In this article we will be starting to look at shapewear garments. From some of the comments I have read for my other articles, some of you good people would like a bit more technical details so this article contains some information already in other articles but in more depth. So before we make anything to shape its thinking caps on all you students of contour fashion and do not forget to do a sketchbook.

The phrase “body confidence trick” has two meanings here; the tricking of the wearer of the garment into thinking that they are physically slimmer and in a more fashionable shape when wearing the shapewear garment, and the comment sometimes made by women that they “feel more confident” in their outer clothes when wearing shapewear undergarments.

But first, we must define what shapewear or foundation garments are. If I were to say that “we do not design and make bras to fit a woman’s natural bust shape”, at first you may disagree - but think about the statement for a moment. If we did design bras to fit the natural bust shape then the bra would simply be a modesty covering for the breasts.

 

We design bras to impart on the breasts a pleasing “fashionable shape” and to give support to the breasts, even though the breasts do not naturally need support.

 

This breast fashion shape, as with all fashion, changes with time and sometimes modern designers will style a garment collection on a bygone era; 40s, 50, 60s and so on. Each era of outer garment fashion had their own undergarment fashion shapes... or did they? All shapewear foundation garments try to modify or impart a pleasing attractive shape on the wearer and to the vision of an observer; the wearer and the observer are same person with most shapewear undergarments, plus there is the “Feel factor”; the feeling that you are being supported and shaped.

 

Although there have been at least two very radical fashion shapes in history that have pushed the boundaries of an “attractive shape” - the “S” bend corset and the “no shape” look in the 1920’s (We will skip over the use of Panniers for BIG hips, 1720 to 1750!)...

 

...one shape or form always seems to come through:

 

If you ask a man to describe an attractive woman’s body shape then this is the shape that he will draw in the air with his hands. We have seen this shape picked out in the recent fashion garment “the bodycon dress”. “Bodycon” is short for “body conscious” but it may still be a body confidence trick.

 

The centre front panel of the dress should be a lighter shade or colour than the rest of the dress. This gives the visual illusion that the person wearing the dress is slimmer than they really are, because the observer concentrates on the centre front panel and ignores the true outline of the dress.

 

But this “picking out” or emphasising of a bodycon shape is nothing new. As already stated, if you ask a man to visually describe a woman’s body shape he will draw in the air the shape usually associated with the figure shape of a fairly young, post-pubescent, with a good height to weight ratio woman. In “first world” societies this body shape has been held up as an ideal of the feminine woman, ether by popular culture or sociological expectations. The garment industry knows this all too well - just look at all the advertising for intimate apparel and you rarely see a mature, full-bodied woman modelling underwear. It’s always a young, shapely woman who really has no need to wear shapewear garments at all who appears in the advertisements.

All shapewear garments rely on some form of compression to ether re-mould or move body tissue - BUT remember, shapewear garments will not reduce “body mass”. The body mass only gets re-shaped or is given the illusion of reshaping. So how is this compression or re-shaping  achieved? For body shaping it’s all to do with “negative ease”, in other words, making the garment slightly smaller or shaped differently than the wears body so that the wears body tries to conform to the shape of the garment. With a bra, the cut or shape of the bra moves and moulds the breasts into a more “fashionable” shape and position.

 

But how much negative ease?
For the designer of shapewear the subject of negative ease can be quite complex, with all the weights of fabrics, their stretch “modulus” and all the maths to transform a “skin fit” garment block to a body-shaping garment pattern.

First the “Weight” of a stretch fabric
Just like the paper used in a printer or photocopier, the weight of stretch fabrics is expressed in grams per square metre.
80gsm paper = one square metre of the paper would weigh 80 grams.

 

190 g/m2 nylon lycra/spandex powernet = one square metre of the fabric would weigh 190 grams.

 

The stretch modulus of a fabric is expressed as “50% of 0.7 kg/cm wale (warp) and 0.9 kg/cm course (weft)”.

