Fashion Product Evaluation Garment Comparison Dresses
by Mona Johanna Thelemaque
Executive Summary The main objective of this report is to analyze, compare and evaluate the properties and construction of three designer dresses, a dinner, a casual summer dress and a business dress, and to relate the results to their price. The garment with the highest construction quality is the dinner dress by Proenza Schouler; it is rather complex and shows added quality through lining and other design elements and fitting structures. The second garment is a summer dress by Ralph Lauren. While it fits great, the construction is simple and was not done with lots of diligence. The opposite is the case for the business dress by J. Crew. Even though it features many design elements and fitting structures and the construction is well done, it features fitting issues. Fitting structures and design elements alone do not guarantee a great fit of a garment. Therefore it is essential to try on a piece of clothing to judge its quality from every angle.
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Garment Comparison In the following report, a total of three outerwear garments are analyzed, compared and evaluated. Each item is examined separately, starting out with the lowest priced item and finishing off with the highest priced item. In the course of the analysis, the garments will be compared successively. The analysis includes the examination of the outward appearance, the examination of the inward appearance and the evaluation of the elements of style and design execution. The report also addresses the garment’s conformity to the TFPIA and Care Labeling Rule Acts and the evaluation of the fit of each garment in relation to the garment’s construction and properties. Finally, the target customers of each garment are identified.
The first of the three selected garments is a woven dinner dress in dark raspberry pink by Proenza Schouler. The color of the threat is the same as the color of the skirt. When holding up the garment it does not torque, indicating that it has been finished properly and heat-set. Due to its silhouette, the garment has a casual outward appearance. The body of the garment consists of a top and a bottom front as well as a top left and right center back and bottom left and right center back. The dress is divided into two parts – a top and a bottom – by a two-piece bustline band which has interfacing. The top of the dress features a set-in bra. In contrast to the rest of the dress, the fabric of the bustline band and the set-in bra are embroidered. The skirt of the dress is gathered into the bustline band with a lockstitch and the raw fabric edges are overlocked. The seam allowances are left visible from the left side of the garment which saved time and money in the production process. Flat binding or facing could have provided a cleaner finish.
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The top of the dress reminds of a camisole with its adjustable lingerie straps. I addition, the set-in bra provides a shaped silhouette. The bra has wires and is lightly padded. The adjustable lingerie straps cross over in the back of the dress. They are affixed to the body of the garment using the lockstitch. The side seams of the top of the dress are joined with a lockstitch and pressed open. However, the top of the dress is made out of a double layer of fabric so that the seam allowances of the side seams face towards each other and the inside. That way they are not visible from either side of the garment. The entire edge at the top of the garment, including the set-in bra, features a thin band of black fabric as a design element. The skirt of the dress is lined. The side seams of the shell of the skirt of the dress are lockstitched, overlocked and pressed towards the center back. The shell and the lining of the skirt of the dress are joined in the back, creating the center back seam using the lockstitch. The raw fabric edges are overlocked and pressed towards the right center back. This prevents the lining from crawling up so that no anchors are needed. However, this is a simpler, less delicate construction than when crochet anchors are used. The shell does not feature any additional quality, such as darts. The lining has the same pattern as the shell: Together with the shell, it is gathered into the bustline band with a lockstitch. Overall the lining is about ½ inch wider than the shell of the garment and 1 ž longer. There are no additional structures, such as darts, to be repeated in the lining which makes production less complex. The side seams of the lining are lockstitched, overlocked and pressed towards the center back. The hem is double rolled and topstitched into place. Both, the shell and the lining have standard seam allowances of 1/4 inch. In moderate and better wear we usually start seeing bigger seam allowances.
