Hawes and Curtis

X Amy Thomson

“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”

- Oscar Wilde Concept- The modern customer is a working women that may or may not have a family, however lives a busy life style. This design focuses on a shirt that you can wear fitted or none fitted for comfort to suit the daily life style. Whether that’s doing the school run, going out for a drink or going from the office to a business meeting. Although the modern women still wants to look smart and give a good impression they also want to feel relaxed yet confident. The modern women also follow’s fashion however doesn’t want to put herself out there. This design focuses on fine details and print that is gradual so they don’t necessarily feel like they stand out.

X Amy Thomson

Colour and fabric inspiration from Johnathan Saunders, print inspiration from Sabatina Leccia. Inspiration based on the idea of mixed media, here creating my own print through dyes adding detail through hand stitching with embroidery thread. The hand stitching can be changed to print or free machine stitch to keep production costs down. The use of lines/ patches of stitch brings the orange colour through and brings life to the floral print. The print is designed to be bold yet delicate through the shaping and dyeing.

X Amy Thomson

Creating the modern women look by making the shirt fitted and unfitted through the use of a bow on the back. This is to be low enough that you can wear a blazer with and be in a fabric that doesn’t crease as easy. Inspired by Victoria Beckham the deep yet thin slit is intended to keep the modern women feeling confident, this is a nice detail that makes the shirt appropriate yet feminine attracting attention. Through research in the shop the shirts are stored in pidgin holes, here by adding detail into the collar it draws people to open the shirt up. The collar will be separated into two seams with pleats inserted into it. This fine detailing is inspired by the pin tucks.

X Amy Thomson

Further features of making the shirt fitted and unfitted. Here the cuff will longer than usual for the fitted look however this can be undone and worn loose as a gusset inside that will keep the cuff shape and make the cuff wider. Here a print will be added inside for small detailing and dashes of colour that doesn’t stand out. piping detail could be considered here in the cuff seam, either around the edge of the wrist or along the cuff fastening, this could be in white for fine detailing that people don’t necessarily notice yet finish the garment off.

X Amy Thomson

Final shirt design with fitted front darts. Here bringing the development together the fitted and unfitted look has been continued, with slits in the side of the shirt this will allow the back to tie better in a bow. The long cuffs will have piping in the fastening seam and gussets so she cuffs can be worn fitted and unfitted, the gussets will have a touch of print. The collar will be classic with pleats inserted into the centre for detailing and will have a long feminine split in the centre. This shirt will have a button or hook and eye fastening at the top of the split which is quick and easy to get on. Crinkle silk for the bottom panel so when the shirt is tied at the back it can then be worn loose again as creases doesn’t show. This fabric will also be used for the gussets in the cuffs for the same reason and it is suitable to be printed on. Chiffon satin sill be the main shirt fabric and there will be touches of detail added through the use of silk satin for stronger areas like the pleat insert in the collar and long cuffs. Here I have added my print to the shirt showing the gradual look, this allows it to become part of the tied bow feature and it can be hidden if the shirt is tucked in. The print can be added digitally and the original intention of hand stitching can become part of the print to save production costs.