Cut on the bias???

Question

What does it mean when a dress is "cut on the bias"? I've heard that term all my life and never knew what it meant.

Answer 1

Grain refers to the straight and crosswise direction of the yarns making up a woven fabric, with bias running at any angle to the straight and crossgrains and the true bias running at a 45-degree angle to these grains. Garments cut on the bias appear softer and more fluid, have more stretch, and are more supple than those cut on the lengthwise or crosswise grain.

Answer 2

In culinary terms, "Cutting on the bias" means to cut across the grain of the muscle fibre when cutting tougher cuts of meat.

I know that when designing clothing, the way you cut a textile affects how it falls, how it flows and how it moves. So cutting on the bias is probabily a term describing a method of cutting a textile to get it to act in a certain way.

Answer 3

Hopflower's answer is exactly correct and complete. Ditto.