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In regards to means of entry, an invisible zipper of about nine inch in length is sown into the center back of the dress. The part of the center back seam onto which the zipper is sown and where the shell and the lining of the dress are joined is pressed open. At the top, there is a lingerie hook and eye to finish the zipper and prevent it from opening. This prevents the zipper from being exposed to too much stress. Because the entire length of the zipper is attached to the center back seam, it does not create bumps. The tail is finished off with binding made out of the same fabric than the rest of the garment. There is no mean of stride added to the garment, nor is it needed due to the A line cut of the dress. There are no additional fitting or supporting structures to the ones described above, such as an underpinning with boning, which really elevates a garment to (higher-end) better wear. The raw fabric edges of the hem of the shell of the dress are finished with contrast binding of ¼ inch in dark grey. Therewith, it is a standard hem. As a design element, about 2 inches above the hem, dark grey, flat binding of ¼ inch in width is affixed onto a mock flat fell seam of the shell of the dress. The dinner dress conforms to the TFPIA and Care Labeling Rule Act. Two separate labels are used disclosing all the required information to the customer: Fiber content, manufacturer and country of origin. One of the labels is permanently affixed to the left center back of the top of the dress using the lockstitch on each side of the label. It states the designer’s name, which is Proenza Schouler, the retailer’s name, which is Target, the size of the skirt, which is a U.S. 13, and the country of origin, which is China. The second label is sown into the side seam of the dress about 3 inches below the bustline band. It enlists the fiber content, which is 100% cotton, exclusive of decoration, the manufacturer’s identification number, and the care information. The manufacturer is Target USA, Inc. The care instruction are written out, no standard care symbols are used on the
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label. The instructions state that this garment is to be hand washed cold with like colors, line dried and ironed warm if needed. The garment is not to be bleached or dry cleaned. In regards to the fit of the garment, the dress is balanced. The side seams fall straight and the hem of the skirt of the dress is leveled. The bustline band fits well; however, the bra was too small for the fitting model. The adjustable lingerie straps help the dress fit different body types. The quality of the garment construction is satisfying. While the skirt of the dress does not feature too many details, except for the details at the hem, and only features basic seam stitches, the construction of the top is relatively complex. Due to its balanced fit, it is likely that a fitting model was hired which increases the manufacturer’s costs. However, labor costs in China are low so Target can sell the garment at an affordable retail price. The dress has a relatively stiff hand. Its camisole-like top with the set-in bra and adjustable lingerie strap make it a great dinner dress. The wearer reveals a hint of cleavage, as well as arms and shoulders. To balance this, the length of the dress, reaching just below the knees, is rather conservative. Considering all the above, the target customer can be a wide range of women who are looking to purchase an item of quality that is relatively affordable at the same time. The set-in bra, however, limits the potential customer range, because not only the size of the dress (especially in regards to the bustline band) but also the size of the bra has to fit.
The second of the three selected garments is a georgette, knee-length women’s summer
dress from Ralph Lauren with a floral pattern. The dress has a trumpet shape to it. The color of the threat matches the colors of the dress which is grey and black. When holding up the garment it
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doesn’t torque indicating that it has been finished properly and heat-set. The garment has a feminine outward appearance. The body of the garment consists of a top and bottom front as well as a top and bottom left and right center back. The dress is fully lined. The dress features a scoop neckline. The side seams of the shell of the dress are joined with a faux French seam so that the raw fabric edges are not enclosed inside the fabric but they are visible and fray at some points. At the shoulder seams, it looks as if the dress has been shortened for it to fit someone. However, the alteration was not done neatly because the shoulder seams do not line up nicely on the right side. The raw fabric edges are cleaned with light grey binding which is partially visible from the right side. There are no additional fitting structures, such as bust darts, added to the top of the garment. The top and the bottom shell and lining of the dress are joined with a lockstitch, creating a bustline. Silky facing is sown unto the seam allowance. But because the raw fabric edges have not been cleaned, the fabric is fraying. The lining of the dress has the same pattern as the shell. It is about ½ inch wider and 1 inch shorter than the shell. The side seams of the lining are also joined with a faux French seam. In regards to means of entry, an invisible zipper has been installed in the center back of the dress. The zipper reaches all the way from the neckline down the entire top of the dress and about 6 ½ inches below the bustline of the dress. The zipper is sandwiched between the shell and the lining of the dress which prevents it from creating bumps. The zipper features a lingerie hook and eye to prevent it from opening. The shell and the lining of the dress are joined in the center back, creating another faux French seam which emerges from the tail of the zipper.
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Typically, the seam allowances become wider in better wear. This dress, however, features baby seam allowances and hems. The shell and lining of the dress feature double rolled baby hems. Because of the design of the dress, the hem is wavy and reminds of a lettuce edge. The garment does not conform to the TFPIA and Care Labeling Rule Act. The label discloses all the required information to the customer, except for the country of origin. It is permanently affixed to right side of the center back of the garment using the lockstitch along the top of the label. It states the brand name, which is Ralph Lauren, the size of the garment, which is a US 8 and the manufacturer’s registered identification number (RN). The fiber of the garment contains 100% silk. The manufacturer is Ralph Lauren Corporation. The garment does, however, conform to the Care Labeling Rule Act. There are no care symbols used but written instructions can be found on the label. The instructions state that this garment is to be dry cleaned only. The entire garment is perfectly balanced. The hem of the dress is leveled. When the garment is laid flat on a table, it is obvious that extra fabric is added for the bust line because it creates an arch. This is an early indicator, that there won’t be any fit issues around the bust. The dress is not hiking up and the side seams are straight and do not fall towards the front or back. The dress provides a nice and smooth silhouette and the bustline accentuates the curves of a woman’s body. The fabric has enough room in the back to fit the shape of the body of the wearer – in this case, the posterior. The garment’s construction is rather simple and not very neat: Seam allowances and raw edges (side seams and bustline seam) are visible, and only basic stitches are used. However, I believe the dress has been altered and probably had a neater finish originally. The dress does not feature additional design elements or added quality through fitting structures, embellishments,
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etc. However, it seems like a fitting model was hired to achieve the great fit of the dress described above. Thanks to the feminine silhouette and conservative length and neckline of the dress, it can be worn to a wide range of occasions, such as a morning brunch, church or a birthday party. The target customer is a more mature woman between the ages of 35 and 40 who trusts in the construction quality of a brand named item and places great importance on the fabric used. She does not mind to pay extra for the brand name despite the fact that the garment might be slightly overprized.
