Clothes and Fashion

See also Clothing Care, and Perfumes; and for questions about the business side of fashion, see Business.

People

Official dressmaker to the Queen, 1955–90 (cf. Norman Hartnell)		Hardy Amies
Fashion designer, born Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, in 1943; presented over 300 editions of BBC TV's The Clothes Show; once married to Sandie Shaw		Jeff Banks
Boxer who gave his name to a type of neckscarf		(Jim) Belcher
Devised by a 19th century British General, after he lost an arm – supported by a strap passing over the right shoulder (helps to support the sword)		Sam Browne belt
Famous shoe designer, born in 1942 on the island of Palma in the Canary Islands – his father was Czech		Manolo Blahnik
Designer of the black uniforms worn by Nazi SS officers		Hugo Boss
First couturier to show a collection for men (1960); created a 'Space Age' collection in the 1960s		Pierre Cardin
Popularised the "little black dress" as an essential wardrobe item (1920s)		Coco Chanel
Malaysian–born shoe designer, of Chinese descent and living in the UK since at least 1980; Tamara Mellon formed a company 1996 to sell his shoes ready to wear; products featured in The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Devil Wears Prada, etc.		Jimmy Choo
Son of a famous designer and businessman; designer of Lady Sarah Armstrong–Jones's wedding dress (1995)		Jasper Conran
Appointed Chief Executive of Next, on its launch in 1982; started 'George at Asda' in the 1990s; left Asda in 2000 following their acquisition by Walmart; launched Marks & Spencer's 'Per Una' collection, 2001		George Davies
First collection was the New Look (1947 – small shoulders, tight waist, big skirts, lower hemlines); also introduced the H–line or "sack look" (1954) and the A– and Y–lines (1955)		Christian Dior
British PM after whom a black felt hat popular in the 1930s was named		Anthony Eden
Designers of Princess Di's wedding dress (1981)		David and Elizabeth Emmanuel
Born in 1877, in a small town that was then in the Russian Empire but is now in central Poland; moved to America in 1904, to escape persecution (being Jewish), and to Los Angeles in 1908 to provide wigs and make–up to the burgeoning film industry; his company was the first to sell cosmetics to the general public, and the first to refer to them as make–up		Max Factor
British designer, born Gibraltar 1960: appointed chief designer at Givenchy 1995; moved to Dior (owned by the same group) 1996		John Galliano
Designed the costumes for Madonna's 1990 Blonde Ambition world tour (including the trademark corset with cone bra), and for her 2006 Confessions tour; also for films such as The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover and The Fifth Element		Jean–Paul Gaultier
British designer, famous for her oversized T–shirts with slogans in big block letters, launched 1983 – copied by music journalist Paul Morley for Frankie Goes to Hollywood		Katherine Hamnett
Credited with making London a viable twentieth century fashion centre during the inter–war years; dressmaker to the Queen Mother from 1940, and to Queen Elizabeth II in 1957; designed the dresses for Princess Elizabeth's wedding (1947) and coronation (1953); knighted in 1977, died in 1985 (cf. Hardy Amies)		Norman Hartnell
Born in 1961 in Morecambe, Lancashire: founder, along with his wife Gerardine, of Red or Dead (1982 – shoes, spectacles, bags, watches, etc.)		Wayne Hemingway
Brooke Shields modelled jeans in the 1980s, for		Calvin Klein
French tennis player of the 1920s, nicknamed The Crocodile; introduced a famous tennis shirt 1927; formed a clothing company in 1933 that became world famous for its crocodile logo		René Lacoste
Chief Designer for Chanel, from 1983 until his death in 2019 (aged 85); made a media star of his cat Choupette, which was rumoured to be in line to inherit $300,000		Karl Lagerfeld
French designer, known for his stiletto shoes with shiny, red–lacquered leather soles		Christian Louboutin
Appointed by Adidas as Creative Director for Team GB in the 2012 Olympics		Stella McCartney
British designer, succeeded John Galliano as head designer at Givenchy in 1996; formed his own company in 2001; committed suicide in 2010, aged 40; his work was showcased in the hugely popular Savage Beauty exhibition, at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011 and at London's Victoria & Albert museum in 2015		Alexander McQueen
Designed the uniform of the Swiss Guard (the Pope's personal bodyguards)		Michelangelo
Born 1950, grew up in a Barnardo's home in Yorkshire; launched his first ready–to–wear collection 1975; clients have included Princess Diana and Sophie, Countess of Wessex		Bruce Oldfield
Became head designer of the luxury goods manufacturer founded in 1913 by her grandfather, in 1978; gave her name to the Miu Miu range, launched in 1993		Miuccia Prada
Named the miniskirt and popularised it in Britain (often credited with inventing it); began in 1955 with Bazaar, a fashion store on King's Road, Chelsea		Mary Quant
Spanish fashion designer, of Basque origin: born in 1934, he founded his own fashion house in Paris in 1966, and became known as an enfant terrible of the French fashion world; referred to his first collection as "twelve unwearable dresses in contemporary materials"; designed the costume worn by Jane Fonda in the 1968 film Barbarella		Paco Rabanne
British field marshal, gave his name to a type of sleeve		Lord Raglan
Hat designer – started by designing hats for his mother Gertrude to wear at Royal Ascot, from ~1969 (until her death in 1999)		David Shilling
Inventor of the Boss of the Plains – the original cowboy hat – of which the "ten–gallon" style (origin of the name unknown) was a development		John B. Stetson
Produced the first jeans in 1875		Levi Strauss
Born Algeria, 1936; head designer at Dior, 1957–60; started his own company with partner Pierre Bergé, which pioneered fashions such as the beatnik look, safari jackets for men and women, tight trousers, tall thigh–high boots, and the classic tuxedo suit for women Le Smoking, in 1966; the first French couturier to offer a full prêt–á–porter (ready–to–wear) line; opened the first Rive Gauche store, selling the ready–to–wear range, in Paris in 1966, when its first customer was Catherine Deneuve; launched a perfume of the same name in 1971; died of cancer in 2008, aged 71		Yves St. Laurent
Irish–born milliner: designed the hat that Camilla Parker–Bowles wore for her wedding to Prince Charles		Philip Treacy (rhymes with "fleecy")
Designer of "that dress", held together by giant safety pins, worn by Liz Hurley in 1995 at the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral		Gianni Versace
New York–based designer: has designed wedding dresses for Victoria Beckham, Chelsea Clinton, Ivanka Trump, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Garner, Sharon Stone, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Uma Thurman, Holly Hunter, Kate Hudson, Khloe Kardashian and Kim Kardashian (among many others!)		Vera Wang
'The Punk Princess of Fashion': formed a partnership (both personal and professional) with Malcolm McLaren in the 1970s; their first collection was entitled Pirate (1981), followed by Savages (1981), Buffalo/Nostalgia Of Mud (1982), Punkature (1982), Witches (1983) and Worlds End (1984)		Vivienne Westwood
Launched a clothing line called Aneres, 2007		Serena Williams

