ACETATE A semi-synthetic fibre, made mainly from natural pulp, which has the feel of natural fibres and the special properties and reliability of synthetic fibres. It has a gloss and silky feel which is very close to that of high-quality silk. Acetate dyes easily and hangs well.
ALPACA A natural fibre harvested from alpacas, a South American animal which resembles a small llama in appearance. Alpaca wool is a light-weight, soft, durable, luxurious and silky natural fibre. It is warmer than sheep wool, not prickly, and has no lanolin (which makes it least likely to cause any allergic reactions.
ANGORA Angora wool is the downy coat produced by the Angora rabbit. While their names are similar, angora wool is different to “mohair”, which comes from the Angora goat. Angora wool is known for its softness, fluffiness and silky texture.
APPLIQUE Applique is a technique in which pieces of fabric are sewn onto a foundation piece of fabric to create designs. Applique is used extensively in quilting.
BABY-DOLL Originally the name of a short nightgown or negligee intended as nightwear for females, often trimmed with lace, ruffles, bows and ribbons and optionally with spaghetti straps, and often made of sheer or translucent fabric like nylon or chiffon or silk. Currently, it refers to a style of short daywear dress.
BASQUE A women's clothing term for a tight, form-fitting bodice. In modern usage the term is mostly used for a long corset, characterized by a close, contoured fit and extending past the waistline over the hips.
BEAD A bead is a small, decorative object that is pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under 1 millimetre to over 1 centimetre in diameter.
BEADWORK The art or craft of beading things with beads. Beads can be woven together with specialized thread, strung onto thread or soft, flexible wire, or glued to a surface such as fabric.
BIAS The bias (US) or cross-grain (UK) direction of a piece of woven fabric, usually referred to simply as "the bias" or "the cross-grain", which lies at 45 degrees to its warp and weft threads. Every piece of woven fabric has two biases, perpendicular to each other. Woven fabric is more elastic as well as more fluid in the bias direction, compared to the on-grain direction. Cutting patterns for garments on the bias gives the fabric extra elasticity or drape, such as bias-cut skirts and dresses, neckties, piping trims, etc.
BIAS-CUT Refers to a technique laying a garment pattern piece on the diagonal weave of a fabric, to ensure that the fabric drapes and moves to its full potential. Also refer to “Cut-on-the-Cross).
BLOCK PATTERN A custom-made basic pattern from which patterns for many different styles can be created.
BOAT NECKLINE A neckline with a broad opening (ie. wide on the shoulders), which passes nearly horizontally across the figure near the collarbones.
BODICE An article of clothing on its own, or the portion of a dress, which covers the body from the neck to the waist.
BOLERO A short, usually tailored style jacket which is no longer than the waist, usually with buttons up the front.
BOLT An entire length of cloth from a loom, as it comes from a fabric manufacturer.
BONDING The uniting of two fabrics to make a stronger cloth.
BONING In corsetry, a bone is one of the rigid parts of a corset that forms its frame, gives it rigidity, and helps to shape the wearer's body. Originally, bones were made of whalebone, because no other material matched it for flexibility and strength. As whalebone was expensive, wood and cane were also used. In the nineteenth century, whalebone was superseded by steel. Today, many corsets use plastic bones, although steel is still favoured for high-quality corsets.
BOUCLE Tightly looped fabric that is very sturdy. A knit or woven fabric made from a rough, curly, knotted boucle yarn. The fabric has a looped, knotted surface and is often used in sportswear and coats
BROCADE Brocade is a thick heavy – usually lustrous - fabric into which raised, figurative designs have been woven. A heavy, exquisite jacquard type fabric with an all-over raised pattern or floral design.
BREATHABILITY The movement of water or water vapour from one side of a fabric to the other. Natural fibres, such as silk, cotton and wool are favoured as they “breathe” – whereas polyesters and nylons don’t, so they make the wearer perspire.
BURN-OUT A brocade-like pattern effect created on a fabric where the raised pattern is a solid fabric and the base cloth is a sheer fabric.
