Elements of Clothing Design

The primary elements of clothing design are product silhouette, line, color, fabric and trimming. When clothing is designed all of these elements are taken in account.

#1. Silhouette:

It is the most dominant visual element of a garment. Silhouette means the shape of a garment. The basic silhouettes are classified into three categories like,

Slim line silhouette- the garments which remain in contact to the body are called as slim line silhouette.
Moderate silhouette – the garments which not fall close to the body contact are known as moderate silhouette.
Extreme silhouette – the garments which have a layering of clothes to show the fullness of the garment and also improve the drape are called extreme silhouette.

#2. Line:

It refers to the edge or outline of the garment.

#3. Color:

Color is the most important of the design because it is the first thing that is noticed by a customer. More than the visual look of a color, it carries lot of meaning of the garment.

Cloths in one color add to illusion to height.
Dark colored top with light colored bottom tends to shorten the height of the wearer.
Contrast between dark and light also creates effective illusion.
Space filled with pattern seems larger than plain space.
Dark colors recede visually.
Light colors stand out. Thus single color have bright look and good combination of colors add the value of the garment.

#4. Fabric:

The basic raw material of clothing is fabric. Fabric thickness, weight, physical properties are also considered during clothing designing.

#5. Trimming:

Trims are used in garment for function or styling purpose. Trims help to emphasis the garment as well as it improve the aesthetic value.