Clothing terminology comprises the names of individual garments and classes of garments, as well as the specialized vocabularies of the trades that have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold clothing over hundreds of years. (See also List of types of clothing) Introduction Humans often wear articles of clothing (also known as dress, garments or attire) on the body (for the alternative, see nudity). ... Jump to: navigation, search A vocabulary is a set of words known to a person or other entity, or that are part of a specific language. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Manufacturing is the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale, or intermediate processes involving the production or finishing of semi-manufactures. ... Marketing is the process of planning and executing the pricing, promotion, and distribution of goods, ideas, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. ... A drawing of a self-service store Retailing services consist of the sale of goods/merchandise for personal or household consumption either from a fixed location such as a department store or kiosk, or away from a fixed location and related subordinated services. ... Jump to: navigation, search (See also List of types of clothing and Clothing terminology) Humans nearly universally wear articles of clothing (also known as dress, garments, or attire) on the body. ...

Clothing terminology ranges from the arcane (watchet, a pale blue color name from the sixteenth century) to the everyday (t-shirt), and changes over time in response to fashion which in turn reflects social, artistic, and political trends. Categories: Stub | Towns in Somerset ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ... Jump to: navigation, search The term fashion applies to a characteristic means of expression or presentation; fashions may follow trends, in which they gain or lose popularity. ... // Latin root meaning The term social is derived from the Latin word socius, which as a noun means an associate, ally, companion, business partner or comrade and in the adjectival form socialis refers to a bond between people (such as marriage) or to their collective or connected existence. ... The Mona Lisa Although today the word art usually refers to the visual arts, the concept of what art is has continuously changed over centuries. ... Look up Politics on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Politics (disambiguation) Democracy History of democracy List of democracy and elections-related topics List of years in politics List of politics by country articles Political corruption Political economy Political movement Political parties of the world Political party Political psychology Political sociology Political... Look up Trend in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikiquote quotations related to: Trend The word trend has a number of possible meanings: In statistics, a trend is a long-term movement in time series data after other components have been accounted for. ...

Categories of clothing terminology

At its broadest, clothing terminology may be said to include names for:

• Classes of basic garments: shirt, coat, dress, suit, underwear
• Contemporary and historical styles of garments: frock coat, t-shirt, doublet
• Parts of garments: sleeve, collar, lapel
• Styles of these: juliette sleeve, Peter Pan collar
• Clothing details: pocket, french cuff, zipper
• Traditional garments: cheongsam, kilt, dirndl
• Fashions and "anti-fashions": preppy, New Look, hip-hop, rational dress
• Fabrics: denim, wool
• Fabric treatments: fabric painting, transfers, ikat, tie-dye, batik
• Fabric manipulation: pleat, tuck, gather, smocking
• Colors and dyes: madder red, indigo, isabella
• Sewing terms: cut, hem, armscye, lining
• Patternmaking terms: sloper
• Methods of manufacture: haute couture, bespoke tailoring, ready-to-wear
• Retailers' terms:
  • Size ranges: missy, plus size, big-and-tall
  • Retail seasons: back-to-school, holiday, resort
  • Departments: special occasion, sportswear, bridge fashion
  • Degrees of formality: formal wear, bridal, business casual