BUSTLE Bustles were originally worn in the 18th century under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging down, especially if the fabric was heavy. Nowadays, bustles are often a feature on the back of wedding and evening gowns. With wedding gowns, a bustle can be created by “bustling up” a long train to the area at the back of the gown below the waist, in order to allow the wearer more freedom of movement.
CALICO Calico is a fabric made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. The fabric is less coarse and thick than canvas or denim. The term “calico” is nowadays used in dressmaking as a generic term which refers to a mock up of a garment in a cheap fabric, used to test a custom-made pattern in order to adjust the pattern before cutting into the final fabric (also refer to “Toile”).
CAMISOLE A cami or camisole is a woman's undergarment which covers the top part of the body. It is sleeveless and tight fitting in contrast to a loose-fitting baby-doll or chemise. The materials of choice in which they are made are usually soft. Nowadays, the term also refers the sleeveless singlet-style tops worn either on their own or under sheer shirts or blouses.
CAPRIS Capri pants - often just called “capris” - are a style of trousers worn primarily by women during the summer. They are designed to end near the mid-calf or just below the calf.
CASHMERE A luxury fibre obtained from the soft fleecy undergrowth of the Kashmir goat of Tibet, Mongolia, China, Iran, Iraq, and India. Most commonly used in sweaters, shawls, suits, coats, and dresses, cashmere is incredibly soft and extremely warm, without bulk or weight, which is why it is appropriate for all climates.
CATSUIT A skin-tight one-piece garment with sleeves and long legs, and sometimes with feet, gloves or a hood.
CHEMISE Originally called a "smock" or "shift" in the 16th century, a chemise is a simple garment worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils.
CHIFFON A plain woven lightweight, extremely sheer, airy, and soft fabric. It is most beautiful when made of pure silk, but can also be made from rayon and other manufactured fibres.
CHINO A classic all-cotton Army twill fabric made of combed two-ply yarns, popular for sportswear and work clothes.
CHINTZ A plain-weave fabric, which has been glazed to produce a polished look. Usually made of cotton, this fabric is most commonly used in blouses and casual dresses.
CLOTH/FABRIC/MATERIAL Cloth, fabric or material is made up of a network of natural or artificial fibres (thread or yarn) formed by weaving or knitting, or pressed into felt, used for making of garments.
COAT Confusingly, what was traditionally called a coat is now commonly referred to as a jacket, (as in a dinner jacket or suit jacket), although the original meaning is still used in tailoring—to mean the upper part of a suit, for example. What is now commonly called a coat—an outer layer of clothing such as a trench coat—is, in tailoring terms, correctly called an “overcoat”, since it is worn over the coat.
COCKTAIL DRESS A cocktail dress or cocktail gown is a shorter-length lady's gown worn at cocktail parties and other semi-formal and formal occasions.
CORD/CORDUROY A fabric made with ribs, usually made of cotton, utilizing a cut-pile weave construction.
CORSET A garment worn to mold the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic purposes. The most common use of corsets is to slim the body and make it conform to the fashionable silhouette of the time. For women this most frequently emphasises a curvy figure, by reducing the waist, and thereby exaggerating the bust and hips.
COTTON A soft fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant . The fibre is most often spun into thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile.
COUTURE The high-fashion custom-made clothing created by fashion designers.
COUTURIER A couturier is someone who is specialised in couture business and aids in the design and custom-making of high-fashion clothing. Couturiers are the most technically expert at the art of custom-making garments. Some famous couturiers include Christian Dior, Gabrielle Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint-Laurent.
COWL A long outer garment with wide sleeves worn by Catholic monks when participating in the liturgy.
COWL NECK A style of neckline for a woman's garment having material draped in rounded folds, either at the front or the back, or all around the neckline.
CREPE Crêpe is a type of woven or knitted fabric with a wrinkled surface.
CREPE-BACK SATIN A satin fabric with a crepe effect on the wrong side of the fabric.
CREPE DE CHINE A thin crêpe fabric.
