In order to design clothes that are visually intriguing and stand out, fashion designers have been trained to consider four basic elements. Basic elements of design in fashion include lines, shapes, form, colour, and texture, whereas the primary principles of design include balance, emphasis, proportions, harmony, variety, and rhythm.

1. Unit 2
Elements of Design

2. 5 Elements (the tools) of Design
1. Line
2. Shape
3. Color
4. Texture
5. Pattern

3. Day 1: Line
•Vertical
•Horizontal
•Curved
•Diagonal

4. Vertical lines lead the eye up and down
the garment. Use these lines where you
want to look taller because they reinforce
length, height, and narrowness.

5. Horizontal lines lead the eye across the
garment. Use these lines where you want
to look wider because they reinforce width
and add bulk.

6. Diagonal lines draw the eye’s
attention to where they are used.
Use these lines to add emphasis to
an area of the body, or to add
interest to a look.

7. Curved lines lead the eye around the garment. Curved
lines can increase, emphasize, or reinforce body curves.
They can counter angular body areas.

8. Assignment
• Use your croqui template to trace 3 models.
• Make 3 designs that each use a different type of line.
• Your designs need to be colored, cut out, and mounted on black
cardstock.
• Title your design line, write your name and class period on the back.

9. 5 Elements (the tools) of Design
1. Line
2. Shape
3. Color
4. Texture
5. Pattern

10. Day 2: Shape
• Shape refers to the silhouette of a garment.
• There are basic shapes for women’s and men’s fashions. Popular shapes
in fashion change over time.
• Shape or silhouette in fashion is important because it affects how
someone sees a fashion. Our eyes perceive shapes, which have an
impact on how the garment is perceived.
• Wise selection of shapes can flatter the wearer’s appearance.

11. Hourglass
The above photos show the hourglass silhouette, a popular shape for women’s fashions. This fashion shape shows the
bust and hip at approximately the same width, while the waist is narrower.
The hourglass shape draw the eye’s attention to the curves of a woman’s body.

12. Wedge/Inverted Triangle
The above photos show the wedge silhouette, a popular shape for both women’s and men’s fashions. This fashion shape
shows width at the shoulders, while the garment narrows in at the bottom.
The wedge shape draw the eye’s attention to the shoulder area. Use this silhouette to make shoulders appear broader.

13. Tubular
The above photos show the tubular silhouette, a popular shape for both women’s and men’s fashions. This fashion
shape shows the shoulder, waist, and hip with little definition. Tubular shaped garments do not cling to the body.
The tubular shape draw the eye’s attention up and down the length of the body.

14. Bell
The above photos show the bell silhouette, a popular shape for
women’s fashions. This fashion shape shows a fitted top, with a
full, bell-shaped skirt.
The bell shape draw the eye’s attention to the waist and hip area.

15. A-Line/Triangle
These photos show the A-Line
silhouette, a popular shape for
women’s fashions, usually dresses or
skirts. Theses fashions resemble the
shape of the capital letter A. This
fashion shape shows a garment that is
narrow at the top which broadens out
toward the bottom.
The A-Line is not a fitted shape, and it
flatters all figures. It is often used for
summery, flirty garments.

16. Assignment
• We have discussed 5 different shapes/silhouettes
• You need to go through the fashion magazines and find 4 out of the 5 that we
have discussed.
• Cut out the pictures (use the paper cutter to make your pictures straight with
clean edges)
• Mount each picture on a different sheet of black cardstock
• Label each picture the type of shape/silhouette that is being shown in white
colored pencil.
• Put your name and class period on the back in white colored pencil as well.

17. 5 Elements (the tools) of Design
1. Line
2. Shape
3. Color
4. Texture
5. Pattern

18. Day 3: Texture
• Texture refers to the surface quality of goods.
• Fabric can have a variety of textures, all of which can affect the look of a garment or fashion accessory.
• The weave and texture of a fabric has an impact on the way it drapes, which, in turn, affects the way a
garment looks when it is worn.
• Texture can be used all over the garment or for embellishment. All-over texture refers to the weave of the
garment’s main fabric. For example, a sweater made with thick, heavy yarn has a chunky, bulky texture.
• Embellisments can create texture for garments too. For example a top may have a sequined, sparkly area
that looks different from the rest of the garment.
• When coming up with outfits, people often mix textures. For example, a tweed jacket could be paired with
a skinny jean, or textured pants might be paired with a crisp shirt.
• Wise selection of textures can flatter the wearer’s appearance. Some textures create the illusion of added
weight, such as bulky or shiny fabrics.