Jump to: navigation, search Business shirt A shirt is a piece of clothing for the trunk of the body. ... Jump to: navigation, search A coat (a term frequently interchangeable with jacket) is an outer garment worn by both men and women, for warmth or fashion. ... The term dress may refer to either clothing or attire in general a specific type of garment, discussed in the article on skirt and dress This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Suits from the 1937 Chicago Woolen Mills catalog A suit, also known as a business suit (US) or lounge suit (UK), comprises a collection of matching clothing consisting of: a coat (commonly known as a jacket) a waistcoat (optional) (USA vest) for men, a pair of trousers (USA pants), or... A pair of mens briefs Undergarments, also called underwear or sometimes intimate clothing, are clothes worn next to the skin, usually under other clothes. ... Style may refer to genre, design, format, or appearance, including: Clothing: fashion Flower part: flower Music: music genre Sundial part: Gnomon Titles or honorifics: Style (manner of address) including Chinese courtesy names Web design: Cascading Style Sheets Writing: style guide and literary genre Linguistics: Variation in language use of an... Corporal in a nine-button frock coat, 1862 A frock coat is a mens coat introduced in the early nineteenth century characterized by knee-length skirts all around, in contrast to tail coats and cutaways. ... T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ... Categories: Stub ... Sleeve (O. Eng. ... Generally, a collar is something which goes around the neck. ... The word lapel can mean:- In standard office-type jackets, each of the two triangular pieces of cloth which are folded back below the throat, leaving a triangular opening between. ... Sleeve (O. Eng. ... Generally, a collar is something which goes around the neck. ... A pocket is a small bag, particularly a bag-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing. ... Jump to: navigation, search This French cuff is fashioned with a silk knot. ... Closeup of the zipper on a pair of jeans Zippers are commonly used as a fastener for the front of a pair of pants. ... National dress is a type of clothing which identifies with a certain nationality or culture. ... Two women wear qipao in this 1930s Shanghai advertisement. ... Jump to: navigation, search The kilt is seen as an item of traditional Scottish Highland dress, although the origin of that tradition is more recent than is commonly believed. ... Dirndl is a type of mass-produced, cost-effective dress in Germany based on the cultural style from the early 18th-century. ... Jump to: navigation, search Preppy is a chiefly American adjective traditionally used to describe the characteristics of White, Anglo-Saxon, patrician Protestants (usually with some personal or familial connection to New England, even if only historic) who attend or attended major private, secondary university-preparatory schools. ... Jump to: navigation, search The New Look was the name given to the womens clothing fashions introduced by Parisian fashion designer Christian Dior in the spring of 1947. ... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began among urban African Americans and Latinos in New York City in the early 1970s, and has since spread around the world. ... During the middle and late Victorian period, various reformers proposed, designed, and wore clothing supposedly more rational and comfortable than the fashions of the time. ... Jump to: navigation, search Look up fabric on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Part of a pair of denim blue jeans Denim closeup Denim, in American usage since the late 18th century, denotes a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two (twi- double) or more warp fibers, producing the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric... Wool in a shearing shed Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, AR Wool is the fiber derived from the hair of domesticated animals, usually sheep. ... Ikat weaving from the Island of Sumba, Indonesia Ikat is a style of weaving that uses a tie-dye process on either the warp or weft before the threads are woven to create a pattern or design. ... Categories: Stub ... Batik painting Batik or batique is an Indonesian-Malay word and refers to a generic wax-resist dyeing technique used on fabric. ... A Tuck is a type of European sword. ... Jump to: navigation, search Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... Jump to: navigation, search Yarn drying after being dyed in the early American tradition, at Conner Prairie living history museum. ... Species See text. ... Jump to: navigation, search This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Turn of the century sewing in Detroit, Michigan An old sewing machine Sewing is an ancient craft involving the stitching of cloth, leather, animal skins, furs, or other materials, using needle and thread. ... For a place in France, see Hem, France For the band, see Hem (band) To hem a piece of cloth, the cut edges are folded up, folded up again, and then sewed down. ... In sewing and fashion design, a pattern is an original garment from which other garments of a similar style are copied, or the paper or cardboard templates from which the parts of a garment are traced onto fabric before cutting out and assembling (sometimes called paper patterns). ... In sewing and fashion design, a pattern is an original garment from which other garments of a similar style are copied, or the paper or cardboard templates from which the parts of a garment are traced onto fabric before cutting out and assembling (sometimes called paper patterns). ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A tailor is a person whose occupation is to sew clothes custom-fit to individuals, and to repair clothes. ... Ready-to-wear or prêt-à-porter is the fashion design term for clothing marketed in a finished condition, in standard clothing sizes (in casual usage, off the rack or off-the-peg). Some fashion houses or fashion designers create ready-to-wear lines that are mass-produced and industrially... In commerce, a retailer buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or importers, either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells individual items or small quantities to the general public or end user customers, usually in a shop, also called store. ... There are a number of communes that have the name Missy: In France Missy, in the Calvados département Related: Missy-aux-Bois, in the Aisne département Missy-lès-Pierrepont, in the Aisne département Missy-sur-Aisne, in the Aisne département In Switzerland Missy, in the... Back to School is a 1986 movie starring Rodney Dangerfield, Keith Gordon, Sally Kellerman, and Robert Downey, Jr. ... Formal wear is a general term used to describe clothing suitable for formal events, including weddings, church, etc. ... Bridal wear is clothing worn by a bride on her wedding day. ... Smart casual or Business casual is a potentially confusing dress code, due to its oxymoronic construction. ...