CROCHET Crocheted fabric is begun by placing a loop on the hook, pulling another loop through the first loop, and so on to create a chain. The chain is either turned and worked in rows, or joined end-to-end and worked in rounds. Stitches are made by pulling one or more loops through each loop of the chain. This method distinguishes crochet from other methods of fabric-making as it is composed entirely of loops and is only secured when the free end of the strand is pulled through the final loop.
CUFF The lower edge of a sleeve or pant leg turned back, sometimes to show a contrast or an ornamental border with an addition of lace or trimming.
CULOTTES Also known as a split skirt or divided skirt. While some garments sold as culottes resemble short trousers, to truly be culottes they need to look like a skirt. Culottes, then, differ from trousers
or shorts by being much fuller at the bottom hem than at the waist.
CUMMERBUND A cummerbund is a broad waist sash, usually pleated, which is often worn with black tie suit by men. On women’s garments, a cummerbund simply refers to a wide sash detail around the waistline of a dress.
CUT-ON-THE-CROSS Refers to fabric that is cut so that the warp/grain of the fabric runs horizontally across the garment piece. This method of cutting a garment piece ensures the ultimate drape of a soft fabric. Also refer to “Bias Cut”.
DAMASK A glossy jacquard fabric usually made from linen, cotton, rayon, silk, or blends. The patterns in the fabric are flat and reversible (unlike brocade).
DENIER Denier provides a scale for the heaviness (largely related to thickness) of fibres in a fabric. The higher the denier, the thicker the fibre.
DENIM True denim is a twill weave cotton, usually with one colour on the fabric surface, with diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric. Denim was traditionally blue with indigo dye to make blue jeans.
DOUBLE-BREASTED In clothing, double-breasted refers to a coat or jacket or similar garment having a wide overlap in the front, usually with two parallel rows of buttons. The wide overlap puts extra layers of fabric where the opening occurs to retain body heat. In contrast, a single-breasted coat has a narrower overlap and only ever one row of buttons.
DRAPE A term which is used in reference to the soft fall of a fabric, when it is cut and let drop in a certain way. Bias-cutting a soft fabric will ensure the ultimate drape, giving the fabric a fluid appearance and maximum amount of movement. Soft silk satins provide the most exceptional drape when bias-cut.
DRILL A strong, durable cotton fabric with a strong bias (diagonal) in the weave. It can be used unbleached, although it is more often bleached or dyed. The lighter weights are used in such clothing items as shirts
, safari jackets, blouses, playwear, and martial arts wear.
ELASTIC Elastic is often commonly used to refer to a stretchy material made from rubber, or cloth that has been combined with elastic. Elastic in fabric provides the benefit of stopping the fabric creasing, depending on how much elastic there is in proportion to the base fabric.
EMPIRE-LINE An empire-line silhouette is created by wearing a high-waisted dress, gathered near or just under the bust with a long, loose skirt which skims the body. The outline is especially flattering to apple shapes wishing to disguise the stomach area or emphasise the bust. The shape of the dress helps to lengthen the body.
EVEN-WEAVE Even-weave fabric or canvas is any woven textile where the warp and weft threads are of the same size.
EYELET A type of fabric which contains patterned cut-outs, around which stitching or embroidery may be applied in order to prevent the fabric from fraying.
FACING A piece of fabric that is sewn to the inside of a collar, front opening, cuffs, or waistline of a garment to create a finished look and provide structure.
FAILLE A glossy, soft, finely-ribbed silk-like woven fabric made from cotton, silk, or manufactured fibres.
FELT A cloth made without weaving which is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibres. Felted wool is particularly hardy and warm, as it is very dense.
FISHNET A material with an open, diamond-shaped knit, most often used as a material for stockings, tights or bodystockings. Fishnet is commonly worn on the legs and arms by practitioners of goth and punk fashion.
