Kevin Almond 1, JDH Article Copy Corrected

The Journal of Dress History
Volume 3, Issue 2, Summer 2019
Editor–in–Chief Jennifer Daley

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The Journal of Dress History
Volume 3, Issue 2, Summer 2019
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The Journal of Dress History Volume 3, Issue 2, Summer 2019
Eliminating the Bust Dart:

The Role of Pattern Cutting in the 1960–2002 Career of
British Fashion Designer, Sylvia Ayton
Kevin Almond
Abstract
This article examines the role of pattern cutting in the 1960–2002
career of British fashion designer, Sylvia Ayton, whose career is
significant for its flexibility and longevity. During the 1960s, Ayton
worked as a fashion designer in business partnership with textile
designer, Zandra Rhodes, and as a commercial designer for
Wallis, the British women’s clothing retailer, during 1969–2002.
A review of the literature shows that pattern cutting has rarely been
explored through the relationship of the designer with its
technology and craft. The underpinning research will bridge this
gap by investigating the thinking, practices, and paradigms of
pattern cutting during a commercially orientated fashion
designer’s career. This article incorporates research cultivated
from privileged access into Ayton’s private archive, located in
London, England. This study identifies a lasting reference point
for the fusion of pattern cutting craft with design, expressed in the
context of fashion design professions within the global fashion
industry.
6
Introduction
This article explores the role of pattern cutting in the career of British fashion
designer, Sylvia Ayton, MBE (Figure 1). Born in 1937, Ayton graduated in 1960 from
the fashion school managed by Professor Janey Ironside (1919–1979)1 at The Royal
College of Art, London, England. In her autobiography, Ironside noted, “One of the
best results of the social revolution in Britain since the Second World War has been
the release of many young designers to the world, whose potentialities would have
been wasted before the war.”2
Figure 1:
Sylvia Ayton,
Photographed in the
Design Studio at Wallis,
the British Women’s
Clothing Retailer,
Photographer Unknown, 1990,
London, England,
The Private Collection of Sylvia Ayton,
London, England.
After the Second World War, the British government needed to manage the high
rate of unemployment, which was caused by soldiers returning home from the war
who found difficulty securing employment. One governmental strategy to combat
unemployment was to create a network of art colleges that enabled young people to
study art and design. This fixed the problem of high rates of unemployment as
students were not included in government unemployment statistics. The strategy also
generated increased opportunities to study fashion design, which resulted in the
1
Janey Ironside was Professor of Fashion at The Royal College of Art, London, England, during
1956–1968.
2
Janey Ironside, Janey, M. Joseph, London, England, 1973, p. 113.
7
release of young designers to the fashion industry whose relationships with the craft
of pattern cutting generated exciting innovations. This creative explosion was explored
by Oakley and Banks in their study of art schools, class, and British higher education,
in which they stated, ‘‘Empowered by creative freedoms integral to the pursuit of an
art qualification, young people could find new worlds open to them, new ways of
seeing and being in institutions that were geared to encouraging them to find their
creative vocation.’’3
Ayton’s career evolved during this social revolution, and her career is significant for
its flexibility and longevity. During the 1960s, Ayton worked as a fashion designer in
business partnership with textile designer, Zandra Rhodes (1940–). During 1969–
2002, Ayton worked as a commercial designer for Wallis, the British women’s
clothing retailer. This study considers Ayton’s experiences as a designer and pattern
cutter for different market levels. A review of the literature shows that pattern cutting
has rarely been explored through the relationship of the designer with the craft of
pattern cutting, particularly designers such as Ayton who have designed anonymously
for large companies or retailers. The underpinning research will bridge this gap by
investigating the thinking, practices, and paradigms of pattern cutting during a fashion
designer’s career. It will also identify a lasting reference point for the fusion of
technology and craft with design, expressed in the context of fashion design
professions within the global fashion industry.
The purpose of this research is to review the long career of Sylvia Ayton as a fashion
designer and to contextualize this with her relationship with the activities involved in
pattern cutting. This article utilises a unique primary source: Ayton’s extensive private
archive, which was compiled by the designer over many years, and, unlike museum
collections, has previously been inaccessible to researchers. Ayton’s archive is an
original and important body of work that spans more than four decades as a British
fashion designer. The archive documents many of the changes in pattern cutting and
design to which Ayton needed to adapt in order to remain technically and stylistically
relevant with the changing times. This study also references an autobiographical
paper that Ayton published in 2005, in which she described her career and her love–
hate relationship with haute couture.4 In the paper, she reflected how the refined
3
Kate Oakley and Mark Banks, “The Dance Goes on Forever? Art Schools, Class and UK
Higher Education,” The International Journal of Cultural Policy, Volume 22, Issue 1, 2015,
Taylor and Francis, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England, pp. 41–57.
4
Sylvia Ayton, “A Love–Hate Relationship with Couture,” Costume, Volume 39, Issue 1, 2005,
Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, Scotland, pp. 117–127.
8
dressmaking, pattern cutting, and bespoke qualities of couture craft were a catalyst
for her to develop her individual approach to fashion design and pattern cutting. This
development was documented further in conference presentations authored by
Ayton.5
The research findings take a systematic approach. The first part of this study is a
chronological description of Sylvia Ayton’s career. The second, third, and fourth
parts explore Ayton’s approach to pattern cutting and the importance of pattern
cutting in relation to fashion design activities throughout her career. The analyses are
split in half: 1960–1969, pattern cutting during her independent designer years, and
then 1969–2002, pattern cutting during her corporate designer years.
The discussion of bust darts is imperative to the overall investigation because it was
an endless source of fascination for Ayton. In pattern cutting, darts fold away fabric
in order to shape the fabric around the bust (and other parts of the body). In many
of her designs, Ayton sought to either eliminate the bust dart or integrate it into the
seam lines of a pattern. As well as cutting her own patterns, Ayton often worked with
a pattern cutter in consultation over a toile, a prototype of a garment made in an
inexpensive fabric, often cotton muslin. This consultation was to ensure that the darts
suited the fabric and design. At Wallis, Ayton worked in an advisory way with a team
of pattern cutters (Figure 2).
5
See:
Sylvia Ayton, “The 80s: Was It the Best of Times for the Wallis Woman?” Presentation, Costume
and Textile Society of Wales, National History Museum, St. Fagans, South Glamorgan, Wales, 19
May 2006.
Sylvia Ayton, “How Crinolines and Couture Helped Me Create a Customer Friendly Clothing,”
Presentation, The Costume Society Symposium: The Price of Fashion, Leeds, West Yorkshire,
England, 9 July 2010.
Sylvia Ayton, “Creative Pattern Cutting: Is Moving the Bust Dart a Means to an End?” Presentation,
The First International Symposium for Creative Pattern Cutting, The University of Huddersfield,
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, 6 February 2013.
9
Figure 2:
Sylvia Ayton with Pattern Cutter, Joyce Monsanto, Fitting a Toile at Wallis,
Photographer Unknown, 1986, Hendon, London, England,
The Private Collection of Sylvia Ayton, London, England.
This article presents a discussion about what can be learnt from Ayton’s relationship
with pattern cutting. By assessing her relationship with the craft of pattern cutting
throughout her career, the article seeks to establish a lasting reference point for the
fusion of pattern cutting and design in the context of contemporary and future fashion
design professions. This is evaluated through a quantitative analysis of the key skills
Ayton acquired throughout her pattern cutting journey and their value in today’s
global fashion industry. The aims of this research are to:
1. Document the role of pattern cutting in the 1960–2002 career

of British fashion designer, Sylvia Ayton, utilising her private
archive as primary source material.
2. Consider Ayton’s experience of pattern cutting as a designer
for different market levels and assess the merits of these
different roles in a creative and skills–based context.
3. Appraise the thinking, practices, and paradigms of pattern
cutting during a fashion designer’s career and their value within
today’s global fashion industry.
10
Methodology and Literature Review