The “Wale” and “Course”
As nearly all stretch fabrics are a knit and not a weave. The terms wale and course are used instead of warp and weft as in woven fabrics. A typical powernet is knitted on a “Raschel” type warp-knitting machine designed or adapted for 4-bar elastic netting.

 

The 50%
This is the centre point of the working range of the fabric. If we take a sample of stretch fabric and do not stretch it this would be 0%. If we stretch the fabric sample as far as it will stretch before ripping this is 100%. So somewhere between it’s “at rest” state and fully stretched is it’s “working range”  The working range is given as most stretch fabrics do not have “linear” stretching characteristics. They do not stretch out at an even rate (a straight line graph) from 0% to 100% stretch. Two technical terms you may come across when stretching things are, “elastic deformation” and “plastic deformation”.

Elastic deformation = the fabric stretches but will return to it’s un-stretched size.
Plastic deformation = the fabric stays stretch out without “rebounding” or tears apart in “Failure mode”.

 

0.7 kg/cm and 0.9kg/cm.
For every 0.7 of a kilogram of weight or “pull” applied to stretch the fabric sample in the wale direction the fabric stretches by 1 centimetre.

 

For every 0.9 of a kilogram of weight or “pull” applied to the fabric sample in the course direction the fabric stretches by 1 centimetre.

 

The “rebound” of a fabric.
The rebound of a stretch fabric is its ability to return to its un-stretched state after stretching. It can also be considered as part of the fabric’s modulus as it is the fabrics “pull” against the force that is stretching it as it tries to return it to an un-stretched state. Squeeze a foam bath sponge and when you let go the foam springs back into its original shape, that’s rebound. A good foundation garment fabric should have a virtually instant rebound, just like a stretched and then released rubber band.

But what does this all mean?
Really, the stretch modulus of a fabric is a way of comparing different fabrics. Fabrics with high modulus would be considered to have “strong” control and require a large pulling force to stretch; a low modulus indicates a “light” control and only takes a small amount of pull to stretch. The same dose not apply to the weight of a stretch fabric, you can have a heavy “dance wear” lycra that has a lot of stretch in it. So do not go by the weight of a fabric alone when choosing and ordering stretch fabrics.

But all this fabric manufactures technical data dose not give us the amount of negative ease to apply to the shapewear garment pattern, for that we must work out a “scaling factor” or “stretch factor” number, SF. We also sometimes have another thing to think about, a lot of stretch fabrics stretch more or less in one direction than the other. In the stretch modulus example above the fabric stretches more easily in the wale direction than the course direction so we must work out two scaling factor numbers. It is usual when drafting patterns for and making up stretch garments to utilise the easily stretched direction of the fabric for “around the body”.

 

Why do this? Because many shapewear garments are “step-in and pull-up” so the negative ease waist of the garment needs to stretch over the wears hips when pulling the garment up over the body. Unless you use some form of opening / fastening in the garment such as hooks and eyes or a zipper. That’s why a Victorian corset has a “busk” fasting at the centre front so that the non-stretch negative ease corset could be wrapped around the body before the lacing at the back was pulled in. The small waist of the non-stretch corset could not be pulled up over the hips.

 

The Scaling Factor or Stretch Factor, SF number
To determine the scaling factor to be applied to the body measurements to draft a pattern we must undertake some “testing” of our chosen fabric. If you consider a sample of fabric in its “at rest” state then this would be 0% now if we stretch the sample out as far as it will stretch then this would be 100%. So at some point be between the two extremes of 0% and 100% is the stretch that gives us the required support / shaping for the garment, but also the control is reasonably comfortable and acceptable to the wearer of the garment, allowing reasonable freedom of movement. It is no good making a foundation garment that reduces the waist of the wearer but the wearer then has difficulty in breathing!

