Dictionary (continued 2)

Cheviot—originally a rough, twill woven, slightly fulled fabric, with shaggy nap, woven from the coarse strong wool of the c. sheep, whence name; more generally any rough-finisht, twill woven fabric of strong, coarse wool, thoroly fulled, either with rough (or open) or close finish (long or short nap), used as suiting and overcoating.

Cheviot shirting—a heavy, plain or twilled, soft finisht cotton fabric, woven of single-thread warp and weft sufficiently coarse to produce weight, usually with loom-produced patterns such as small checks and stripes.

55Chevreau—(glove term) real kid, fed only by the mother, never having browsed. Compare Chevrette.

Chevrette—(glove term) kid older than chevreau (qv), having eaten other foods, as grass, etc., the skins being consequently harder and tougher.

Chevron—in weaving, a pattern characterized by zigzag lines or stripes; herringbone.

Chevron—(1) a device, consisting of two or more bars meeting at an angle, worn on the sleeve by non-commissioned officers to indicate rank; (2) an heraldic device.

Chicken skin—a material once actually used for gloves and fans, but now quite unused for such purposes—not, indeed, that the creatures have been cultivated into any greater tenderness nowadays.

Chimere—a gown worn by Anglican bishops.

Chimneypot—a tall or top hat, usually applied to those of felt.

Chin clout—a muffler.

Chin latch—a small cloth strap to fasten together the turned-up collar of an overcoat or ulster; fastened by means of buttons and buttonholes.

Chin lines—whiskers.

Chin stay—see C. strap.

Chin strap—a band passing under the chin for holding on a cap or hat; an extendible s. attacht to uniform caps, usually worn closed on the upper side of visor, or in the case of shakos, falling loosely in front of, but not under the chin.

Chin tuft—a wee beard; a goatee or imperial.

China silk—a light, thin, plain woven silk fabric; pongee.

Chinchilla—general term for heavy, double-woven woolen fabrics, having a long-napt surface of wooly lobs (or tufted nap) of various forms and effects, but not in imitation of chinchilla fur, as is generally supposed. See Petersham.

Chinchilla—an animal of the weazel family, found in Peru and Bolivia, prized for its soft, gray, silky fur.

Chinchilla machine—a machine for forming the peculiar knobby nap of chinchilla cloth.

Chine—an effect in weaving produced by employing warp threads that have been printed and groupt in such manner as to form more or less distinct patterns when woven; most frequently seen in silks, such as taffetas.

Chinese grass—see Ramie.

Chink—the slant-eyed dopefiend who declares your shirts are not ready because you didn’t call for them yesterday.

Chinkers—cant for handcuffs united by a chain.

56Chip—trade term for tiny diamond specks used in cheap jewelry. See Rose cutting.

Chipping Norton—see Bliss tweeds.

Chirothecae—a form of glove worn by the ancient Romans, fingerless and resembling the modern mitten. See Digitalia.

Chiton—a sort of short, sleeveless tunic, worn by the ancient Greeks.

Chlamys—a variety of himation (qv).

Chlorine—Cl₂; one of the most activ bleaching agents.

Chloroform—CHCl_(3); a good agent for the removal of grease spots from clothing.

Choice—see Wool.

Choiling—cutlery term for the operation of filing the little nick in a blade just between the cutting edge and the tang.

Choir vestments—see Cassock, Cotta, Surplice, etc.

Choked bellows—an underlaying accordion plait around a pocket (usually of the patcht variety) for purposes of increast capacity. See Bellows pocket.

Choker—any tall (and uncomfortable) shirt collar, especially a plain standing collar.

Chopper—in tailoring establishments a man who lays the paper patterns made by the “cutter” on to the cloth, marks same, and “chops” or cuts the cloth. Compare Cutter.

Chopper—a heavy leather working glove or mitten.

Chorus shirt—see Ballet s.

Chrome kid—goat skins tanned and finisht by the salts of aluminum or chromic acid method. See Vici k.

Chuddah—(1) a fine wool shawl made in India; (2) also the wool of which it is made.