Persistence of clothing terminology

Edward VI in a red fur-lined gown with split hanging sleeves, a men's fashion of the mid-16th century

Despite the constant introduction of new terms by fashion designers, clothing manufacturers and marketers, the names for several basic garment classes in English are very stable over time. Gown, shirt/skirt, frock, and coat are all attested back to the early medieval period. Portrait of Edward VI, oil on panel. ... Portrait of Edward VI, oil on panel. ... Jump to: navigation, search Edward Tudor redirects here; for another (though unlikely) Edward Tudor, see a putative younger son of Henry VII of England, thus this Edwards uncle if existed Edward VI (12 October 1537–6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland from 28 January... Brief introduction on the history of fashion design and designers Fashion design is the art dedicated to the creation of wearing apparel and lifestyle. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

Gown (from medieval Latin gunna) was a basic clothing term for hundreds of years, referring to a garment that hangs from the shoulders. In medieval and renaissance England gown referred to a loose outer garment worn by both men and women, sometimes short, more often ankle length, with sleeves. By the eighteenth century gown had become a standard category term for a woman's dress, a meaning it retained until the mid-twentieth century. Only in the last few decades has gown lost this general meaning in favor of dress. Today the term gown is retained only in specialized cases: academic dress or cap and gown, evening gown, nightgown, hospital gown, and so on. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Jump to: navigation, search Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Jump to: navigation, search By region Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Jump to: navigation, search Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK... Sleeve (O. Eng. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The term dress may refer to either clothing or attire in general a specific type of garment, discussed in the article on skirt and dress This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... Full dress bachelors gown, with hood and cap The traditional BA gown and hood from Cambridge University, which formed the basis of academic dress at many other English-speaking Universities The University Officers in charge of the degree ceremony at Cambridge An alternative coloured gown Academic dress or academical... Wedding - Bridesmaid in long gown A gown or evening gown is a womans evening wear, corresponding to mens formal wear for white tie and black tie events. ... Jump to: navigation, search A Nightgown (also called a nightdress) is a loosely hanging item of nightwear nowadays solely for women. ... A hospital gown is a short-sleeved, thigh-length garment worn by patients in hospitals or other medical facilities. ...

Shirt and skirt are originally the same word, the former being the southern and the latter the northern pronunication in early Middle English. Like gown, shirt is becoming a specialized term in Britain, though it retains its general meaning in the U.S. (see Shirt). Jump to: navigation, search Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion in 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th century, when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a... ... Jump to: navigation, search Business shirt A shirt is a piece of clothing for the trunk of the body. ...

Coat remains a term for an overgarment, its essential meaning for the last thousand years (see Coat). Jump to: navigation, search A coat (a term frequently interchangeable with jacket) is an outer garment worn by both men and women, for warmth or fashion. ...

Sources of new terminology

Names for new styles or fashions in clothing are frequently the deliberate inventions of fashion designers or clothing manufacturers; these include Chanel's Little Black Dress (a term which has survived) and Lanvin's robe de style (which has not). Other terms are of more obscure origin. Jump to: navigation, search The House of Chanel logo A Chanel shop in Princes Building, Central, Hong Kong. ... Categories: Stub ... Jeanne Lanvin (1867-1946), born in Brittany, France, began as a milliner in 1890, but is famous for the robe de style and semi-modern fashion techniques. ... Jump to: navigation, search A dragon robe from Qing Dynasty of China A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment of various types, including: A gown worn as part of the academic dress of faculty or students, especially for ceremonial occasions, such as a convocations or graduations. ...

Personal names

Clothing styles are frequently named after people — often with a military connection:

• The Garibaldi jacket and Garibaldi shirt were bright red woolen garments for women with black embroidery or braid and military details popular in the 1860s; they are named after the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi who visited England in 1863.

• The Eisenhower jacket is a waist-length, military jacket based on the World War II Army "Wool Field Jacket, M-1944" introduced by General Dwight Eisenhower.

• The cardigan is a knitted jacket or button-front sweater created to keep British soldiers warm in Russian winters. It is named for James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, who led the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War (1854).

• The Mao jacket is a very plain (often grey), high-collared, shirtlike jacket customarily worn by Mao Zedong and the people of China during his regime. Its drab design and uniformity was a reaction to pre-Revolution class distinctions of clothes, with elites dressing in elaborate silks, while poor laborers wore very rough clothes.