The research firstly takes a qualitative approach that exposes the inner experience of
the subject.6 As Denzin and Linken stated, “Qualitative researchers stress the socially
constructed nature of reality, the intimate relationship between the researcher and
what is studied, and the situational constraints that shape inquiry.”7 In this study, the
process is both explorative and observational, and it considers the characteristics,
descriptions, and definitions of pattern cutting during Ayton’s career. Archival
research is the principle methodology employed through the scrutiny of Ayton’s
work. This involved searching for and extricating evidence from the documented
records within her private archive. 8 Object–based research permitted the close
analysis of garments that Sylvia had designed, patterns, press cuttings, interviews,
photographs, sketches, and toiles in the archive. 9 Various conversations and
unstructured interviews10 were held with the designer over a three–year period, 2016–
2018.11 The conversations revealed much about Ayton’s passion for the design and
craft practices of pattern cutting. Additionally, a quantitative survey, conducted
6
See:
John W. Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches,
Third Edition, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California, United States, 2008.
Uwe Flick, An Introduction to Qualitative Research, Fifth Edition, Sage Publications, Thousand
Oaks, California, United States, 2014.
Carole Gray and Julian Malins, Visualizing Research: A Guide to the Research Process in Art and
Design, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England, 2004.
Yuni Kawamura, Doing Research in Fashion and Dress: An Introduction to Qualitative Methods,
Berg, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, 2011.
Ingrid Mida and Alexandra Kim, The Dress Detective: A Practical Guide to Object–Based
Research in Fashion, Bloomsbury Academic, London, England, 2015.
7
Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, Third
Edition, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California, United States, 2005, p. 10.
8
See:
Marie Riegels Melchior and Birgitta Svensson, Fashion and Museums: Theory and Practice,
Bloomsbury Academic, London, England, 2014.
Lou Taylor, The Study of Dress History: Studies in Design and Material Culture, Manchester
University Press, Manchester, Lancashire, England, 2002.
Simon Trafford, Primary Sources in British Archives: A Practical Guide, Bloomsbury Academic,
London, England, 2018.
9
See:
Mida and Kim, op cit.
10
Unstructured interviews are a dialogue where the questions are not prearranged and encourages
the interviewee to speak freely about the subject concerned, unlike the structured interview, which
usually features a set of standard questions.
11
Sylvia Ayton, Personal Interview Conducted by Kevin Almond, London, England, 28 April 2016.
Sylvia Ayton, Personal Interview Conducted by Kevin Almond, London, England, 26 June 2018.
11
through a questionnaire, analysed how the pattern cutting skills Ayton identified
during her career could have value in today’s global fashion industry.
Literature related to Sylvia Ayton’s career is sparse. There is no published biography,

however, there are anecdotal references to her work in several publications.12 Ayton’s
private archive revealed press cuttings and interviews with the designer; however,
these were again circumstantial and provided little depth of analysis about her work
or approach to pattern cutting.13 A comment published in 1995 by the journalist,
Tamsin Blanchard, is particularly revealing, “Sylvia Ayton is one of the most
important designers you’ve never heard of. For a quarter of a century she has set the
style of Wallis clothes and that has meant lots to lots of women.”14 This anonymity as
a designer encapsulates the position of many who are employed by companies or
retailers as the significance of their roles, creativity, and skills, to the global fashion
industry has rarely been recorded.
Ayton delivered a presentation at an international pattern cutting conference in

2013.15 Her presentation explored her involvement with many facets of pattern cutting
12
See:
Christopher Breward, Edwina Ehrman, and Caroline Evans, The London Look: Fashion from
Street to Catwalk, Yale University Press, London, England, 2004, p. 131.
Christopher Breward, David Gilbert, and Jenny Lister, Swinging Sixties: Fashion in London and
Beyond, 1955–1970, V&A Publications, London, England, 2006, pp. 30, 62.
Marni Fogg, Boutique: A ‘60s Cultural Phenomenon, Mitchell Beazley, London, England, 2003,
pp. 30, 41–44, 50–53, 114.
Joel Lobenthal, Radical Rags: Fashions of the 1960s, Abbeville Press, New York, New York, United
States, 1990, p. 231.
Jane Mulvagh, Vogue History of Twentieth–Century Fashion, Viking Press, London, England,
1988, p. 297.
Brenda Polan, “Fashion on Fire,” The Guardian, London, England, 3 November 1983, p. 11.
Iain R. Webb, Foale and Tuffin: The Sixties: A Decade in Fashion, ACC Editions, Woodbridge,
Suffolk, England, 2009, pp. 17, 25, 26, 40, 43, 92, 139, 176, 214.
13
See:
Caroline Baker, Title Unknown, Nova, London, England, Month Unknown, 1967, p. 38.
Tamsin Blanchard, Title Unknown, The Independent, Magazine Colour Supplement, London,
England, 30 September 1995, p. 53.
Anonymous, “The Bag Lady Speaks,” Fashion Weekly, London, England, 15 February 1990, p. 8.
Penny Graham, “Ribbon Dress,” The Evening News, London, England, 8 July 1968, p. 7.
14
Blanchard, op cit.
15
Kevin Almond, Organiser and Chair, The First International Symposium for Creative Pattern
Cutting, The University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, 6–7 February
2013.
12
throughout her life and provided the main source and trajectory explored further
within this article. 16 Ayton was also interviewed at the conference, and her
commentary provides useful insight into her perspective, related to pattern cutting
practice. 17 Further conference presentations by Ayton provided important
information about her career although these presentations are retained in her private
archive and remain unpublished.18 Also useful to the research of this article was the
case study published in the PhD thesis of Pammi Sinha, who analysed Ayton’s
working practices and approach to pattern cutting.19
Within literature there has been some exploration of the relationships between
famous couture designers, the craft of pattern cutting, and how their cutting
innovations have inspired fashion. This includes the work of designers such as
Madeleine Vionnet (1876–1975), Cristobel Balenciaga (1895–1972), Madame Grès
(1903–1993), Alexander McQueen (1969–2010). 20 Pattern cutting, however, has
rarely been explored through the relationship of the working, commercial designer
with the craft. The study presented in this article bridges this gap and provides a
catalyst for exploring the thinking processes that coexist between pattern cutting and
design for both designer level and high street clothing. Further reference to literature
is embedded throughout the text.
16
Ayton, 2013, op cit.
17
Sylvia Ayton, Personal Interview Conducted by The University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield,
West Yorkshire, England, 20 February 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FPfQsOHpiY,
Accessed 18 April 2018.
18
See:
19
See:
Sylvia Ayton, Personal Interview Conducted by Pammi Sinha, London, England, 6 August 1994.
This interview was transcribed and published in an appendix of the PhD thesis of Pammi Sinha, A
Comparative Study of Fashion Design Processes in UK Womenswear Manufacturing Companies,
PhD Thesis, The University of Salford, Salford, Lancashire, England, 2000.
Pammi Sinha and Chris Rivlin, “Describing the Fashion Design Process,” Presentation, The Second
European Academy of Design Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, 24 April 1997.
Sinha, op cit., 2000.
20
See:
Marie–Andree Jouve, Balenciaga, Thames and Hudson, London, England, 1989.
Betty Kirke, Madeleine Vionnet, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, California, United States, 1997.
Patricia Mears, Madame Gres: Sphinx of Fashion, Yale University Press, London, England, 2008.
Judith Watt, Alexander McQueen: Fashion Visionary, Goodman Books, London, England, 2012.
13
The Career of Sylvia Ayton

