Rutched means pleated or gathered into ruches. A ruche is a ruffle, or a pleat, usually made of lace, muslin, or other kind of fabric that's used to trim clothing. It is a sewing technique used to gather up the fabric and form shirring or pleating.
If something is ruched, then there is usually a line of pleating. In fashion is means to gather, ruffle or pleat something. It can be used to make decorations such as petals for flowers. It is a time honoured way to decorate clothing that is very time consuming if done by hand. It is commonly found on dress sleeves, waistbands and collars.
Ruched designs have been popular for hundreds of years for both clothing and blankets. While the seamstresses of the past had to do their measurements by hand, modern tailors have plastic guides to help them get their ruched designs straight. Sometimes they also use a fabric sack with chalk to make their markings where it will be ruched. Then, the stitching is done either by hand or with a sewing machine.
Many forms of fabrics and other items can be ruched, such as metallics, ribbons, and lace. In the 19th century it was popular on items such as hats and petticoats. Today, you see ruched designs mostly on things like ball gowns and prom dresses, but ruched decorations can be found on just about anything from curtains to fancy shirts or dresses.
Ruched clothing can also be flattering to a woman's figure. This makes it a very popular design in woman's clothing. The design of the ruching is used in this way to draw the person's eyes to the parts of the body that is thin and away from areas such as the tummy, where a lot of women have problems.
For instance, if you have issues with your tummy area, you can choose what is called an empire waist dress. In this type of dress, the ruched part is under the bustline in order to draw someone's eyes to that area instead of the stomach region. These are also popular in maternity clothing, as the area under the ruched spots can be made so that the pregnant belly can be accommodated.
Another tip is that clothing manufacturers try to use ruched areas to draw the eye to the centre of the body. It's a known fact by fashion dealers that pleats or folds that spread out from the centre are more flattering on most women's curves, so if you want to hide some problem areas, try a ruched design.
