Zimbabwe Form 1-4 (O-Level) Subjects - Fashion and Fabrics

This course focuses on the study of fibers and fabrics, garment construction, crafts, and soft furnishings. It aims to equip learners with practical skills and theoretical knowledge within the textile industry, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial abilities. The syllabus covers Forms 1-4 and assessment includes both theory and practical activities.

Grooming and Personal Hygiene

• Form 1: Focuses on puberty, physical and biological changes within the body, grooming habits across cultures, healthy habits, and personal hygiene.
• Form 2: Explores physical and biological changes, good grooming habits, the importance of exercise, poise, and deportment.
• Form 3: Covers appropriate beauty aids from different cultural perspectives and figure types.
• Form 4: Examines figure types, cultural differences, figure irregularities, and remedies.

Wardrobe Planning

• Form 1: Introduces types of clothes, choosing clothes based on age, gender, purpose, cultural background, and occasion.
• Form 2: Covers lingerie, including nightwear and foundation garments, fabric choices, care, and accessories.
• Form 3: Focuses on children's garments, formal and informal wear, and their appropriate use.
• Form 4: Deals with figure faults and irregularities, color schemes, and adapting clothing choices accordingly.

Equipment and Safety

• Form 1: Introduces the classification of equipment, choice, use, and care of basic equipment, and safety precautions in the workshop/laboratory.
• Form 2: Covers protective clothing and environmental issues in textile production.
• Form 3: Focuses on the choice, use, and care of large and advanced equipment, safety precautions, and care of protective clothing.
• Form 4: Examines machine attachments and their uses.

Fibres, Yarns and Fabrics

• Form 1: Introduces fibers, yarns, and fabrics, their classification, and sources.
• Form 2: Explores the properties of fibers and fabric construction methods (weaving, knitting, crocheting).
• Form 3: Covers the identification of natural and man-made fibers, yarn and fabric properties, and fabric construction.
• Form 4: Examines the blending and mixing of fibers, fabric finishes, and the reasons for these processes.

Textile Design

• Form 1: Introduces design drawings incorporating cultural and traditional prints.
• Form 2: Not specified in the syllabus.
• Form 3: Covers the principles and elements of design.
• Form 4: Not specified in the syllabus.

Patterns

• Form 1: Introduces body dimensions and proportions, types of patterns, laying and cutting out, and transferring pattern markings.
• Form 2: Covers simple pattern adaptation and drafting.
• Form 3: Focuses on tools and materials used for pattern making, pattern design development and adaptation, laying and cutting out, and transferring pattern markings.
• Form 4: Examines pattern development from basic blocks, asymmetric and symmetric designs, the use of patterns, and computer-aided design (CAD).

Construction Processes

• Form 1: Introduces stitches (temporary, permanent, joining, neatening, decorative), fullness (darts, gathers, elastic and casing), seams, pockets, waistline finishes, hems, and pressing.
• Form 2: Covers yokes, crossway strips, openings, fastenings, neckline finishes, armhole finishes, sleeves, and sleeve edge finishes.
• Form 3: Reinforces stitches, fullness, seams, pockets, waistline finishes, hems, pressing and ironing, fitting, and sequence of processes in assembling garments.
• Form 4: Examines different types of yokes, crossway strips, openings, fastenings, neckline finishes, armhole finishes, interfacing, lining, and interlining.

Embroidery and Soft Furnishings

• Form 1: Introduces embroidery and soft furnishings techniques and equipment.
• Form 2: Covers elements of design, embroidery techniques, and types of soft furnishings.
• Form 3: Focuses on embroidery and soft furnishing techniques.
• Form 4: Examines advanced embroidery techniques and soft furnishing techniques, including computer-aided embroidery designs.

Colour Application

• Form 1: Introduces the classification of colors and methods of color application (traditional and contemporary).
• Form 2: Covers sources of dyes (natural and chemical), ingredients in dye liquor, equipment used in the dyeing process, and the color wheel.
• Form 3: Focuses on color combinations and equipment used in color application.
• Form 4: Examines dyeing and printing techniques, types of dyes, and color preservation.

Care and Maintenance of Clothes and Other Textile Products

• Form 1: Introduces care labels.
• Form 2: Covers the laundry process, including stain removal, soaking, washing, ironing, and storage.
• Form 3: Focuses on repair work.
• Form 4: Examines thrift work/recycling, restyling, renovating, and patchwork techniques.

Consumer Education

• Form 1: Introduces consumer and children's rights and responsibilities.
• Form 2: Covers consumer rights, responsibilities, and laws and regulations pertaining to textile technology.
• Form 3: Focuses on budgeting and financial management, wise shopping, decision-making, and the effects of advertisement on the budget.
• Form 4: Examines laws and regulations pertaining to textile and clothing production and the economic aspects of textile manufacturing.

Gender

• Form 1: Introduces enterprising and the entrepreneur, and characteristics of an entrepreneur.
• Form 2: Covers needs assessment, market research, and project identification.
• Form 3: Focuses on business plans, record keeping, and project implementation.
• Form 4: Examines market research and business viability.

Industrial Textile and Clothing Production

• Form 1: Introduces laboratory and factory setup and production lines.
• Form 2: Covers the cutting table, tools, equipment, laying and cutting out, marking, and environmental issues.
• Form 3: Focuses on production systems (individual, batch, mass).
• Form 4: Examines quality control, its definition, aspects, stages, and the use of ICT in quality control.