In order to contextualise Ayton’s work, this section briefly describes her career. The
designer was born in Gants Hill, London, a suburban world from which she
eventually wanted to escape. Her interest in fashion began early as she notes, “As a
child I loved drawing but have no mementos of my artistic work, but I have mementos
of childish pattern cutting and sewing which started with dolls, small Rosebud dolls.”21
Ayton disliked school but loved drawing and painting, which led in 1953 to her
enrollment on the dress design course at Walthamstow Art School, where she
cultivated her drawing skills (Figure 3). This was followed by her acceptance in 1957
to study in the fashion school managed by Professor Janey Ironside at The Royal
College of Art in London.
Figure 3:
A Pen and Watercolour
Drawing,
Sylvia Ayton,
Walthamstow Art School,
Walthamstow, England,
circa 1953,
The Private Collection of
Sylvia Ayton,
London, England.
21
14
Janey Ironside is often credited as the spearhead of the “youthquake” phase of the
swinging sixties. 22 Many notable designers from this era trained under Ironside,
including Ossie Clarke (1942–1996), Zandra Rhodes, Bill Gibb (1943–1988),
Marion Foale (1939–) and Sally Tuffin (1938–) who formed the design partnership,
Foale and Tuffin.23 Ayton noted, “I did learn an incredible amount at Royal College.
I won a competition to design the BEA air hostess uniform (Figure 4) which went
into production, and I learnt how to pattern cut and fit garments.”24
Figure 4:
BEA Air Hostess Uniform Design,
Sylvia Ayton,
The Royal College of Art, London,
England, 1958,
The Private Collection of
Sylvia Ayton,
London, England.
22
See:
Ironside, op cit.
Virginia Ironside, Janey and Me: Growing Up with My Mother, Harper Perennial, New York, New
York, United States, 2003, p. 189.
23
See:
Ayton, 2005, op cit., p. 119.
Fogg, op cit., pp. 13, 30, 159.
24
15
Sinha observed about Ayton, “During her studentship at The Royal College of Art,
she had designed and made clothes for actresses, Suzannah York (1939–2011) and
Edina Ronay (1940–), worked with Doris Langley Moore (1902–1989) at The
Costume Museum at Bath, and designed and made hats for the film, Freud (1962).”25
When Ayton began her professional career in 1960, she represented a new breed of
fashion designer. These were professionals, unafraid to harness the cultural
revolution that was unleashed in the aftermath of the Second World War.26 The late
1940s was a time of hardship and economic shortage in Britain. During the 1950s,
though, there was an increased affluence and prosperity, which had an influence on
both the middle and working class across the country. Higher education also
expanded rapidly, and the social and professional status of women slowly improved.
A youth culture emerged during the late 1950s and 1960s that emphasised the
importance of clothes, popular music, and lifestyle. This post–war climate helped
shape a fresh direction for the British fashion industry and had a global influence on
the way people dressed. It also produced designers who embraced these new
opportunities, including Gerald McCann (1931–), Mary Quant (1934–), and Ayton.
In an interview, Ayton explained that there was very little interaction between the
designers during this time as they were all in competition with each other.27 However,
each embarked on careers with a basic set of design and pattern cutting skills that
adapted to the changing needs of the fashion industry, as they sustained professions
that stretched beyond the 1960s.
Ayton graduated from The Royal College of Art in 1960 with the confidence that she
would be able to make clothes for private customers and the boutiques that were
emerging on the high streets of London and cities across Britain. From 1960, Ayton’s
career combined teaching at art colleges with freelance designing and pattern cutting
for friends who owned fashion shops in Carnaby Street and the Kings Road in
London. Ayton worked on garments that were designed and sold to stores including
Top Gear, Countdown, and Palisades on the Kings Road. As Ayton described, “I just
made up the garments I liked, showed them to the boutique owners who loved them,
25
Sinha, 2000, op cit., p. 231.
26
See:
Hazel Clarke, “Sylvia Ayton: Fashion Designer,” Encyclopedia of Fashion,
http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/A-Az/Ayton-Sylvia.html, Accessed 18 April 2018.
Ironside, 1973, op cit., p. 119.
Lobenthal, op cit.
Mulvagh, 1988, op cit.
Webb, 2009, op cit.
27
16
then I graded the pattern, bought the fabric, cut them out at home and the girl around
the corner made them up.”28
In the mid 1960s, a buying office in New York saw Ayton’s clothes in one of the
London boutiques. Ayton subsequently received an order from B. Altman and
Company, a luxury department store and chain in New York. It was a small order:
three different styles of dresses produced in four sizes, and six dresses each, which
totaled 72 dresses. The dresses sold for a retail price of six guineas each, the
equivalent of approximately £112 each in 2019 currency. 29 This was a price a
customer would expect to pay for a high–quality dress in contemporary British high
street stores, such as Reiss or Karen Millen. Ayton had the dresses delivered to the
store in New York through door–to–door shipping, which meant the shipping
company collected the product from the designer and delivered it to the retailer as
part of the shipping package. The dresses sold and were re–ordered.
Whilst working as a tutor at Ravensbourne College of Art in London during 1961–

