A is for A-line: Defining the ABCs of fashion

Tag : Flannel Fabric
Ever wonder the difference between a sheath dress and a shift? AnA-line and a trapeze?

The fashion world uses insider lingo like, well, insiders. Butfashion is more democratic than that: We all have to get dressedand should know if we’re wearing a cowl neck or a halter.

Here are some ABCs of the style lexicon:

_A

A-line: Skirt that is narrowest at the waist and then flares outalong a straight line to the hem like a triangle _ or an A.

Anorak: Hooded jacket first known to be worn by Eskimos of theArctic. It’s often a pullover silhouette so it doesn’tleave potential for a draft along a zippered or buttoned closure.

_B

Boatneck/Bateau: This neckline is named for its similarity in shapeto a skimmer boat. It’s a narrow opening in its width butextends almost shoulder to shoulder.

Bias cut: Fabric cut on approximately a 45-degree angle to create aclingy, draped effect. Madeleine Vionnet was considered queen ofthe cut in the 1920s, and it’s still used today.

_C

Cowl: Draped, loose neckline with a cascading effect. It’spossible to also have a cowl as the back of a dress _ a very sexylook.

Coco Chanel (1883-1971): One of the most famous names in modernfashion. Chanel’s skirt suits _ with collarless jackets andbraided chain hardware _ are still instantly recognizable and oftenimitated.

_D

Dolman sleeve: A sleeve that’s wide at the armhole andnarrows as it moves toward the wrist. It often creates the effectof a dropped shoulder.

D’Orsay: Shoe style resembling pumps but with a high vamp onthe front of the foot and cutout sides, exposing the arch of thefoot.

_E

Epaulet: Fabric tab that sits on the top of the shoulder; sometimesit’s functional and can hold a rolled-up sleeve. It’s adetail often found on military uniforms _ and military-inspiredfashion.

Empire waist: This "waistline" hits well above thenatural waist, sometimes right under the bust, creating an etherealsilhouette. It’s popular for baby-doll tops, evening gownsand maternity clothes.

_F

Flannel: Soft, brushed-finish fabric, typically made of cotton orwool. It can be as tailored and refined as it is relaxed andoutdoorsy.

Fishnet: A fabric, often used in lingerie or hosiery, with anopen-mesh weave that resembles a fishing net.

_G

Madame Gres (1903-1993): The Parisian couturier considered themaster of the bias cut is credited with adapting the modern goddessgown. Madame Gres was born Germaine Emilie Krebs but created herprofessional name based on an anagram of her artist husband’sfirst name, Serge. He signed his work Gres.

Gauchos: Mid-calf length pants with wide legs fashioned after theSouth American cowboys who were also called gauchos.

_H

Haute couture: The French term for high fashion specifically refersto one-of-a-kind clothing produced by design houses that meetcriteria established by the French Ministry of Industry. It’sa protected appellation, similar to Champagne. However, the term isused colloquially to mean fancy, expensive fashion.

_Halter: Neckline to a sleeveless garment that leaves the shoulders_ and often the upper back _ exposed. There are different haltersilhouettes but most either tie or have a strap that goes aroundthe back of the neck.

_I

Ikat: Printed fabric based on a weaving technique native toUzbekistan, in which a pattern is created from tie-dyed thread.

Indigo: Blue dye originally derived from plants in the pea familyoften used to color denim. The fashion world has adopted the wordto describe deep blue colors with purple overtones.

_J

Jabot: Ruffled, sometimes-detachable neck collar that hangs downthe front of a shirt or blouse. Historically men wore it on dressclothes, but it is now more common to women.

Jewel tones: Deep shades inspired by gems, including ruby red,emerald green and amethyst purple. No pastels here.

_K

Keyhole: Peek-a-boo opening that could be found on the neckline,front of a garment or the back. It’s an oblong shape, as ifto fit a key.

Knife pleat: Fold in the fabric that creates almost a fan effect.Knife pleats, versus more complicated accordion, box or invertedpleats, are the basic pleating technique in sewing.

_L

Le Smoking: Menswear-inspired outfit for women created by YvesSaint Laurent. The tuxedo silhouette was long and lean, and provedthe beginning of an era of sexy, androgynous clothes.

Ralph Lauren (born 1939): One of the most successful U.S.designers, Lauren ranked 64th this year on Forbes’ list ofthe richest Americans _ the same calendar year he celebrated 40years in business. The polo pony logo is his signature, but hiselegant sportswear look is almost as recognizable.

_M

Ali MacGraw (born 1938): Actress whose career heyday was the late1960s-early ’70s but has become a longtime _ and unlikely _muse of the fashion industry. The preppy-meets-free-spirit style of"Love Story," her most enduring film, is repeatedly citedby designers as inspiration.

