Before choosing a design, it helps to know what each part of a blouse is called. Tailors talk in parts: the neck, the back, the sleeve, the darts, the opening. Once you know the words, you can ask for exactly the blouse you have in mind, and understand what the tailor tells you back.
What you’ll learn
- The name and job of each part of a blouse.
- Which parts you choose for style, and which are chosen for fit.
- The words tailors use in English, Kannada and Hindi.
- Why lining and margin matter more than they look.
The parts, one by one
- Front and back – the two main panels. Most design choices happen here.
- Neckline – the shape of the opening at the front and at the back. Front and back are chosen separately.
- Sleeves – their length and shape.
- Darts – small stitched folds that shape the fabric to your body. A good fit is mostly about darts.
- Opening – how you get in and out: hooks at the front, hooks or buttons at the back, or a zip at the side or back.
- Lining – a soft inner layer. It makes the blouse comfortable, stops embroidery scratching, and helps it keep its shape.
- Margin – extra fabric left inside the seams so the blouse can be loosened later. Ask for it if you like to alter your blouses over the years.
A few more parts complete the picture:
- Shoulder seam – joins front to back over the shoulder. Its length decides whether straps sit on the shoulder or slip.
- Armhole – the opening the sleeve is sewn into. Tailors may call it the armscye. A well-cut armhole is the secret of a blouse you can lift your arms in.
- Side seams – join front and back under the arm. Most of the margin lives here.
- Waist edge and band – the lower edge. Many traditional blouses have a narrow band (a belt or patti) under the bust that holds the shape.
- Facing or piping – the neat finish inside or along the neck and sleeve edges.
Style parts and fit parts
Some parts are yours to choose: the front neck, the back, the sleeves, the finishing. Others are chosen by the tailor to suit your body: the darts, the armhole shape, the cut. A good order is a conversation: you describe the look; the tailor chooses how to build it.
Tip: a blouse that already fits you well is the best measurement there is. Bring it along when you order a new one.
In more depth: what each part does
The front
The front carries the bust shaping, so it is the most worked part of the pattern. In a traditional Indian blouse the front often opens down the centre with hooks. It may be cut in one piece, in two halves, or in several panels (see Module 5, Katori and princess cuts).
The back
The back is simpler to shape but carries the most design: deep necks, dori ties, cut-outs and buttons. With a saree, the back is what people see most (see Module 4, Back designs).
The darts
A dart is a wedge of fabric folded and stitched away, so a flat piece of cloth curves over the body. A blouse may have a waist dart under the bust, a side dart from the side seam, a shoulder dart on the back, or several of these. Module 5, Darts: the classic blouse shaping, explains them fully.
The lining
Lining is usually a soft cotton (often called blouse lining or cotton lining cloth), cut to the same pattern and sewn in with the outer fabric. It absorbs sweat, protects silk, hides the back of embroidery and stops thin fabric from showing the bra.
The margin
Margin is a wider seam allowance, usually in the side seams and sometimes in the sleeve seams. It lets a blouse be let out by a little after a change in weight, after pregnancy, or simply over the years. A blouse with no margin can only be made smaller, never bigger.
The words tailors use
| English | Kannada | Hindi / trade use |
|---|---|---|
| Blouse | ravike (ರವಿಕೆ) | blouse, choli |
| Neck, neckline | kutthige (ಕುತ್ತಿಗೆ), “neck” | gala |
| Sleeve | tolu (ತೋಳು) | baanh, aasteen |
| Lining | “lining” | astar |
| Cut | “cutting” | kataai, “cut” |
In Bengaluru studios most of these are simply said in English, in the middle of a Kannada sentence. Tamil speakers say ravikkai, Telugu speakers ravika, Malayalam speakers ravukka.
Tips for learners and teachers
- Turn a blouse inside out. You will see every seam, dart, the lining and the margin. It is the quickest lesson there is.
- Name the parts aloud on your own blouse before reading on to Module 4.
- Feel the margin in the side seams. If it is wide, the blouse can grow with you.
- Teachers: give each learner an old blouse and a list of parts to find and tick. Unpicking one side seam shows the margin better than any picture.
- Collect pictures by part: a folder for necks, one for backs, one for sleeves. When you order, you can mix and match.
Common misunderstandings
“Lining is optional, so leave it out to save time.”
For a thin cotton everyday blouse, perhaps. For silk, embroidery or anything heavy, lining is what makes the blouse comfortable and long-lasting.
“The fit comes from the measurements alone.”
The measurements give the size. The darts and the cut give the shape. Two blouses with the same numbers can fit very differently.
“Margin makes a blouse bulky.”
A neatly pressed and finished margin is hardly felt. Very heavy fabrics may get a narrower margin.
For earning and teaching
For earning: customers trust a tailor who explains. Showing a customer where her margin is, and why her blouse has a lining, turns a stitching job into a relationship.
For teaching: start every blouse course with the parts. Learners who know the names follow every later demonstration more easily.
Sources and uncertain points
- Main source: the original D&D lesson, with general tailoring practice.
- Kannada and Hindi words are those in common trade use; spellings vary, and some studios use only the English words.
- “Patti” for the under-bust band is common usage in some regions, not a fixed term.
Check yourself
- Can you point to the darts on your own blouse?
- Do you know which parts you choose, and which the tailor chooses?
- Can you say what margin is for?
- Can you name three ways a blouse can open?
Key terms
- Ravike (Kannada), choli (Hindi): blouse.
- Dart: a stitched fold that shapes flat cloth to the body.
- Armhole (armscye): the opening for the sleeve.
- Margin: extra seam allowance kept for later alteration.
- Lining (astar): the inner layer.
- Facing: a strip that finishes an edge on the inside.