Fashion Styles
What’s that style really called?
FASHION
A particular style that is popular
at a given time.
STYLE
Characteristics that distinguish one
particular item of clothing from another.
Classic
Styles that stay in fashion for a long time, or never seem to go
out of style.
Simple designs that are less innovative.
Examples:
Clothing-Blazers, blue jeans, and tailored suits, polo shirts,
cardigan sweaters, sweatshirts, tuxedos
Accessories-Pearl necklaces, loafers, clutch purses
FAD
Fashion that is popular for a short time.
Can include colors, jewelry, shoes, punk-rock, safari, grunge
Tend to be less expensive.
Examples: 1950’s plastic necklaces, cinch belts
1960’s Go-Go boots
1970’s hot pants and leisure suits
1980’s florescent socks
AVANT-GARDE
French expression
Means ahead of fashion
Daring and unconventional-far out
RETRO
Everything old is new again
Bringing back styles of an earlier time and making them
fashionable again
Example: twin sweater sets, wrap around dresses, pointed
pumps
FASHION CYCLES
Introduction stage-worn for first time by influential people
(Seen only at Fashion Week)
Growth stage-people accept fashion and variations available
(Available at Department Stores)
Maturity stage-reaches peak of popularity
(Available at Retail Stores)
Decline state-sales decline, people tire of wearing it
(Available in Sale/Clearance Section or Thrift Stores)
Fashion Swings
Basic styles stay the same, while details change according to
the times.
Skirt lengths longer and shorter
Jackets go up and down
Pants length and styles
necklines
Jewel: high & round; it is a good background for
JEWELRY
Crew: high & round with a knit band; named for
shirts worn by rowing CREWS
Bateau: resembles a flat BOAT (or in French,
“BATEAU”)
Sweetheart: comes to a point like a HEART
Halter: back & shoulders are bare;
collars
Shirt: like on a man’s SHIRT; it has has a band
and collar in two pieces and may BUTTON DOWN
Peter Pan: small and round, like the kids wore in
“PETER PAN”
Sailor or Middy: like on a SAILOR’S uniform
Mandarin: from China, where MANDARIN is a
common language
Shawl: turns back on itself, like a SHAWL
sleeves
three basic styles
Set-in: the sleeve is SET INTO the shirt
at the armhole seam
Raglan: the front and back have a
diagonal seam that goes from the
neckline to the underarm
Kimono: the garment and sleeve are cut
in one piece like a Japanese KIMONO
variations
Dolman: wide at the top, narrow at the wrist–
kind of dramatic (kimono)
Puff or Baby Doll: full with a band, like on a
child’s or DOLL’S garment (set-in)
Cap: just covers the shoulder CAP (kimono)
Three-Quarter: comes to mid-forearm so it is
THREE QUARTERS the length of a long
sheeve (set-in)
Cuff: has a band or CUFF at the wrist
French Cuff: the cuff turns back on itself
and is held in place by buttons or cuff
links (set-in)
Peasant: a deep armhole and full
sleeve with a cuff or elastic at the wrist,
like PEASANTS used to wear (set-in)
shirts
Dress: like a traditional man’s shirt
Polo: a knit shirt similar to those worn by
POLO players
Hawaiian or Aloha: made from floral or
funky fabrics in bright colors, like those
worn in HAWAII
Tuxedo: like the pleated shirt often worn
under a TUXEDO
Fitted: has darts that make it FIT close
to the body
Tunic: long, like the Roman TUNICS
Camisole: like what used to be worn as
a slip (underwear)
Henley: knit with long sleeves, a few
buttons, and 3/4 or long sleeves
pants
Flare: the FLARE out at the bottom;
now often called boot-cut
Straight: they go STRAIGHT from the
knee to the hem, like straight-cut jeans
Tapered: they TAPER in at the ankle;
similar to todays skinny jeans
Bermuda Shorts: long shorts (almost to
the knee) like men wear in BERMUDA
Culottes: pants that resemble a skirt but
arent’ too wide
Palazzo or Full: long, wide, flowing
culottes that really look like a skirt;
carwash pants are today’s version
Jumpsuit: pants and shirt all in one; bibs
are a variation
skirts
Straight: fitted at the waist and fairly
STRAIGHT all the way down
Dirndl: gathered at the waist but fairly
straight (good to hide a tummy)
A-Line: fitted at the waist and slightly
flared, like the letter A
Gathered: gathered at the waist and full
Gored: has several panels, or GORES
Pleated:
knife pleat: lots of small pleats
single pleat: one pleat in the front
box pleat: several large pleats that
are often stitched down at the top
Wrap: the skirt WRAPS around the
body; a sarong is a current variation
Flared: fitted at the waist, full at the hem
Circular: fitted at the waist but very full
(almost a CIRCLE) at the bottom–like a
poodle skirt
the long and
short of it
dresses
no waistline
Sheath: fits close to the body; shaped
by darts at the bust and waist
Shift or Chemise: looser fitting, straight,
and tubular
A-Line: flares out like an A shape
Tent: flares out a lot at the hem–like a
TENT or teepee shape
waistline styles
Empire: a high waist, just under the bust
like EMPRESS Josephine wore
High waist: midway between the bust
and normal waist
Shirtwaist: like a shirt on top, skirt on
the bottom, and a normal waist
Dropped waist: waistline near the hips;
if it bubbles over, it is called “blouson”
Princess: has seams (actually long
darts) that go from bust to hemline and
make the dress close-fitting; they make
you look tall and slim
Coat dress: like a lightweight coat
Wrap or Asymmetrical: wraps around
the body and overlaps in the front
coats and jackets
Blazer: the traditional jacket, like a
man’s sportcoat. Single-breasted has
one row of buttons. Double-breasted
has two parallel rows of buttons.
Boxy: short and straight
Fitted: has darts that make it fit close to
the body
Cardigan: a collarless jacket or sweater
that is boxy and buttons down the front
Bolero: a short jacket like today’s crop
jackets
Chanel: similar to a cardigan but without
the buttons
Safari: casual with lots of pockets
Bomber or Varsity: like a high school
letter jacket, named for BOMBER pilots’
leather jackets or VARSITY letter
jackets
Windbreaker: styled much like a
bomber jacket but made of lightweight
windproof material
Pea: hip-length and double breasted,
named for the coat sailor’s wore
Trench: an all-purpose coat that can be
either a raincoat or a winter coat.
Usually double-breasted and belted.
Chesterfield: usually wool, with a black
velvet collar
Cape: more fitted than a poncho and
has some sort of slits or cuffs for your
hands
When you’ve mastered
these terms, you are a
true FASHIONISTA!