SEWING Decorative trims add touch of elegance to plain garments

Explore the possibilities of passementerie.
By SUSAN KHALJE
SCRIPPS HOWARD
The Fairchild Dictionary of Textiles defines passementerie as "trimmings, especially such types as braids, beads, cords and gimp."
I think of passementerie as the group of braids and trims (sometimes very plain, sometimes incredibly ornate and complicated) which are used to ornament garments and decorative objects.
Passementerie (pahs-mon-tree, with the accent on the final syllable) is on my mind these days, as I'm using quite a bit of it to trim a velvet jacket. The jacket is rather plain -- it's out of microfiber velvet, and has princess seams which go into the shoulder seams, a center front opening (the edges abut), two-piece flared sleeves and a stand-up collar. The black velvet is elegant, but rather plain, and my client was taken with a similar jacket she saw in New York, one which was heavily ornamented with a variety of trims.
I went to my local fabric store and bought 1/2 yard each of a number of choices -- some wide, some narrow, some very ornate, some more plain. I decided to use black on black -- and had a wide range of choices (passementerie trims are usually stored on rectangular pieces of cardboard, or wrapped around rectangular plastic forms, and stacked on shelves).
Most inexpensive
They're usually not too expensive -- most are between $2 and $8 a yard. My client and I had a great time experimenting, using the trims singly and in combination. Vintage clothing books are a great resource for inspiration -- the great couturiers have long used trims in fabulous ways; military garments -- and the clothing they inspired -- are another source of ideas.
Some trims are more flexible than others -- experiment to see how well you can manipulate them if you have to curve them. Some trims are very complicated, and held together with rows of chain stitches; sometimes it's possible to release some of these internal stitches to make a trim more flexible, or even narrower, by cutting part of it away.
In my experience, it's best to sew these sorts of trims on by hand -- careful placement is critical, and the pressure of the sewing machine's presser foot would push all but the lightest trim out of position, even if it were basted. Also, be sure you've not stretched the trim as you sew it on -- otherwise, the underneath fabric will pucker.
So the next time one of your sewing projects needs a special touch, visit the trim department -- I think you'll enjoy exploring the possibilities of passementerie.