The third of the three selected garments is a knee-length, dark raspberry red business
dress by J. Crew. The color of the threat is the same as the color of the blouse. When holding up the garment it doesn’t torque indicating that it has been finished properly and heat-set. The garment has a rather conservative outward appearance. The outline of the dress is made up of a center front and back, a front and a back panel on each side of the dress and cap sleeves. The dress features a scoop neckline with a decorative element affixed to it:
It is a
continuous piece of fabric that is draped around the entire neckline. The draping reminds of pleats. It is held in place by lockstitches in intervals of 1 ½ inches. However, the lockstitches are invisible because the pleats fold over where the lockstitches are. A shaped silhouette is provided by applying fitting structures in form of different kinds of bust darts to the shell of the garment: Side seam and neckline bust darts. The dress also features panels on each side which act similar to extended princess seams. While the neckline bust dart joins the seam of the panel about 7 inches below the armcye, the side seam bust dart emerges at
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the seam of the panel and ends at the seam of the neckline bust dart, and therewith acts as a connection between the two. All seams of the shell of the garment have been lockstitched and overlocked. All the seams have been pressed towards the center back, except for the seams that join the center front with the left and right front panel. Those seams have been pressed towards the center front. The shell of the dress features standard seam allowances of Ÿ inch. In moderate and better, wider seam allowances are usually used. The garment is fully lined. The lining of the dress has the same pattern as the shell. It is also made to fit the body. However, the neckline bust dart and the side seam bust dart are not sown but only ironed into the fabric. The seams are finished exactly the same as in the shell of the garment. The lining features a double rolled, standard hem of ½ inch in width. The cap sleeves of the dress are gathered into the armcye with a lockstitch. The raw fabric edges are cleaned with an overlock stitch. The part around the armpit is cleaned with flat binding made out of the same fabric as the garment. In regards to means of entry, the dress features an invisible zipper of about 19 inches in length that has been set into the left side seam; about 1 Ÿ inch below the armcye. The zipper has not only been stitched into the shell but the lining as well. The tail of the zipper is attached to the lining to prevent it from creating bumps. The zipper does not feature lingerie hook and eye. The hem of the dress has been folded back, overlocked and blindstitched in place. The hem also features silky grey hem tape to cover the raw fabric edges. Hem tape is widely used in moderate and better wear. Also, with 2 inch in width, the hem is no standard hem, which is also typical for this price range.
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The garment conforms to the TFPIA. The labels disclose all the required information to the customer: Fiber content, manufacturer and country of origin. One of the labels is sown onto the left side of the center back of the garment and displays the brand name, which is J. Crew. A second label is affixed to the label carrying the brand name and states the size of the garment, which is a U.S. 6, the fiber content of the shell of the dress, which is 38% wool, 31% polyester, 28% viscose, 3% spandex, the fiber content of the lining, which is 100% acetate, the manufacturer’s identification number (RN), which belongs to J. Crew Group, Inc., and the country of origin, which is China. The garment does not conform to the Care Labeling Rule Act as care instructions are missing. The business dress by J. Crew is balanced. The side seams fall perfectly straight and the hem of the dress is leveled. However, there is lots of excess fabric across the back. The garment would need to be tightened and/or darts could be added in the back. It is obvious, that the company did not invest in a fitting model to ensure a better fit of the garment. Even though the garment features design details and a decent construction quality, it does not fit right. Therefore, I assume the garment is overprized due to its brand name. It seems like the company did not invest in a fitting model to ensure a better fit of the garment. In regards to the length, color and design (neckline and sleeves) of the dress, it makes great business attire. The target customer is probably a person that places importance on quality and tries to set herself apart by buying brand name items not everyone can afford, even if that means she has to accept paying for slightly overprized items.
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Conclusion Taking all the information stated above into consideration, I would rank the dinner dress by Proenza Schouler as No. 1 in construction quality and fit, followed by the Ralph Lauren summer dress and the J. Crew business dress. Even though the business dress by J. Crew is more complex and neater in construction than the Ralph Lauren dress it has fit issues so that all the fitting structures do not really serve their purpose. Also, the Ralph Lauren dress seems to have been altered so the construction quality might have been better in its original state. This analysis proves that even though a garment might have a decent construction quality and lots of fitting structures, it might still fit worse than a garment of simple construction. Therefore, it is always important not to just judge a garment by its outward appearance but to actually try it on.
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