19. Tactile Texture
• Tactile means touch.
• Tactile texture is the actual
(3D) feel of a surface.

20. Visual Texture
• visual texture is the
perceived surface quality of a
piece of clothing.
• It is an element of two-
dimensional and three-
dimensional designs and is
distinguished by its
perceived visual and physical
properties.

21. Pattern
• Naturalistic
• Conventional/stylized
• Geometric
• Abstract

22. Naturalistic
•Comes from nature
•Looks real
•All details included

23. Conventional/Stylized
• Man’s interpretation of objects
natural or manmade

24. Geometric
• Use of shapes– lines, stripes
• plaids are included

25. Abstract
• No set, followed or
repeated pattern

26. Assignment: Fashion Cut-outs
• You will need to trace 3 different body forms onto cardstock paper.
• It is kind of hard to see but if you put the croquis against the window down
the hall you will be able to see enough to trace on the cardstock.
• You will design 3 different outfits but don’t use any details because you will
be using the exacto-knives to cut out the clothes.
• You will still color the skin tone and hair of the croquis.
• Take your finished croquis around the school and/or outside and take
pictures of your croquis against nature and other items. Send your photos
to my email so I can see what you came up with.
• You need to have at least 8 photos; 2 of each kind of pattern, but you can
take a lot more 

27. 5 Elements (the tools) of Design
1. Line
2. Shape
3. Color
4. Texture
5. Pattern

28. Day 4: Color
CAN ALTER THE APPEARANCE OF FORM AND
SPACE, AFFECT OUR PERFORMANCE ABILITIES,
AND CHANGE OUR MOODS.

29. The Color Wheel
• Is the most commonly used tool to
understand the basis of all color
relationships.
• It consists of three types of colors:
primary, secondary, and
tertiary/intermediate

30. Primary Colors
Red
Yellow
Blue

31. Secondary Colors
Orange
Green
Violet

32. Tertiary/Intermediate
Yellow-Green
Yellow-Orange
Red-Orange
Red-Violet
Blue-Violet
Blue-Green

33. Hues, Shades, Tints, & Tones

34. What is a hue?
•Hue is a term that seems more
complicated than it is. A hue is just a
color.
• More specifically, a hue is any color on
the color wheel.

35. What is intensity?
• Intensity is how bright or dull a color is.
• The brightest intensity would be the pure color from the
color wheel.
• while the dullest would be where you can't even notice
what the color and it looks like gray.

37. What is Value?
• value is determined by how dark
or light the color is.

38. What is a tone?
• Tone is HUE + GRAY
• Mix black and white together to make gray.
• Use black sparingly to make a tone or you will end up making a
shade.

40. What is a tint?
• Tint is the HUE + WHITE
• Tints are often referred to as pastel colors.
• many feel they are calmer, quieter colors.
• To get a perfect tint mix equal parts hue with equal parts white.

42. What is a shade?
• Shade is the HUE + BLACK
• sometimes frustrating when mixing paint.
• Many blacks will change the character of a hue even in small
amounts, so they should be used sparingly.

45. Painting the Color Wheel
•You can only use primary colors.
•You mix equal parts of primary colors to get secondary
colors.
•You mix equal parts of secondary colors and primary
colors to get tertiary colors.

47. Painting tints, tones and shades

48. Painting tints, tones, and shades
• 1. you are only doing the primary colors.
• 2. you will start with the hue.
• 3. you will then add a tint, tone, and shade for each primary
color.

49. Day 5: Color Schemes

50. Neutral Color Scheme
• These colors are grays, black, white, and browns.
• They are not found on the color wheel.

51. Accented Neutral Color
Scheme
This color scheme is achieved by accenting black,
white, grays, or browns with any color from the
color wheel.

52. Monochromatic Color
Scheme
Monochromatic is using the same color but in
different variations. Using tints, tones, and
shades you can create a monochromatic color
scheme that is pleasing to the eye.

53. Triadic Color Scheme
Triad is using three colors that are equal
distance apart on the color wheel.
Hint: there are three colors in between each
one which is why its called TRIad

56. Analogous/Adjacent Color
Scheme
Analogous is using 3-5 colors that are next to
each other on the color wheel.

58. Complimentary Color
Scheme
Complimentary means using two colors that are
directly opposite from each other on the color
wheel.

61. Assignment
• You need to design 2 different outfits that each display a different
color scheme. You need to explain how the outfit portrays the
color scheme.
• There are 6 color schemes that were discussed, remember you
only need to choose 2 to portray.
• Your croquis need to be colored, cut out, and mounted on black
cardstock.
• Title your design in white colored pencil the color scheme that
you used.