FLANNEL A fabric that is commonly used to make clothing and bedsheets. It is usually made from either wool, wool and cotton, or wool and synthetic fabric. The term "flannel" is also often used to refer directly to the clothing created from the fabric. Clothing made from it is usually worn in cold weather climates due to the warmness that the fabric is known for.
FLAX FIBRE A soft, lustrous and flexible fibre which is stronger than cotton fibre, but less elastic. The best grades are used for linen fabrics such as damasks, lace and sheeting. Coarser grades are used for the manufacturing of twine and rope.
FLOCKING A type of raised decoration applied to the surface of a fabric in which an adhesive is printed on the fabric in a specific pattern, and then finely chopped fibres are applied.
FLOUNCE A strip of material gathered and sewn to a dress or skirt as a decoration.
FRINGE An ornamental flouncy length of trim added to the border of an item of clothing. Commonly it is made separate and sewed on, consisting sometimes of projecting ends, twisted or plaited together, and sometimes of loose threads of wool, silk, or linen, or narrow strips of leather, or the like.
GABARDINE A tough, tightly-woven fabric with a slight diagonal line on the right side, usually used to make suits, overcoats and trousers. Wool gabardine is known as a year-round fabric for business suiting. Polyester, cotton, rayon, and various blends are also used in making gabardine.
GAUZE A thin, sheer, plain-weave fabric made from cotton, wool, silk, rayon, or other manufactured fibres.
GEORGETTE A sheer and matt lightweight fabric, often made of silk or from such manufactured fibres as polyester, with a crepe surface.
GINGHAM A two-coloured fabric made from dyed cotton yarn, where the main colour is on the warp yarns and always along the grain. Gingham has no right or wrong side regarding colour.
GIRDLE A piece of women's underwear that replaced the corset in popularity and usage. Constructed of elasticized fabric and usually fastened with hook and eye closures down the centre-back, it is designed to shape and smooth a woman's figure, thereby producing a more aesthetically pleasing and attractive silhouette. A girdle can extend as high as the neck line (incorporating a brassiere) and as low as the thighs. A girdle may also include garters to hold up stockings.
GOSSAMER A very light, sheer, gauze-like fabric, popular for white wedding dresses.
GRAIN Refers to the warp of the fabric; ie. the straight-length direction of the fabric, in line with the two selvages.
HALTERNECK Refers to the neckline of women's clothing which has a single strap which is done up around the back of the neck, instead of straps over each shoulder. Halterneck garments are generally considered more provocative because they leave the back free, exposing the shoulder blades. If a bra is worn with a haltertop, it is generally strapless, as to avoid exposing the back straps of a typical bra. Some garments with halternecks may tie at the back of the neck, as is often seen in bathing suits.
HAUTE COUTURE Haute couture (French for 'high sewing') is a common term for high fashion as produced in Paris and imitated in other fashion capitals such as New York, London, and Milan. Usually it is used only to refer to French fashion, however at times it refers to any unique stylish design made to order for wealthy and high-status clients. The term refers to either the actual fashion houses/designers or the actual fashions created. In France, the label "haute couture" is a protected title, in that a certain number of formal criteria (number of employees, participation in fashion shows, etc) must be met for a fashion house to use the label; a list of eligible houses is made official every year by the French Ministry of Industry. The haute couture houses belong to the professional union the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.
HEM The cut edge of a piece of fabric or garment which is folded up, folded up again, and then sewed down, to prevent the cut edges from fraying.
HEMP Hemp is cannabis grown for fibre, food, fuel, or other non-drug uses. Historically, the textile uses have been most important, as hemp is a natural and very strong fibre.
HERRINGBONE A variation on the twill weave construction in which the twill is reversed, or broken, at regular intervals, producing a zig-zag effect.
INTERFACING A fabric used to support, reinforce and give shape to the main fabric in garments. Often placed between the lining and the outer fabric, some interfacings are designed to be fused (adhered with heat from an iron), while others are meant to be stitched to the main fabric. Interfacing is a common term for a variety of materials used on the unseen or "wrong" side of fabrics in sewing. Interfacings can be used to stiffen or add body to fabric, such as the interfacing used in shirt collars; to strengthen a certain area of the fabric, for instance where buttonholes will be sewn; or to keep fabrics, particularly knit fabrics, from stretching out of shape. Interfacings come in a variety of weights and stiffnesses to suit different purposes. Most modern interfacings are made to be ironed in place, though some must still be sewn by hand or machine.