Church-of-England hat—a low, round-crowned, felt h. with plain, flat brim, sometimes (erroneously) called shovel h. (qv).

Cigar case—a leather or metal pocket c. for cigars.

Cigar magazine—(1) same as c. case; also (2) a humidor.

Cigaret case—a metal pocket c. for coffin nails.

Cimeter—see Scimitar.

Cinch—a belt.

Cincture—a clerical girdle of serge or other stuff with silk fringed ends.

Circular cape—any c. the outer edges of which, spread flat, conform to the shape of a circle, and generally understood to mean without shaping at the shoulders.

Civet—the glandular secretion of the civet cat, most repulsiv and disgusting in its original state, but, properly compounded, practically indispensable in the imitation of certain floral perfumes.

57Civilian dress—distinguishes our everydayness from army and navy magnificence.

Clad—clothed.

Clan tartan—any and all of the plaids of the various highland clans of Scotland.

Claque—a sort of semi-circle of felt, which it was the fashion in France, in the early part of the last century, to carry under the arm instead of wearing it on the head.

Clasp—a ball-and-socket glove fastener. See Snaps.

Class chevron—(navy) angled stripes of scarlet cloth forming part of the rating badge (qv) indicating rank of the wearer.

Classy—a term often used by misfit shops and cheap “gents’ furnishers” as implying some aristocratic distinction.

Clatty—dishevelled; untidy.

Claudent—a readymade scarf or plastron tied like an ascot or puff, but without fullness and flat as a pancake.

Clawhammer—see Evening dress.

Clay—a name given to serges, worsteds and diagonals woven after the process of J. & B. Clay, of Huddersfield, England.

Clay worsted—see above and Worsted.

Clean—well made; of good quality, texture, lines, styles, workmanship, etc.

Clear finish—trade term for worsted cloths from which all nap or fuzz has been removed, as serge, “hard finish” worsteds, etc.

Clearing sale—the effort made by one merchant to show how much cheaper he is than the other fellow.

Clerical cape overcoat—similar to an Inverness o., the cape buttoning in front.

Clerical collar—(1) a coat and waistcoat c., straight standing, not turned over, similar to that known as military c. (qv); on the waistcoat, however, the clerical c. buttons behind and has a continuous front; (2) a separable linen shirt c. closed in front and buttoning behind, the Anglican c. being single and the Roman double or folded.

Clerical frock coat—a single-breasted frock c. with straight skirts (not cutaway), buttoned from waist line to throat, usually with 7 buttons, with military collar.

Clerical full dress—as worn by Anglican clergymen, consists of a sort of single-breasted cutaway frock coat without revers, buttoning to the throat, with a military collar; a cassock waistcoat and plain trousers.

Clerical girdle—a sort of cincture of black or white worsted or silk rope with tasseled ends.

Clerical sack coat—a square-cornered single-breasted s. c., without revers, usually with 6 buttons, closing to the throat, with military collar.

58Clerical shirt—a plain white linen s. without a made bosom, but with a simple placket.

Clerical shirt collar—see Clerical c. (2).

Clericals—short, close-cropt side whiskers.

Clerk—an absolutely impeccable individual.

Cleveland hat—a white or light-colored felt h., shaped like the silk top h., popular during the first Cleveland administration.

Clip—a season’s “crop” of wool; a shearing. See Wool c.

Clips—waste bits of cloth and other materials, saved and sold to converters.

Cloak—a loose outergarment without sleeves; a cape.

Cloak room—a shuffling place for umbrellas, hats, overcoats and rubbers.

Cloaking—any fabric suitable for men’s or women’s cloaks or overcoats, such as kersey, broadcloths, beaver, vicuna, chinchilla, etc.

Clock—narrow stem of silk embroidery on either side of a stocking, extending beyond the ankle and ending in a spear or crowsfoot; also a similar effect in drawn work.

Clockmutch—a night cap, from the Dutch clapmuts; a form of headdress which, tho still worn in Holland, is rarely seen in America.

Clodhopper—an awkward, clumsy fellow.

Clodhoppers—(1)extra large, ill-fitting shoes; (2) big feet.

