Jetset jumpsuit
Emily Waterson
Wellington High School
Year 13 Fashion and Textiles Technology
Emily Waterson travels to the UK on a long-haul flight every year. Comfortable clothing for sitting and sleeping on the plane is a must, but as the trip involves airport stopovers she wants something that looks smart and is suitable for varying temperatures. It is difficult to buy clothing that fulfils all these criteria so Emily took the opportunity provided by a Fashion and Textiles Technology assignment to create something that would answer her need.
Given a brief which asked her to 'make a garment, influenced by a designer, for a client', Emily acted as her own client. She researched fashion designers and analysed their styles, and decided on Jean Paul Gaultier as her design influence. Designing a comfortable travelling garment might appear simple, but Emily had to consider many aspects. She would be sitting much of the time but also wanted the garment to be warm and cosy for sleeping in. It had to be comfortable to move around in at airports, and had to look good even after being worn for many hours. Emily was conscious that there are different standards of dress in some countries so didn't want to cause offence with what she was wearing. The fabric had to be durable enough to cope with rubbing against seating and easily washable. As her own client, choosing the colours was easy – she wanted a neutral colour that would go with anything and decided on brown because it was fashionable, suited her skin tones and was less likely to show any marks.
Emily started researching suitable materials and used fabric samples to inspire her concept ideas, which were variations of a top with long shorts or trousers. She decided to develop a jumpsuit with attached hood and sketched some ideas for detailing before selecting her final design. This included the hood as both a practical component (warmth) and a fashion aspect and featured a V-neck panel at the back, made of lace which continued up the hood. The V-shape, inspired by Gaultier's designs, was repeated in the front of the bodice when the top button was undone. Zipped pockets on the trousers, made easy to access and deep so that she could store small items such as a phone and IPod, also referenced Gaultier's style. Emily says that items such as buttons, zip and belt-loop buckles were incorporated for their functional and design details. The belt loops, for example, were made so that she could run her headphone cord through them to stop it tangling up in the seatbelt or blanket.
Emily decided on long trouser legs so that the garment would be suitable as a cover-up garment and for warmth, and incorporated close-fitting cuffs to stop draughts cooling her down while she slept. She had considered long sleeves but decided that short sleeves would be cooler and could more easily be made warm by wearing a long-sleeved top underneath if necessary.
With the contrast in seasons between New Zealand and the UK, the fabric needed to be warm, breathable and also suitable to wear in a hot country. Emily looked at materials again and chose a wool/Lycra blend which combined these qualities, was stretchable for comfort and fitted her budget. Although she chose a brown lace at the time, there wasn't any left in the shop later on so Emily had to substitute another lace with gold screen-printing on it – this contributed to her going over budget but, she says, looked good on her garment.
Emily adapted a vintage jumpsuit pattern and was about to start constructing her calico mock-up but fortunately measured herself at the last minute and realised that sizing has changed over the years. She redrafted the pattern in a different size to what she would normally make with a modern pattern. Making the mock-up helped ensure that the jumpsuit would fit well, and acted as a practice-run for the new skills she learnt, such as using an overlocker. Emily drafted a hood and cuff pattern herself – the hood would be made in the wool/lycra fabric and covered in lace. As she hadn't sewed lace before Emily made some samples and practised adding lace onto the main fabric using a continuous stitch, so that the lace would run up onto the hood. She also made sample button holes, to check how they would work with her chosen fabric.
Despite having made a mock-up, it wasn't until she was constructing her jumpsuit that Emily realised the trousers were too big. She solved this problem by taking the trousers in using an outwards-facing box pleat. At each stage of the construction process Emily tried the jumpsuit on for fit and tested how comfortable it was for walking, sitting and lying and where it needed to stretch.
Emily is proud of her outcome and says it worked so well on her journey that she plans to make another one for her next trip. The only thing she would change, she says, is to add lining to give a neater appearance. And although she went over her $75 budget by $17, she is pleased that she was able to complete the garment to a high standard.
Teacher comment
Emily's idea was unique and has great potential to be an outcome that could go on to mass production, as there is a real niche market that is not being currently met. As she was experienced with the situation of flying long-haul on a yearly basis, she had great insight into the needs and was able to clearly define specifications to judge the solutions on-going fitness for purpose. This was a key to the success of the garment. It was great to hear feedback from Emily that the jumpsuit held up to the rigors of long distance flying, when she wore it from New Zealand to England, and that it worked beyond expectations. Since making it, she has used it on two more occasions when travelling.
RSS Feed
