My Image Expert

Darting the Issue

The magical world of darts. It’s likely you’ve heard the word and possibly know what one is, but what exactly do they do? Darts are those lovely seams near the bust or waist line that either bring in extra fabric or let out fabric to make your garments fit properly to your curves. Here are a few examples of darts and how they can make or break an outfit.

French Darts: Oo La la, the French Dart. I have a love/ hate relationship with this dart. On one hand it gives your garment a beautiful retro feel, a flashback to the 50′s in a modern way. On the other hand there are so many things that can go wrong with this dart if not tailored properly. It is the dart that begins at the waistline side seam and runs diagonally to the apex of the bust. The main problem that occurs with these darts is that they seem to run straight up to the apex instead of falling slightly lower than the apex (½ inch to an inch.) This in turn creates what we will call the Madonna effect, making the bust slightly pointier then we’d like. So when trying on a garment with French darts make sure they are properly fitted.

Side and Waist Dart: These darts can make for a wonderful sheath dress when elongated into the lower portion. This can be a timeless dress to add to your wardrobe. Because there are both side and waist darts it will be extra fitted in the torso area leaving it open to either a pencil skirt bottom or an A-line bottom. These dresses are great for hourglass figures because it accentuates the curves, most importantly the smallest part of the body, the waist.

Gathered Shoulder Darts: Gathered Should Darts tend to add attention directly in that area so it stands to reason that if you have broad shoulders and wish to diminish them, shirts and dresses of this style should be avoided. In the contrary, if you have slight shoulders this tailoring will add some balance to this area.

There is your designer tip for the week, and remember, don’t be afraid to have your store bought garments tailored. No one has the same exact body so why would we all fit into the same exact dress? Now you can go into your tailor with a little more knowledge and a little less fear!

By: Brooke Brazil, assistant New York Image Consultant for My Image Expert