This is were we depart from pure scientific methodology and enter objective observation / comparison, in other words, the art of foundation garment design. The more fabric “testing” / proto-type garment making you undertake, the more experience you will obtain in the field. Two of the main body areas that are always a target for figure control garments are the waistline and the stomach / lower abdomen, so we can start by testing in those areas. It is always best to conduct the testing on a live model for verbal feedback on the comfort acceptability of the elastic compression. There are test equipment / gadgets that can be used to indicate the elastic compression of a garment on the body but unless you have “bench marks” to use with such equipment and your fabric, then you are going to have to start from scratch and come up with your own bench mark test measurements.

The test method for compression support stockings / tights / panty hose specifies the HATRA pressure tester, which was developed by the (now defunct) Hosiery and Allied Trades Research Association. The pressure tester gives the hosiery a Support Compression Factor Number; 6, 8, 10.

Example: testing fabric for a waist / stomach control garment such as a light control “Panty Girdle”.

 

If you are employing a model, just as in prototyping a bra, it’s a good idea to get a model who is “core sized”, i.e. for the British market UK size 12 / UK34B. This will help when it comes to grading the shapewear patterns. BUT you can use any size model who has a reasonably proportioned body shape to find the scaling factor of your fabrics as you can apply the scaling factor to a set of standard body measurements after testing to produce a working “core size” pattern. Start by taking a strip of fabric 15cm wide and slightly longer in length to your test models natural waistline measurement. Now wrap the fabric around the waistline, stretching and overlapping the ends of the fabric until the desired waist shaping /comfort level is achieved, mark the fabric at this point.

 

Wrap the strip of fabric around the models hip / bottom area stretching to the marks on the fabric. Is the elastic stretch acceptable for the garment to be put on?  If not slacken of the stretched fabric slightly and re-mark the fabric. Remember this is a “step in pull up” type garment so the negative eased waist size needs to stretch over the hips but this stretching over the hips is only for a very short amount of time as the garment is pulled on.

 

Go back to the waistline and recheck the compression at the second marks on the fabric. Is there still a reasonable amount of waistline control / shaping?  You may need to do the testing several times in order to achieve a balance between the desired affect of control / shaping over “acceptable” comfort and the ability to put the garment on. Unless you intend for the garment to have strong control and you are going to us some sort of opening (hooks and eyes / zipper) to allow the garment to be put on. Now lay the strip of fabric un-stretched flat out and measure the distance between the marks, this is the amount of negative eased fabric needed at the waistline of the garment. So, this is the total measurement for the pattern waistline - what about the other body measurements to draft the pattern with?

 

If you take the length of the fabric needed at the waistline and divide the number by your models natural waistline measurement, you will obtain a scaling or stretch factor number with which to mathematically work out the negative eased measurements for the other “around the body” measurements, i.e. top hip, hips and so on.

Example:

Length of stretch fabric = 56.7cm
Models natural waistline measurement = 68cm
56.7 divided by 68 = 0.83 = the Scaling Factor number
For the other around the body measurements;
Scaling factor 0.83 times by the models natural body measurements i.e.
     0.83 x 88cm top hip = 73.3cm pattern measurement
     0.83 x 94cm hips = 78.3cm pattern measurement.
Always times the scaling factor number by the body measurement and not the other way around!
So the garment “around the body” measurements would be; waist 57cm, top hips 73.3cm and hips 78.3cm. These are the measurements you would use to draft the garment pattern with and these are the garment measurements that the garment is going to try to compress the wearer’s body to. That is the key to shapewear; the garment tries to compress the wears body size to its size

 

But what about the “up and down body” measurements?

In theory negative ease is not applied to the “up and down body” measurements, as the garment is not trying to shorten the wearer’s body! But in practice a small amount of negative ease can be applied to the garment in the up and down direction to prevent things like horizontal wrinkling of the fabric, the aim is a “smooth” line to the garment. Do not apply too much or the garment will start to “ride up” or “cut in” on the wearer. Also if the garment has bra cups, the cups may be pulled down and the perimeter of the cups and cradle area may not fit against the breast roots properly.