1967, Ayton met textile designer Zandra Rhodes, who was also teaching at the
college.30 They formed a design partnership, and this became Ayton’s first formal
business (beyond her business as a freelance designer) before starting work at Wallis
in 1969. Ayton described her partnership with Rhodes, “We worked from my flat.
Zandra printed at her studio, and I made the patterns and samples. We paid cash for
the cloth. We went to see the boutique buyers and tried to sell the clothes, but our
garments were too different.”31 In 1966 this resulted in the establishment of their own
boutique, The Fulham Road Clothes Shop (Figure 5), with backing from actress
Vanessa Redgrave (1937–). Their meeting was initiated through friends of Rhodes
who knew Redgrave. The friends arranged for Ayton and Rhodes to visit Redgrave’s
house, where she commissioned a dress. On a second visit, Ayton and Rhodes
showed Redgrave their print design with the words “We love you and send you
kisses,” which was intended to be printed on satin fabric for the dress. Redgrave was
so delighted she agreed to donate money as financial backing for the shop in return
for the clothes. Ayton described their idiosyncratic philosophy, “Zandra and I did
our own thing. We knew best. We were such egoistical little madams.”32 Despite
tremendous publicity, as well as popularity with both customers and the press, a
combination of lack of business acumen and debt forced Ayton and Rhodes to close
their business.
28
Ayton, 2005, op cit., pp. 117–127.
29
Currency Converter: 1270–2017, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey, England,
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter, Accessed 25 June 2019.
30
Zandra Rhodes, A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles, ACC Textiles, London, England, 2009.
31
Ayton, 2005, op cit., pp. 117–127.
32
17
Figure 5:
Models Wearing Clothes from The Fulham Road Clothes Shop, London, England,
1969, The Private Collection of Sylvia Ayton, London, England.
In 1969, the fashion designer Brian Godbald (1945–) introduced Ayton to the British
high street retailer, Wallis, where Ayton worked for two months as a freelance
designer. Upon completion of the two–month design contract, Ayton underwent a
formal interview with the managing director, Jeffrey Wallis (1922–2015), which led
to permanent employment at Wallis as the outerwear designer (Figure 6). Designing
for a mid–market retailer demanded a different mindset, and Ayton had to adapt.
She said, “I had a few second thoughts about joining a retail company: would I have
to design garments I did not like? I was a rebel, a young trendy designer, doing what
I wanted.”33 The designer’s long tenure at the company of 33 years enabled Ayton to
experience significant changes both in the customer and in the British retail industry.
33
Ayton, 2005, op cit., p. 123.
18
Figure: 6:
Coat Design that Sylvia
Ayton Prepared to Take to
Her Interview with
Jeffrey Wallis,
London, England, 1969,
The Private Collection
of Sylvia Ayton,
London, England.
From 1969 onwards, Ayton traveled periodically to Paris to visit couture shows at
Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Chanel, and Patou. Ayton took notes about the
clothes and patterns at the couture shows, but she did not sketch the designs as
sketching was forbidden during the shows. The visits were used to inspire Wallis
copies sold as part of a range called Pick of Paris.34 Over time, Ayton witnessed the
Wallis customer change as they demanded new, young, and instantaneous looks.
Both Ayton and Wallis adapted to these changes, which helped sustain the longevity
of the company. As Ayton described, “The only way for us to keep going was to
recognize that fashion is constantly evolving. I always say that Wallis design is
evolutionary, not revolutionary.”35
34
35
Ayton, 2005, op cit., p. 127.
19
Sylvia Ayton complemented her career as a designer with her involvement and
commitment to education. She taught at a variety of art colleges as well as acting as
external examiner for many fashion degree courses. She has been a Fellow of and
jury member for The Royal Society of Arts, Design Bursaries Competition (Fashion).
In 1990, in recognition for services to the British fashion industry, Ayton was awarded
Member of the British Empire (MBE). She was also involved, alongside Vanessa
Denza (1937–) and Jeff Banks (1943–), with the establishment in 1991 of Graduate
Fashion Week, the annual showcase for fashion graduates in London. Ayton was
involved in the The Costume Society for several years, first as Vice Chairman, then
as Chairman, 2008–2013.
Sylvia Ayton’s Relationship with Pattern Cutting

This section explores Ayton’s approach to the practice of pattern cutting and its
relationship to fashion design activities. The term fashion designer is often given to
the creator of a garment or outfit, whereas the pattern cutter is perceived to be the
person who creates the pattern for a design. However, within the fashion industry
different organisations have different interpretations of these roles and their value. In
some organisations the roles are merged. Throughout her career, Ayton combined
the roles of fashion designer and pattern cutter, so they became interchangeable.
During her early career, until 1969, she cut all the patterns for her designs and often
made the first sample garment. She used this hands–on, practical experience to
inform her later career at Wallis, where she worked with a team of pattern cutters
and was able to successfully communicate with them as they interpreted her designs.
Ayton observed, “As a designer I seem to have been involved with many aspects of
pattern cutting all my life, it is the most effective and simplest way in which to achieve
your design, your creation, which is your main ambition; your creation to be worn by,
you hope, a thousand customers.” 36 She said, “As you draw the design, you are
visualizing the pattern shape. You become part of the design. You can feel the shape
on your body. Then when drawn flat onto spot and cross, paper or card and cut out,
the shape starts to become a three–dimensional paper garment. And then into fabric,
it is a garment.”37 As a means to an end, she firmly acknowledged that pattern cutting
was the route to a wonderful creation. The bust dart had always fascinated her (Figure
7). This often begins at the side seam of a bodice and ends near the apex of the bust.38
36
37
Ibid.
38
20
Ayton’s dislike of the bust dart began during her flat pattern cutting lessons at art
college, and throughout her career she sought to eliminate bust darts in her design
work.39 Unfortunately, as a commercial designer she could not ignore bust darts and
debated whether they were a means to a creative end or just a technical exercise used
to develop another pattern.
Figure: 7:
Drawing of a Bodice
Block and Bust Dart,
Sylvia Ayton,
The Royal College
of Art, London,
England, 1958,
The Private
Collection of
Sylvia Ayton,
London, England.
As a child Ayton loved drawing. She had memories of childhood pattern cutting and
sewing for dolls (Figure 8). Her first encounter with bust darts was in the flat pattern
cutting lessons at Walthamstow School of Art. Here, she realised there was something
important called, the pattern cutting class or as some classmates described it, moving
the bust dart. This was not as much fun as drawing. She recalled, “All we wanted to
do was draw and design so when we were gathered around the cutting table, where a
bodice block was pinned out like an animal skin, we stared in amazement, as we were
told that from this simple bodice block, by cutting and folding we would be able to
move the bust dart to wherever our design directed. Why? Most of us were young
girls who had no bust; the lesson fell onto rather fallow ground.”40 Ayton was more
enamoured of the second pattern cutting lesson, which involved draping on the stand,
draping calico fabric onto the body form, pinning the shape, and drawing the design
lines over and around the bust; then taking the fabric off the stand to reveal a three–
dimensional shape. To Ayton, this seemed a far more creative approach.
39
Ibid.
40
Ibid.
21
Figure 8:
Pattern
Pieces for a
Doll’s Dress
without Bust
Darts,
Sylvia Ayton,
Gants Hill,
London,
England,
circa 1945,
The Private
Collection of
Sylvia Ayton,
London,
England.
While studying at The Royal College of Art, Ayton advanced her knowledge of flat
pattern cutting and draping; however, she still disliked the flat pattern cutting lessons.
The lecturer talked in measurements and showed how to move the bust dart around
from the apex of the bust. Ayton observed, “The bodice pattern was cut out in calico
and pinned onto an unsuspecting student to demonstrate where the bust dart had
been and where it was now by pointing out the crucial bust point with a ruler or finger.
I escaped from this class, hid, and read Vogue.”41 Despite these struggles, Ayton
conquered her fears and graduated with a set of block patterns that she felt were her
friends, ready to face the challenges ahead. A block pattern is a basic pattern shape
for a garment type, such as a bodice or a skirt, that reflects the size, shape, and posture
of a human figure. This is used as a foundation pattern by pattern cutters to develop
many different pattern styles.
41
Ibid.
22
Pattern Cutting during the Designer Years, 1960–1969

