What Is An-In-One Neck/Armhole Facing In Dressmaking

A conventional all-in-one facing application is used to clean finish both armhole and neckline edges simultaneously using a single facing compartment. This facing style is constructed similar to lining, but as opposed to lining which covers the entire area of the garment's wrong side, an all-in-one facing stops at about 2-3" below the underarm edge. It is a convenient facing style that results in an even, structured application along all of the garment's upper edges. 

The facing compartment is aligned and stitched similar to the upper garment portion. The facing includes both shoulder seams and sides seams which naturally, correspond to the garment seams in the finished application.

Typically, an all-in-one facing has curved bottom edges to ensure they contour smoothly around the body's raised areas such as the bust and shoulder blades. This ensures that the facing layer remains flat against the upper body portion and does not cause bulk or hinder movement at the lower, more organic portions of the body.  

The front facing edge should be curved and cut short enough such that it goes over any darts or tucks. This will ensure the facing compartment lays flush against the garment layer and not visible on its face side. Darts are designed to shape and mold to the body's organic areas - having a facing layer that backs them will not only disrupt this smooth shaping, it will also cause bulk and unnecessary thickness that is often visible from the finished garment's face side.