INTERLINING An insulation, padding, or stiffening fabric, either sewn to the wrong side of the lining or the inner side of the outer shell fabric. The interlining is used primarily to provide warmth in coats, jackets, and outerwear.
JACQUARD A woven fabric manufactured by using the Jacquard attachment on a loom. This attachment provides versatility in designs and permits individual control of each of the warp yarns. Thus, fabric of almost any type or complexity can be made. Brocade and damask are examples of jacquard woven fabrics.
JERSEY A soft, stretchy/elastic, smooth, flat faced fabric with a more textured, but uniform back, made from wool, cotton or silk.
JEWEL NECKLINE A neckline that passes around the base of the neck on all sides, also called a “T-shirt” neckline.
JUMPSUIT A one-piece garment originally used for skydiving, hence the name. It has later come to be used as a common term for any one-piece garment
with sleeves and legs.
KEYHOLE NECKLINE Similar to halter necklines, except that the converging diagonal lines meet in front of the neck, forming a "keyhole" opening on the chest. More generally, a neckline that features a central hole, usually just below the collar bones.
LACE Lace-making is an ancient craft. A lace fabric is lightweight openwork fabric, patterned, either by machine or by hand, with open holes in the work. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often lace is built up from a single thread and the open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric.
LAME A woven fabric using flat silver or gold metal threads to create either the design or the background in the fabric.
LAPELS 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, or the part of a garment that is turned back in the front, or the front fold on a shirt that is a continuation of the collar.
LINEN A fabric made from linen fibres obtained from inside the woody stem of the flax plant. Linen fibres are much stronger and more lustrous than cotton, so linen fabrics are very cool and absorbent, but wrinkle very easily (unless blended with manufactured fibres). Linen is one of the oldest textile fibres.
LINGERIE A term derived from the French language for women's undergarments.
LINING A fabric that is used to cover the inside of a garment to provide a finished look. Generally, the lining is made of a smooth lustrous fabric.
LITTLE BLACK DRESS A short, unfussy evening or cocktail dress, popularized in the 1920s by the fashion designer Coco Chanel, as Chanel's dress was designed not to show stains, and to fit every woman. The "little black dress" is considered by many women to be an essential part of a complete wardrobe. It is a well-known "rule of fashion" that every woman should own a "little black dress" that is simple and elegant, that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. For example, a simple black cocktail dress could be made into an evening dress with diamond accessories, stilettos , and long gloves. The same dress could be worn to a daytime business meeting with a black suit jacket, demure accessories, and simple pumps.
LYCRA INVISTA's trademark for a synthetic fabric material with elastic properties of the sort known generically as "spandex". Lycra is commonly used in athletic or active clothing. Lycra is commonly used in the leggings fabric.
MATERIAL A cloth or fabric.
MERINO WOOL The Merino is the most economically influential breed of sheep in the world, prized for its wool. Super-fine Merinos are regarded as having the finest and softest wool of any sheep.
METALLIC Metallic fibres are fibres used in textiles which are either composed of metal, or fibres of other materials with a metal coating.
MICROFIBRE A term for fibres with strands thinner than one denier. Fabrics made with microfibres are exceptionally soft and hold their shape well Microfibre performance apparel has become a very popular alternative to cotton apparel for athletic wear, as the microfibre material wicks moisture away from the body, keeping the athlete cool and dry.
MOHAIR A silk-like fabric made from the hair of the Angora goat. It is durable, light and warm.
