This is a list of fashion-related words that differentiate the fashion talk of the common man from the fashion elite. You can call it the fashion jargon tossed around by the designers and editors who decide the course of fashion.
The fashion connoisseurs use them as part of their everyday conversation. Some of these words are common terms but some were unfamiliar to me, even technical.
If you want to be part of the fashion crowd you have to sprinkle some of them in your conversation or at least know some of them so that you know what they are talking about.
Common Fashion Terms – your Fashion Glossary
A
Accent
Emphasis given to a distinctive characteristic of a garment. It can be a colour or trimming or accessory.
Accessories
In fashion, accessories refer to items with a useful or decorative purpose used in conjunction with one’s outfit. They complement and enhance the clothes worn. Include Belts & Suspenders, Bridal Veils, Eyewear, Footwear, Gloves & Mittens, Handbags, Handkerchiefs, Headwear, Jewelry, Legwear, Neckwear, Shawls & Wraps, Umbrellas, Watches.
Acid wash
Treatment done on fabric to fade the colour with bleach solution. Check out the post on distress your jeans by hand
Academic costume
Characteristic clothes worn by those studying or teaching in colleges/ universities.
Accent shades
Bright dark colours like fluorescent colours. These are used as an emphasis rather than as the whole colour of a design.
Accessory
Refers to things like shoes, hats, jewellery, neckwear, belts, scarfs, gloves, corsets, lingerie, boutonnieres that are added to an outfit to make it more fashionable. See the 30 most important fashion accessories
Accessorizing
The process of adding accessory to clothing on display.
Active sportswear
Clothes worn by the participants in sports events.
Achromatic colours
This refers to having no colour; in fashion, it means black or white colours.
Accouterments
A popular or the latest style of clothing, hair, decoration, or behavior.
Adaptation
Garment/design similar to another original design/model but having some characteristic changes.
Advanced colours
Warm colours like shades of red.
Androgynous style
Androgyny in fashion refers to dressing in styles that make it difficult for the viewer to determine the gender of the person. Gender-neutral fashion. Also called Unisex fashion. A style that is neither strongly feminine or masculine. More details on How to look androgynous.
Anime
Anime is short for animation and refers to a dressing style that follows the fashion on Japanese Anime cartoons. Mostly features punk style clothing.
Anti Fashion
Dressing in styles different from the fashion of the day; showing an indifference to fashion and its varying trends. Other terms used synonymously are anti-establishment, edgy fashion, alternate fashion, counterculture, and counterfashion.
Antique style
A style of the past.
Anti Pill
Treatment done on fabric to increase the wear resistance, preventing uneven and worn look of fabric surface.
Army look
A style that resembles an army uniform (military style).
Art deco
Style incorporating geometric patterns in typical colours of yellow green gold silver and black.
Art Nouveau
Style that incorporates linear and curvilinear designs.
a la mode
French term for fashion. Pronounced as a-lə-ˈmod
American Style
A sporty easy going casual style of clothing.
Apparel
Another word for clothes, clothing and garments.
Apparel manufacturing
Involves assembling, cutting, finishing, grading, labeling, marketing of garments in an industrial set up.
Asymmetrical
One sided, not balanced. Learn more about asymmetrical hemlines here.
Atelier
Large dressmaking organization. Pronounced a-təl-ya
Attire
Clothing.
Athletic clothing
Clothing worn for athletic activities. Brands like Puma specialize in athletic clothing.
Au naturel
This French origin word is used to indicate something in its natural state. Like a nude body.
Avant-Garde
Refers to never seen before innovative designs by designers who are original thinkers bringing change to fashion.
B
Body clothes
Underclothing.
Balance / symmetry
Having two opposing sides of same dimension.
Bespoke
This refers to a made-to-order garment made as per the customer’s characteristic measurements and specifications. Usually said about men’s formal clothes or wedding clothes.
Barfly apparel
Clothing suitable for wearing at cocktail bars.
Baroque
Exaggerated style ; over ornate clothing style.
Beachwear
Clothing suitable for beach.
Beaumonde
The fashionable world.
Black tie event
A dress code for evening events and social functions ; involves a tuxedo, tie and formal shoes. For girls, this is a long gown.
Bling
The term used for flashy ostentatious accessories.
Body-con clothing
Tight fitting clothing eg. Bodycon dress.
Boutique
A store or shop (usually high end expensive store) selling unique items to a specific set of customers. Learn more about starting a boutique here.
Boyfriend style
Meaning borrowed from boyfriend; Clothing style belonging to males adapted to suit females; eg. Boyfriend jeans.
