Principles of Design in Fashion: Guides that tell you how the elements of design should be combined to create interesting design. North High School Instructor: Jane Hinrichsen

Balance Garment appears balanced. Objects arranged evenly and pleasing to the eye. Formal or Symmetrical Balance: Bilateral items are the same on both sides of the imaginary center of a design.

Informal or Asymmetrical Balance Items which appear to be balanced when looked at them but are not exactly the same.

Proportion: Relationship between one part to another, all parts as a whole.

We use ratios when looking at proportion Take the top half of this design and compare it to the bottom what is the ratio? There are 2 parts so the bodice or skirt to the garment as a whole is 1 to 2

Remember everything is divided into ratios If we look at this garment we focus on the smaller section which is the bodice. We can fit 2 bodice pieces into the skirt so the bodice is 1 to 3 as a whole and the skirt is 2 to 3 as a whole garment.

One more In this garment we can fit 3 bodice pieces into the skirt of the dress. There for the bodice is 1:4 ratio and the skirt is 3:4 ratio. Most often the most pleasing ratio is 3:5

Rhythm: The feeling of movement in design created by line, shape, or color The pleats created in the back of this dress. Your eye follows those pleats

On the bottom color is analogous and your eye follows the yellow Or your eye follows the Rhythm of the color through line in the garment to the left. On the bottom color is analogous and your eye follows the yellow to orange.

The steady beat of polka dots makes your eye follows that rhythm.

Rhythm of the lines from the ties makes your eye follow the string on this dress. This blue and green dress has rhythm through color as it gradually changes

Emphasis: A part that stands out and is the center of interest for the clothing.

The waist of this garment is the focus because it is shear and makes it stand out in the garment.

The waist is again emphasized with the pink bow over the black fabric on each of these dresses.

Emphasis is on the applicay as your eye follows those decorations and creates interest in the garment. Or in the lower picture your eye follows the décor and folds in the fabric at the bust.

Harmony: All parts of the design look like they belong together. They have variety and similarity so that they have some form of theme. Too much similarity or too much variety can cause dullness. A good example of no harmony would be the don’t section of a fashion magazine.

Examples of Harmony where the outfits look like all parts belong together.

A couple of fashion no nos over the years.