Princess seams
Appearance
Princess seams are long rounded seams sewn into women's blouses or shirts to add shaping or a tailored fit to a closely follow a woman's shape. They are sewn into the front and/or back of a shirt, and extend from the waist up to the arms.
The princess seam style of dress needs no waistline at all, since it does its shaping without darts, by joining edges of different curvature. The resulting "princess seams" typically run vertically from the shoulder (or under the arm) over the bust point and down to the lower hem. This creates a long, slimming look, often seen in dresses with an "A-line" silhouette. (see Waistline)
See also
References
- http://www.dressking.com/search/glossary.htm
- http://style.polo.com/glossary/default.asp?letter=P
- http://www.sewing.org/files/guidelines/11_310_princess_seams.pdf