Bib and tucker
Colloquial term for clothes ( wear one’s finest clothes)
Border print
A design that is seen along the border of a fabric.
Bohemian style of fashion (Boho)
An unconventional style of dressing that draws inspiration from bohemian and hippie influences. Boho chic is a stylish bohemian fashion with many celebrities and socialities following this trend. Check out: 15 must-have elements in boho bohemian fashion.
Business Formal dress code
Garments suitable for a formal event – suits for both men and women and tailored dresses for women.
Business Casual dress code
Clothes suitable for a semi-formal event – pants and shirts for men, pencil skirts and blouses for women ; not too casual like jeans or too formal like suits.
Bulky clothing
Loose fitting clothing.
C
Capsule wardrobe
This is a term used for a collection of a few timeless and essential items of clothing. Check out the post on the what you should have in your capsule wardrobe.
Cut of a garment
Style and shape of a garment and how it hangs on the body.
Camouflage clothing
Design with elements of camouflage in it like the print / khaki colour.
Care label
A mandatory label found in all clothes that denotes at least one method of caring for that garment/fabric in lieu of symbols. They usually have fabric details, its content, washing drying, bleaching and ironing instructions. Learn more about the 40+ fabric care label symbols here.
Casual wear
Informal wear; everyday garments.
Catwalk
A platform along which models walk to display clothes in fashion shows.
Channel suit
A prestigious coveted suit for women designed by the Famous French designer Coco Chanel.
Cheugy
The most dreaded word in fashion world these days – it means you are out of fashion in simple terms or the “opposite of trendy”.
Chic
Stylish / sophisticated. Pronounced shēk
Chinois
Chinese style.
Cine mode
A fashion with origin in the movies.
City wear
Street clothes with a sophisticated style.
Cocktail dress code
This is a party event – a suit for men and party dress for women.
Collection
Usually held twice a year in spring/summer and fall/ winter.
Colour coordination
Design incorporating colour theory and colour harmony.
• Names for all shades of Red color
• Color chart of shades of Yellow color
• Names of different White colors in fashion
• Green color shades
• Shades of black color – names
• Different color shades of Brown
• Names of Different Grey color shades.
Classic
A style which is deemed timeless. Evergreen fashion.
Clique
In fashion clique refers to a group of very fashion conscious people who share a common sense of style.
Collection (Designer)
A set of creations of a designer for a particular season.
Colour blocking
A technique in which large blocks of solid coloured fabric are joined to form the garment; placing blocks of different colours side by side provides a visually striking effect. You can learn more about color blocking in this post.
Colour fast
This refers to a dyed fabric’s ability to resist fading or colour running when it is washed, exposure to sunlight etc.
Colorway
A fashion industry terminology for a product in a specific color.
Core aesthetics
Core aesthetics refers to taking inspiration for one’s style on a core subject or feature of a subject. Eg. Fairycore aesthetic style.
Cosplay
A pastime of dressing up in costume.
Country look
A rustic look ; wearing tweeds.
Cool colours
These are colours in the blue family.
Contemporary style
A current look.
Continental style
This refers to the European style of clothing.
Contrast
In fashion this refers to using colours which are in stark contrast to each other and hence both stand out.
Conservative styles
Traditional dressing style.
Cosmetic colours
Colours that relate to makeup/cosmetics used.
Cosmopolitan
A dress style that is universal rather than localized.
Costume
Garments based a theme or a story.
Couturier
This is a French term for male designers. The female designer is a couturiere.
Craze
A fashion which becomes very popular for a short period.
Composite style
A combination of distinct styles; simple and refined; cool and feminine; feminine and flirtatious ; funky and fun.
Costume jewelry
Jewelry made to complement a particular fashionable garment/collection ; usually inexpensive than real jewellery.
Cultural appropriation in fashion
This term is used when someone inappropriately adopts the fashion of a minority and somehow makes a mimicry of it without respecting the particular culture.
D
Dated fashion
Style of clothing which is Out of fashion (no longer fashionable).
Décolletage
Area from the neck to the chest.
Diffusion Line
A modestly priced line of garments made by an haute couture designer.
Distressing
Process in which fabric is artificially aged or worn. Learn different ways to distress a piece of clothing.
Draping
The way a fabric falls/hangs on a body.
Drop tail style
This refers to clothing with the back having more length than the front.
Dandy style
This is a term related to men’s clothing – indicating a flamboyant self-absorbent style of dressing.
Deadstock
Clothing that has never been worn, often from a previous season.
Design elements
In fashion, this refers to Color, Shape, line, texture, balance, harmony, proportion, pattern etc which are very important in designing well-liked clothes.
