Cut

Miscellaneous Definitions — accessories, trims, tools and general fashion terms from Apparel Search

The cut of clothing refers to the way the garment hangs on the body based on the shape of the fabric pieces used to construct it, the position of the fabric's grain line, and similar factors. In clothing, sewing and tailoring, cut is the style or shape of a garment as opposed to its fabric or trimmings, and this type of cut does not refer to torn or ripped fabric.

Don't worry, this type of cut does not hurt.  Doesn't even require a bandage.

The cut of clothing refers to the way the garment hangs on the body based on the shape of the fabric pieces used to construct it, the position of the fabric's grain line, etc.

Cut in clothing, sewing and tailoring, is the style or shape of a garment as opposed to its fabric or trimmings.

In regard to dresses, you will find various dress cut terms.

In summary, the cut of clothing is the style of clothing.  It does NOT mean your clothing is torn or ripped.  If you want clothing with cuts in the fabric, Learn about ripped jeans.

By the way, if you want to learn about "cutting", you may want to learn about pinking shears.

Style and Shape, Not Fabric or Trimming

Cut is one of those words that separates what a garment is made of from what a garment is. In clothing, sewing and tailoring, cut is the style or shape of a garment as opposed to its fabric or trimmings. Two dresses can be sewn from the identical cloth, with the identical lace and buttons, and still be entirely different garments because their cuts differ: one hangs straight from the shoulder, the other is shaped to the waist and flares to the hem. When shoppers say a garment's cut is flattering or a poor cut ruins a good fabric, they are judging this shape-making layer of the design. Cut is decided at the pattern stage, before any fabric is chosen, because the pattern's pieces are the garment's shape in flat form, and everything sewn afterward simply executes the decisions the pattern already made.

The cut of clothing refers, more precisely, to the way the garment hangs on the body, based on the shape of the fabric pieces used to construct it and the position of the fabric's grain line. Those two factors explain most of what the eye sees. The shape of the pieces determines where seams fall, how much cloth is allowed at the bust, waist and hip, and whether the garment skims, clings or stands away from the body. The grain line determines how that cloth behaves: fabric placed with its lengthwise grain vertical hangs straight and stable, while fabric placed on the bias, at an angle to the grain, stretches and flows and falls in soft folds against the body. A designer choosing a cut is therefore choosing both a geometry and a behavior, and a pattern maker translating a sketch into pieces must keep both in view at once.

Named Cuts and What the Word Does Not Mean

The standard dress cut terms each name a particular solution to shaping a garment. A princess cut shapes the dress with long vertical seams running from shoulder or armhole over the bust to the hem, achieving fit without a waist seam. A bias cut places the fabric on the diagonal so the garment pours over the body in a fluid, clinging line. A halter cut leaves the shoulders and back bare and supports the garment from a strap around the neck. Basque refers to a fitted bodice extending into a point below the natural waist, and Empire waist names a cut whose waistline sits high, just under the bust, with the skirt falling from that raised line. Learning these names gives a shopper a compact vocabulary: each term predicts where the seams are, where the garment will hold the body and where it will let go, before a single measurement is taken.

Finally, the word needs its boundary stated plainly, because in everyday speech a cut is damage. In summary, the cut of clothing is the style of clothing; it does not mean clothing is torn or ripped, and this type of cut requires no bandage. A garment deliberately made with slashes or distressed openings, like ripped jeans, is using damage as decoration, which is a styling choice applied to a garment whose underlying cut is still its pattern shape. The related workshop word is cutting, the physical act of cutting cloth pieces from the pattern, for which tools such as pinking shears, which cut a zigzag edge that resists fraying, are used. Keeping the three senses apart, the pattern's shape, the act of cutting, and accidental damage, is what makes cut a useful technical term rather than a confusing one, and it is the pattern sense that governs how clothing is designed, described and sold.

Common Questions

What does cut mean in clothing?

Cut in clothing, sewing and tailoring is the style or shape of a garment, as opposed to its fabric or trimmings. The cut of clothing refers to the way the garment hangs on the body, based on the shape of the fabric pieces used to construct it.

What determines the cut of a garment?

The shape of the fabric pieces used to construct the garment and the position of the fabric's grain line are central factors. The same fabric cut on a different grain, or from differently shaped pieces, hangs on the body in a different way.

What are some named dress cuts?

Dress cut terms include princess cut, bias cut, halter cut, Basque and Empire waist. Each name describes a particular arrangement of seams, grain or waistline placement that produces a recognizable shape.

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