ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
The overall outline or shape of a garment.
silhouette
Both sides of the design are mirror images of each other.
symmetrical (formal) balance
Red, yellow, and blue.
primary colors
The basic figure template designers draw their clothes on.
croquis
A strip of fabric gathered along one edge to create a wavy trim.
ruffle
How a fabric feels — or looks like it would feel.
texture
The focal point — the spot that grabs your eye first.
emphasis
Colors directly across from each other on the color wheel.
complementary colors
How many “heads” tall a typical fashion croquis is.
9 heads
A short, flared strip of fabric attached at the waist of a top or jacket.
peplum
This element can be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or curved, and leads the eye.
line
Repeated lines, colors, or shapes that create a sense of movement.
rhythm
A hue with white added.
tint
A quick, loose drawing that captures a pose and movement.
gesture drawing
A dress style with the waistline sitting just below the bust.
empire waist
Vertical lines on a garment tend to make the wearer look this way.
taller / slimmer
The size relationship of the parts of a design to each other and to the whole.
proportion
Colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel.
analogous colors
A flat, front-and-back drawing of a garment with no body, showing seams and details.
technical flat
A skirt fitted at the waist that gradually flares out, shaped like a capital letter.
A-line skirt
The area inside and around shapes in a design — positive or negative.
space
When all the parts of a design work together and feel complete.
harmony (unity)
Three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel.
triadic color scheme
The imaginary line from the pit of the neck down to the weight-bearing foot.
balance line
A collage of images, colors, and textures that communicates a design concept.
mood board