This worksheet is designed to help leaders plan and execute activities needed to complete the Fashion Design IP for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts. The theme to this worksheet is "Fashion Showdown," similar in concept to "Project Runway."

The activities take place in two parts. Part I has prerequisite tasks designed to help the girls understand basics related to sizing, color choices, and design aspects such as necklines and dress styles. Part II is the "Fashion Showdown." Girls create teams of 1,2 or 3 girls, and create a made-up fashion profile for each girl on the team. They are given a large grocery bag (project bag) of random materials that the leader has put together ahead of time. (The contents of the bags are kept secret from the girls.) The challenge is for the girls to create at least one original design for their team using only the materials in their project bags. The girls should be given at least two meetings to create their original designs and then debut their creations in a fashion show.

It will take about 3 meetings to complete all the activities. The girls can put on their fashion show for a younger troop, or to family and friends to complete the service project aspect of the IP. Alternatively, the troop can host a fashion design workshop for another troop.

For Part I, Activity #1, What's Your Pattern Size:

• Cloth tape measures (girls can share)

For Activity #2, My Best Colors:

• 1 yard lengths of solid color fabrics, such as red, pink, lavendar, purple, green, blue, black, white, yellow, etc. To save on costs, try paper stores to get large sheets of solid color papers.
• Cut 2x2 inch swatch samples of each color, enough for one swatch per color per girl.
• 3x5 inch white index cards.
• Stapler, to staple index cards together to make swatch sample books for each girl.

For Activity #3, My Best Shapes and Styles:

• Style,fashion, or bridal magazines, with lots of examples of dresses.

For Part II, Fashion Showdown:

• Large grocery bags, one per team of girls. A team might be one, two or three girls.
• Random lengths of fabric (tulle, velveteen, cottons, lace,) draperies, thrift store clothes (such as dresses, jeans, tops,) buttons, duct-tape, safety-pins, pillow-cases, tube socks, paper-clips.
• Sewing machines (girls can share.)
• Hand-sewing tools - needles, thread
• Good sewing scissors
• Cameras (disposables work fine.)
• CD player or boombox for fashion show music.

This can be an expensive troop activity, so think about ways to cut costs. Try to get parents to donate; try to find a sewing parent who has a large stash of fabric to give away. Other ways to save on cost:

• Use large sheets of construction paper instead of fabric for the My Best Colors activity.
• Buy used magazines from the library booksales, or ask parents if they have any Vogue, Elle, or other fashion magazines to give away.
• Pre-edit the magazines before your meeting. Tear out appropriate pictures of dress styles, necklines, designs and put them onto poster board to display at the meeting. It helps to keep the girls focused on the activity, and not on perusing magazines. You'll also need fewer magazines.
• Instead of making girl-sized designs, you could have each girl make a doll-sized outfit.
• Ask girls to bring old no-longer-needed clothing to contribute to the project bags.
• Purchase used clothing at true thrift-stores, and not at "vintage clothing stores."

Other tips:

• Every girl on the team will want to make her own creation. You can either plan for that and have enough materials on hand for each girl to make an outfit, or you can suggest that each girl make something that will contribute to the entire creation. For example - one girl can make a purse, another can make jewelry or accessories.
• Purses can be made out of jeans.
• Use paperclips and buttons to make accessories.
• Tube socks are remarkably versatile. They make nice gauntlets, bracelets, anklets, shoes, sandals, and hair accessories.
• Duct tape is amazing, but make sure the girls understand that they can't run tape through a sewing machine.

1. What's your pattern size? Following the diagram (Where to Measure for Pattern Sizing,) have a buddy measure you and record your measurements:

a. Height: Standing against a flat wall without shoes, from floor to top of your head. __________

b. Chest: around the fullest part of the chest and straight across the back. __________

c. Under arm: directly under the arms, straight across the back and above the chest. _________

d. Waist: Around the belly button. __________

e. Back Waist Length: from the bone at the base of neck to the natural waistline. ________

f. Hip: around the body at fullest part, usually 7" - 9" below waist. _________

Check the pattern sizes (Size Charts) and determine your pattern size. (Hint: your pattern size and your actual clothing size are usually NOT the same!)

My best pattern size for pants or skirts is: _________________

My best pattern size for tops or a dress is: ________________

2. My Best Colors!

Hold up fabric samples close to your face and determine your best colors. Make a swatch sample book to take with you when you shop!

3. My Best Shapes and Styles!

Go through design catalogs/magazines and determine your best necklines and dress shapes. Can you find examples of the following necklines:

a. Scoop

b. Sweetheart

c. V-neck

d. Off-the-shoulder

e. Boat (bateau)

Can you find examples of the following dress shapes?

a. Mermaid

b. Empire

c. A-line

d. Column

e. Ballroom (ball gown)

Which do you like best and why?

Part II The Fashion Showdown

1. Who are you? Imagine you are a designer, a model, or a photographer/writer in the fashion design world. Create your imaginary profile:

My name is ____________________ and I am a __________________ in the world of fashion! Everyone knows me, dahling. I am quite fabulous! Have you seen my work? It was in the latest issue of _______________ magazine! I am well-known for my work in __________________(denim, lace, suede, foil, duct-tape or ?? Use your imagination!) My latest creation is called "______________________________" because _______________________

______________________________________________________. Do come to my show, dahling, and see my latest design!

2. Based upon your profile, create you team! You need at least one model, one designer, and one fashion writer. Everyone on your team will have equal say in the design, but the model(s) will focus on comfort and fit, the designer(s) will focus on style and uniqueness, and the fashion writer/photographe(s)r will focus on how to present, accessorize and photograph the finished piece.

Name your team! ____________________________________________

3. Once your team is named, come get your fashion bag and your Fashion Showdown challenge!

4. Describe your design. Pretend your model is walking down the runway at a fashion show, and you are describing what she is wearing. (This will be read aloud during the Fashion Showdown Fashion Show!)

5. Take pictures! Take some during development, take some of the finished product. Pretend that these pictures will be published in a major magazine along with your article!