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Definitions of Clothing Styles

A-line A garment with sloping sides, the widest part being at the hemline.

apron front A matching apron-like flap on the front of a dress or skirt.                                                                                                                   

asymmetrical With an opening (or other fashion detail) to one side, but no similar balancing feature on the other side.

   battledress top or Eisenhower jacket A jacket or top of a garment in the style of the battledress top worn by the Allied armed services; i.e., bloused at the back and gathered onto a wide band resting on the hips.

bell-bottom trousers Tight-fitting trousers which flare out below the knee in the man­ner of the trousers worn by sailors.

bell sleeve A straight sleeve flaring out at the bottom.

Bermuda shorts Tight, narrow shorts reaching to the top of the knee. Derived from the shorts worn by vacationers on the island of Bermuda.

bertha A wide, flat collar, usually rounded at its outer edge.

bikini Brief; two-piece bathing suit.

bishop sleeve A long, full sleeve gathered onto a narrow cuff. blazer jacket Straight jacket with revers, collar, and pockets based on the jackets worn by schoolchildren and by sportsmen.

caftan Long coat-like garment, loose-fitting and with a slit neckline, often heavily decorated with braid, etc. Originated in the Middle East.

cap sleeve Extension of shoulder and upper armhole to cover just the top of the arm.

cardigan jacket A jacket made in fabric, based on the knitted cardigan; i.e., collar­less and with buttons on a band.

   classic style A style that’s reused, with only minor modifications, through many changes of fashion.

   coatdress A dress made on the lines of a coat and designed to be worn instead of a coat and a dress.

    concave A style in which the cut and seaming produce an inward curving line to the top of a garment.

   coordinates A number of garments which match and can be worn together in different combinations, e.g., matching blouse, skirt, trousers, jacket.

cossack collar A high-stand band collar, fastening at the side.

   cowl A neckline cut on the bias, which drops into soft U folds, generally on the front of a bodice.

   culotte Combination of dress (or skirt) and shorts, often with center front and center back pleat to hide the crotch seam. Sometimes also known as a divided skirt.

   dickey A small decorative apron-like attachment to the front of a bodice. Sometimes used to fill a low-cut neckline.

   djellaba Long coat-like garment, loose-fitted like a caftan but with a highneck. Origi nated in the Middle East.

   dolman Style with a very low, loose armhole. The seam runs from waist out to wrist; bodice and sleeve are often cut all in one.

   double-breasted A blouse, jacket, or coat with a wide overlap from one breast to the other. Generally fastened with a double row of buttons.

   draped A style in which the fabric is gathered or folded into unpressed pleats, to give a soft effect and provide shaping.

empire line Style with no waistline, but with a seam placed higher, under the bust. The

fashion was first developed in France when Napoleon was emperor, and soon spread

to other western countries.

Eton collar A flat collar with a very slight roll. Based on a collar worn by boys at a British public school.

   fichu Piece of fabric draped softly in folds around a low neckline. Very much used on the low-cut dresses of the eighteenth century.

    flared A style that’s much wider around the lower edge; seams that are off the straight grain.

    flounced Flared bands of fabric, sometimes also gathered, used to decorate edges of garments, or in tiers to make a skirt or dress.

    fly-front A closing that conceals buttons or zippers. Used not only on trousers but also on jackets and dresses.

godets Flared or pleated sections inserted into garments.

gores Wedge-shaped pieces of fabric, seamed together.

    halter neck A garment without sleeves, the bodice being supported by a band passing around the back of the neck.

    harem trousers Very full trousers gathered in tightly at the ankle. Originated in the harems of the Middle East.

hipster Skirts or trousers which start at the hips instead of the waist.

jabot A flounced decoration in fine fabric or lace, attached to the neckline of a bodice.

    kimono Sleeve cut all in one with bodice. May be short, three-quarters, or long. Gives folds of extra fabric at the underarm. Derives from long, loose Japanese robe, held together by a sash and with wide, short sleeves.

    leg-of-mutton sleeve Long, fitting sleeve with high gathered head.

    linear seaming Long vertical seaming on the front or back of a garment.

    mandarin collar A narrow high-standing band, divided in the front, generally with the corners rounded off. Originated from the collars worn on jackets in China.

    matchbox skirt Skirt with raised seams on the front and back, giving it a rectangular shape; the broad panels at the front and back and the narrow ones at the sides produce a “matchbox” effect.

military collar A high-standing collar similar to the mandarin, but shaped and fitting the neck. Derived from the collars on British military uniforms in the nineteenth century.

mini skirt Very short skirt, terminating 8 to 10 in. above the knee. A style which

originated in England in the mid-1960s.

overblouse A loose blouse reaching the hips and not tucked into the waistband. panel line Seam lines running from armhole, or waist, to hem.

pant-dress A combination of dress and shorts.
peggred pants Tight-fitting trousers with very narrow bottoms to the legs.
peplum A ruffle or flaps attached to the waist and covering the upper part of the hips.
Peter Pan collar A flat collar with no roll. Name taken from the collar on the costume of Peter Pan in the play by J. M. Barrie.

polo neck High, rolled collar, worn close to the neck. Derived from the high-necked clothing worn for polo.

princess line Seam lines running from shoulder to hem, with no break at the waist.

puff sleeve Short, full sleeve, gathered into the armhole and into a band or binding.

raglan A style in which the armhole seams run into the neckline, giving a loose and comfortable fit.

redingote Double-breasted, semifitted coat.

rever That part of the bodice which folds back onto the front of the garment in open-necked styles.

ring collar A band collar standing well away from the neck.

roll collar A collar which rises up the neck and then curves down again, without a sharp crease. Varies from a low roll at the back only (e.g., Eton collar) to the high
all-around roll of a polo neck.
sailor collar A slightly rolled collar, coming from a large squared flap at the back to a V in the front, as worn by sailors.

    sari A length of cotton or silk wrapped and draped around the body. Worn by Hindu women. Western women seldom wear saris in traditional style, but the lines have inspired western designers and are frequently used for evening wear.

    sarong A length of cotton or silk worn tucked around the waist by Malayans. Draped styles based on the sarong are frequently worn in western countries.

   shawl collar Collar and revers cut all in one, thus forming a shawl over the shoulders, e.g., dressing gown, men’s dinner jacket.

shirt dress A dress which is based on a long version of a man’s shirt.

shirt neck A high-buttoned neckline, with a turned-down collar which has a high stand at the back.

    shirt sleeve A straight sleeve with a finished slash on its lower edge, attached to a buttoned cuff.

shirtwaister A dress, belted at the waist, with revers and a shirt-type collar.

   skimmer Description of a garment which follows the lines of the figure, being neither tight nor loose.

   smock A straight garment, gathered into a yoke. Derived from the smocked overalls once worn by agricultural workers.

swagger coat A slightly flared unshaped jacket or coat.

tabard A loose top, often with a small cap sleeve and a straight neckline.

    tailored sleeve Two-piece sleeve with no darts but shaped within two seams—one running over the elbow to the little finger, the other from the front armhole to the thumb.

    tent A loose, unwaisted dress or coat, wide at the hemline.

   tiers Bands of flounced or pleated fabric, placed one above another, often at graduated widths, to make a dress or skirt.

trouser suit Jacket and trousers, based on a man’s suit. Also called a pantsuit.

trumpet sleeve Medium-length flaring sleeve.

tunic An overgarment worn with, and slightly shorter than, a straight skirt.

turtleneck A high, rolled collar, worn well away from the neck.

yoke Separately made shoulder piece of bodice or top of skirt.

Sewing Term Glossary  On ABOUT.com