Elements and
Principles of
Fashion Design
“You can always spot a Cardin [design], he has great
originality and yet his designs are usable
and comfortable.”—Lauren Bacall
Every good designer needs to understand the basic elements and principles of design.
In order to design clothes that are visually intriguing and stand out, fashion designers have
been trained to consider four basic elements:
1. Shape and form
2. Line
3. Color
4. Texture
And five basic principles:
1. Proportion and scale
2. Balance
3. Unity (harmony)
4. Rhythm
5. Emphasis
The accompanying resource illustrates and defines these important fundamentals of design.
With this as your guide, peek into The Museum at FIT’s online collection
(http://fashionmuseum.fitnyc.edu/), or explore your own closet at home to see how many
principles and elements you can find!
Next, sketch or collage your own original design that draws on the featured elements and
principles. Think like a fashion designer and let your creativity flow!
NOTES:
This activity was adapted from a lesson created for the exhibition Lauren Bacall: The Look.
(https://exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/lauren-bacall/)
Fashion icon Lauren Bacall had great personal style and wore fashions from a number of the greatest fashion
houses of her time, including Pierre Cardin, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent.
The basic tools for creating art.
Color is the first element to which viewers repond.
Color adds excitement, mood and emotion to a
design.
Color has three dimensions:
1. Hue is the name of the color: for example, this
coat is pink.
2. Value is how light or dark the color is
3. Intensity is how bright or dull the color is
In fashion, line refers to the direction of visual
interest in a garment created by construction details
such as seams, openings, pleats, gathers, tucks,
topstitching, and trims. Straight lines suggest
crispness, such as that of tailored garments; curved
lines imply fluidity.
Shape or silhouette, is used to describe the outline
of the whole garment. Silhouette is viewed from
a distance and is therefore garment. A silhouette
should be related to the body structure, but some
various
Texture refers to the surface interest of a fabric,
created by the weave and by light touch-- how
something feels, or looks like it would feel, when
touched.
COLOR
LINE
SHAPE
TEXTURE
Norman Norell
Dress
1966
USA
Wool jersey
Gift of Lauren Bacall
Traina-Norell
Dress and coat ensemble
c. 1956
USA
Camel cashmere, silk jersey,
sequins
Gift of Lauren Bacall
Pierre Cardin
Dress
1968
Dress
Dynel (Cardine)
Gift Lauren Bacall
Norman Norell
Coat
1964
USA
Wool, rhinestones
Gift of Lauren Bacall
Design Elements
Guidelines for combining design elements.
Balance is the visual weight in design. Based on a
central dividing line, Balance makes the right and
left side of a garment appear to be equal. A garment
must be balanced to be visually pleasing.
• Symmetrical Balance: Symmetrical or Formal
Balance uses two identical objects on either side
of the design, such as patch pockets of equal size.
• Asymmetrical Balance: In Asymmetrical or
Informal Balance composition is different from
one side of the garment to the other. Balance is
achieved through visual impact.
Proportion is the pleasing interrelationship between
parts of a design. The various elements in the design
should be scaled in size to fit its overall proportion.
Emphasis creates a center of interest in a garment.
All other elements support it by echoing its design
message. A focal point can emphasize the theme of
the design.
Creation of a focal point can be achieved by color
accents, significant shapes or details, lines coming
together, groups of details, or contrast.
Rhythm leads the eye from one part of a design to
another part, creating movement through repetition
of pattern or color.
BALANCE
Emanuel Ungaro
Pantsuit
1973
France
Silk damask
Gift of Lauren Bacall
Yves Saint Laurent
Tunic and shorts ensemble
1969
France
Silk organza, sequins, beads
Gift of Lauren Bacall
Christian Dior
Evening dress and belt
1968
France
Silk jersey, ostrich feathers,
metal, silk organza, sequins,
beads
Gift of Lauren Bacall
Norman Norell
Pantsuit ensemble
c. 1968
USA
Silk satin
Gift of Lauren Bacall
Design Principles
PROPORTION
EMPHASIS
RHYTHM
