Structural fashion design elements for aesthetic garment form: visual documentation and pattern-based CLO3D simulation analysis
- Journal of Textile Engineering & Fashion Technology
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Md Ahshan Habib, Susmita Urmee Roy, Anamika Hossen
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Abstract
This study investigates the pivotal role of structural elements in
shaping aesthetic garment form, positioning construction as the primary
determinant of silhouette and visual identity. Moving beyond
conventional design discourse that emphasizes surface ornamentation, the
research explores how geometric and mechanical manipulation of fabric
generates aesthetic form through structural logic. Seams, panels, darts,
yokes, flounces, godets, pleats, gathers, pintucks and cowls are
examined as mechanisms that regulate tension, volume, and movement,
thereby influencing proportion, balance, and visual harmony within
garments. A qualitative approach is adopted, combining literature-based
analysis with digital experimentation through CLO3D for virtual pattern
development and simulation. Findings indicate that aesthetic form is not
solely the outcome of decorative treatments but emerges from systematic
structural operations embedded in pattern architecture. Structural
elements operate as a framework that governs both the spatial behavior
of fabric and the perceptual qualities of the silhouette. This research
advances a technical and aesthetic framework, redefining fashion design
as an engineered process in which visual expression is achieved through
structural precision, bridging functional construction and aesthetic
design.
Keywords
structural elements, aesthetic fashion design, pattern engineering, garment architecture, silhouette formation, fabric mechanics, digital fashion design


