshop where the master’s individuality and
distinctiveness dominates, tacit knowledge is likely to dominate’. Sennett.(2008)
It is possible to remember a piece of textiles after touching it far longer than verbal descriptions remain
in our memory. The inability to define something we make can make use of our sensory skills. Its only
when we are struggling to define something do we start to describe it in tactile terms. We need to
engage with materials and processes, understand the materials and the methods we are working
through the study of craft processes.
If one looks back through history it is evident that the British craftsmanship of Thomas Chippendale,
Josiah Wedgewood, Roger Payne, William Morris and Henry Cole would not have been possible without
a combination of tactile skill and ‘trial and error’. It has been said that an expert is someone who has
made every mistake possible – a heartening observation for struggling students. To quote the craft
council executive summary 2010 edited by Mary Schwaz and Dr Karen Yair. Craft is a “Sense of
achievement and ownership: from experiencing the immediacy and concreteness of materials and
always being able to produce something that belongs to them, to be kept for themselves or shared with
others’. [8]

Research impact
The White Shirt Project is part of an on-going collaboration between Tyne & Wear Archives &
Museums and Northumbria University at the Shipley Art Gallery. Originally opened in 1917, the Shipley
Art Gallery is the North East’s leading gallery for contemporary craft and design including ceramics,
wood, metal, glass, textiles and furniture. The Shipley stages a varied programme of temporary
exhibitions as well as regular events and activities for all ages and so was the ideal venue to show the
result of the research to a wider audience. The exhibition of the fashion student’s work was viewed by
fashion lecturers, members of the creative industry, students and the general public. A giant ‘comments
shirt’ was part of the exhibition.

Fig 4. Comment shirt in the exhibition at the Shipley Gallery Gateshead. July 2015.
The exhibited shirts provided a visual narrative that questioned proportion, silhouette, volume and
movement, and developed tactile knowledge that was easily understood by a variety of ages and
backgrounds. Attendance by schools at the exhibition was particularly encouraging. The reaction was
generally very positive. There was strong footfall and a follow up future exhibition at the Shipley or the
Discovery museum is already in discussion. The project continues to develop and evolve at the
Northumbria University School of Design.

The impact on the learning experience,

We are presenting an approach to design that will help to move away from the standard, to find
something new and experimental. The project was a ‘start and see what happens approach’,. to
breakdown inhibitions and fear of a technical subject. We, the staff, had informed the students ‘expect
surprises!’
This approach to design and pattern cutting helped the students to experiment with ideas for shape,
silhouette and volume, using angles and geometrics to designs new more directional creative shapes.It
is useful to compare the process to like a musician, going from reading music, to improvisation, being
led by the sound of the music rather than the score. The important point to be made was that the
students were initially be led by the cutting, the behaviour of the fabric and the shape it forms on the
body, rather than by a pre-conceived design idea.

Impact on industry
Northumbria University fashion graduates work with major brands. Their design education needs to be
creative but commercial at the same time. The White Shirt Project challenges the relationship between
dress, pattern making and the body in a contemporary form of self-expression that is especially relevant
to today’s fashion environment and therefore has been successful to this effect.

Conclusion
Universities, research centres and industry links have for years prepared the graduates for design
leadership, in commerce and design in Industry. The Knowledge and skills they gain is intended to allow
them to be at the top of their fields. The programmes must respond to the needs and changes in order
to sustain the drive and future development. As Commerce and industry change it must review the
academic programmes. Research compiled by fashion staff must be at the forefront using innovative
processes. Therefore in order to avoid wasting resources, Design must explore new boundaries,
challenge the way we think, and design, and be forward thinking. The on going work in progress
research is aiming to show that it is therefore imperative that designers gain a sense of tactile
experience in order to make an impact on future product, in this case through inspiration from geometric
shapes. The problem of measuring and analysing tactile data and simulations is not at times particularly
easy, due to our human observations. However, what has been proved on numerous occasions is that
the lack of tactile experiences and sensations does limit our growth and knowledge.

References
Aldrich W 1996 Fabric form and pattern cutting. London Blackwell Silence .

Aldrich W 2008 Metric pattern cutting for womens’wear Oxford Blackwell.

Campbell H 1980 Designing patterns Cheltenham Thornes .

Chunman L 2011 Pattern cutting London Lawrence King.

Ikeda S 20 July 2008, Ken-ichi Sasaki on Urban

‘Tactility’www.nysun.com/blogs/culture-of-congestion/2008/07ken-ichi-sasaki-on-urban-tactility.html
accessed 10/12/15

Matsuda A 2010 Yohji Yamamoto: My Dear Bomb. A Biography Ludion

Orta L 2011 ‘Block Party’: exhibition.

Sennett. R 2008 The Craftsman, Allen lane page 78,L10.

Schwaz .M Yair .K .2010. 'Making Value: Craft & the economic and social contribution of makers' .
London ,Crafts Council. available from
http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/files/file/7cec2fd1e3bdbe39/making_value_executive_summary.pdf
accessed 10/12/2015

Tomoko N 2010 Pattern magic London Lawrence King.

Image Fig Ref list

Fig 1 Pattern pieces illustrated by Henry G 2015
Fig 2 Students work on mini mannequins .
Fig 3 White Shirt Exhibition image Shipley gallery Gateshead Newcastle July 2015.
Fig 4 Comment shirt at the exhibition Shipley gallery Gateshead Newcastle July 2015.