MOMMES “mm” for short, this is a unit of weight traditionally used to measure the density of silk (similar to the use of thread count for cotton fabrics). Mommes express the weight in pounds of a piece of material the specific size of 45 inches by 100 yards. The usual range of momme weight for different weaves of silk are:
Habutai 5 to 16 mm
Chiffon (regular) 6 to 8 mm
Chiffon (double) 12 to 16 mm
Crepe de Chine 12 to 16 mm
Tulle 3 to 5 mm
Raw silk 35 to 40 mm
Organza 4 to 6 mm
MUSLIN A type of inexpensive, medium weight, plain weave, fine cotton fabric - introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 17th century. In its unfinished form, it is commonly used in fashion design to make trial garments for preliminary fit (like calico).
NAP A fuzzy, fur-like feel created when fibre ends extend from the basic fabric structure to the fabric surface. The fabric can be napped on either one or both sides.
NECKLINE The neckline is the top edge of a garment that surrounds the neck.
NYLON Literally a type of man-made plastic, used to make many synthetic fabrics and women’s stockings/pantyhose.
ORGANZA A crisp, sheer, lightweight, plain weave fabric made of silk, rayon, nylon, or polyester. The fabric is used primarily in evening and wedding apparel for women. Its disadvantage is that is creases easily.
OVERLOCK An Overlocker-Sewing-Machine sews and hems seams, and cuts off the leftover cloth.
PAISLEY A droplet-shaped motif, similar to half of the T'ai Chi symbol, the Indian bodhi tree leaf, or the mango tree. A tear-drop shaped, fancy printed pattern, used in dresses, blouses, and men's ties.
PATENT LEATHER Leather that has been given a high gloss finish.
PATTERN The paper or cardboard templates from which the parts of a garment are traced onto fabric for cutting out and assembling (sometimes called paper patterns).
PEACOAT A peacoat or peajacket is a outer coat
generally of a navy-coloured heavy wool, originally worn by sailors of European navies. Peacoats are characterized by broad lapels, double-breasted fronts, and vertical or slash pockets.
PILL A tangled ball of fibres that appears on the surface of a fabric, as a result of wear or continued friction or rubbing on the surface of the fabric.
PIPING A narrow tape used to bind seams, or used for decoration.
PLAID A pattern consisting of coloured bars or stripes which cross each other at right angles, comparable with a Scottish tartan.
PLEATS A portion of the fabric folded over and secured by stitching or pressing.
POLO NECK A polo neck (UK) or turtle neck (US) or skivvy (Australia) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting, round, and high collar that folds over and covers the neck. It can also refer to a type of neckline, which rises up the neck.
POLYESTER A man-made fibre introduced in the early 1950s, and is second only to cotton in worldwide use. Polyester has high strength (although somewhat lower than nylon), excellent resiliency, and high abrasion resistance. Low absorbency allows the fibre to dry quickly. However, it is not desirable to wear against the skin as it easily turns static and doesn’t breathe at all (whereas natural fibres such as cotton, wool and silk do).
POPLIN A heavy, durable fabric that has a ribbed appearance. It is made with wool, cotton, silk, rayon, or any mixture of these. The ribs run across the fabric from selvage to selvage.
PRET-A-PORTER The French term for ready-to-wear (not custom-fitted) fashion. Every haute couture house also markets prêt-à-porter collections, which typically deliver a higher return on investment than their custom clothing. Failing revenues have forced a few couture houses to abandon their less profitable couture division and concentrate solely on the less prestigious prêt-à-porter. These houses are no longer haute couture.
QUILTING A method of sewing or tying two layers of cloth with a layer of insulating batting in between.
RAYON A transparent fibre made of processed cellulose. Cellulose fibres from wood or cotton are dissolved to make a solution called viscose, which is then extruded through a nozzle into an acid bath to reconvert the viscose into cellulose. Rayon was originally named artificial silk
. Unlike nylon, rayon absorbs water, making it more comfortable to wear as a clothing textile.
SATIN A thick cloth that has a lustrous, glossy surface and a dull back. It is traditionally made of silk, but can also be either rayon or polyester. Satin is a traditional fabric for evening and wedding garments.