Colours

Colour worn by Robin Hood and his Merry Men		Lincoln Green
The shirts worn by supporters of Garibaldi were		Red
The shirts worn by supporters of General Franco were		Blue
The shirts worn by supporters of Mussolini (and other Fascists) w3re		Black
The shirts worn by the private army of Hitler's Nazi party were		Brown

The three staples of the Mediaeval dying industry:

Blue dye, obtained from Isatis tinctoria – also known as glastum, or (less commonly) Asp of Jerusalem		Woad
Yellow dye, obtained from Reseda luteola – a.k.a. dyer's rocket or dyer's weed		Weld
Red dye, obtained from plants of the genus Rubia, and named after the best–known species (plural) in that genus		Madder

Other

Largest UK children's shoe size		13 (1/2)
Two–word name for the style of cap worn by cricketers in the Australian national team		Baggy green
Crimean War battle that gave its name to a style of headwear and a style of beard		Balaclava
Hairstyle in which long hair is piled up in a conical shape on the top of the head, pointing slightly backwards; also known as a B–52 (because it resembles the shape of that Boeing Strategic Bomber's nose); famously worn by Amy Winehouse, and by fictional characters including Bet Lynch in Coronation Street, Patsy Stone in Absloutely Fabulous, and Marge Simpson		Beehive
Small jewel or coloured spot, worn on the forehead by Indian women (sometimes known as a tilaka, tilak or tika); Hindi for "dot"		Bindi
Hat with a point on either side, particularly associated with Napoleon		Bicorne
Launched in Paris, 1946, by former motor engineer Louis Reard		Bikini
Hard felt hat, said to have been named after the nephew of the Earl of Leicester		Billycock
Square cap with three or four peaks or horns, worn by Roman Catholic priests (black, red or purple)		Biretta
Butlin's had Redcoats; Pontin's had		Bluecoats
Type of short jacket with long sleeves – also a type of dance (both originating in Spain)		Bolero
All–enveloping cloak worn by Muslim women – particularly in Afghanistan		Burqa
Worn by a priest: more familiar name (in English) for a soutane		Cassock
Chinese silk dress with high collar and side slits (means "long dress" in Cantonese)		Cheongsam
Type of tunic, fastening at the shoulder: worn by both sexes in ancient Greece		Chiton (kye–ton)
Frills on a dress shirt (also, the small intestine prepared as food)		Chitterlings
Orphrey, morse and cope: worn by a		Clergyman
Triangular black felt hat, developed from the bicorne, worn by most navies before World War II but since then only by certain officers on ceremonial occasions		Cocked hat
A close fitting cap that covers the top, back, and sides of the head – usually made from white linen and tied under the chin; everyday wear for lower class men and women from the 12th to 15th centuries, nowadays associated with nuns		Coif
Opera hat (also known as a Gibus, after its French inventor; known in French as a chapeau claque because of the noise it makes when being folded)		Collapsible
A small bouquet of flowers, worn on a woman's dress or around her wrist for a formal occasion		Corsage
An ascot is a type of		Cravat
Originally (1830) a stiff fabric made with a horsehair weft and a cotton or linen warp; later (1850) came to mean a steel frame worn under the skirt of a dress		Crinoline
Short men's hair style, said to originate with rowers at Yale in the late 19th century – later became a de facto standard in the US armed forces, and popular with civilians in the 1950s		Crew cut
Word originating in Hindi (or Urdu and Persian) for a sash worn around the waist, especially as part of a man's formal suit		Cummerbund
Reversible fabric, usually silk or linen, with a pattern woven into it, used for table linen, curtains, etc. Named after a Middle–Eastern capital city		Damask
Indian loincloth, as worn by Gandhi		Dhoti
Style of dress popular around 1780, also a style of straw hat worn as part of the same costume, named after a character in Dickens's Barnaby Rudge		Dolly Varden
Rope–soled shoe named after a Spanish grass (esparto)		Espadrille
Hooped structure worn under a skirt in Tudor & Stuart times		Farthingale
Hat named after a Moroccan city; also known (in Arabic) as a tarboosh or tarbush		Fez
