Fabric objective measurement and drape

This issue of Textile Progress reviews the origins of fabric objective measurement through its research and development phases to its current use in research and industry. It then examines, in greater detail, the use of fabric objective measurement (FOM) methods for the measurement and prediction of fabric drape. Such prediction has become increasingly important in recent times, due to the push from the fashion industry for accurate three-dimensional (3-D) simulation and animation of apparel in its various forms, to allow fashion designers to visually prototype their garment creations without the need for the tedious and time-consuming steps involved in real-garment prototyping. The demand for accurate 3-D simulation and animation is occurring in the face of an ever-increasing variety of fabric types, which means that drape measurement methods must become more sensitive and more widely applicable than has been the case to date. The authors, in the light of this review and their own research experiences with fabric drape, offer the view that the measurements taken by existing methods of FOM and drape are unlikely to provide the accuracy and wide applicability required for realistic on-screen evaluation of apparel, not least because in a garment, fabric is neither draped nor supported horizontally in the way that the fabric is configured in the test methods.