SCOOP NECKLINE A neckline which has a curved U shape, where the arms of the U pass over the shoulders. Scoop necklines can be demure or plunging, depending on the depth of the U.
SEAM In sewing, a seam is the line where two or more layers of fabric are held together by thread.
SEAM ALLOWANCE The area between the cut edges and the stitching line on two (or more) pieces of material being stitched together. Seam allowances can range from 1/4 inch wide (6.35 mm) to as much as several inches. Commercial patterns for home sewers have seam allowances ranging from 1/4 inch to 5/8 inch.
SEERSUCKER A woven fabric with a puckered stripe effect in the fabric. Seersucker is traditionally made into summer sportswear such as shirts, trousers, and informal suits.
SELVAGE In a woven fabric, the selvage (or selvedge) is the uncut edge of the fabric which is on the right and left-hand edges as it comes out of the loom. As such it is 'finished' and will not fray.
SEQUINS Sequins are disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes, commonly used on clothing, jewellery, bags and other accessories. These days, sequins tend to be made of plastic.
SHANTUNG A medium-weight, plain weave fabric, characterized by a ribbed effect resulting from slubbed yarns running the length of the fabric. End-uses include dresses and suits.
SHEER When applied to fabric, this refers to semi-transparent and flimsy cloth, such as voile, chiffon and georgette.
SHOULDER PADS In fashion, padding is material sometimes added to clothes on the inside of the garment to sit on top of the wearer’s shoulders – thereby giving their shoulders more definition. Women rarely have prominent shoulders, so for some years shoulder pads have been added to dresses, blouses, jackets and coats.
SHRUG A type of cut-back version of a bolero jacket, which provides the wearer cover over the shoulders and upper back, with or without sleeves of varying lengths – the idea being that the bodice of the garment underneath is not covered, so from the front only the shoulders and arms (if it has sleeves) are covered, and at the back only the top back and shoulders are covered. This is a ideal form of shoulder/back/arm cover for an evening gown, as it doesn’t hide the bodice area.
SILK A natural fibre produced by the silkworm in the construction of its cocoon. Most silk is collected from cultivated worms, primarily in China. Silk is regarded as a popular luxury fabric worldwide, because of its texture, lustre, lightness and breathability.
SINGLE-BREASTED In clothing, single-breasted refers to a coat or jacket or similar garment having only one row of buttons and a narrow overlap of fabric. In contrast, a double-breasted coat has a wider overlap and two parallel rows of buttons.
SLIP A slip is a woman's undergarment worn beneath a dress or skirt to help it hang smoothly and to prevent chafing of the skin from coarse fabrics such as wool. Slips are also worn for warmth, or to provide modesty/coverage under sheer garments. Slips are usually made of a smooth and slippery fabric such as silk, satin, polyester or nylon and may be decorated with lace at the edges.
SPAGHETTI STRAPS Spaghetti straps are narrow shoulder straps used in tank tops, cocktail dresses, evening gowns etc, so named with reference to the thin pasta strands named spaghetti.
STOLE A usually embroidered band of cloth, formerly usually of silk, about two to three metres long and seven to ten centimetres wide, with ends usually broader – designed to sit around the top back and shoulders of the wearer for coverage over bare shoulders.
SUEDE A type of leather with a napped finish, made from the underside of primarily lambskin.
SWEETHEART NECKLINE A neckline which has a curved bottom edge that is concave down and usually doubly scalloped to resemble the top half of a heart. The side edges often converge on the neck, similar to halter necklines. Sweetheart necklines are good for accentuating the bosom.
TAFFETA A lustrous, medium weight, plain weave, crisp fabric with lots of body used for formal wear. Silk taffeta gives the ultimate rustle (as in sound).
TAILOR A person whose occupation it is to sew suits, coats, trousers and similar garments to custom-fit individuals.
TARTAN A specific woven pattern that often signifies a particular Scottish clan. The pattern is made with pre-dyed threads woven to form alternating stripes. The resulting blocks of colour repeat vertically and horizontally in a pattern of squares and lines. Kilts almost always have tartans. Tartan is also known as “plaid”.