Double Denim Trend
This is a style of wearing more than one clothing in denim at a time Eg. Denim Jacket with denim jeans. Also referred to as Canadian Tuxedo.
E
Earth colors
Colours in the brown family.
Eclectic style of fashion
This is a fashion style composed of elements drawn from various sources; A mix of various styles.
Electric colours
Brilliant colours.
Elegant dressing style
A sophisticated graceful style.
Ensemble
An outfit (totally) that is coordinated and harmonious.
Eponymous fashion brand
When a designer decides to name a brand his own name ie the creator gives his own name to his brand. eg LOUIS VUITTON.
Ethnic
Native or traditional.
Exotic
A style that is fascinating and evokes the look of a foreign land.
Embellishing
The addition of decorative details or features.
Ensemble (coordinated)
A set of clothes that give out a look of unity and coordination.
Effortless dressing
This refers to a style which is high end but looks effortless.
F
Fabric swatches
Small pieces of fabric used as a sample.
Fabric Finishes
This refers to the application of certain resins/chemicals or making the fabric undergo some processes so that its functional or aesthetic appeal is enhanced.
Fad
A short lived fashion ; the popularity fades pretty fast after a burst.
Fashion 2.0
Fashion in the digital age with social media and websites leading the way for major upheavals in fashion.
Fashion capitals
Refers to high fashion cities like Paris, New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Berlin, Barcelona. Read more about the 15 most prominent fashion capitals here.
Fashion Cycle
This refers to the rise rule and decline of a style.
Fashion Faux Pas
A misstep made in fashion like a wrong choice of clothing.
Fashion Forecast
A prediction as to the fashions / styles/ trends that will be popular in the coming future.
Fashion forward
A person who is ahead and knowledgeable of fashion trends.
Fashion icon
Someone who is very popular for his/her fashion style that everyone looks up to him/her. eg Victoria Beckham, Kate Middleton, Priyanka Chopra, Harry Styles.
Fashion Line
All of the clothing a fashion designer produces for a specific category.
Fashion press
Those reporting the fashion events / shows / displays etc.
Fashion show
Displaying Formal collection of fashion styles by designers to merchandisers/ customers.
Fashion house
A company involved in fashion design.
Fashionista
A devoted follower of fashion.
Fashion icon (popular)
A term used to refer to someone or something that has become popular for being very fashionable.
Fashion sense
Knowledge of how to dress fashionably.
Fashion police
An imaginary police force that ensures that people dress according to fashion.
Fashion sketch
An initial drawing made for the purpose of garment design. It will give a basic idea about the garment. Fashion illustration: 6 types of fashion drawings.
Fashion subcultures
Subdivisions of society that influence fashion heavily. Grunge, punk, goth, alternative, bohemian, rock, rap, and hip-hop are such subcultures. 40 of the most popular fashion Subcultures.
Fashion tribe
A group of people who share a common sense of dressing style/ fad/ fashion.
Fabric Prints
These are prominent fabric patterns which are very popular like animal prints, African prints. Check out the 55 popular names of fabric patterns.
Face of the fabric & texture
The outer surface of the fabric (also refers to facing).
Fashion Label
A collection of expensive clothes belonging to a particular upcoming designer.
Fatigues
Military combat apparel.
Flat sketches
Technical sketch of a design as if it were lying flat- the details include stitching techniques etc. Also called flats.
Florals
Fabric printed with floral patterns.
Formal clothing (evening clothes)
An occasion dressing style; Long evening gown for females and suits/tuxedos for men.
Foundation
An undergarment worn to smooth a figure.
G
Garcon look
Garconne; A boyish fashion worn by women ; also called flapper look.
Gender-queer
A person whose gender identity cannot be categorized as solely male or female.
Gradation
Shades of the same colour.
Geek Chic
The style associated with the thinking man/woman, technology workers/ professionals. Tailored suits, oversized glasses.
Groufit
Athleisure clothing in grey colour.
Grunge
A messy uncoordinated style of dressing seen in people who follow grunge music. Ripped jeans, layered clothing, black boots.
H
Haberdashery
Sewing notions like buttons zippers etc; also refers to a men’s clothing shop.
High stepper
A colloquial term for a person who is very aware or conscious of fashion and how he/ she looks.
Hand of a fabric
The feel of the fabric.
Haute Couture
Expensive, fashionable clothes produced by leading exclusive fashion houses. It means the finest dress making in French language; simply termed as ‘couture’ pronounced kü-ˈtu̇r.
Heavy metal fashion
Fashion adopted by fans of heavy metal music (metal heads or headbangers); skinny fit jeans, jackets, clothes with patches and badges.
