Fashion is a vast and ever-evolving world, filled with its own unique vocabulary. From silhouettes and fabrics to design techniques and historical trends, understanding fashion terminology is key to navigating this exciting landscape. This A To Z Fashion glossary will guide you through essential fashion terms, ensuring you’re always in style and in the know.
A-line is a classic silhouette, named for its resemblance to the capital letter “A”. Fitted at the waist or shoulders, it gracefully flares out towards the hem, creating a flattering and versatile shape for dresses and skirts. Christian Dior coined the term in 1955, and it remains a timeless style.
The almond-toe shoe is a universally flattering footwear style. As the name suggests, the toe shape resembles an almond – softly rounded yet tapered, making it more refined than a round toe and more comfortable than a pointed toe. This versatile toe shape works for various shoe styles, from heels to flats.
Appliqué is a decorative technique that adds dimension and texture to garments. It involves attaching fabric pieces onto a base fabric to create patterns, motifs, or designs. Appliqué is often seen in haute couture and adds a handcrafted, artistic touch to clothing.
Armscye, also known as an armhole, is the opening in a garment where the sleeve is attached. The shape and construction of the armscye are crucial for the fit and comfort of a garment, allowing for ease of movement and proper sleeve drape.
Banding in fashion refers to the technique of applying strips of fabric to reinforce edges, create decorative trims, or add contrasting details. Banding can be functional, strengthening seams or hems, or purely ornamental, enhancing the design of a garment.
The Bar Jacket is an iconic piece of fashion history, designed by Christian Dior in 1947 as part of his revolutionary “New Look” collection. Characterized by its soft, rounded shoulders, nipped-in waist, and padded hips, the Bar Jacket epitomizes feminine elegance and remains a symbol of Dior’s enduring legacy.
Bias cut refers to fabric cut diagonally across the grain, at a 45-degree angle. This technique gives fabric a natural stretch and drape, allowing garments to contour to the body and move fluidly. Madeleine Vionnet and John Galliano were renowned for their masterful use of bias cut.
A Bolero is a short, open-fronted jacket that typically ends above the waist. Originating from Spain, boleros are often collarless and can be embellished or simple, adding a stylish layer without bulk.
Box Pleats are a type of pleat that creates a structured, tailored look. Formed by folding the fabric in opposite directions, box pleats appear in clusters, often forming panels on skirts, shirts, and home décor items.
Cap sleeves are short sleeves that sit on the shoulder and taper to nothing under the arm, resembling a cap. They provide a touch of shoulder coverage without the bulk of a full sleeve, offering a feminine and delicate look.
A Capsule Collection is a curated selection of essential and versatile garments within a designer’s larger collection. Donna Karan popularized the concept in the 1980s, focusing on functional, timeless pieces that can be mixed and matched to create a complete wardrobe.
Cone heels are a distinctive heel shape, wider at the base and tapering down to a point, resembling an ice cream cone. They offer more stability than stilettos while still providing height and a fashionable edge.
Cowl necklines feature draped, rounded folds of fabric around the neckline, creating a soft and flattering effect. Inspired by ancient Greek fashions, cowl necks add a touch of elegance and sophistication to tops and dresses.
Darts are a fundamental shaping technique in dressmaking. They are created by stitching a wedge-shaped piece of fabric to a point, allowing flat fabric to curve and fit the body’s contours at the bust, waist, or hips.
Dégradé refers to a fabric or design where color gradually fades from dark to light, like a sunset. This technique, often seen in couture, creates a visually striking ombre effect, adding depth and dimension to garments.
Drape in fashion describes how fabric hangs and falls on the body. It’s a crucial element in design, influencing the silhouette and movement of a garment. Coco Chanel famously criticized Christian Dior for “draping women” rather than “dressing them”, highlighting the significance of drape in garment construction.
Embroidery is the art of embellishing fabric with decorative stitches, using threads, yarns, beads, sequins, and other materials. A highly skilled handcraft, embroidery is a cornerstone of haute couture, adding intricate detail and unique artistry to garments.
The Empire Line silhouette, named after Empress Joséphine, features a high waistline just below the bust. This style elongates the legs and creates a flowing, graceful silhouette, often associated with neoclassical and romantic styles.
Epaulets, originally military shoulder decorations indicating rank, have become a fashionable detail. These ornamental shoulder pieces can be made of fabric, metal, or other materials, adding a structured and often military-inspired touch to garments.
Fabric, the foundational material of fashion, is the starting point for all clothing creations. From natural fibers like cotton and silk to synthetic blends, fabric comes in countless textures, colors, weights, and prints, offering endless possibilities for design.
Flounce is a wide strip of fabric gathered or pleated and attached to a garment, creating a decorative ruffle or frill. Flounces are often used at hems, necklines, or sleeves to add volume and a feminine touch.
