Fashion Technology and Merchandising

Specific Competencies and Skills Tested in this Assessment:

 

Garment Construction

• Prepare, lay out, cut, and mark fabric and patterns
• Construct seam and seam finishes
• Apply and construct shaping details  
• Construct and set pockets  
• Construct and attach sleeves
• Construct waistbands, collars, and cuffs
• Apply facings, interfacings, and yokes
• Sew underlinings and linings  
• Display knowledge of proper pressing procedures for construction
• Construct and attach closures  
• Display knowledge of hemming procedures

 

Finished Garment Alterations

• Analyze and mark garment fit  
• Convert darts
• Alter hem length  
• Replace zippers and fasteners
• Adjust crotch of trousers
• Remove excess garment width
• Enlarge or decrease waist measurement

 

Textiles

• Identify and explain the properties of synthetic and natural fibers
• Describe yarn and fabric construction and uses
• Compare/contrast chemical and mechanical finishes and conversion processes
• Distinguish color theory, methods, and effects

 

Applied Mathematics

• Perform mathematical computations related to the apparel and textile industry
• Use geometric concepts to create patterns
• Calculate production costs and profits
• Show proficiency in measuring and using measures

 

Design and Patternmaking

• Demonstrate basic pattern-making systems (draping and flat pattern drafting)
• Analyze and adjust patterns for various figure types
• Identify, manipulate, and combine various functions to develop design details

 

Industrial and Domestic Apparel Manufacturing

• Identify and safely operate domestic and industrial sewing machines
• Select appropriate machines and attachments for a given task
• Demonstrate stitching techniques
• Perform basic machine maintenance and troubleshooting
• Identify design details and manufacturing terms

Apparel Technology

• Identify computer terminology related to the apparel and textile industry
• Demonstrate knowledge of computers in the apparel and textile industry
• Identify awareness of computer-aided design technology (CAD/CAM)

 

Apparel and Textile Merchandising

• Identify apparel and textile merchandising terminology
• Differentiate market segmentation
• Develop market research strategies (demographics, focus groups, etc.)
• Apply techniques for inventory management
• Recognize multichannel (e-commerce) merchandising techniques
• Apply customer service and selling techniques

 

Career Opportunities

• Identify employment opportunities (textiles, design, production, and retail)
• Determine educational and training requirements for apparel and textile industry employment

 

Written Assessment:

Administration Time: 3 hours
Number of Questions: 185

Areas Covered:

Garment Construction: 24%

Finished Garment Alterations: 12%

 Textiles: 12%

Applied Mathematics: 10%

Design and Patternmaking: 7%

Industrial and Domestic Apparel Manufacturing: 13%

Apparel Technology: 6%

Apparel and Textile Merchandising:11%

Career Opportunities: 5%

 

Sample Questions:

Buttonholes go on the _____ side of a man’s shirt.  

1. right
2. left
3. upper
4. under

 

Darts can be converted to

1. tacks
2. tucks
3. plackets
4. yokes

 

Silk comes from a

1. plant
2. root
3. worm
4. leaf

 

The proportion of a drawing figure is measured in

1. feet
2. heads
3. inches
4. hands

 

Designing apparel and textiles with computer equipment is called

1. CAD
2. CAM
3. CEM
4. CID

 

Performance Assessment:

Administration Time: 3 hours
Number of Jobs: 5

Areas Covered:

12% Patternmaking
Determine princess line on sloper pattern back (piece 1), determine princess line on sloper pattern front (piece 2), and time to complete Job 1.

16% Invisible Zipper Insertion
Cut fabric to specifications, zipper insertion, sewing machine operation, quality of stitching, and time to complete Job 2.

16% Seam Samples
Plain seam, turned under (clean-finished) seam, serged or overlocked seam, flat fell seam, French seam, and time to complete Job 3.

28% Bodice Construction
Bodice layout and cutting, sleeve layout and cutting, single pointed dart construction, double pointed dart construction, sleeve construction, seams, sewing machine operation, quality of stitching, finishing, and time to complete Job 4.

28% Lay Out, Cut, and Construct Straight Legged Pants
Fabric preparation, measuring for grainline, pinning procedures, cutting, pattern marking:  notches and hems, sewing machine operation, seam construction, waistline casing construction, hem construction, and time to complete Job 5.

Sample Job: Seam Samples
Maximum Time:   30 minutes
Participant Activity: The participant will use tools, equipment, and materials provided, to construct seam samples as instructed.  Each seam sample should be 8 inches long. Seams should be in “consumer acceptable” condition upon completion.