Tailored vs. Draped Garments

I consider the question of draped verses tailored clothing a method of approach for the person doing the work. When i working on a garment, i prefer to go to the fabric store and play with the fabric. How it drapes, handles, the transparency or surface texture is important to me. I get inspired by the feel of the fabric. I like simple fabrics. I am not big on prints but have a real appreciation for people who can work with pattern and not have it come off as too busy. The fabric is a starting point and how I think it will work around the body. I don't usually have an idea in mind for the garment and then find fabric to fit the construction process. I start with the fabric and see what it will do.

Aspirational quality has something to do with it. Growing up, the more glamous people seen on television wore clothes that were draped or had a draped influence. The garments were usually one-of-a-kind like most draped garments are. The garment was unique therefore the person must be unique to.
Tailored garment came across as restrictive, forbidding and cold. I think I saw too many conservative ministers in dark suits. Tailoring was the "men's wear" and tailored garments ment business, restriction and conformity. I think that is why I seemed to rebell against them. As I have gotten older, I view tailoring as a technical challenge and a level of craftsmenship that is dying. The knowledge of how to padstitch, fit a sleeve, interface and cut appropriately is kind of lost and being replaced with fusible interfacing and down-&-dirty sewing gimmicks. It is easier and less costly to do tailored garments than draped, but without the skill behind the scissors, tailored clothing can be really boring.
I think a designer chooses the path of their creativity. Some designers like John Galliano can straddle both paths easily. Others like Raf Simons use a more tailored approach and have the skills to execute tailored garments well. People like Vivienne Westwood I find amazing. She can come up with punk clothing and be very much on the edge but she knows how to straddle that line of fine draped wear with edgy freshness to make a traditional ballgown attractive to a young women of today. My favorite dress of hers is this over the top ballgown... it was cut on ONE piece of fabric. It is a draped confection that is technically amazing. Constello Tagliapletra can make draped clothing for the masses palletible for the average American. There draped garments are conservative yet fresh. They are not too out-of-the-box so that the average woman who wants to fit-in with the crowd can wear a garment that will also help her to stand out from the crowd... again, it is about straddling a line. I also ad to my collection of designer favorites Rick Owens and Limi Feu. They seem to be able to construct cloths that use techniques from both camps. The garment the make have a draped quality but are probably constructed by 2D tailoring. They are fresh and edgy but allow the fabric to move about the body without causing constriction or restriction.
When looking at the photos, see if you can pick which designer goes with with garment. I think you will be able to tell which approach they prefer.