Stiff white skirt worn by Greek soldiers		Fustanella
Name (closely related to that of a loose over–garment worn by men in the later Middle Ages): revived in 1879 (and patented nine years later) by Thomas Burberry, to refer to a tough, tightly woven woollen or cotton fabric used to make weatherproof outer garments		Gabardine
Broad–rimmed hat, with tassels to indicate rank, worn by Catholic clergymen – particularly cardinals, who traditionally wore red ones		Galero
Waterproof fabric, invented in 1951 by British industrialist Joseph Kagan, whose raincoats (known by this name) were favoured by Harold Wilson		Gannex
Cotton fabric, whose name (from Malayan, meaning "striped") has come to be used for the checked design in which it is often produced		Gingham
Traditional men's Scottish cap, made of thick woollen material, with a toorie (pom–pom) on top, often a rosette cockade (rosette) on the left side, and ribbons hanging down behind; often worn as part of Highland dress		Glengarry
Youth subculture that began in England in the early 1980s as an offshoot of post–punk music (Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cure, etc.); characterised by dyed black hair, dark (typically black) clothes, and pale face make–up with exaggerated eye make–up and lipstick		Goths
Eton crop		Haircut
Style of informal, waist–length jacket manufactured by Baracuta in Stockport, Cheshire from the 1930s; worn by Elvis Presley in King Creole, Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair, also by Liam Gallagher, Thierry Henry, etc.; officially named the G9, but more popularly after Ryan O'Neal's character in Peyton Place		Harrington
Founded in 1857, Borsalino is Italy's oldest manufacturer of		Hats
The chullo and the ushanka are similar styles, from Andean South America and Russia respectively, of
Babushka and Mantilla are types of		Headscarf
Conical hat worn by ladies in 14th/15th century France		Hen(n)in
Banned by the Dress Act of 1746 (repealed in 1782)		Highland dress
Narrow skirt style, said to have been introduced by the Wright brothers' first female passenger, around 1908, when she tied a rope round her skirt to stop it blowing in the wind; named after the way it forced its wearers to walk		Hobble skirt
Footwear brand, introduced in 1958 by Wolverine World Wide Inc. of Rockford, Michigan		Hush Puppies
Leggings made to look like skin–tight denim jeans – came into fashion in the late 2000s (decade); trade name owned by a Turkish clothing company; typically made of a cotton/spandex blend		Jeggings
Style of riding breeches, loose at the hips but tight on the thighs and below – named after an Indian city		Jodhpurs
Flat–topped cap with a straight peak, worn by French soldiers and gendarmes (particularly associated with the Foreign Legion); and by soldiers on both sides in the American Civil War; from a Germanic word for a cap		Kepi
The philibeg is a kind of		Kilt
National costume of Japan		Kimono
Brimless cap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn by Jewish males to fulfill the customary requirement to cover the head		Kippah (or Yarmulka)
Launched in the 1960s by fashion entrepreneur 'Mr. Fish'		Kipper tie
Powdered stibnite (antimony sulphide), used to darken the area around the eyes in Moslem and Asian countries		Kohl
Children's clothing brand, established in 1938, and particularly associated with Woolworths until the latter's demise in 2009		Ladybird
Named after a 19th century French acrobat		Leotard
Item of clothing named after the boxer John L. Sullivan		Long johns
Synthetic fibre: developed in the 1950s by DuPont; originally known as Fiber K; marketed in North America as Spandex: better known in the UK as (trade name)		Lycra
Traditional lace headscarf worn by Catholic women (Spanish word)		Mantilla
Invented around 1915 by the French–born British perfumier Eugène Rimmel, whose name is still used for it in several languages; pioneered more or less simultaneously in the USA by 19–year–old Tom Lyle Williams, initially for his elder sister Maybel; he named his company Maybelline after her		Mascara
Distinctive belt worn by Sumo wrestlers		Mawashi
Bishop's head–dress		Mitre
