Because I see so many internet-purchased clothes being returned at Macy’s, I believe many shoppers don’t know how to analyze design lines online. Most women have a difficult time in-store but just looking at a small picture on your computer screen makes it 10 times more difficult.
On a daily basis at least half of the returns I see in the store I work at are internet returns. Women (or their husbands) come in with armloads (or boxes) of clothes. They thought the clothes looked cute but when they put them on they hated them.
Most likely these women also gather an armload of clothes when shopping in the store, go to the fitting room and try everything on. They come out with maybe one or two items.
Are you one of these women who purchase armloads of clothes online or try them in the store and in the end keep one or two items? Is shopping for clothes frustrating and time consuming?
I have an easier way. Learn to analyze design lines on clothes to determine if they match the clues your body gives you.
In this post you’ll learn how to look at design lines using the information given you within the website.
Analyze Design Lines Online -- The Anatomy Of Online
There are two areas you can get information about any article of clothing:
- Picture(s)
- Product details
Picture(s)
At Macys.com the pictures are on the left hand side of the screen. Usually you can see a view from the front, back and side.
You can put your cursor over the picture and see it close up. This is a useful tool because this is how you can actually see the design lines.
By looking at the close up view of the garment you can see the placement of horizontal and vertical lines along with the shapes of design lines. This will allow you to determine if the placements and shapes match your body clues.
Product Details
At Macys.com the description is in the middle of the page. It’s broken up into three areas:
- Product Details
- Size & Fit
- Materials & Care
Product Details
This section gives you some idea of design lines. It’s more about how the designer describes the article of clothing.
Size & Fit
The key piece of information in this section is in the first line: center back length of the garment. This one is 37 ½ inches. You can determine your center back length by using the information when you determine your body proportions. Then you can compare it to that of the garment. When comparing the two lengths you’ll know where the hem will hit you.
Also it tells you the height of the model and the size of the dress. Remember the height of the model makes the size look smaller in proportion to a person who is around 5’5” (average height of a woman and the height most clothes are designed for).
Materials & Care
Understanding the type of fabric the outfit is made of helps you understand the fit. This one is made from polyester and spandex. This tells you there is horizontal stretch or give built into the fabric which allows the fabric to conform to your movements, which results in a closer fit. If there wasn’t any spandex, it wouldn’t conform to your movements which means you’d need room between the fabric and you to move.
Analyze Design Lines Online -- Identifying Design Lines
To identify design lines look for them in this order:
- Clothes’ silhouette
- Horizontal lines
- Vertical lines
- Shape of design lines
When looking at the placement of horizontal and vertical lines, look for the general areas where they’re placed. Because of a height different between you and the model the exact placement might be different on your body. If they look to be in the right areas and you like the style and color, buy it and then try it on to make sure the placement is right for you.
Clothes' Silhouette
Before you really dive into looking at all the design lines within an outfit, look at the silhouette. It’s the outside lines of the clothes. Sometimes this can be difficult because of the model’s shape and the garment may be made out of a knit fabric and/or is included in the fiber content.
If you have a curvy Body Shape you can quickly eliminate ones that have an angular silhouette.
Horizontal Lines
You look for horizontal lines next because this is where your focus goes. As a result, the placement of them can make or break an outfit. Remember horizontal lines:
- Stop your eye
- Make that area look wider and shorter
Horizontal lines are created by:
- Necklines
- Collars
- Pockets
- Hems
- Seamlines
- Cuffs
- Belts/ties
- Prints
Vertical Lines
Next, look for vertical lines. Vertical line placement isn’t as critical as horizontal line placement but it’s still important. They:
- Help move your eye around the outfit
- Make that area look thinner and taller
Vertical lines are created by:
- Front openings
- Seam lines
- Collars
- Necklaces
- Scarves
Design Line Shape
Finally, look at the shape of the design lines. Look to see if the overall shape is either angular or curved. You want an overall shape to match your Face Shape.
Areas to look for them are:
- Necklines
- Collars
- Cuffs
- Pockets
- Prints
- Belt buckles
- Button shapes
To review/learn what your body clues are telling you go to these blog posts:
- Body Shape — Placement of horizontal and vertical lines
- Face Shape — Shape of design lines
- Body Proportion — Placement of horizontal and vertical lines
Analyze Design Lines Online -- Bringing It All Together
Now that you understand the anatomy of clothes sold online and know what to look for, let’s see how you can analyze the design lines of this Calvin Klein dress.
The next time you’re looking on the internet to get clothing ideas or want to purchase them look at:
- The overall look of the outfit
- The garment’s silhouette
- Close up images for design line details:
- Horizontal line placements
- Vertical line placements
- Design line shapes
- Product descriptions for designer’s concepts
- Size & Fit for length to compare to your Body Proportions and to understand the placement of horizontal lines based on the model’s height
- Materials & Care to determine the type of fabric (stretch vs non stretch)
By following these steps you’ll be able to eliminate clothes with design lines that don’t match your body clues before you purchase them. This will save you time and money of which time is the most important because you can never get that back.
Wear Your Greatness!!
