Fashion dictionary - tailoring terms

Collars, ruffles, darts, cuffs… We all associate them with tailoring, clothing, or fashion. But what exactly? What are they for? What are they for? If it weren't for Ela, an ANSIN technologist, our team would probably struggle to define these words! That's why, in today's post, we'd like to shed some light on them and show you that tailoring concepts aren't as scary as they seem! :)

A Glossary of Tailoring Terms You Need to Know

Collar

Although we've encountered this tailoring term, we'd be hard-pressed to provide a precise definition ! In practice, it's simply the finishing touch at the neck, most familiar to us from shirts. It's hard to imagine this garment without it!

Many types of this finish have already been created in women's fashion, and today we will describe some of them:

1. English - neckline finished with lapels ending with a sharp spike.
2. Rotary - also has sharp corners, but its lower edges are spread wide and are almost perpendicular to the body
3. Round - its horns have round ends
4. High collar - as the name suggests, it is longer than classic collars and usually gently surrounds the neck
5. Stand-up collar - a straight standing collar that fits snugly around the neck
6. Jabot - the well-known collar with a ruffle
7. Polo - finished with several buttons and a sharp collar
8. Eton - fastened with a pin, with rounded ends

Tucks

Everyone's heard of them, but no one knows exactly what they are... In tailoring terms, they are pleats sewn into fabric to give clothing the desired shape. They are most often found around the bust, in shirts. There are two types:

1. vertical darts - sewn from the bottom of the blouse to a point near the bust line
2. breast darts - triangular folds that create space on the breast

Cuffs

Primarily associated with shirts, they can even be found on trousers! This is the end of a sleeve or pant leg, finished with a folded, pinned, or sewn-on strip of fabric.

Neckline

It's probably obvious what a neckline is! However, this cutout at the top of a garment can cause a lot of trouble once you realize how many different types there are!

1. Round - the most well-known, circular cutout around the neck. It can be located at various distances from the neck, which means we know its depth (size) differently.
2. Spanish (carmen) - a straight neckline, revealing the entire shoulders, both at the front and back of the silhouette
3. Boat neck - a rounded cut that reveals the neck and part of the shoulders
4. V-neckline - one of the most classic necklines, has a V-shape - exactly like in our Miss Classic Bodysuit
5. A square cutout. You'll find it in our Miss Fancy Bodysuit!
6. Turtleneck - a neckline that completely covers the neck
7. American - resembles the letter V, but goes much deeper than the classic V-neck
8. Envelope - the shape itself also resembles the letter V, but in the construction of this neckline one piece of material overlaps the other
9. Halter neckline – a high neckline that reveals the shoulders. You'll find it in our Miss Sporty Bodysuit !
10. Asymmetrical - revealing one shoulder, just like in our Miss Glam Top

Types of fasteners

We probably don't need to introduce you to zippers or buttons. But how many of you have heard of snaps, clasps, or hooks?

A snap fastener is a type of fastener consisting of two elements. The outer element is attached to the garment using a decorative tubular rivet. This decorative part of the rivet is visible from the outside and resembles a button. The inner element is the head of the snap fastener, attached in the same way.

Snaps are a type of fastener used on more delicate materials. Women are likely familiar with this type of fastening from women's bodysuits.

A hook is a wire element composed of two parts: a bent wire (hook) and an eyelet. It is most commonly found in bra clasps.

Flaps

A well-known element in elegant styling, as it can be found on jackets! Lapels are outward-turned pieces of fabric on the front of formal clothing . They can be found in:

1. Notch lapels – the most classic and familiar to most of us. They are sewn to the collar at an angle, creating a distinctive indentation.
2. Peaked/Notched Lapels - have a pointed finish and a closed space at the level of the gorge (the place where the jacket collar meets the lapel)
3. Shawl lapels - they taper towards the ends, forming a V-shape

Who would have thought there were so many names for details in fashion? And apparently, these aren't all of them!

We hope we've helped you understand some of the basic sewing concepts you've likely encountered while shopping. We hope that next time you'll be familiar with any of these concepts, none of them will be intimidating! :)

If you're interested in sustainable fashion and eco-friendly solutions, be sure to check out our article: What to do with old clothes you no longer wear?

If you want to receive even more:

unique, solid and substantive fashion knowledge

have access to pre-sales, drops and promotions

receive a 5% code for your first purchase at ANSIN

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter now, you will find the form below!

Monika from ANSIN