Ayton said, “I was there, in the sixties, but I wasn’t actually aware of what was
happening. I was always just too involved with work.”42 This statement defines a work
ethic that permeated throughout the designer’s career. During the 1960s, the British
capital was christened “Swinging London,” defined by a Time magazine cover story,
published in 1966, which described the youth–driven social and cultural changes of
the decade.43 Ayton recalled how amazing it was to be a designer during this time. In
a short time period, she advanced from creating refined, grownup outfits to designing
uncomplicated shift dresses. A feeling of simplicity emerged during the decade, with
an uncluttered approach to dressing and a new desire to escape convention.44 This
emerging style is depicted in the contrasting images of Figure 9 and Figure 10. Figure
9 depicts a garment designed in 1960 and shows Sylvia’s elegant and sophisticated
printed wool mohair coat, suitable for evening or theatre wear. Cut in a semi–
structured way with dropped shoulders, the coat appears restrained and womanly.
This contrasts with the outfit depicted in Figure 10, circa 1964, a relaxed, sleeveless,
wool crepe shift, cut simply and fluidly from the fabric, without structure. The bust
darts are opened into the gathers at the neck.
42
43
Piri Halasz, “London: The Swinging City,” Cover Story, Time Magazine, Volume 87, Number
15, 15 April 1966.
44
See:
Lia Towle, “A 60s Sensation,” 3rd Floor, March 31, 2011,
https://thirdfloorpublication.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/a-60’s-sensation, Accessed 18 April 2018.
Richard D. Truman, Mods, Minis, and Madmen: A True Tale of Swinging London Culture in the
1960s, Universe, Milford, Connecticut, United States, 2010, p. 10.
23
Figure 9:
Printed Wool Mohair Coat Suitable for Evening or Theatre Wear, Drawn during
Her Final Year, Sylvia Ayton, The Royal College of Art, London, England, 1960,
24
Figure 10:
A Relaxed, Sleeveless, Wool Crepe Shift,
Sylvia Ayton, London, England, circa 1964,
As the mid 1960s approached, Ayton felt that the pattern cutting required for her
designs needed to be simple, which made all the pattern cutting lessons at art college
seem irrelevant.45 As she considered grading to be time consuming, gradually her
designs became simpler, pared down cutting with no darts, dresses with less but more
impact. The grading of a pattern is the incremental decrease or increase of a pattern
and is a technique used to develop different sized patterns for the production of a
garment range. Bust darts continued to fascinate Ayton, and they were often
incorporated into soft gathers, tied at the neck (Figure 10).
45
25
Ayton believed there were two sorts of patterns. Firstly, there was the commercial
pattern used for manufacturing, which was a pattern that was easy to understand,
especially for the pattern cutters and machinists: very good, grownup patterns, but
without a heart. Ayton stated, “Then there was the pattern that you immediately
found interesting even if you hadn’t seen the sketch.”46 Ayton considered that patterns
were like interesting books that had a boring cover. By this, she meant that the pattern
for a garment could often be more interesting than the actual design. She described
one of her patterns from circa 1965 (Figure 11), “Looking at this pattern it still says
to me this dress will sell. There is nothing much to go wrong. The tiniest bust dart is
more for tightening the large arm hole, than to accommodate a tiny bosom. The only
problem, no centre back seam for a zip.”47
Figure 11:
Dress with Bust Darts, Sylvia Ayton, London, England, circa 1965,
46
47
26
Ayton and Zandra Rhodes had both studied at The Royal College of Art. Ayton
graduated from the fashion department in 1960, and Rhodes graduated from the
textiles department in 1964. In 1966, they decided to work together creating designs
that incorporated Ayton’s dress patterns and Rhodes’ textile prints. The journalist
Joel Lobenthal described how, “Working with Ayton taught Rhodes the rudiments
of pattern making and eventually the two began sharing the fashion design
responsibilities.”48 During an interview, Ayton described their approach, “Simple as
possible but effective as possible. I think it worked. Interesting, wearable, wantable
garments with the bust dart integrated onto the design lines.”49 By 1968 the design
team were dressing celebrities, including the journalist Janet Street Porter (1946–)
who modelled a shirt printed with Zandra’s logo; designer Tania Sarne (1945–),
originator of the fashion label, Ghost, who wore to her wedding an Ayton and
Rhodes–designed white jersey dress trimmed with genuine snakeskin; and model
Marsha Hunt (1946–), who was photographed wearing a long black PVC coat. Ayton
and Rhodes pushed the boundaries of design. One dress designed with ribbons did
not require any pattern cutting, just a strategic placement of ribbons around the body.
Ayton recalled, “We did one dress with ribbons and liked the effect so much we
made seven more. Fashion has got ribbon taped.”50
In an interview with Marnie Fogg, Ayton discussed her business venture with Rhodes,
“Although our innovations such as tattoo print transfers and paper dresses were
commercially successful——the Miss Selfridge buyer asked us how to stop the
customers from tearing the hems of the dresses to see if they really were paper——the
business side of the enterprise was badly run.”51 This poor business sense led to the
closure of their retail outlet, The Fulham Road Clothes Shop, in 1969. “We made
super garments, but investment was missing. We had to go our separate ways: Zandra
into a world of fantasy and me into my life as a coat designer at Wallis. It was very
sad.”52 The world of fantasy that Rhodes entered was a business that provided Rhodes
with the freedom to produce her glamorous, flamboyant, and dramatic designs,
whereas Ayton left to work for a retailer designing very commercial, high street
clothing. At Wallis, Ayton quickly moved from her Fulham Road Clothes Shop
position in which she had sourced the fabric, designed the garment, cut the first
pattern, and made the first sample——into the realms of designing for a high street
retailer, with a team of pattern cutters who worked for her.
48
Lobenthal, op cit., p. 241.
49
50
Graham, op cit.
51
Fogg, 2003, op cit., p. 53.
52
Ayton, 2005, op cit., p. 123.
27
Pattern Cutting in the High Street Years, 1969–2002