Frog fastenings, also known as Chinese frogs, are decorative closures consisting of braided loops and buttons. These ornamental fastenings add an exotic and elegant touch to garments, often seen on jackets and traditional clothing.
Gathering is a sewing technique used to shorten a length of fabric, creating soft folds or ruffles. It’s used to create fullness in sleeves, skirts, and other garment sections, allowing a longer piece of fabric to be attached to a shorter one.
Haute Couture, meaning “high sewing” in French, is the pinnacle of fashion. It refers to custom-made, one-of-a-kind garments created by exclusive fashion houses that meet strict standards set by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. Haute couture represents the highest level of craftsmanship, artistry, and exclusivity in fashion.
Hems are the finished edges of garments, created by folding and sewing the fabric to prevent fraying and create a clean finish. Hem lengths significantly influence a garment’s silhouette, ranging from mini to maxi.
Jacquard refers to fabrics woven on a Jacquard loom, a 19th-century invention that uses punch cards to create intricate patterns directly into the weave. Jacquard fabrics are known for their rich textures and complex designs, often seen in upholstery, tapestries, and high-fashion garments.
Kimonos are traditional Japanese robes known for their loose, T-shaped silhouette, wide sleeves, and full-length construction. Kimonos have influenced fashion globally, representing elegance, comfort, and cultural heritage.
Lace is a delicate, openwork fabric created from threads looped, twisted, or braided together to form intricate patterns. Lace has been a symbol of luxury and elegance for centuries, used for trims, lingerie, bridal wear, and haute couture.
Linings are inner layers of fabric used to finish the inside of garments. Linings provide a polished look by concealing seams and construction details, and can also add warmth, structure, or prevent transparency.
Millinery is the craft of hat making and headwear design. Milliners create a wide range of hats, from everyday styles to elaborate couture pieces, often incorporating intricate trims and embellishments.
Necklines define the upper edge of a garment around the neck and décolletage. They come in a variety of shapes, from high crew necks to low V-necks and everything in between, each influencing the style and silhouette of a garment.
Ombre is a color effect where shades gradually transition from light to dark. This gradient effect is popular in fabrics, hair color, and cosmetics, creating a visually soft and blended appearance.
Patch pockets are pockets attached to the exterior of a garment, creating a visible pocket detail. Often featuring flaps or decorative stitching, patch pockets can add a casual or utilitarian element to clothing.
Peplum refers to a short, flared ruffle or extension at the waistline of a bodice or jacket. Peplums add shape and volume to the waist area, creating an hourglass silhouette.
Pleats are folds in fabric that create fullness and design interest. There are various types of pleats, including knife pleats, box pleats, and accordion pleats, each offering a different visual effect and drape.
Quilting is a technique of stitching together two or more layers of fabric, often with padding in between, to create a padded, textured surface. Quilting is used for warmth and decoration in jackets, coats, and home textiles.
Raglan sleeves are sleeves that extend to the neckline, creating a diagonal seam from the underarm to the collarbone. Raglan sleeves offer a sporty and comfortable fit, allowing for a wider range of motion.
Ruffles are decorative frills or gathered strips of fabric, adding softness and volume to edges or seams. Ruffles can be delicate and subtle or voluminous and dramatic, depending on the desired effect.
Seersucker is a fabric characterized by alternating stripes of puckered and smooth texture. This lightweight, breathable fabric is popular for warm-weather clothing, offering a distinctive and comfortable option.
Stiletto heels are high, slender heels that taper to a sharp point. Known for their height and elegance, stilettos are a classic footwear style associated with sophistication and glamour.
Tailoring is the process of custom fitting and constructing garments, especially suits, jackets, and trousers. Tailoring involves precise measurements, cutting, and sewing to create garments that fit the individual perfectly.
Trompe L’Oeil, French for “deceive the eye,” is a design technique that creates optical illusions. In fashion, trompe l’oeil can be used to create the appearance of layers, belts, or other design elements through strategic prints or construction.
Uniforms are standardized sets of clothing worn by members of a group or organization, such as schools, workplaces, or military forces. Uniforms promote unity, identify members, and often represent authority or professionalism.
Wedge heels are heels that are solid and wedge-shaped, extending from the back of the shoe to the middle or front of the sole. Wedge heels offer more support and comfort than stilettos while still providing height.
Yoke in garment construction refers to a fitted panel at the shoulders or waist from which the rest of the garment hangs. Yokes provide structure and shaping, and can be decorative or functional elements in design.
Zippers are fasteners consisting of interlocking teeth that slide together to close openings in garments, bags, and accessories. Zippers are a functional and versatile closure, and have also become a design element in fashion.
This A to Z fashion glossary provides a comprehensive overview of essential terms, from A-line silhouettes to zippers. Understanding these terms will enhance your fashion knowledge and allow you to confidently navigate the world of style.
