Bias Cut Skirt

Q: I cleaned a very full “ dryclean only” skirt. I noticed that the hemline of the skirt was uneven because some portions were stretched. My presser could not fix the skirt. What caused it? 

A: Most panels in a garment are cut on the lengthwise or crosswise direction of the grain. The panels of a very full skirt are often cut on the bias which is diagonal to the length and width of the fabric. 
The stretched portions of this skirt are cut on the bias. Some distortion or unevenness of the shape is expected to occur on an article made out of a bias-cut fabric. Fabrics that are cut on the bias are not dimensionally stable. The portion of the fabric that is cut on the bias has a tendency to stretch in length, in many cases just from the weight of the fabric during use or while hanging. This can be aggravated a little further during the tumbling effects of a cleaning operation. This distortion is not to be attributed to any mishandling on the part of the cleaning procedure. The distortion develops due to the type of materials and/or construction of the skirt. 


Suggested Reading


DLI Standard, Gold, and Premier members may access more information on this topic in the following bulletins, and many others, available in DLI's Encyclopedia of Drycleaning Online:



Fashions & Fabrics (FF) No. 447: Bias Cut Garments
FF No. 498 Ties and Scraves
TABS No. 365 Necktie Problems

TABS No. 369: Distortion of Bias Cut Garments