Tag: Clothing

Clothing

10 Fashion Terms to know.

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It’s time for the monthly installment of ten fashion terms to know. Some of them are obscure, others common knowledge.  The fashion/clothing industry never disappoints and is always evolving.  Thus, making sure I will have endless words to define for you.

Basket Handbag- Originally a term used for a bag woven from reed to resemble a basket. Now may be made from a variety of materials but still resemble a basket.

Canteen Handbag- A bag in a circle shape that has a zipper and shoulder strap. Made to resemble a canteen used to carry water in desert climates.

Carpet Bag- A bag made of a patterned heavy fabric such as carpeting or tapestry in a large style.

Change Purse-A small bag that closes by a snap clasp on a rigid frame.  Usually carried inside of a handbag to hold coins.  Also called a coin purse.

Envelope Bag- A long narrow handbag made in the shape of a letter envelope.  Often it has no handles.

Feed Bag- A bag made of a cylindrical shape of leather or canvas materials.  Made to resemble a horse feed bag.  It copies the round flat bottom and top handles.

Knapsack-A bag made of heavy fabric, square shaped, with webbing that forms a handle. Originally used in hiking and now used for a school bag.

Manbag- Handbag, usually a shoulder bag style, carried by men.

Newsbag- A tote bag with a seperate section on the outside to slip in a magazine or newspaper.

Saddle bags- Two soft leather bags joined to a central strap.  Originally made to throw over a horse to carry provisions.

I hope you enjoyed the handbag themed fashion terms!

 

 

 

 

 

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Vintage vs Antique vs Retro

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Vintage, antique, retro, words we hear constantly.  We see them in store windows, on online postings and when grandma tells us about her candy dish from the world’s fair.  What does it all mean?  Many use the definitions as interchangeable words.  But are they?  Can misuse represent fraud?  It may not rise to that level hopefully, but it can create confusion.  So after looking at multiple sources and speaking with several people I hope the following can help you to know what you are looking at and what you should look for when shopping.

Vintage is the most common word that gets used for a variety of meanings.  Vintage is actually supposed to be used for wine only.  Yup, vintage refers to the year a wine is made.  It is not supposed to apply to anything else.  However, like everything in society, somethings don’t always follow what they are supposed to.  When the word vintage is used in conjunction with anything other than wine it is meaningless.  You will hear many people say that vintage means from 50 to 100 year old but not less than 20 years.  Having read in many chat rooms that this is the “common” usage.

What is antique?  An antique item is anything over 100 years old.  This is an industry standard.  Easy, and straightforward.

Then, that leaves retro.  What does retro mean?  Retro is imitative of a style, fashion, or design from the recent past.  Something that is outdated but becomes fashionable again. Remember bell bottoms?  They became popular again for a brief time in the 1990’s.  Retro can also apply to furniture, art and other forms of design and art.

I hope this brief tutorial helps you when shopping at your local flea market or on ebay.

 

 

Clothing

10 Fashion Terms To Know

nschristineLeave a comment

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Each month I like to list ten different fashion terms and their meanings.  Sometimes, the terms are historical, some are modern, some are even no longer in use.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  There are so many things to know!

1. Shirting- A term for any of a number of fabrics used for men’s and women’s shirts such as broadcloth, chambray, madras, oxford, and poplin.

2. Secondary Line- A version of a company’s popular main line that is produced at a lower cost out of lower priced materials.

3. Ultramarine- Rich deep purple-blue color made from powdered lapis lazuli, or chemicals to reach the same color.

4. Tyrian Purple- Red-Purple Color originally obtained from shellfish found off the shores of Tyre in ancient Palestine.  It was reserved for royalty.

5. Bias Slip- A slip cut on the diagonal of the fabric to give a more body conscious fit, it can stretch to conform to the movements of the body.

6.Silk- Fiber from insects that is produced when they spin their cocoons (a silkworm).  It is strong, resilient and elastic.

7. Cocktail Ring-  A large, noticeable ring that can be real or costume.

8. Lapel Pin- A woman’s pin originally worn on the lapel of a suit.

9. Peignoir- A loose wrap or jacket and skirt set worn by a woman for informal bed clothes or coverings.

10. Millefiore- An Italian word that means thousands of flowers.  Used to describe a tiny flower print in clothing and jewelry.

 

Clothing

10 Fashion Terms For You To Know

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Ever wonder what a fashion or clothing term means?  This is the place to find out!  Find  below 10 new terms for add to your vocabulary.