Traditional hat worn in Spain and Portugal, especially by bullfighters – named after the bullfighter who introduced it, along with the "suit of lights", in 1835		Montera
Traditional costume of the court jester, or Harlequin in commedia dell'arte		Motley
Soft boots, traditionally made of reindeer skin or sealskin, worn by Arctic aboriginal people, including the Inuit		Mukluks (or kamik)
Hairstyle, where the hair is worn short at the sides and long at the back: popular in the 1980s and early 90s, until derided by the Beastie Boys (according to the Oxford English Dictionary); shares its name with a family of fishes		Mullet
Miniature ornament – traditionally, most often of ivory – hung from a sash in Japanese dress, used to carry things in (instead of pockets)		Netsuke
Full face veil worn by Muslim women as part of hajib		Niqab
Broad, gaily embroidered sash worn by Japanese women and children		Obi
English city, gave its name (courtesy of its university) to a style of loose–fitting trousers, popular in the first half of the 20th century; also formal styles for shoes and shirts		Oxford
Fine cashmere wool, made from the underfleece of a Himalayan goat; from the Persian for 'wool'; also used for a long broad shawl or scarf, or a rug, made from it		Pashmina (Pashm, Pashim)
Topee, sola topee, salacot or topi: alternative names for the		Pith helmet
Long tartan cloth worn over the shoulder in Scottish Highlands		Plaid
Style of breeches or trousers, whose name refers to the distance to which they extend below the knee; worn by Hergés Tintin, and also by P. G. Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster		Plus fours
Mistress of King Louis the Fifteenth of France: gave her name to a hairstyle		Madame de Pompadour
South American cape, like a blanket with a hole for the head		Poncho
High–end fashion brand: started in 1913 as a leather goods shop in Milan		Prada
Miu Miu is a "less expensive" women's clothing and accessories brand (founded in 1993 by the grand–daughter of the original founder, who had inherited the company in 1978, and given her childhood nickname) of
Alternative name given to the Scottish fabric previously known as glen plaid or Glen Urquhart plaid, after it was popularised by the future King Edward VII		Prince of Wales check
Strips of cloth wound round the lower leg as a legging (from Hindi)		Puttees
UK handbag manufacturer, founded in 1988, famous for its Scottish terrier logo		Radley
Colour traditionally worn by brides in India; also often chosen traditionally in China, where it symbolises good luck		Red
Named after the French for overalls		Salopettes
Birkenstock, founded in 1774, is a German brand of		Shoes (sandals)
A Brannock device (invented 1926 by Charles F. Brannock) measures		Shoe size
Fabric with varieties called Shantung and Dupioni		Silk
English name for a wide–brimmed, high–crowned hat, originating in Mexico: derived from the Spanish word for "shade", in Spanish it refers to any hat with a brim		Sombrero
Tail coat with the tails removed – named after an English nobleman (1790s)		Spencer
Skirt–like garment worn in Malaysia		Sarong
'Tails' on a coat: short for		Swallowtails
Sleeveless or short–sleeved tunic worn by a herald		Tabard
Name used in the UK for the synthetic material known in the USA as Dacron		Terylene
Circle in a square (on a clothes label): can be		Tumble dried
Named after a town in New York state, one of whose first residents brought it to America, in the 1880s, having worn one for a ball to which he was invited by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII)		Tuxedo
Long, loose, heavy overcoat, usually with a belt at the back, named after an Irish region		Ulster
Footwear product invented by the Italian climber Vitale Bramini		Vibram
Colour worn for funerals in China and the Far East		White
Mediaeval style of female head–dress, designed to cover the hair: in modern times, associated mainly with nuns of certain orders		Wimple
Humorous name given to the sharply–pointed shoes that were popular in the 1950s and 60s		Winkle–pickers
Used by a boy scout (or cub scout, etc.) to keep his neckerchief (scarf) in place		Woggle
Veil worn in public by Moslem women		Yashmak
Priest's skullcap – from the Italian for a little gourd or pumpkin		Zucchetto

© Haydn Thompson 2017–23