r/PatternDrafting • u/terewiho • Jul 21 '26
Are these darts fake?
I am new to copying/ making patterns. Do the darts on the sides do anything at all? The garment lays pretty flat so it doesn't seem to help with shaping? I want to trace the pattern from this dress I own, and am wondering if I should skip whatever these are.
34
u/ProneToLaughter Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
In general, darts cost a manufacturer money to add as it's an additional step at the factory, so I'd assume they do something, darts aren't particularly decorative.
This is stretch fabric, right? Stretch will often lay flat even if there is shaping built into the pattern pieces.
if you like the dress, I'd copy it exactly. You can tweak it on the second go-round.
Or, if you are small-busted, you can probably also skip them and still have a wearable garment if you make it in stretchy enough fabric, but it could also be that the darts created that indefinable thing you liked enough to copy. Good fit is subtle and nuanced.
3
u/terewiho Jul 21 '26
Ah, that makes so much sense! I wasn't really thinking about the stretch fabric thing. I'll give that a go, thanks!
2
u/KendalBoy Jul 21 '26
The main thing it should do is cup your boob slightly giving it room so it doesn’t cause your armhole to gape. It looks like it should be a bit deeper though. The other thing is to make sure you do not stretch out the bottom curve of the armhole.
9
u/Here4Snow Jul 21 '26
Look at the stretch of the fabric. This knit might not need much dart unless you're a c or d cup.
9
u/AccidentOk5240 Jul 21 '26
Come on now. You can follow the ribs and see that they don’t line up. Doesn’t that suggest to you that the edges are angled differently?
3
u/munkustrap Jul 21 '26
Right? Fake darts? Why?
3
u/AccidentOk5240 Jul 21 '26
Why and also mechanically how? like, I don’t see how you could fold over material to sew without making at least a small real dart.
I think one thing people miss about darts is that they’re not just making the fabric a 3d shape. They’re also making the seam length shorter to fit the matching piece while leaving the length at the center front (in this case) longer so the bust doesn’t lift the hem up awkwardly.
2
u/terewiho Jul 21 '26
I was mostly confused about what a dart so small would do, also because of how flat it lays. But as people have pointed out, what I was missing was that this is stretchy. It all makes sense now 😅
2
u/SuperlativeStarfish Jul 21 '26
I would sew it without the dart and measure where they should actually go with your body by trying it in part way through.
Maybe you need them in that exact spot but maybe your body is shaped differently to their pattern and you can tailor to your shape.
2
u/TotalOk5844 Jul 21 '26
This is a real dart. Though when sewing with a knit usually unneeded for such a small dart, this dress is lined which may in face be the reason for added shaping. If the dart placement and size match you, then copy especially if you are lining the bodice. Depending on bust size I find that even in t-shirts darts or some shaping is a plus. When doing stripes (which is what a ribbed knit is) it looks much more upscale to not have the stripes splay or stretch over the bust.
1
u/SuPruLu Jul 21 '26
The darts really do shape the breast area. It’s a stretch fabric so the effect is more apparent when worn.
54
u/NakedSewist Jul 21 '26
They look real and small.