TOILE A trial version of a garment made by a fashion designer or dressmaker to test a pattern. A toile is usually made in cheap material, as multiple toiles may be made in the process of perfecting a design. Toiles are also generally called “calicos”, as the fabric usually used to trial a pattern is calico (which is a raw cotton-type fabric). However, a true perfectionist may instead make up a toile in another type of cheaper fabric that better emulates the final fabric (eg. cheap polyester lining fabric may be used for the toile for a drapey gown that will be using a soft silk satin).
TRENCH COAT A popular item of clothing worn around the world, generally made of heavy duty cotton, drill or poplin, that has a lining which can be removed depending on the weather.
TROUSERS An item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body that covers both legs separately (rather than together as in skirts and dresses). Trousers are worn at the hips or waist, and may be held up by their own fastenings, a belt, or suspenders.
TULLE/NET An open weave fabric made from rayon, nylon, cotton, or silk with a mesh-like appearance that won't fray. End-uses include veils, curtains, and fish nets.
TURTLE NECK A polo neck (UK) or turtle neck (US) or skivvy (Australia) is a garment — usually a sweater — with a close-fitting, round, high collar that folds over and covers the neck. It can also refer to type of neckline or the style of collar itself.
TWEED A medium to heavy weight, fluffy, woollen, twill weave fabric containing coloured slubbed yarns. Common end-uses include coats and suits.
TWILL A type of fabric woven with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs.
TWO-WAY STRETCH A fabric that stretches both on the crosswise and lengthwise grains of the fabric. It is the same as two-way stretch.
VEIL An article of clothing made from sheer fabric, worn almost exclusively by women, which covers some part of the head or face, attached to a headpiece or directly onto the head/hair. A wedding veil is worn with the longest layer of the veil falling from the back of the head to varying lengths down the back of the bride. Veils are usually made from a fine netting fabric called “tulle”.
VELOUR A knitted, stretchy fabric with the feel of rich velvet.
VELVET A tufted fabric, woven on a special loom, in which the cut threads are very evenly distributed, giving it its distinct plush, rich feel. Velvet can be made from any fibre, however the most beautiful of all is silk velvet.
VEST/WAISTCOAT Referred to as a “vest” in the US and a “waistcoat” in the UK, a vest or waistcoat is a button-up, sleeveless, tailored garment worn over a tailored shirt, which usually forms part of a suit and is usually made from the same fabric as the suit.
VIRGIN WOOL Brand new, unprocessed wool that has never been used before or reclaimed from any spun, woven, knitted, felted, manufactured or used products.
VISCOSE A sticky organic liquid made from wood or cotton fibres, which is used to make rayon fabric. Viscose, then – contrary to common opinion - is a natural fibre.
VOILE A crisp, lightweight, plain-weave fabric which is similar in appearance to organdy and organza due to its sheen, but softer and drapier. Although crisp when first handled, once worked with and worn voile softens up beautifully.
WAISTCOAT Called a “vest” in the US, is a type of garment that usually refers to the third piece of a three-piece business suit, to distinguish it from other types of vests. A waistcoat is sleeveless, buttons up the front and is cut from the same material as the rest of the suit. It can be either single-breasted or double-breasted, and is usually worn above a dress shirt and necktie, beneath the suit coat.
WARP The lengthwise threads attached to a loom before weaving begins. The weft is woven back and forth through the warp to make fabric.
WASH-AND-WEAR Ability of a garment to be washed by hand or in a washing machine, and requiring little or no ironing. \
WEAVING An ancient textile art and craft that involves placing two threads or yarn made of fibre onto a warp and weft of a loom and turning them into cloth.
WEDDING DRESS/GOWN Clothing worn by a bride during a wedding
ceremony. Colour, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.
WEFT The term for the yarn which is shuttled back and forth across the warp to create a woven fabric.
WOOL A fibre derived from the hair of domesticated animals, usually sheep.
