School Of Fashion

Course 2: Dress-Making

Enhance Your Skills

Fitting an off-shoulder dress on a student at the School of Fashion

Build on your pattern making foundation. This intermediate garment construction course in Cape Town takes you from basic blocks to fitted dresses, dart manipulation, collars, and professional woven sewing techniques. You’ll draft, cut, and construct garments that fit, no guesswork.

What You Will Learn

Phase 1: Woven Foundations & Anatomy

Before you cut fabric, you need to understand the body it’s meant to fit.

Understanding the Female Form

Learn the anatomical curves, balances, and body geography essential for achieving a flawless garment fit.

The Geometry of Darts

Discover exactly what darts are, why they are structurally required for non-stretch woven textiles, and how they create shape.

Front vs. Back Pattern Dynamics

Master the technical differences between drafting back and front panels to accommodate natural body contours and ensure accurate back and front fittings.

Phase 2: Advanced Block Drafting

The Fitted Dress & Sleeve Block

Move beyond basics to draft a perfectly tailored, close-fitting dress block and matching woven sleeve template completely from scratch.

Functional vs. Structural Design

Learn how to balance structural integrity (garment strength and fit) with functional design (wearability and style lines).

Phase 3: Dart Manipulation & Pattern Variations

Dart Manipulation Techniques

Learn how to technically rotate, close, and shift darts to completely alter style lines without losing structural fit.

Neckline & Facing Variations

Master perfect neckline finishings, exploring different variations of custom facings and the correct application of interfacings.

Collar Developments

Learn the drafting principles behind creating various classic and modern collar shapes.

Skirt & Design Variations

Expand your drafting repertoire with specialised pattern modifications for diverse skirt styles, pleats, and style variations.

Phase 4: Intermediate Woven Construction

Bringing the design to the sewing machine.

Textile Selection & Industry Terminology

Study the unique behavior and terminology of fabrics used in professional loungewear.

Mastering Zipper Installations

Train on professional industrial sewing machines to align your skills with current clothing industry standards.

Advanced Studio Tooling

Practice the core assembly and construction techniques required to professionally finish high-quality loungewear.

Flawless Assembly Techniques

Put your pattern work into practice by executing professional assembly methods for complex details like collars, pleats, facings, and clean closures.

What’s Included

Comprehensive Course Materials

Step-by-step modules integrated directly into premium textile and drafting textbooks included with your course enrolment.

Industrial Equipment Access

Continued hands-on training with industry-standard machinery, specialised needles, and workspace attachments.

Course Logistics

Level

Intermediate

Format

Practical, detail-oriented manual drafting & tailored sewing

Location

Cape Town campus

Prerequisite

Successful completion of Course 1: Beginner Pattern Making & Loungewear

Take your first step towards your career as a well rounded designer

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Next Courses

Not sure this is where to begin? our dressmaking classes guide sets out which course suits which student.