Ayton was shocked to discover upon joining Wallis that she was not required to cut
her own patterns. It was a very different way of working. She designed the coats, suits,
and raincoats while another person designed the dresses and separates. There were
two completely different ways of creating patterns, in two different rooms, with
different equipment, and two different ways of thinking. As she commented, “My
tailors thought they were king, but the dress department knew they were equally as
creative.” 53 Ayton drew the highly detailed design, then the pattern was cut by
someone else; then the toile was made by another person. All of these people relied
on the accuracy of Ayton’s detailed line drawing (Figure 12).
Figure 12:
Detailed Line Drawing and Finished Coat,
Sylvia Ayton for Wallis, London, England, 1989,
53
28
Ayton’s designs had to include the correct proportions with all design details clearly
depicted, including top–stitching. Both a drawn front and back view were essential.
Ayton reflected that there needed to be excellent communication with the pattern
cutter if you wanted the coat to look like your design. “My design drawings were
working drawings with a high illustrative content. There was no time to do a
glamorous drawing and a working drawing, my sketch had to be glam enough to show
the press and readable enough for the pattern cutter, the machinist, and the Turkish
factory to produce a few thousand raincoats and coats.”54
During the 1970s, Wallis was well known for its Pick of Paris range. The owner of
the company, Jeffrey Wallis, had an association with some of the Parisian couture
houses, such as Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. The arrangement was that if
Wallis paid for three people to attend a couture show, then Wallis would receive
three couture garment patterns, of Wallis’ choice. The patterns were delivered to
Wallis after the release date of the couture garments and after photographs of the
garments had appeared in the press. This allowed the couture customers to wear the
garments before copies were in Wallis stores. Couture garment patterns were selected
that were felt to be right for the customer. As sketching was forbidden at the shows,
Ayton made notes and drew garments and patterns from memory. On return to
London, this enabled the Wallis design team to produce excellent copies ready for
delivery to Wallis shops at the same time as the Paris release date for the patterns
they had bought. Once the couture patterns arrived, Wallis was able to check that the
designs and patterns they had made from memory were similar to the original styles.
Ayton commented, “It was very satisfying to find our patterns were always very close
to the originals.”55
In the early 1970s, Sylvia Ayton was still a new designer at Wallis. She remembered,
“Half the time I designed my own thing, then as all retailers think alike the bosses
said, ‘Hey, the shop up the road are doing this or that and we should be doing it too;
we mustn’t be too different.’”56 Ayton’s clothes for Wallis were for a different size and
shape than the girlish forms for which she designed during the mid 1960s——and the
elegant, grownup clothes she had rebelled against during the late 1950s. For instance,
the 1980s moved the company into a decade of differences. Ayton commented,
“Although it was a glamorous mix of all things bright and beautiful, I will always
54
55
56
29
remember it as a big shoulder, power–dressing era.”57 The shape of the shoulder

needed to be adjusted on the pattern piece to accommodate the large sets of shoulder
pads required, sometimes three at a time (Figure 13). By the 1980s, Ayton knew her
customer. She was creating clothes for a Wallis woman who was forever 30 years
old.58 Ayton’s creative approach was a mix of design and pattern cutting routes that
included copying and adapting patterns from garments bought on shopping trips, as
well as designing and cutting versions of what would be on trend, neither too early
nor too late.
Figure: 13:
Coat with Wide
Shoulders, Line
Drawing for the
Pattern Cutter,
Sylvia Ayton for
Wallis, London,
England, 1987,
The Private
Collection of
Sylvia Ayton,
London, England.
57
Ibid.
58
Ibid.
30
Sinha’s case study, exploring the working practices of Ayton, acknowledged the
designer’s respect and admiration for the teams of pattern cutters with whom she
worked. As a designer at Wallis, Ayton was involved in an advisory way. The team
were concerned that her sketches were interpreted into patterns and toiles accurately,
therefore the sketches needed be distinct and easy to understand. In an interview,
Ayton said, “Design presentation is only a means of communication…drawing is so
very important; it is the start of a long line of communication.”59 At the first range
meeting, the pattern cutters were keen to ensure that any adjustments that needed to
be made to patterns were minimal. The sample machinists worked with the pattern
cutters to make up the toiles and the first samples. Once these were passed, the
patterns were made up as final samples and sent on to the factories to produce the
garments.60 Commitment to work was another aspect that Sylvia considered important
for the designer and pattern cutter. She felt that was part of the training at The Royal
College of Art, “In the final year we all worked very hard and very long, not leaving
until the last bus or train every night.”61
In an early 1990s interview with the British trade magazine, Fashion Weekly, Ayton
said, “You have to continually come up with new ideas which will make the customer
return. There is no set formula and creating a new design is always a gamble. Women
can be so fickle, so creating garments that a woman can feel and look good in can be
quite exciting.”62 She considered that new ideas emerged from various sources and
are often inspired by shapes within patterns and pattern cutting itself. Ayton reflected
on some of her creative sources whilst at Wallis.63 The book, Costume Patterns and
Designs by the ethnographer, Max Tilke (1869–1942), proved particularly
inspirational. This work is a survey of costume, patterns, shapes and designs from all
eras and nations. Ayton considered it to be a favourite of many designers since its
publication in 1974. She recalled the T–shape, illustrated in the book that evolved
from a square shape, which formed one pattern piece. This inspired her to buy a
sample garment in 1985 that resembled the T–shape, with no bust dart and turn the
shape into a coat (Figure 14 and Figure 15).
59
60
Sinha, 2000, op cit., p. 230.
61
62
Anonymous, op cit.
63
31
Figure 14:
T–Shape Coat Design, Designed by Sylvia Ayton for Wallis, 1985,
London, England, Photograph Courtesy of Sylvia Ayton and Wallis,
Figure 15:
T–Shape Coat Sample, Designed by Sylvia Ayton for Wallis, 1985,
London, England, Photograph Courtesy of Sylvia Ayton and Wallis,
32
Ayton also looked at other silhouettes inspired by the square, such as the knitted
coats constructed from one piece of material by the designer, Issey Miyake (1938–).
This led to experimentation with circular shapes based on an ethnic cape and to
transpose these shapes into patterns. These ideas were turned into raincoats for the
Wallis customer in the late 1980s (Figure 16 and Figure 17).
Figure 16 and Figure 17:

Experiments with Circular Shapes and Patterns,
Sylvia Ayton, 1989, London, England,
When computer aided manufacture moved into the pattern room during the late
1990s, Ayton was devastated because she felt these advances in technology removed
a sensory connection between the physical pattern and the garment, which she
considered to be an essential part of the design and pattern cutting process. Her team
of pattern cutters, however, soon adapted to the technology. She noted, “The
sensitive line they drew to shape a collar had gone; it was now a series of steps; pixels.
I was no longer able to correct a shape on the pattern because it was now on the
computer and no space on the table to draw and explain my alteration because the
33
table was full of the computer. Times change.”64 During the early 2000s, the concept
of Minimalism began to influence high street fashion. Ayton said, “I tried to introduce
the simplicity of the beautiful cutting of the French designer, Andre Courreges (1923–
2016), but no; it was a great idea and a way to use beautiful, expensive fabrics frugally
but my customer couldn’t cope; she liked a bit of shush.”65 The Wallis customer
could not relate to simple, minimalistic types of clothing. The Wallis woman wanted
clothes that included an element of glamour, such as a classic raincoat with a generous
cut and a touch of fake fur.
Wallis was also being frugal with expenditure on fabrics. Ayton found that using
cheaper wool and cashmere blend fabrics, at £3 per metre instead of the more
luxurious fabrics the company had previously used at £6 per metre, resulted in a
scaling down in the quality of design and pattern cutting. She said, “Minimalism and
cheap fabric do not work.”66 Sinha observed how the Wallis style, “…Was achieved
through Sylvia’s sketches and the Wallis block patterns (template patterns from which
styles were cut). She endeavoured to design glamorous and expensive–looking coats
with a plentiful cut, whatever the season demands were in terms of styling.”67 To go
from the voluminous cutting of the 1990s design in Figure 18, to the restrained 2000s
approach of the cut in Figure 19, was not the design journey Ayton wanted to travel.
After 42 years of pattern cutting, designing and making many thousands of women
happy with her designs, Ayton retired in 2002.
Sylvia Ayton’s relationship with pattern cutting, from designer level to high street,
evolved through creating patterns for many different types of garments (Figure 20).
Whatever the style she believes that pattern cutting is a creative activity and a means
to an end. It is a continuation of the drawing skill and the satisfaction of seeing the
drawing come to life. She said, “For me it was the simplest, easiest and most effective
way in which to achieve my dream design, for my ideal customer. My drawn designs
achieved what I wanted. I wanted the drawing to look good, the pattern to look good,
if it was near perfect and pleasing to my eyes the customer would also find it pleasing
to her eyes.”68
64
Ibid.
65
66
67
Sinha, 2000, p. 256.
68
34
Figure 18 and Figure 19:

From Voluminous Pattern Cutting of the 1990s
to the Restrained Minimalism of the 2000s,
Sylvia Ayton, London, England,
35
Figure 20:
Designs Cut Fluidly with All Bust Darts Eliminated,
Sylvia Ayton, Late 1960s, London, England,
In her Wallis case study, Sinha noted the bulk of Ayton’s Wallis designs were line
drawings, comprehensive enough for pattern cutters to work with, without her being
there to explain the design. She observed that, “Details such as stitching, pockets,
collar and cuffs were clarified through detailed drawing or written notes by the side
of sketches. Knowledge of pattern cutting helped to ensure that designs could be
made up commercially for appropriate prices. Ayton also considered the ability to
draw was a vital aspect in both design and pattern cutting.”69
69
Sinha, 2000, op cit., p. 252.
36
Lessons Learnt from Ayton’s Relationship with Pattern Cutting

This final section considers what can be learnt from Sylvia Ayton’s relationship with
pattern cutting. Through documenting her activities as a working, commercial fashion
designer, the research seeks to determine a lasting reference point for pattern cutting
within the contemporary fashion industry. The research has pinpointed the key skills
that Ayton acknowledged throughout her long career, as follows.
x The ability to draw as a vital aspect of both —— Drawing

design and pattern cutting.
x Pattern making is a continuation of the —— Creativity
drawing skill, seeing the drawing come to life.
x The design sketch needs to be readable —— Technical Skills
enough for the pattern cutter, the machinist,
and the factory to produce the garment.
x Respect and admiration for the role of the —— Respect
pattern cutter.
x The creative approach being a merger of —— Merging of Skills
design and pattern cutting skills; one holistic
set of skills.
x Excellent communication with the pattern —— Communication
cutter to ensure the finished garment looks
like the design.
x Communication and commitment to —— Deadlines
deadlines.
x Commitment to work. —— Work Ethic
In order, to appraise the value of these skills within today’s fashion industry and in its
future, the above list was sent to two selected focus groups. Individuals were asked to
place the skills in order of importance: one being most important, and eight being
least important. The results were analysed to establish a reference point for pattern
cutting in the context of both contemporary and future design careers within the
global industry. Focus Group 1 was comprised of delegates at The Association of
Degree Courses in Fashion and Textiles, Futurescan 4: Valuing Practice conference
at University of Bolton, Bolton, Lancashire, England in January 2019. The
association is a subject organisation to promote and develop fashion and textiles
37
through academic debate, education, and research. Its networks have extensive links
with industry, public and professional bodies. The conference was therefore aimed
at a specialist audience, many of whom had considerable pattern cutting knowledge.
Delegates were mainly UK based although a small percentage were international
attendees from Europe and the United States. The questionnaire was issued to 76
delegates at the conference, and 39 replies were received.
Focus Group 1:
39 Responses from Futurescan Conference Delegates
Ranking Skill Points
1 Most Important Technical Skills 84
2 Creativity 135
3 Communication 165
4 Merging of Skills 207
5 Work Ethic 216
6 Drawing 231
7 Deadlines 234
8 Least Important Respect 249
Focus Group 2 was comprised of the network formed by the author after the
organisation of The First International Symposium for Creating Pattern Cutting in
2013 (the conference in which Ayton gave her presentation about her relationship
with pattern cutting). 70 This network was further strengthened by The Second
International Conference for Creative Pattern Cutting in 2016.71 Both conferences
promoted research in contemporary pattern cutting and its significance to the global
fashion industry. The conferences were also a platform for pattern cutters, fashion
designers, educators, and students to explore the impact and direction of the craft.
Delegates included representatives from over 20 countries. This provided a strong
70
71
Kevin Almond, Organiser and Chair, The Second International Symposium for Creative Pattern
Cutting, The University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, 24–25 February
2016.
38
international flavour to the responses and an important global reference. The

questionnaire was issued to 348 people from the network, and 152 replies were
received.
Focus Group 2:
152 Responses from International Pattern Cutting Network
Ranking Skill Points
1 Most Important Technical Skills 257
2 Creativity 475
3 Merging of Skills 608
4 Communication 613
5 Work Ethic 755
6 Respect 882
7 Deadlines 849
8 Least Important Drawing 988
Analysis of the results of Focus Group 1 and Focus Group 2 revealed many
similarities in the score rankings. The value placed on the cutting skills Sylvia Ayton
identified, within today’s global fashion industry, is analysed in relation to these
scores. Technical skills were considered of primary importance in both results. This
suggests a thorough grounding in both manual, flat pattern cutting, and draping will
continue to be essential in fashion design professions and that without these skills the
fashion industry would not harness the promises of technology in the future. As
Ayton acknowledged towards the end of her career, the adoption of computer aided
manufacture began to advance pattern cutting technology. Today, these technologies
include 2D and 3D CAD pattern development software. The advantages of digitised
pattern cutting are in the saving of time and the ability to view and manipulate ideas
quickly on screen.
Creativity was ranked second in both focus groups while communication placed third
and fourth, respectively. This suggests a continuous dialogue between technical and
creative teams is necessary to maintain an important and harmonious relationship.
The merging of skills was ranked fourth in Focus Group 1 but third in Focus Group
2. The assimilation of the fashion design related skills of: design, technical, fabric
39
awareness and CAD will continue to be relevant, combined with the merging of skills
from other disciplines that explore different concepts and approaches. The skills of
general work ethic and meeting deadlines were valued similarly in both focus groups.
Unlike technical and creative activities, work ethic and meeting deadlines are
professional skills that could be transposed into many different types of career roles.
Interestingly, drawing was valued at sixth and eighth place, respectively, despite Ayton
emphasising drawing as an essential skill, necessary in both creative and technical
approaches to pattern cutting. Respect was valued at eighth and sixth place,
respectively, and can be interpreted as respect for the importance of pattern cutting
as well as for the skills of the craftsperson. This was challenged by some respondents,
who felt that respect should be an inherent quality in all professionals; therefore, the
word did not belong on the list of key skills.
Conclusion
The study has explored the role of pattern cutting in Sylvia Ayton’s 42–year career.
It has also explored how her relationship with the craft evolved throughout her art
school education, 1953–1960. This study significantly expands the range and depth
of research in pattern cutting by giving a voice to her proficiency as a working,
commercial designer and pattern cutter. The overriding value of the study is the
emphasis it gives to the creativity and skills necessary to the role of the pattern cutter
——and the ongoing importance of creativity and skills to the global fashion industry.
Throughout her career, Ayton experienced a variety of pattern cutting techniques