High Fashion
The designing, making, and marketing of expensive, fashionable exclusive clothes (as opposed to mass-market clothing); haute couture.
Hippie style
An unusual (to western style) bohemian fashion style characterized by long hair, jeans bell bottom pants peasant blouses tie and dye fabric, long full skirts etc.
Hosiery
Tight fitting knitted garments that are worn on the leg and feet. It is usually made of highly stretchable fabrics like spandex.
Hourglass figure
A female body shape with a narrow waist and proportionately bigger hips and bust; considered to be the ideal shape for women eg Hourglass figure of Marilyn Monroe.
House
In the fashion world, a fashion house is a name used for a company dealing in fashion.
Hot number
A style which sells very fast at that time.
I
Imitation
A fake or copy ; usually used for describing fur and jewellery.
Iridescent colours
Imitating the colors of the rainbow.
Impact colours
A color used in a fashion design for an impact.
J
Jewel tones
Deep colours.
K
Kawaii
Kawaii is a cute fashion trend that originated in Japan. It follows the Japanese artistic and cultural style that emphasizes the quality of cuteness, using bright colours and characters with a childlike appearance.
Kitsch
In fashion refers to low quality style; garish style.
Knock Off
A design that is a copy of a more expensive clothing.
L
Lagenlook style (Layered style)
This is a style in which different garments are layered over each other, in different lengths.
Limited edition clothing
Also termed Special edition; This is a special designer collection made in limited numbers.
Line
A collection of styles shown to a producer in a given season.
Line sheet
A reference guide used by people connected with fashion detailing garment styles price, colour, fabric details etc related to a line.
Look Book
A book with all the photographs of a model, photographer, style, stylist, or images representing the full clothing line of a designer. It is meant as a catalog for marketing to be presented to the buyers.
Long line clothing
Clothing meant for tall people.
Loungewear
Garments worn around the house.
M
Made to measure garments
This refers to the use of preexisting template patterns and then making the garments out of them after adjusting to the measurements of the customer.
Marine style
A style that looks like the clothing of sailors.
Mass produced / Fashion
Styles/ fashion that is widely accepted and hence made in large quantities.
Masculine style
This refers to women’s clothing made to look like men’s (also called mannish).
Melange
A fashion which is a mixture of styles, elements or trends.
Minimalist
A simple understated look; a fashion consisting of simple styles and plain colours.
Monotone clothing
Clothes of a single colour.
Mood Board
A physical or digital collage of design ideas used by fashion designers to consolidate their collections or get ideas. Will have details of an idea, drawings or photos, fabric swatches etc.
Motif
A design used in a pattern/ print / embroidery etc ; usually found recurring.
Muslin
This is a trial garment made to test a pattern ; it is originally made in the fabric muslin cotton.
N
Neutral Colours
Neutral means without colour. In fashion Classic colours like black, white, gray, brown and beige and sometimes blue are called neutral colours. Read more different shades of neutral colors here.
O
Off the rack
Another name for ready to wear mass-produced clothing in standard sizes that are made in a large number and are readily available in retail stores.
Ombre
This refers to the style in which color graduates from light to dark.
Over size
Garments which are of a much looser fit.
P
Passe
Refers to anything that is No longer fashionable; out of date fashion.(pronounced pasei). This is deemed an insult in fashionable circles.
Paninaro
An Italian term that refers to a lifestyle that is luxurious and is hungry for very expensive designer garments. It is considered today as a symbol of excess and superficiality.
Panache
Style which represents flamboyance or confidence.
Pantone colours
A colour reference system developed by Pantone Inc that standardizes colours in the CMYK process for printing and manufacture of fabric.
Pattern
A template used as a guide to make a garment.
Pret-a-porter
Refers to ready to wear clothes by designers.
Peek-a-boo style
Refers to adding cut out details or sheer elements in garments which reveals parts of the body. Read about making peek-a-boo cut outs in this post.
Peasant style
A style which is reminiscent of country women folk with embroidered blouses and long skirts.
Placement prints
Fabric patterns with a large motif strategically placed on the garment making it a highlight.
Post modern fashion
Trend where decoration is given more importance than function. Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen were proponents of this style.
Power dressing
Smartly tailored dressing meant to impress and emphasize one’s power in workplaces and meetings.
Preppy style
A collegiate look; for boys polo shirts, chinos and navy blazers.
Pre-spring collection
High-end collections marketed to upscale stores for customers spending the post-holiday season in warm climates.
Print on print
Colorful and vibrant clothing with lots of different prints mixed in.
