Fashion Design notes

Defining terms in fashion can be quite comprehensive, as the industry encompasses a vast vocabulary for styles, garments, roles, processes, and more. Here's a breakdown of common terms, categorized for clarity:

I. General Fashion Terms & Concepts

• Fashion: The prevailing style or custom in dress, adornment, and behavior at any given time. It's a broad term encompassing clothing, footwear, accessories, hairstyles, and overall aesthetics.

• Style: A distinctive appearance, typically defined by the combination of a person's individual preferences, the garments they choose, and the way they wear them. It's more personal than "fashion."

• Trend: A general direction in which something is developing or changing. In fashion, a trend is a popular style or aesthetic that gains widespread acceptance for a period of time.

• Collection: A group of garments and accessories designed and produced by a fashion house or designer for a specific season (e.g., Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter).

• Line: Similar to a collection, often referring to a specific category of products within a designer's offerings (e.g., a denim line, an activewear line).

• Silhouette: The outline or shape of a garment or an ensemble as a whole. It refers to the overall form the clothing creates on the body.

• Drape: The way fabric hangs and falls on the body, influenced by its weight, weave, and cut.

• Season: In fashion, refers to the time of year for which a collection is designed and sold (e.g., Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter, Resort/Cruise, Pre-Fall).

• Ready-to-Wear (RTW / Prêt-à-porter): Mass-produced clothing designed to be purchased off-the-rack in standard sizes.

• Haute Couture: French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking." Custom-fitted, handmade garments created by exclusive fashion houses, typically for a select clientele, adhering to strict industry standards set by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. It's the pinnacle of fashion craftsmanship.

• Bridal Wear: Clothing specifically designed for weddings, primarily wedding gowns for brides and suits for grooms, as well as attire for the bridal party.

• Activewear/Athleisure: Clothing designed for athletic activities but often worn for everyday casual use, blending comfort and style (e.g., yoga pants, stylish leggings, hoodies).

• Streetwear: Casual clothing originating from subcultures, particularly skateboarding and hip-hop, often featuring graphic tees, hoodies, sneakers, and denim. It has become a significant force in mainstream fashion.

• Vintage: Clothing that is typically at least 20 years old but less than 100 years old, often reflecting the styles of a specific past era.

• Thrift: Refers to buying second-hand clothing, often from charity shops or consignment stores, typically at a low price.

• Sustainable Fashion: An umbrella term for products, processes, and activities aiming to address environmental, social, and ethical issues in the fashion industry. Focuses on minimizing harm to the planet and people.

• Fast Fashion: A business model characterized by rapidly producing inexpensive clothing in high volumes, often based on current trends, to allow consumers to buy new styles frequently and discard them quickly.

• Slow Fashion: An approach to clothing production that prioritizes quality, longevity, and sustainability over speed and low cost. Encourages buying fewer, higher-quality items.

II. Garment & Item Specifics

• Garment: Any item of clothing (e.g., a dress, shirt, pair of trousers).

• Top: Any garment worn on the upper body (e.g., shirt, blouse, t-shirt, sweater).

• Bottom: Any garment worn on the lower body (e.g., trousers, skirt, shorts).

• Dress: A one-piece garment consisting of a bodice and a skirt.

• Skirt: A garment hanging from the waist, worn by women and girls.

• Trousers/Pants: An outer garment covering the body from the waist to the ankles, with a separate part for each leg.

• Jeans: Trousers made from denim fabric, typically reinforced with rivets.

• Blouse: A loose-fitting upper garment, often gathered at the waist or hips, worn by women.

• Shirt: A garment for the upper body, typically with a collar, sleeves, and buttons down the front.

• Jacket: An outer garment extending to the waist or hips, with sleeves, worn for warmth or as a fashion item.

• Coat: An outer garment that covers the upper body and extends below the hips, usually for warmth or weather protection.

• Sweater/Jumper: A knitted garment worn on the upper body, usually for warmth.

• Knitwear: Clothing made using knitting techniques, encompassing sweaters, cardigans, scarves, etc.

• Footwear: Items worn on the feet (e.g., shoes, boots, sandals, sneakers).

• Accessories: Items worn or carried to complete an outfit (e.g., jewelry, handbags, scarves, belts, hats, gloves).

• Lingerie: Women's underwear and sleepwear.

• Denim: A sturdy cotton twill fabric, typically blue, used for jeans, jackets, and other casual wear.

• Fabric: The material used to make clothes, formed by weaving, knitting, or felting fibers (e.g., cotton, silk, wool, linen, polyester).

• Pattern: A design or motif repeated on a fabric (e.g., floral, stripes, plaid, polka dots). Also refers to the templates used to cut fabric pieces for sewing.

• Embellishment: Decorative details added to clothing, such as embroidery, beads, sequins, appliques, or lace.

• Collar: The part of a shirt, coat, or dress that fits around the neck and typically folds down.

• Sleeve: The part of a garment that covers the arm.

• Hem: The edge of a piece of cloth that has been folded and sewn to prevent unraveling.

• Seam: The line where two pieces of fabric are sewn together.

III. Fashion Roles & Professions

• Fashion Designer: A person who creates new clothing and accessory designs, conceptualizing shapes, colors, and fabrics.

• Stylist: A professional who selects and coordinates outfits for individuals, photoshoots, films, or public appearances.

• Model: A person employed to display clothes or other fashion accessories by wearing them.

• Buyer: A professional who selects and purchases merchandise for retail stores, often specializing in particular product categories.

• Merchandiser: A professional responsible for developing sales strategies, planning product assortments, and ensuring products are presented effectively in retail environments.

• Pattern Maker: A person who translates a fashion designer's sketch into a two-dimensional pattern (template) used to cut fabric.

• Seamstress/Tailor: A person who sews clothing. A tailor typically specializes in custom-made or altered garments, especially suits.

• Fashion Editor: A journalist who writes about fashion for magazines, newspapers, or online publications, often dictating trends and curating content.

• Fashion Photographer: A photographer specializing in capturing clothing, accessories, and models for advertising, editorial, or artistic purposes.

• Retailer: A business or person that sells goods directly to consumers.

• Manufacturer: A company that makes goods, typically on a large scale.

• Brand: A distinct product or identity created by a company, often encompassing its name, logo, and overall aesthetic.

IV. Body Types & Fit

• Body Type/Shape: Refers to the general silhouette of a person's body, often categorized into shapes like hourglass, apple, pear, rectangle, or inverted triangle, which can influence flattering clothing choices.

• Fit: How well a garment conforms to the wearer's body. Can be slim fit, regular fit, relaxed fit, loose fit, oversized, etc.

• Sizing: The system of numerical or alphabetical labels used to denote the dimensions of garments, to ensure they fit various body measurements.

• Petite: Sizing for shorter individuals (typically under 5'4" or 163 cm), where garments are proportioned with shorter lengths in sleeves, torsos, and inseams.

• Plus Size: Sizing for individuals whose body measurements are larger than standard ranges, typically starting from a size 14 or 16 in many Western markets.

• Tall: Sizing for taller individuals, with longer sleeve lengths, torsos, and inseams.

This list provides a solid foundation for understanding the language of fashion. The industry is constantly evolving, so new terms and concepts emerge regularly