Who is asking: Other
Level: Middle

Question: Does a dress-maker's pattern for a dress, such as a skirt made up of several pieces of isosceles trapezoid, qualify as a net? How about patterns for other types of clothing or accessories e.g. jackets, handbags?

Interesting question! Usually I think of a net as the surface of a 3 dimensional shape that can open up to make a 2 dimensional net. And I've always thought of the 3-D shape as a closed (no pun intended!) shape. But a piece of clothing is definetely not closed, you need holes for head, arms and legs.

I guess you could say it is a kind of net but not necessarily a true net because it doesn't become the surface of a 3-D shape but only covers part of it.

But it's just terminology anyway and doesn't affect the mathematics involved.

Sorry I can't give you anything more definite.