Fashion & Costume Design in Quarter Scale

McCunn’s (How To Make Custom-Fit Bras & Lingerie) newest book focuses on miniaturized clothing design, a method of prototyping a garment before producing a full-size version. The author’s 50 years of experience and impressive expertise and knowledge of making patterns and custom fits shine in this resource, which has a particular focus on altering patterns for a perfect fit on a variety of bodies. McGunn emphasizes the advantages of making quarter-scale patterns as prototypes, particularly that they save on fabric and take up less of a workspace than a full-size model might. For fitting miniature garments, one needs a miniature but correctly scaled mannequin or dress form, which McCunn shows how to make as well, with clear instructions, measurements, and numerous photographs. The book includes standard patterns for 18 different body sizes, as well as links to downloadable patterns in multiple formats. The book’s content is extensive, although much of it can also be found on his website.