  1. Broche.  Pronounced Bro-shay.  Is a type of shawl from Scotland.  A woven garment that rotates between two different stripes of patterned and solid colors.  Popular in the early 1800’s.
  2. Checkerboard. A solid board used for playing chess or checkers.  The squares of alternating fabric can be used on clothing to imitate the look.
  3. Chatelaine. A small bag trimmed with lace or beads that hangs from the waist on a decorative chain.  Popular in the mid-1800’s.
  4. Nehru collar. A collar that stands up like a Chinese collar but is made with rounded ends in the front. Named for the Prime Minister of India J. Nehru.
  5. Spread Collar.  A collar for a man’s shirt that has a large space between front points.
  6. Crinoline. A heavy cotton fabric used for stiffing/interfacing fabrics. A stiff petticoat worn to puff out and/or extend a skirt. Can also include a hoop skirt.
  7. Gabardine. A fabric woven with ridges caused by a warp twill weave. Durable.
  8. Grass Cloth. A general term for fabrics made of ramie, flax or help with have a smooth, shiny surface that is woven as a loose fabric.
  9. Jute. A fiber from the Jute pod.  Grown in India and Pakistan.
  10. Kimono. Loose, straight-cut cotton or silk robe made in various lengths, tied at the waist with an Obi. A traditional costume of Japan.  Men’s are in dark colors or for Women bright colors or floral prints.
Clothing

10 Fashion Terms To Know

nschristineLeave a comment

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1. Broadcloth:  A medium weight fabric made of cotton or a cotton blend with characteristic crosswise ribs.

2. Brocade: A fabric type woven on a Jacquard loom which gives any design on the fabric a raised look.

3. Calfskin: Hide from a young cows that has been tanned and can be used for leather or fur.

4. Chamois Cloth: A soft fabric made of cotton which is either knitted or woven. It is made with a soft nap that is an imitation of sheepskin dyed in the chamois method.

5. Dobby Fabric: A fabric made with a pattern that repeats every 8 to 30 rows.

6. Pique: Embroidery that is worked on a firm fabric with white thread.

7. Needlepoint: An overall wool embroidery worked on an open canvas with yarn.

8. Faille Crepe: Fabric with a flat rib similar to faille but lightweight.

9. Aigrette: Extremely long, white feathers with a plume at the tip.  It is taken from an egret (bird).

10. Lame: A fabric made with metallic yarns

I hope you enjoyed your monthly dose of fashion terms.  Until next month.

Clothing

10 Fashion Terms to Know

nschristineLeave a comment

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Abraded Yarn: A continuous filament of man made yarn which has been rubbed to raise fuzz which increases bulk.  Then the yarn is twisted into two-ply.

Two-ply yarn: A yarn made by combining two lightly twisted single yarns into one yarn. This makes the yarn stronger and durable.

Baby Bunting: An infant’s outdoor sack that has a zipper in front with a hood.

Barathea: A fabric with a pebbled texture that was originally done in silk.  Generally used for ties it can now come in a variety of fabrics types.

Chemise: A linen garment worn next to the skin.

Crochet: A method of making a garment, lace or fabric with one hooked needle by machine or hand.

Down: Material used to pad winter jackets, coats, and blankets for warmth.  Down is from the fluffy undercoat of geese and ducks.

Dummy: Called a dressmakers dummy, is a form of the human body on which cloth is draped before construction.

Gauze: A net like fabric used for costumes or trim and can be crinkled.  Used for a variety of garment constructions. Made of a variety of fibers.

Lorgnette: A pair of eyeglasses attached to a handle used for seeing detail or distance.

Check out the blog next month for more fashion terms.

 

Clothing

10 Fashion Terms to Know

nschristineLeave a comment

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Fashion has so many terms to know.  There are whole encyclopedias devoted to it. Each month I list 10 new fashion terms for you to know.  Some are common, others obscure.  This monthly feature is designed to be a fun, informative read. I hope you enjoy!

Adaptation: A term used for a interpretation of an expensive designer/couture garment into a less expensive style, not a direct copy.

Adelaide Wool: A merino wool from Southern Australia that is considered high quality.

Backstitch: A term from sewing which means to reverse the stitch on a sewing machine. Used to secure thread.

Balaclava: A hood that covers the head and shoulders while revealing the face.  Named after the battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War.

Chou Rouge: A deep reddish-purple color.

Christening Dress: A long, detailed dress which may contain beads, lace, and embroidery worn by babies during  a baptism ceremony.

Diamante: A sparkle effect. Like the effect of a reflection of gemstones.  French term meaning “made of diamonds.”

Drape: The hang of fabric in a garment.  A quality of a garment.

Down (feathers): A term for a soft fluffy feathers from ducks or geese. Used as lining or fill for insulation in vests, jackets and coats.

Genuine Pearls: Pearls taken from saltwater oysters which were made by a grain of sand in the oyster.  Expensive and rare.

Enjoy your month!