Draping for Fashion Design by Hilde Jaffe

I bought this book as a supplement to my draping class and other draping book Helen Joseph-Armstrong's Draping for Apparel Design. FYI this book Jaffe's Draping for Fashion Design and Helen Joseph-Armstrong's book are the two most commonly assigned draping books at university fashion design programs.

PROS:
- Very compact and concise book. This is helpful if you need a reference book that excludes the superfluous "beginner" material and if you need a book to carry around with you. Definitely a lot easier to carry around than the other standard reference Joseph-Armstrong's book. I love how it provides only the essential details.
- Covers a wide variety of draping subjects, including standard and making variations on skirts, shirts, dresses, pants, sleeves, collars, different types of bodices, etc etc. This book extends beyond the introductory draping.

CONS:
- Requires at least a basic background in draping / pattern-making and requires the willingness to perform a lot of trial-and-error. Because it's so concise, you'll find yourself needing to experiment a lot to learn all of the unwritten nuances of draping.
- Minimal amount of figures sometimes make it quite difficult to interpret, making it more necessary to supplement this book with a class or another book.

OVERALL:
A very significant resource to keep around, because of its concise essential instructing and it's size. I highly recommend it for someone who has a strong background in draping and just needs a reference, or for someone who is taking an introductory class simultaneously. For someone who is just learning draping for the first time and not taking a class, I would recommend the larger/bulkier and more detailed Joseph-Armstrong book (price is around the same as this Jaffe book). People have mentioned typos in both this Jaffe book and the Joseph-Armstrong book, but you will learn what's right through a lot of trial-and-error experimentation.

I bought this booked used for 60% off, and would definitely buy this book again at that price, if given the choice. If this book were only offered at full price, I would probably go with the Helen Joseph-Armstrong draping textbook, only for the perceived greater detail in text and figures. This book is amazingly concise though, for those that value compactness over detail.

The information inside the book is great. However, I gave this book 3 stars due to the poor quality of the book. I don't like the fact that I paid $101 and some change for a book printed on low quality paper. In fact, this book has the feel of a flimsy magazine. Within a few weeks of minimal use, the flimsy cover has creases on it and when I turn pages the bottom edges sometimes rip (even when using a gentle hand). Even my draping professor was amazed at the poor quality. I'm not sure if they offer this book in a digital version, but I would recommend getting the digital e-book and saving a few bucks rather than spending $101 for a book that will probably disentigrate within a short time of use.

Had to buy this product as a textbook for school (in college for fashion design). It was the first book I had to buy and so the price is always something that could be improved from a student perspective. The book itself goes over the basics of draping, you really touch base on everything in a clear manner. You should have previous sewing knowledge to understand and fully benefit from the content. I did not keep the book after the semester was over and have regretted that. It is a great resource to refer back to. If your in a pinch and need to remember how to drape a set sleeve with a twist you can use this a a basic guide to improve upon. Only thing I would change is the images could be a little clearer, as many people draping are visual learners.

I took flat pattern before I started draping-The book is not really worth the price.This was required for my class but I didn't order it until halfway through the semester and I was still doing fine. It's more of how you work with the fabric to make the grainlines even/balanced, etc. and learning the basic fundamentals from your instructor.The instructional photos are rather vague and would typically confuse someone attempting to learn how to drape by themselves. Other fashion schools use draping for apparel design, which in my opinion, is a better investment. Also would like to point out that for around $80 this book is not printed in good quality

fabulous book and easy to follow. its a good price, but it you have money to spend i would recommend Draping by some german company (that i can't remember the name of) but their instructions are real pictures versus drawing in this book.

This book is extremely helpful. The measurements they give you for cutting muslin are always correct and the steps included always make complete sense. The illustrations are also very helpful if you are more visual. Oh yeah but keep in mind that the draping measurements they give you in this book are more tailored to what a size 6 mannequin measures which is around a 34" bust and 35" hip.

Great for any Fashion Design student.

This is an excellent book on draping. I am an experienced professional seamstress. This book is an excellent addition to my library. The draping details are exquisite. The diagrams are extremely well drawn and detailed and the written directions are superb.