utilised at different market levels. Due to technological developments and
fluctuations in fashionable styles, methods of pattern cutting evolved, and these have
been appraised through her thinking and practice. The longevity of Ayton’s career
enabled her to identify the key skills she considered essential to the pattern cutting
craft: technological, creative, communicative, merging of skills, work ethic, drawing,
deadlines, and respect. The ranking of these skills by the two focus groups and the
evaluation of these rankings can be used as a benchmark for inspiring future pattern
cutters. The practitioner should also assimilate combinations of these skills for the
craft to remain rewarding, creatively fulfilling, and to successfully realise garments in
three dimensions. It is up to the pattern cutter to identify which skills they consider
to be important when developing new thinking and practice within the craft. This
includes the harnessing of new technologies such as CAD.
There are some limitations to this study as Ayton’s career focussed on the
womenswear market. An expansion to the research would be a comparable
assessment of a working, commercial designer’s relationship with pattern cutting for
menswear or childrenswear. This would further expand the significant gaps in
literature identified in this research. In conclusion, it is necessary to return to the bust
40
dart. Although Ayton’s pattern cutting ideas evolved from her fascination with this
dart, she never truly eliminated it. Instead, she used it creatively in her patterns, where
it was needed. The closing words belong to Ayton——and the parting comments from
her presentation at The First International Symposium for Creative Pattern Cutting
(2013),72 “She put the garment on, she knew she looked good, she felt great, she was
confident, and she had the cheque book. Through pattern cutting I had achieved
what I wanted. Just beautiful——pattern cutting.”73
72
Almond, 2013, op cit.
73
41
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45
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Sylvia Ayton for her generous cooperation with this
article. This includes the privileged access to her work archive as well as the interviews
and conversations about her work and career.
Copyright © 2019 Kevin Almond

Email: k.almond@leeds.ac.uk
Dr. Kevin Almond is a lecturer in fashion at The University of Leeds. He is a Master’s

graduate in Fashion Womenswear from The Royal College of Art Fashion School,
London. He gained a PhD from The University of Huddersfield with a thesis, titled,
Suffering in Fashion: Relationships between Suffering, the Production of Garments
and their Appropriation as Fashionable Items. He has held various posts in academia
and the fashion industry and has published widely. He organised and chaired The
International Conferences for Creative Pattern Cutting in 2013 and 2016 at The
University of Huddersfield. These events were an opportunity for academics and
industrialists to present current research about pattern cutting and to network.
Selected articles from the conference were published in two special editions of The
International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, titled, Creative
Cut. He is a former trustee of The Costume Society and an anonymous peer reviewer
for numerous academic journals.
46

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The Journal of Dress History

Volume 3, Issue 2, Summer 2019

Editor–in–Chief Jennifer Daley

Copyright © 2019 The Association of Dress Historians

Eliminating the Bust Dart:

1. Document the role of pattern cutting in the 1960–2002 career

Methodology and Literature Review

Literature related to Sylvia Ayton’s career is sparse. There is no published biography,

Ayton delivered a presentation at an international pattern cutting conference in

The Career of Sylvia Ayton

Whilst working as a tutor at Ravensbourne College of Art in London during 1961–

Sylvia Ayton’s Relationship with Pattern Cutting

Pattern Cutting during the Designer Years, 1960–1969

Pattern Cutting in the High Street Years, 1969–2002

remember it as a big shoulder, power–dressing era.”57 The shape of the shoulder

Figure 16 and Figure 17:

Figure 18 and Figure 19:

Lessons Learnt from Ayton’s Relationship with Pattern Cutting

x The ability to draw as a vital aspect of both —— Drawing

1 Most Important Technical Skills 84

5 Work Ethic 216

8 Least Important Respect 249

international flavour to the responses and an important global reference. The

1 Most Important Technical Skills 257

3 Merging of Skills 608

5 Work Ethic 755

8 Least Important Drawing 988

Throughout her career, Ayton experienced a variety of pattern cutting techniques

Primary Sources: Unpublished

Ayton, Sylvia, Personal Interview Conducted by Kevin Almond, London, England,

Ayton, Sylvia, Personal Interview Conducted by Kevin Almond, London, England,

Ayton, Sylvia, Personal Interview Conducted by Pammi Sinha, London, England, 6

Primary Sources: Published

Anonymous, “The Bag Lady Speaks,” Fashion Weekly, London, England, 15

Blanchard, Tamsin, Title Unknown, The Independent, Magazine Colour

Polan, Brenda, “Fashion on Fire,” The Guardian, London, England, 3 November

Ayton, Sylvia, “A Love–Hate Relationship with Couture,” Costume, Volume 39,

Flick, Uwe, An Introduction to Qualitative Research, Fifth Edition, Sage Publications,

Fogg, Marni, Boutique: A ‘60s Cultural Phenomenon, Mitchell Beazley, London,

Ironside, Janey, Janey, M. Joseph, London, England, 1973.

Jouve, Marie–Andree, Balenciaga, Thames and Hudson, London, England, 1989.

Kawamura, Yuni, Doing Research in Fashion and Dress: An Introduction to

Mulvagh, Jane, Vogue History of Twentieth–Century Fashion, Viking Press, London,

Trafford, Simon, Primary Sources in British Archives: A Practical Guide,

Watt, Judith, Alexander McQueen: Fashion Visionary, Goodman Books, London,

Currency Converter: 1270–2017, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey, England,

Ayton, Sylvia, Personal Interview Conducted by The University of Huddersfield,

Clarke, Hazel, “Sylvia Ayton: Fashion Designer,” Encyclopedia of Fashion,

Towle, Lia, “A 60s Sensation,” 3rd Floor, March 31, 2011,

Copyright © 2019 Kevin Almond

Dr. Kevin Almond is a lecturer in fashion at The University of Leeds. He is a Master’s

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