Computer reconstruction of 19th century trousers

What is it about?

Designing of clothes using the historical prototypes is very popular in contemporary practice. The purpose of this paper is to apply 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) systems to reconstruct the historical pattern block and get the virtual image in accordance with the prototypes. New algorithm has been proved for men trousers taken from the nineteenth century.

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Why is it important?

Reconstruction and stylization of historical costume are important directions in costume creation for theater, TV, movies, and museum sciences. Historical costume and garments, after their adopting and stylization, have become the foundation of many contemporary styles and fashion shows designed by world’s famous fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Christian Dior, Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, and Valentino. Every year, the European fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, and London have shown many examples of design approach on how to transform the important elements of historical costume related to styles, silhouettes, details, and other into wearable garments. Despite widespread practice, the elements of methodical and informational support of these processes are scattered and unrelated yet, on one side, and are not sufficient for optimal solutions taking into account the heterogeneous specifics of objectives, on the other side. Developments of science-based principles of reconstruction shall improve the methods of designing, their elaboration, and application in new areas. Our approach is to develop a method of CAD to reconstruct historical trousers through analyzing and rebuilding of historical algorithms used to pattern blocks making, old anthropometrical database, and the pattern blocks shaping. Trousers construction, methods of trousers shaping by hands, body sizes schedule, manuals of 36 pattern cutting systems, and its sketches from nineteenth century have been analyzed. Then, by means of parameterization of historical pattern blocks, we have developed the universal trousers pattern cutting algorithm. The final step of the research has been devoted to virtual fitting technology that helps to determine the differences between historical trousers chosen as prototype and virtual image reconstructed by 3D CAD.

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