The Fashion Figure aka the Croquis In fashion, the term croquis refers to a sketch of a figure on which clothing will later be placed. Unlike the human form, which is eight heads tall, the fashion figure (both male and female) is nine heads tall or taller. Female Croquis Proportions In the female croquis, the 9th head is added to the length of the legs, specifically the feet, which always appear as if they are in high-heels. The female croquis is high-waisted, with narrow hips, broad, square shoulders, and is often drawn in a contrapposto pose (one hip up and one shoulder down) as seen in the figure on the right.

Male Croquis Proportions The male croquis still takes on 9 heads but unlike its female counterpart, there is less distortion. The body is elongated proportionally and the pelvis remains at the vertical center. The legs however, are thin and show no muscle tone unlike the upper body.

Fashion Illustrations If more than one croquis is used when presenting a collection, each croquis is drawn with the exact proportions (height, bust-line, waist-line, hip-line), so that the change in proportion of each garment is clear to the viewer. For consistency, the same croquis is often reused when drawing each garment.

Fashion Illustrations by Alexander McQueen

Fashion Illustrations by Jason Wu

Fashion Illustration Presentation When presenting a collection, each garment is given a name or number as a means of identification and will usually include fabric samples.

Illustrations with fabric samples by Yves Saint Laurent

Illustrations with fabric samples by Christian Dior