Another part of FSAD 6900 – Understanding Functional Aspects of Clothing and Design was to do a team research project and creating a functioning prototype.
The title of the research is “Evaluation of Localized Ventilation Systems in a Jacket for Outdoor Activities”. Because hiking jackets are built to keep the wearer warm and dry, little is done to effectively dissipate heat after vigorous exercising. In our research, we polled hikers, evaluated hiking jackets, and studied perspiration distribution in order to create a jacket with an effective ventilation system.
My major contribution to this project was the jacket prototype design. First, I virtually draped the design lines on 3D scan of the research manikin in Optitex via the “Flattening Tool”. I printed the virtual design to paper then used traditional flat pattern techniques and draping to create the prototype jacket.
In designing the prototype, the major challenge of the jacket was to divide it into equal areas. I decided on a 5×5 square inch measurement and added style lines to the torso first. Parts that did not fit into a solid square like the arm pits and shoulders were be cut and arranged in a way that still covered the same square area. The idea was to be able to take off precisely measured portions of the jacket.
The inner shell of the jacket is a tricot mesh. The outer shell is a woven polyester which is attached and detached with velcro. The prototype is essentially a “muslin” and these particular fabrics would not necessarily be chosen for the final garment. The jacket took several weeks to complete.
Prototype:
Methodology:
The primary researchers are Eric Beaudette and Qinwen Xu. The faculty advisor is Dr. Park.