Again, undertake some testing with the chosen fabric and model. A starting point for up and down body negative ease would be a SF number of 0.97. So a “waist to hip” body measurement of 20cm would become, 0.97 x 20cm = 19.4 cm pattern measurement. Or a “waist CF between legs to waist CB” body measurement of 66cm would become, 0.97 x 66cm = 64cm pattern measurement.

So now you have some basic pattern measurements to start drafting a pattern. There is a catch however, just as in grading of a garment there are some body measurements that you would not apply the scaling factor to, i.e. the width of the crutch, for example, and the length of the crutch panel, may be left alone and its negative ease added (taken away from) to the body front and back panels.

 

The above example would give you a workable but very simple garment, the sort of shapewear garment for under casual light trousers / pants (USA). I will go through drafting and making the panty girdle in the next article. A very simple garment, stylistically and technically, so what about the “Body Con”? Remember, the tricking of the wearer of the garment into thinking that they are physically slimmer and in a more fashionable shape when wearing the shapewear garment and the comment sometimes made by women that they “feel more confident” when wearing control garments. Yes, the simple powernet panty girdle or “shaping pants” would work as the negative eased garment, it would hold in the stomach / lower abdomen under elastic compression - but would the garment “look right” to the customer who may expect to see at least some “control panelling” or “control areas” on the garment? In other words, has the garment “body con hanger appeal”?

The stomach CONtrol panel
A centre front “control” panel on, or part of, the garment can really be any pleasing or eye-catching shape and can be made from either non-stretch fabric / lace or “Two-Way stretch” fabric for more comfort, or even a combination of non-stretch and two-way stretch. As to the shape, remember the curves of the attractive woman’s body shape described by a man or the bodycon dress? Here is the first styling idea particularly from retro foundation garments. The shape of the centre front diaphragm “control” panel. And just as with the visual trick of the centre front panel of the bodycon dress so the shape of the centre front diaphragm panel shape plays a visual confidence trick on the wearer / observer.

CF control panel fabrics
For non-stretch fabrics and lace, the warp or weft of the fabric must run horizontal or vertical to the body of the wear so that no bias stretching of the panel in the “around the body” direction takes place. Two-way stretch fabrics are a better option as they help to stop the garment from riding up and / or cutting in, but what is meant by two-way stretch? Firstly an explanation of two stretch fabric descriptions that can be confusing, “four-way stretch” and “two-way stretch”. When buying stretch fabrics you may sometimes come across the fabric described as four-way stretch, but how can a fabric stretch in four ways? Unfortunately the four way stretch description is a hangover from early foundation garment advertising, when underwear manufacturers tried to give the impression of complete freedom of movement in their new stretch foundation garments by saying that the garment was made from fabric that could stretch in all four ways; up, down, left and right! Almost all powernets and swimwear / dance lycra / spandex fabrics stretch in both the wale (warp) and course (weft) directions.

 

With two-way stretch, the fabric will only stretch in one knit / weave direction, either the wale (warp) OR the course (weft) direction and is rigid in the other knit / weave direction.

 

Now you may think that a fabric that only stretches in one knit / weave direction is not much use for stretch foundation garments, but you can use two-way stretch (one direction) fabrics for control panels. You could use rigid fabric / lace for the centre front control panel. This is OK for a corselet / girdle type garment as the garment is open at the bottom, but if we were making a panty corselet with a crutch then we would still need a the centre front control panel to be rigid in the “around the body” direction to maintain figure control, but stretch in the “up and down body” direction. This is so that when stretching up or sitting wile wearing the panty corselet the garment will stretch up with the wearer and not try to cut them in half.

 

The classic use of two-way stretch fabric is a two way stretch satin control panel over the bottom (back) area of a shaping foundation garment, i.e. 1950’s / 60’s girdles. These are rigid in the round the body direction to shape the bottom area but stretching in the up and down direction so that when the wearer sat down the back of the girdle stretched and did not ride up (in theory).