Clog—(1) a dancing shoe; (2) an overshoe.

Clogs—wooden soles, usually iron shod, with leather straps for fastening.

Close edge—see Scotch e.

Close-fitting—said of a coat or other garment made tight or snug fitting, or shaped closely to the body.

Close-roll—trade term for umbrellas constructed on metal rods and covered with fine silk or other material that will roll closely into small compass. See Tight r.

Closed front—see Meeting folder.

Closed gauntlet—a mailed protectiv covering for the hand and wrist with immovable fingers, with the exception of one joint, so that in the shock of meeting an adversary, the weapon of the wearer, held fast in the fixt fingers, might not be dropt out of the hand—a device which, in the tournaments of those days, was considered as giving an unfair advantage over one’s adversary, and was usually proscribed.

Closed shop—a s. where a workman who refuses to join a labor union cannot find employment.

Closed trousers—tailors’ term for t. made for customers who stand with their legs close together, the inseam being shorter than is required for open t., which see.

59Closers—in ready-to-wear clothing manufacture, operators who put together the sides, back and front seams of a coat, making the outer shell only.

Closing measure—in tailoring a measure taken over the shoulder from front to rear of sleeve head at under-level of arm scye. Compare Scye m.

Cloth—in the woolens trade, a word used generally, to distinguish close-woven, fulled and milled or napt fabrics made of woolen yarn from those made of worsted yarns in various fancy weaves and not compacted but given various finishes, as “clear”, “unfinisht”, etc.

Cloth beam—in a loom a roller or b. on which the woven fabric is wound.

Cloth board—a piece of wood on which bolts of woolens, linings, shirtings, etc., are wound into bolts; also made of heavy paper pulp b., and wood-and-paper.

Cloth brush—name commonly given to a b. of bristles set in a wooden back, to distinguish from whisk broom, altho the latter is often so called.

Cloth button—a b. made on a mold and covered with cloth matching the garment.

Cloth fair—an English custom of the 17th century, annual exhibits and sales being held by the weavers and factors.

Cloth knife—a very long tapering blade for cutting many layers of material at a time, working in a groove in the cutting table.

Cloth-lapper—one who folds cloth in the piece, generally by means of machinery.

Cloth of gold—generally heavy brocaded silk textures, inwrought with gold threads. More precise information can be had with research—you might commence with Deuteronomy xxxix. 3, and work up to the present.

Cloth of iron—see Iron c.

Cloth-stitch—a close s., like the weave of cloth.

Cloth tester—a machine for testing, from a small sample, the tensil strength of fabrics.

Cloth (the)—the clergy.

Cloth-teazeler—a machine for raising a nop on cloth by teazeling.

Clothes—consult Baker’s “Dictionary of Men’s Wear”.

Clothes hamper—a basket for soiled clothes.

Clothes line—a rope on which washing is hung out to dry.

Clothes press—a closet for clothes; a wardrobe.

Clothes tongs—an implement for grappling cloths or garments and removing them from a dying vat.

Clothier—(1) one who sells ready-to-wear clothing—distinguisht from the tailor in that he usually gets his money in advance; (2) a manufacturer of clothes.

60Clothing—garments and apparel, considered as a whole.

Clothing wool—fine fleece 2 to 4 inches long, intended for woolen or carded yarn, usually graded as picklock, XXX, XX, X, No. 1 and No. 2, the first being the finest, the last the coarsest; the name of locality where obtained is also prefixt. See Wool. Compare Combing w.

Clouded yarn—weft y., characterized by alternate thick and thin places thruout its length.

Cloudy—trade term for goods not perfectly dyed and uneven in color. Compare “Off color” and “Shaded”.

Club—a place for the idle rich to sit in the windows for the inspection of pretty girls passing by.

Club—see Wig.

Club check—small quiet checks.

Club coat—see Dinner jacket.

Club tie—see Graduated t.

Coaching hat—a felt h. similar to a derby, but with a flat or square top.

Coachman’s box overcoat—a double-breasted top coat, of covert, kersey or whipcord, for wear with stable suit or undress livery.