Punk style
Style epitomizing the punk subculture; characteristics include distressed jeans, metal studs, chains, body piercing and leather jackets.
R
Resort wear (Cruise wear)
Holiday or travel collection meant for a relaxed living for affluent people; poolside life clothes.
Ready to wear or RTW
The term for factory made clothing in standardized sizes.
Retro
Style imitative of or derived from the trends of the recent past.
Retrofuturism
Influence of future as predicted in an earlier era – ie past’s vision of the future.
Reversible clothing
Garments that can be reversed and used from both sides with seams hidden by clever construction.
Rockability fashion
The fashion following music icon Elvis Presley; characteristics are tight jeans/drainpipe pants, brothel creeper shoes, and motorcycle jackets.
S
Safari style
Clothing that resembles clothes worn during hunting.
Sample
A garment made to be shown to retailers/merchandisers.
Silhouette
Outline or shape of a design or garment. Learn about basic types of silhouettes here.
Seamstress / Sewer / Sewist
A woman who sews is called a seamstress; a man is a sewer. Sewist is a more gender-neutral term.
Selvedge
The finished edge of the fabric on opposite sides of the lengthwise grain.
Sanforized clothing
A shrink control process used on fabric.
Sleek style
Style giving a slender, slim, streamlined look.
Slip on clothes
Clothes worn without fastenings, slipped on through the head.
Slim fit
Clothing made to fit close to the body.
Sloper
A basic pattern used as the building block for all other pattern making without any ease or design elements.
Slogan
Wordings printed or worked across the bodice/chest of a garment.
Sportswear
A casual style of clothing meant for a relaxed look; American style dressing.
Statement Jewelry
Bold and attention-grabbing jewelry meant to be a highlight.
Street wear
Urban fashion, often skater-friendly. Read more on streetwear fashion here.
Stonewashed fabric
A fabric artificially faded through a specific process.
Stylist (Fashion)
A person who curates styles for clients, editorial, or celebrities.
Surfer look
Carefree dressing style sported by surfers on beaches.
Sartorial
Anything related to tailoring, clothes, or the quality of a dress.
Separates
Clothes bought separately that can be mixed and matched (e.g. pants and shirts).
Supportive clothing
Clothing giving physical support (e.g. sports support or medical support).
Style
“Fashion is what you’re offered four times a year by designers. And style is what you choose.” — Lauren Hutton
Style Surfing
Shifting from the clothing style of one subculture to another.
Sweats
Cotton jersey sportswear.
T
Tailoring
Making of made-to-measure/custom-made garments.
Throwback fashion
Fashion belonging to the past.
Theme
The concept behind a collection, usually carrying a message or attitude.
Theme board (mood board)
A board with drawings, sketches, and swatches used to create a product’s mood.
Toile
A trial garment made by a designer or seamstress for testing drape and fit; usually in cheap fabric.
Tone on Tone
Colour combinations using different shades of the same colour.
Trend
A general direction in which something is developing or changing.
Trendy
Adjective describing someone very fashionable or stylish.
Trunk show
Display of a designer’s collection in a retail store.
Twin prints
Two prints that share the same colour combination in one garment.
U
Unisex style
Clothing suitable for both genders; also called Androgynous style.
Up cycled clothing
The creative reuse of old clothes by changing design elements.
Utilitarian clothing
Functional clothing (like a raincoat) rather than decorative; serves a practical purpose.
V
Vintage
Clothing inspired from a previous era; usually 20 years or older. See more French fashion words here.
W & X
Wasp waist
Exaggeratedly narrow waist (often using corsets) making hips and bust look bigger.
Warm colours
Red, yellow, and orange family colours on the wheel.
Weft
The fibers that run the width of a fabric.
X-ray Fabric
Sheer fabric used to make clothes.
# & Abbreviations
70’s style
Wide-legged trousers, slouchy silhouettes, and big prints.
LBD
Little Black Dress.
OOTD
Outfit of the Day.
RTW
Ready to Wear.
POP
Point of Purchase; where customers make the final buying decision.
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With love.
Really helpful
Really helpful
i agree the words where very helpful
Thanks, this is helpful.
Thanks Sarina for sharing fashion vocabulary words.
Thank sarina this helps me alot thank you so much
Hi Winifred,
Happy you found it helpful ; I love you too for commenting : )
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Thank you Sarina, this will help me.
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Thanks Sekinat
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Thanks Maryam; Glad you like the site
Thanks Oyeyemi
Thanks. Very much helpful.
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Hi Dimple
Thanks for leaving the comment
Thanks For the Knowledge
Thanks helpful
Thank you Abhilasha
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Abdullateef Yaqoub (Nigeria)