Prada, as shown with Menswear SS14, Milan.
As part of the recent menswear show, Prada also showed a selection of womenswear pieces that will be sold as part of Resort 2014. Among the womenswear pieces were a variety of examples of how tucks and gathers can be used to create shaping and fullness.
On the top half of the body clusters of tucks were often used to create the bust shaping as an alternative to the classic bust dart. On the bottom half of the body there were different uses of gathering to create fullness in the skirt.
The following images show some of the different uses of tucks and gathers in the collection and the show images are followed by an example of how tucks can replace darts to shape bodice pieces.
In the image below we have blocked out the shape of the bodice to highlight the position of the tucks.
The diagram below shows a bodice pattern where a classic bust dart has been used for shaping. The diagram also shows how the bodice sits when the bust dart has been sewn closed.
The following diagram shows how tucks can be used as an alternative to bust darts. In this version of the bodice you can see that approximately the same amount of dart value has been taken and spread over a number of small tucks:
The diagram below shows the different shaping effects that you can get by using a single dart vs. using a series of darts or tucks.
You can see other examples of how darts and tucks can be used by viewing the following articles which also include pattern instructions on how you can create these effects for yourself:
Fundamentals of Pattern Making: Viktor & Rolf Dart Clusters»
Fundamentals of Pattern Making: Waist Tucks at Rodarte»
Images from Vogue.co.uk»
Diagrams from The Cutting Class»