 

When a centre front control panel is included in a shaping garment there is the fact that the panel “takes way” from the stretch fabric and this reduction in the amount of stretch fabric in the front of the garment must be taken into account when working out the pattern drafting measurements for the garment. Have a look at the corselet drafting and making article. In the pattern draft for a classic 50’s style corselet, the size of the panel is included in the SF sizing calculations. The blocks of this garment can also be used to draft other shapewear garments such as; long-line bras, girdles, deep suspender belts, a “Merry Widow” basque (Guêpière) and by lowering the bottom hemline to just above the knees, a shaping slip.

 

Is it Control or is it a Control Con?
In the corselet pattern-drafting example the amount of stretch fabric was adjusted to take into account of the non-stretch control panels at centre front and centre back so that the elastic compression of the garment for figure shaping was maintained. What if the garment called for even more control compression in certain body areas such as the waistline or just under the bottom for “lift”? The garment could have extra stretch fabric sewn in to it at the body areas, BUT the extra stretch fabric parts need to be drafted and placed on the garment correctly to work as shaping elements, and not just as visual confidence tricks.

First, a simple experiment to demonstrate incorrect control panelling: Take three rubber bands of equal size. Tie two bands together with thread and stretch them out between two drawing pins / thumb tacks. This represents a single layer stretch fabric garment with a side seam, one rubber band is the back panels of the garment and the other band is the front panels of the garment. The join in-between the bands is the side seam sitting in the correct body position. Now tie another rubber band to the first two and stretch the rubber bands out, with two going to one pin and the single band going to the other pin. This represents a shaping garment with an extra layer of stretch fabric sewn into the front of the garment only. You will see that the “side seam” join between the bands has now moved towards the two-band front of the garment.

 

You may have come across swimsuits that claim to be figure controlling swimwear with this sort of “control” panelling, one layer of swimsuit fabric for the back of the suit and a panel of Powernet sewn into the front of the suit. The result is the back of the suit is pulled around to the front by the extra elastic pull of the Powernet so the fit of the suit is distorted and there is no real stomach or waistline control.

Take a look at some examples of shapewear garments to see this incorrect control arrangement. In this panty corselet / all-in-one, the designer has fixed two strips of stretch fabric in a cross formation over the stomach area. Would this provide shaping control or is it “two rubber bands pulling one” CONtrol?

 

In this long leg panty girdle by Sears Roebuck & Co from 1970 USA patent number 3,513,853; the designer has fixed an elongated oval panel over the hip area of the garment. Would this provide shaping control or is it “two rubber bands pulling one” CONtrol? Remember in this area is the hipbone and no amount of stretch fabric compression will reshape bone!

 

For proper control and body shaping, control panelling must extend around the body to maintain an even stretch / compression tension.
In this corselet from a previous article the extra layers of Powernet at the waistline and under the seat area run from the centre front diaphragm “control” panel around the body of the garment to the centre back, this maintains an even shaping tension in the areas.

 

Again, in this basque there is an extra control panel layer of powernet at the waistline, and again the waist control runs from centre front around the body to centre back - thus maintaining the correct tension.

 

So what are the basic shapewear options?

• Corselet,
• Panty Corselet,

• Panty Corselet with thigh shaping,

• Longline Bra & Girdle,

• Panty Girdle,

• Shaping Slip,

Or “push the envelope”:

 

And you can do it in white and with a bit more coverage / modesty for a wedding undergarment.

 

Or just use the control panels.

 

The same stretch fabric negative ease / scaling factor techniques for pattern drafting can be applied more unusual materials such a latex sheet, stretch PVC’s and neoprene.

 

As a final note
There is nothing wrong with underwear that utilises the “body con” idea if it makes the wearer feel more confident about their appearance, after all, that is what good fashion is all about. As long as there is no “wild” body shaping clams made about a garment in its advertising - that’s against advertising standards / rules in most countries - but strangely a garment’s shaping abilities can be “exaggerated” in a “television presentation”. Check out some television shopping channels for the latest body con ideas!! The “before and after” shots are always a good “bodycon”.

 

 

 

 

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