Approaching my Easter holiday seems like a good chance to finally get to test my product and see if it actually works, so I am considering a few fun ways to do so. In hope of being able to take everything into account, I am looking at six main points that could be a potential Achilles heel.
First of all, as my collection is entirely based on stretch fabrics, I am going to focus on testing the tension. For this purpose, I am going to ask my player to do a rather tiring session on the court under various conditions. As such I consider rain, heat, sun, and wing, hoping that there is actually going to be sun down in Cornwall for the spring break. We are also going to have some fun manually stretching the fabric to see if once pulled it shrinks back and give it a wash to see how it reacts to the washing machine and the tumble dryer.
Next thing I am going to test the outfit’s comfort, meaning if it feels good to the skin, if any of the seams cause discomfort, how it feels during the actual game, if it is too tight or too loose, and how the fabric’s texture interacts with the body. This again can be done while playtesting it.
Another crucial component of each garment’s quality is its usability. Here I am going to check if it is riding up, or does it fit flattering, if it allows freedom of movement and is it, as I would like it to be, moisture wicking. For this purpose, I am intending to use it as a tablecloth and see how it reacts to a variety of substances and liquids. Also, I wouldn’t want the flapping of excess fabric to be interfering with the game, so I am going to test that, again with a game in a range of weather conditions.
It is of great importance how durable the outfit would turn out to be. The easiest way of finding this out is to stretch, first the material itself, then each garment, and see if it breaks or shrinks back, if the seams break when I pull them apart.
As color is key to my collection, it is important to consider how it works with different methods of application and a variety of conditions it would potentially be exposed to. This includes the way it reacts to sunlight, rain, abrasion, and if it is actually stretch recovering. Also, I am going to check if sublimation printing would work with the particular intensity and shade of color I want by making a printed tester.
And finally, the outfit needs to fit well. This is why by trying it out and playtesting it I am going to find out if the design is flattering and if the fabric feels good next to the body.
Seems like I have some fun work to do over Easter, so fingers crossed broken stitching will be my biggest problem!
Image Sources: domesticappliancessudbury.com; squarespace.com; thestandard.com.hk; wpapers.ru