Engaging Students by Developing Patterns from a Historic Garment

Apparel construction courses provide opportunity for hands-on activities (McKeatchie, Pintrich, Lin, & Smith, 1987) and using a historic costume collection. Hands-on learning activities in apparel construction courses that incorporated history of costume has been found to enhance students\u27 critical thinking and analysis of skills (Banard, 2015). These skills are valuable in the fashion industry (Banard; Weaver, 2011). A hands-on teaching assignment was developed in which a flat pattern class made patterns from historic garments to prepare for the digitizing process and the proposed steps in product development. Purpose/Objective of Strategy The purpose/objective of this teaching strategy was to: 1. apply flat pattern skills to replicate a historic garment, 2. record the measurements needed to successfully replicate a historic garment, 3. critically evaluate patterns made from a historic garment, 4. demonstrate how to manipulate pattern pieces to create style lines or shape into garments via flat pattern methods, and 5. translate a design idea into a flat pattern. This class will be implemented in the curriculum