Bias Cut Dress Making
“With all the added difficulties and costs – the artistry of bias cut dressmaking, and the knowledge and skills of the cut, has sadly been largely lost in mainstream fashion today. “
The bias cut is soft, delicate and free. That is Fermare.
The Nature of Bias.
The bias-cut dress is a very beautiful and unique find. Cut at 45° to the grain of the fabric, dresses are given new life and new character. Regular dresses are cut on the grainline of the fabric; that is, the centre vertical line of the garment is parallel to the grain of the fabric. What the bias cut technique does is completely transform the nature and characteristic of the fabric, turning a boring woven fabric into a flowing work of beauty.
The nature of the dress changes, and where it was once taut on the verticals and horizontals; it now becomes supple, soft, delicate and free. The characteristic feel and fall of the garment changes; it obtains breath and stretch; and now falls beautifully along the curves of the figure, creating a gorgeous silhouette.
Origins of the Cut.
Bias-cut dressmaking found its life in the 1930s, through the genius of Vionnet. The bias cut technique was known and used prior to Vionnet, but she was the first to use and interpret the technique onto entire dresses – revolutionizing dressmaking and women’s wear for generations to come. The dresses coming out of her Paris Atelier were nothing but masterpieces; and were subsequently worn and featured in many classic films and by many of the most beautiful stars of the screen – like Katharine Hepburn.
Today, the technique is used mostly by Haute Couture, and bespoke fashion houses – and has become less and less easy to find for us regular fashionistas. With the invent of fast fashion, such laborious techniques like the bias cut are not featured as much in the lines today – as it is not really a viable technique considering that tight turnaround times and highest cost effectiveness are primary drivers of the fast fashion model. Profits are one of the major factors involved when deciding manufacturing standards – and cutting on the bias is just much harder, more involved and much less profitable than the alternative.
Cutting on the Bias.
Cutting on the bias has with it much added difficulties and downsides for a typical fashion retailer. To do this technique, you will require slightly more fabric than usual; patternmaking is more costly and laborious, as you will need to make a full mirrored pattern as opposed to the regular quarter patterns; sewing becomes very difficult and requires expertise knowledge and skill; and designing and sizing gets more involved.
If you are looking for a bias cut dress today, you may still be able to find a couple in fast fashion, but bad news is these are typically not the best of quality or variety. Cutting on the bias is a real artform and quite technically demanding. It can often times very easily go wrong, which is why intricate care and study is a necessity.
With all these added difficulties and costs – the artistry of bias cut dressmaking, and the knowledge and skills of the cut, has sadly been largely forgotten in mainstream fashion today.
Fermare and the Bias Cut.
A Fermare dress is intricate and thoughtful.
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