Page:The practical designer (Rosenfeld, 1918).djvu/29

23 THE STUDY OF NUMBERS AND THEIR PRACTICAL USE TODAY

A question which is worth while to consider is where do numbers come from and of what importance are they to us. No doubt that those who are using numbers today have gained a great deal and know the great help which it has given to the world and to every human being and is, no doubt, a special help to the garment cutting line. Now let us see what it particularly does for us.

In order to cover the human form by the calculation of numbers, this method is based on the number of inches, as well,particularly use inches, of which 36 inches makes 1 yard and divide 36 inches into 8 sections called eight-eighths. To better express my idea, I shall first divide 1 inch, which is also a division of 8 equal sections which means ⅛ of an inch. At the same time, you may note that for the cutting and designing line we are using a certain ruler, which may be a divisional square or any other instrument for drafting patterns, which is 24 inches in length. This 24-inch ruler has several divisions, which are known as follows: Two-thirds, one-half, one-third, one-fourth, one-sixth, one-eighth, one-twelfth, and one-sixteenth, and are known as divisions of sizes of whatever size desired, from time to time, and may be used as taught for certain systems. The understanding that I wish to make is—Why do we use 8 divisions, and the very first answer to this question is that the first number of a yard is 1 inch, which contains eight-eighths and the other reason is that 8 is ⅓ of 24 or ⅓ of the average ruler or instrument in length used for drafting, as mentioned above. Now what else can we learn of numbers?

To continue, write down again the numbers from 1 to 8, as for instance 1—2—3—4—5—6—7—8, and add all these together to one number and you will note that there is 36 inches, and this will bring a number of 36, which will show that 36 is the proper model size for women's garments. This is not all we can learn of numbers. We can write many pages about them, but if you will study you will find a great many points on this subject, which will be of advantage to yourself.

There is also a way of how to obtain the breast number of all model sizes, which may be found as follows: Understand that the breast measurement of women's sizes is 36 and in order to obtain the breast measurement of a 16 misses' model, deduct 2 inches of 36, which is 34 inches, for size 16 breast measurement. To obtain the breast measurement of a junior's model 15, deduct 3 inches from 36, which makes 33 inches for the size 15 breast measurement for a juniors' model. To obtain the breast measurement for a size 10 child's model, deduct 6 inches from 36, which will make 30 inches for the size 10 breast measurement of a child's model. To obtain the breast measurement for an infants' size 4 model, deduct 12 inches from 36, which makes 24 inches breast measurement of an infants' model size 4. Remember that these breast measurements are not the bust measurements, but only the actual breast measurements, which may be called chest.