Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
An embellishment is anything that enhances the appearance of clothing or fashion accessories without actually having any functional purpose — a nonfunctional fly on a women's boxer short is the classic example. In sewing and garment construction, an embellishment is anything that adds design interest to the article of clothing being developed: embroidery, printing, bows, cord and rhinestones are very common, and beads, buttons, toggles, zippers, applique, piping and lace are all used to embellish garments.
Embellishments by Apparel Search - Terms of Interest to the Fashion Industry
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An embellishment is anything that enhances the appearance of clothing or fashion accessories without actually having any functional purpose. A good example of this would be a nonfunctional fly on a women's boxer short. Certainly a women does not need a fly on her underwear, yet on occasion a fly is added to the garment.
Popular methods of embellishment:
In sewing and garment construction, an embellishment is anything that adds design interest to the article of clothes being developed. A very common use of embellishment is the utilization of embroidery, printing, bows, cord, or rhinestones. In addition, you will often find beads, buttons, toggles, zippers, appliqué, piping or lace used to embellish women's fashion or men's fashion. When using embellishment treatments such as piping, designers can use subtle self fabric piping or a more loud and visible contrast fabric piping.
In addition to adding additional trim accessories, a fashion designer can further embellish their clothing by using fancy stitch work such as zig-zag stitching in places that would not typically require such a stitch selection. Actually, I am not certain that a stitch would officially classify as an embellishment, but since I am the one writing this description of "embellishment" I have some poetic license at my disposal... Anyway, I personally think that fancy stitch work should be considered a form of embellishment. If you disagree, I guess you can stop reading this article.. Better yet, If you disagree with the views expressed here, please contact Apparel Search to voice your opinion. You are welcome to contact us with your thoughts. We may adjust this article based on your suggestions...
Buy the way, what is the difference between "Trim" and "Embellishment". For that matter, what is the story with the term "Trims & Notions". All of these terms appear to be very similar. Possibly they categories contain the same items... In my opinion, embellishments are items that are NOT required for the proper construction of a garment (they are extra bells and whistles to improve the visual appearance; but are not required for proper fit or quality of the garment). The trims or notions on the other hand are items that are more of a necessity to the garment. For example, thread, zippers, brand labels, care labels. Also, I would conceder hangers, hangtags and price tickets garment trimming as these are often required to complete a garments so that it is ready to be sold.
Types of trimming may include but are not limited to the following:
Bias tape
Braid
Buttons
Cord
Embroidery
Interfacing
Lace for edgings or insertions
Passementerie
Piping
Ribbon
Ruffles or frills
Tassels
This gets confusing because some quote un quote trim items can also be used for embellishments. For an example, sewing thread can be considered as a trim because it is required when sewing a t-shirt. However, sewing thread can also be utilized on the t-shirt as an embellishment by using alternate colors, stitch type or stitch placement. So, would you call thread a trim or an embellishment?
On Apparel Search we have bundled most of the trims and notions into a section that we currently reference as our clothing components section. In that section, we list manufacturers of "trimming", "notions" and "embellishments".
If you are looking for embroidery or printing as a form of embellishing your clothing, you can check the apparel contractor section for facilities to assist you.
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Written by ML at Apparel Search September 24, 2007
You may also want to learn about promotional apparel which often utilizes embellishment in some way.
The dividing line in the definition is purpose. A working zipper that closes a jacket is a functional component; a decorative zipper placed where it closes nothing is an embellishment. The same logic applies to buttons, pockets and flies: when the feature is there for how it looks rather than what it does, it is embellishing the garment. That is why embellishment sits at the center of garment design — it is the layer of choices, from a line of piping to a field of sequins, that turns a plain, functional garment into a designed one.
Each method carries its own production consequences. Embroidery and applique are stitched on and durable; rhinestones and beads may be glued, set or hand-sewn, which affects both cost and care; textile printing puts the decoration into the surface of the fabric itself. Weight matters on light fabrics, wash care matters on anything embellished, and placement matters most of all — embellishment is normally concentrated where the eye is meant to land, such as a neckline, cuff or pocket, rather than spread evenly over a garment.
Anything that enhances the appearance of clothing or fashion accessories without having a functional purpose. In garment construction it is anything that adds design interest to the article being developed.
Rhinestones, sequins, embroidery and textile printing head the list. Beads, buttons, toggles, zippers, applique, piping, lace, bows and cord are also commonly used to embellish clothing.
This page links to the sequin and applique entries in this directory, to the components guide, and to the Apparel Search blog's embellishments coverage.