Mule: A backless shoe. This shoe style can be dressy or casual _ apointy-toe high heel or a clog _ but the key is the open back.

_N

Nehru jacket: Fitted, single-breasted jacket with standup Mandarinor band collar. It’s named after the late Indian primeminister Jawaharlal Nehru.

New Look: The 1947 ladies’ silhouette by Christian Dior thatushered in a completely different post-World War II style.

_O

Ombre: Effect created by dip dyeing fabric with various gradations.It’s sometimes called degrade, and the color will appearlighter in some spots and darker in others. It can be done withmore than one color, but shading a single color is more common.

Organza: A sheer and delicate _ yet stiff _ fabric that is a signalfor femininity and a certain level of dress.

_P

Portrait collar: An open neckline that is wider than it is deep. Itprovides both a frame and blank space around the face, drawing theeye upward.

Proenza Schouler: One of the first 21st century fashion labels tomake a splash. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez sold theirfinal project for Parsons School of Design to Barneys New York, andin 2007 they were named the best designers in womenswear by theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America alongside Oscar de laRenta.

_Q

Queen Victoria: The British monarch who saw from her throne thefirst traceable global fashion trends. Victorian style morphed fromoversized crinoline-cage garments of the early 1800s to a sleeker,elongated shape.

Quilting: A sewing technique, initially used for bedding, that hasfound its way into popular fashion. Quilted garments have threelayers, two pieces of fabric as well as insular batting inbetween.They are sewn together with visible _ and often artful _ stitching.

_R

Riding pants: Pants style with roomy hips but otherwisetight-fitting legs started as a practical silhouette forequestrians. Modern fashion has interpreted them to have anexaggerated shape. They’re also known as jodhpurs.

Ruching: A detail of gathered fabric _ often at a seam and, inparticular, on the sides of the bodice _ is considered a highlyflattering touch because it creates intentional unevenness infabric and camouflages what’s underneath.

_S

Sheath: Dress silhouette that’s long and lean with a nippedwaist _ and usually without a waistband _ to create an hourglassshape. Its fashion opposite is the boxier, shorter shift dress thathangs from the shoulders and has a loose waist.

Spectator: Style of two-tone shoes. Men’s spectators aretypically wing-tips and women’s are pumps with wing tip-styleperforation and details.

_T

Tulip skirt: Skirt shape that highlights the hips, albeit with softswaths of fabric. This skirt mimics an upside-down tulip, with awaist and hemline that are similar widths, and a bell effect in themiddle.

Trapeze: A typically short dress style with narrow shoulders and abodice that progressively flares out from there. It’s atrapezoid shape, hence the name.

_U

Unitard: Tight-fitting body stocking covering legs, torso andprobably arms _ essentially an all-over leotard. It’s wornmostly by athletes and dancers, although it did have moments as afashion item in the 1980s and ’90s.

Utilitarian: A style of clothing that’s actually practical,or at least inspired by practical clothing. Cargo pants, ripstopnylon and even hoodies are utilitarian details that have becomefashionable.

_V

Versace: Milan-based fashion house known for super sexy styles _worn by its jet-set fans. It was founded in 1978 by Gianni Versace;his younger sister Donatella took over as creative director when hewas murdered in 1997.

Vintage: Term to describe clothes from another era. Antique clothesneed to be more than 100 years old; vintage clothes are generallyassumed to be newer but older than the most recent decade.

_W

Anna Wintour: The editor in chief of Vogue since 1988 is largelyconsidered the most powerful person in fashion, making or breakingtrends and careers. The British-born Wintour has recently committedto boosting young talent _ despite her reputation for being aloof.

Wash and wear: Clothes that literally can be cleaned with soap andwater, dried and worn without ironing. It might not seem such anovelty now with high-tech fabrics, but that wasn’t the casea generation or two ago.

_X

X-Ray (aka Social X-Ray): Term author Tom Wolfe coined forfashionable socialites who could never be too rich or too thin inhis book "Bonfire of the Vanities."

X: The shape made in an argyle pattern as geometric diamonds arelined up in rows.

_Y

Yohji Yamamoto: One of the most respected names in Japanesefashion, with his signature being skewed proportions. Consideredinfluential in the industry for years, he was introduced to themainstream via his Y-3 collaboration with Adidas.

Yoke: A line, commonly across the shoulders or hips, that creates amore fitted shape to offset a potentially voluminous silhouette.

_Z

Zoolander: A 2001 movie starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson thatparodies the fashion and modeling businesses. There are cameos byreal-life fashion stars, including Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger andHeidi Klum.

Zebra print: Print that mimics the graphic black-and-white stripesof a zebra. It joins cheetah and leopard prints as trends thatblossomed in the 1960s but have been used so often since then thatthey’ve become classics.


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