Ever ponder the difference between a sheath dress and a shift? An A-line and a trapeze?
The fashion world uses insider lingo like, well, insiders. But fashion is more democratic than that: We all have to get dressed and should know if we’re wearing a cowl neck or a halter.
Here are some ABCs of the style lexicon:
A-line: A skirt that is narrowest at the waist, then flares out on a straight line to the hem like a triangle, or an A.
Boatneck: This neckline is named for its similarity in shape to a skimmer boat. It’s a narrow opening in its width but extends almost shoulder-to-shoulder.
Bias cut: Fabric cut on approximately a 45-degree angle to create a clingy, draped effect.
Cowl: Draped, loose neckline with a cascading effect. It’s possible to also have a cowl as the back of a dress.
Dolman sleeve: A sleeve that’s wide at the armhole and narrows toward the wrist.
D’Orsay: Shoe style resembling pumps but with a high vamp on the front of the foot and cutout sides, exposing the arch of the foot.
Epaulet: Fabric tab that sits on the top of the shoulder; sometimes it’s functional, holding a rolled-up sleeve. It’s a detail inspired by military uniforms.
Empire waist: This “waistline” hits well above the natural waist, sometimes right under the bust, creating an ethereal silhouette, popular for baby-doll tops, evening gowns and maternity clothes.
Fishnet: A fabric often used in lingerie or hosiery with an open-mesh weave that resembles a fishing net.
Gauchos: Midcalf-length pants with wide legs fashioned after the South American cowboys known as gauchos.
Halter: Neckline to a sleeveless garment that leaves the shoulders, and often the upper back, exposed. Most either tie or have a strap that goes around the back of the neck.
Jabot: Ruffled, sometimes-detachable collar that hangs down the front of a shirt or blouse. Historically, men wore it on dress clothes, but it is now more common for women’s clothes.
Keyhole: Peek-a-boo opening found on the neckline, the front of a garment or the back. It’s oblong, as if to fit a key.
Knife pleat: A fold in the fabric that creates a fanlike effect. Knife pleats, versus more complicated accordion, box or inverted pleats, are the basic pleating technique in sewing.
Mule: A backless shoe, it can be dressy or casual.
Nehru jacket: Fitted, single-breasted jacket with standup Mandarin or band collar, named after the late Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
New Look: The 1947 ladies’ silhouette by Christian Dior that ushered in a completely different post-World War II style.
Organza: A sheer and delicate — yet stiff — fabric.
Portrait collar: An open neckline that is wider than it is deep. It provides both a frame and blank space around the face, drawing the eye upward.
Riding pants: Also known as jodhpurs, the pants style with roomy hips but otherwise tight-fitting legs started as a practical silhouette for equestrians.
Sheath: Long and lean dress silhouette with a nipped waist and usually without a waistband to create an hourglass shape. Its fashion opposite is the boxier, shorter shift dress that hangs from the shoulders.
Spectator: Style of two-tone shoes. Men’s spectators are typically wing-tips and women’s are pumps with wing tip-style perforation and detail.
Trapeze: Typically short dress style with narrow shoulders and a bodice that progressively flares out from there. It’s a trapezoid shape, hence the name.
Vintage: Term to describe clothes from another era. Antique clothes need to be more than 100 years old; vintage clothes are generally assumed to be newer than antique, but older than the most recent decade.
Yoke: A line, commonly across the shoulders or hips, that creates a more fitted shape.
Photos by Associated Press
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