• The Nehru jacket is a uniform jacket without lapels or collars, popularized by Jawaharial Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India.

Jump to: navigation, search This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... // Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States is built in the six year period between 1863 and 1869. ... Jump to: navigation, search Garibaldi in 1866 Giuseppe Garibaldi (July 4, 1807 – June 2, 1882) was an Italian patriot and soldier of the Risorgimento. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... Jump to: navigation, search US Army Seal HHC, US Army Distinctive Unit Insignia The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Jump to: navigation, search Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... Jump to: navigation, search A cardigan is a type of sweater/jumper that opens down the front and can be attached with buttons or a zipper. ... Knit hat, yarn, and knitting needles A woman knitting at a coffee shop Knitting is one of several ways to turn thread or yarn into cloth (cf weaving, crochet). ... A jumper from Marks & Spencer A sweater, pullover, jumper or jersey is a relatively heavy garment intended to cover the torso and arms of the human body (though in some cases sweaters are made for dogs and occasionally other animals) and typically supposed to go over a shirt, blouse, t... Jump to: navigation, search James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan (October 16, 1797 – March 28, 1868) commanded the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. ... Jump to: navigation, search Charge of the Light Brigade, Painting by Richard Caton Woodville (1825-1855) The Charge of the Light Brigade was an ill-advised cavalry charge, led by Lord Cardigan, which occurred during the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854 during the Crimean War. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Crimean War lasted from 28 March 1854 until 1856. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search Mao Zedong â–¶(?) (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976; Mao Tse-tung in Wade-Giles) was the chairman of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China from 1943 and the chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China from 1945 until his death. ... Jump to: navigation, search Look up Revolution on Wiktionary, the free dictionary This article is about revolution in the sense of a drastic change. ... Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू) (November 14, 1889 - May 27, 1964), also called Pandit (Teacher) Nehru, was the leader of the (moderately) socialist wing of the Indian National Congress during and after Indias struggle for independence from the British Empire. ...

Place names

Another fertile source for clothing terms is place names, which usually reflect the origin (or supposed origin) of a fashion. Modern terms such as Bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirts, and Fair Isle sweaters are the latest in a long line that stretches back to jersey (originally Jersey frock), Balaclava, mantua, holland (linen), and denim ("serge de Nîmes" after the city). Authentic Aloha shirts are dull in color and are adorned with traditional Hawaiian quilt patterns. ... Fair Isle (From Old Norse frioar-øy) is an island administratively part of the Shetland Islands, although in fact closer to North Ronaldsay island which is part of the Orkney Islands group. ... A jumper from Marks & Spencer A sweater, pullover, jumper or jersey is a relatively heavy garment intended to cover the torso and arms of the human body (though in some cases sweaters are made for dogs and occasionally other animals) and typically supposed to go over a shirt, blouse, t... A skirt is a traditionally feminine tube- or cone-shaped garment which is worn from the waist and covers the legs. ... Balaclava and gun A balaclava, balaclava helmet or ski mask is a form of headgear covering the whole head, exposing only the face (and often only the eyes). ... A Mantua is an article of womens clothing worn in the late seventeenth century and eighteenth century. ... Location within France Nîmes is a city and commune of southern France, préfecture (capital) of the Gard département. ...

Short forms

A notable trend at the turn of the twenty-first century is "cute" short forms: camisole becomes cami, hooded sweaters or sweatshirts become hoodies. (20th century - 21st century - 22nd century - other centuries) Definition In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing, lasting from 2001-2100. ... Jump to: navigation, search A cami or camisole is a womans undergarment which covers the top part of the body. ... A jumper from Marks & Spencer A sweater, pullover, jumper or jersey is a relatively heavy garment intended to cover the torso and arms of the human body (though in some cases sweaters are made for dogs and occasionally other animals) and typically supposed to go over a shirt, blouse, t...

The much-older term shimmy for "slip" is most likely a false singular from chemise. In English grammar, a false singular occurs when a singular noun ending in a s or z sound is understood as a plural from which a new singular is constructed. ... Fashionable young men in early 16th century Germany showed a lot of fine linen in a studied negligence. ...

References

Oxford English Dictionary Jump to: navigation, search The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a comprehensive dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP). ...

Picken, Mary Brooks: The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. (1973 edition ISBN 0308100522)

External references

Stylopedia -- an online dictionary of fashion details

ApparelSeach glossary of textile and apparel terms

Garibaldi jacket

Eisenhower jacket