3D GARMENT SIMULATION AS A TOOL TO ACTUALIZE THE DESIGN IDEAS OF FASHION STUDENTS

This study explores how fashion design students perceive using 3D garment simulation to create their design ideas. As a part of an elective course taught in Fall 2022, twelve students were given a project to prepare virtual and physical garments of their design. The study had two parts: First was understanding students' expectations about 3D garment simulation before starting the project, and second was understanding students’ experience after completing the project and comparing their before and after project experiences. Accordingly, a structured questionnaire measured on a seven-point Likert scale was applied to the students before starting their project to see their self-confidence of using 3D garment simulation, and after the project to understand their self-evaluations of their performance and difficulties they encountered during the project. The first part of the study presented here shows that students had a high self-confidence (M=5.16) that they will successfully apply their project digitally and it will be similar to their physical garment (M=5.50). Still, they were not so confident if the digital garment would be visually satisfying (M=4.92). Students were highly convinced that using 3D garment simulation is very useful (M=6.42) to visualize their projects before starting to work on it and they had high intention (M= 6.00) to use it in the future. After project results showed that students self-evaluated their performance higher than before project expectations. Students' evaluations for the perceived usefulness of 3D garment simulation to visualize their project and intention to use it in the future dropped after the project (M= 6.17 and M=5.75, respectively). Finally, students had the most difficulty creating the patterns and achieving the correct digital fit.