Prown's Model--Yellow Dress--DESCRIPTION

1.I a. Fibers

Polyester is a synthetic manufactured fiber (MF) with high strength, abrasion resistance and good resilience (can recover well from strain without stretching). It is also wrinkle resistant.

Polyester has particular drawbacks: it absorbs very little moisture and thus, is a static collector.

Acetate is a MF made from natural raw material: cellulose, combined with acetate compounds. Acetate is the generic name. Produced almost solely as a filament (continuous), acetate has a good luster, a soft smooth hand (like silk), and is heat sensitive.

The dress’ s label indicates that the garment is made of 55% Acetate and 45% Polyester

The dress is made of two different fabrics, but each fabric's composition is not specified. Therefore, it is possible to assume that both fabrics contain the same kind and percentage of fibers.

Either the fabrics are a combination of both fibers (the wrap is made up of one fiber and the weft of the other); or the fabric’s yarns are blends (made up of two fibers) (most feasible).

1.I.a Generic names of the fabrics

The back has a distinctive appearance, like chevrons (>>>>), because of the zigzag path of the yarns. Usually the technical back is used as the "right side" since it is smoother. If there are various colored yarns in the tricot (white and yellow yarns), the yarns meet in a lengthwise stripe much more cleanly on the technical back.

Tricot

	Rib knits are described according to the number of stitches drawn one side by the number to the other (2x2, read two by two). Rib has an excellent crosswise stretch and recovery, and makes a good warm fabric because the air is trapped in its "hills and valleys" surface.
Rib 2x2

The dress is also made of a plain-weaved cotton fabric for the collar's and cuffs’ interfacing, and of a jersey ribbon, used at the shoulder seams to avoid stretching.

Seams and Seam Allowances

The dress was sewn with an industrial sewing machine with one-needle foot, probably with polyester thread to have some "give".

The collar, cuffs and zipper were finished with a decorating seams of stronger thread and wider stitches. The interior of the collar also has a decorating seam to give extra strength and neatness.

The tricot's seam allowances are not neaten since the fabric does not ravels easily. However, cuffs', collars' and hem's seam allowance are neaten with a serge or overlock. Rib's seam allowances are also serged.

The armhole's seam allowances are finished with two parallel stitches to give extra strength and avoid stretching.

The waist seam of the bodice has been cut to match the salvage ,or the bodice's front and back have been knitted in bands to fit the patterns. There has been no intention of matching the geometrical patterns of the tricot skirt at the centre front and centre back. The rib knit has been a good choice of fabric to make a snug garment. Since this dress has probably been industrially manufactured, it is safe to conclude that requirements of use and economy were more important than requirements of appearances.

The bodice has two small bust darts, and the skirt is made of 4 panels, so it is slightly flared.

Parts or Components
	Bodice Skirt Short sleeves Collar Cuffs Front Coil zipper (Coil zippers are synthetic) Belt (missing)

Parts or Components

Bodice

Skirt

Short sleeves

Collar

Cuffs

Front Coil zipper (Coil zippers are synthetic)

Belt (missing)

The bodice and skirt are trapezoid-shaped.

The skirt's textile design is geometrical, in contrasting yellow and white colours. Therefore, it is optically striking. The dress's colours are quite saturated ,and there is also a visual contrast between the tricot's and the rib's texture.

The bodice's bust darts in combination with the rib makes the dress to fit tight to the body.

The tricot is yellow and white, and the rib is yellow with a hint of orange. The zipper is yellow, and the cotton backing is white. There is no method available to find out what kind of dyes were used. With polyester is very difficult to get dyes into, and the fiber needs special procedures, so once the dye is in the fabric, it will not come out easily. There is no indication in the label to wash the garment separately; therefore, the garment must have a good colorfastness (the dye does not bleed or run during washing).

Shiny finish and rather rough hand.

Although the garment is visually striking there is a balance in shape, colour, and texture.