Part of what I love about fashion is the history behind it. I love how Coco Chanel put women in less restrictive, menswear-inspired clothing. I love the idea that the jazz age redefined the image of women’s fashion and style. I enjoy reading about designers and their revolutionary ways – especially when that revolution is still prevalent in what you’re probably wearing right now. For example, I think it’s interesting how Madeleine Vionnet (1876-1975), a jazz age designer and “architect among dressmakers” reinvented the cut of your top.

Let’s talk a little about the bias cut.

(Image via Vintage Sewing Info)

When cutting out patterns, clothing pieces are generally cut with the grain of the fabric so that the seams run parallel to the grain, and the seams and fabric don’t twist. M. Vionnet instead decided to cut on a 45 degree angle to the grain – realizing that this “bias cut” would allow for movement while still hugging the natural contours of the wearer’s body. Vionnet was inspired by ancient Greek art to create dresses that floated around the wearer, instead of restricting and contorting the body. She once said: “When a woman smiles, her dress must smile with her“, and she employed that theory by giving dresses a shape that was dependent on the wearer.

(Images from Spirals & Ellipses)

The bias cut is every woman’s friend because it allows a maximum amount of stretch in the fabric, which drapes well over a girl’s curves. Fabric cut on the bias generally eliminates the need for darts – which often fall in the wrong places because each woman is proportioned differently. Bias cut fabric will be more forgiving, especially if you feel like you’re a pound or two heavier this week than you were last week. Thanks to Madeleine Vionnet, your clothing is a shell around your gorgeous bod, rather than a force of its own.

To tap into this bias cut potential, look for items where the grain runs diagonal to the seams instead of parallel/perpendicular. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

This silk charmeuse bias cut deco cocktail dress has a tailored fit, but still falls fluidly over your features. Silk has a natural soft drape when cut on the bias.

When shopping for jeans, look for denim cut on the bias. This cut makes jeans look more sculpted, to better follow your features – which is why the Donna Karan Sculpted Bias Jean is the perfect example. When buying denim, look closely at the item – you’ll be able to see the diagonal grain.

You remember that sari skirt I bought at the Street Fair??  It’s cut on the bias and drapes perfectly around my hips.

Remember this little tip when you’re brick and mortar shopping; while some manufacturers online will note the item as being bias cut, many don’t, so it’s easiest to see this feature in person.

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1. Combatting Casual Wear
2. Fresh Face: Jesica Milton
3. Style Vs. Fashion: Links à la Mode

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