Coachman’s collar—a standing shirt c. usually on a band and having well rounded corners.

Coachman’s frock coat—a single-breasted skirted c. closing with six buttons, usually matching the metalwork of the harness, large pocket flaps at waistline without pockets, four buttons on skirt.

Coachman’s hat—(1) a tall felt h. having a bell crown with a flat top; (2) a variety of Derby h. with a flattish top.

Coachman’s livery—Dress: body coat, breeches and boots, silk hat, greatcoat in winter. Undress: cutaway coat, breeches, square-crown derby or bell-crown hat, leggins, selby or top coat in winter; jacket and trousers often substituted for the skirted coat and breeches.

Coachman’s overcoat—a double-breasted frock o., buttoning close to the neck with a double row of six buttons, Prussian collar, large pocket flaps at waistline, the skirt folds showing turned back revers or side edges (qv).

Coachmen’s proof—an extra heavy waterproofing process, as applied to raincoatings, etc., intended for severe wear.

Coat—an outergarment for the upper part of the body as body c. (sack, cutaway, frock, dress, etc.), and overcoat (top coat, Chesterfield, Newmarket, paletot, raincoat, Inverness, ulster, etc.)

Coat case—see Portmanteau, Suit c., etc.

Coat front—trade term for a built-up stiffening or shape-retaining interlining for the fronts of coats, made of stitcht layers of haircloth, felt and canvas.

61Coat label—(1) a l. of cotton or linen, usually sewed within the inside breast pocket, containing besides the tailor’s name the name of the customer, date and number of order; (2) a woven silk l. bearing the name and address of the maker, usually sewed inside at back of neck.

Coat link—a pair of buttons linkt together, or a button and a loop, used for closing or fastening a coat, as a dress coat.

Coat maker—a journeyman tailor who makes coats his specialty.

Coat money—a tax levied by Charles I. ostensibly for clothing the army.

Coat of mail—defensiv armor worn by those afraid to die.

Coat pad—general term for any made-up padding or wadding, as shoulder-pads, coat fronts, etc.

Coat shirt—a s. open all the way down the front and put on like a c., whence name.

Coat sweater—a knitted jacket or sweater (qv) opening all the way down the front and closing with buttons; with sleeves, but usually without collar, much like a cardigan jacket.

Coat-tail pocket—see Skirt p.

Coat-tails—the skirts of a frock c.

Coatee—(1) a very short coat of 1757; (2) a cadet’s uniform coat.

Coating—tailoring term for all fine woolen and worsted cloths especially suitable for dress coats, such as broadcloth, crepe, unfinisht worsted, vicuna, refines, etc.; also applied to overcoatings.

Coatlet—a dummy sample showing how a coat will look when made up; a means of showing piece goods by swatches cut and finisht much like a coat front, the effect being enhanced by displaying a number of such dummies in an overlapping row. (Name and system proprietary.)

Cobble—to patch or repair boots or shoes; used in the sense of rough or clumsy work.

Cobbler—(1) a mender of boots and shoes; (2) a clumsy or indifferent workman.

Cobweb—unusually thin, sheer and transparent, as c. hosiery.

Cochineal—bug juice; a red dye.

Cockade—a roset or knot of ribbon, leather, bullion, etc., worn on the hat as a badge of service, military, diplomatic or (improperly) domestic, etc.

Cocking—tailor’s term for critical inspection of finisht garments for discovery of mistakes—derived doubtless from an affected manner of squinting or “cocking the eye” on the part of the zealous examiner.

Cockle—see below.

Cockling—trade term for a wrinkled, puckered or shriveled effect or apparent defect in cloths, usually the result of lack of uniformity in warp and filling yarns, or uneven twist of either or 62both, or imperfect crabbing (qv), etc., chiefly encountered in light-weight fabrics and especially in such styles as loom-checks, mixt warp suitings, etc.

Cockt hat—a h. of various shapes, sometimes turned up in front only, with one button, and also with three laps, often richly trimmed with metal cords, buttons, laces, ribbons, etc.; see Kevenhuller. See also Chapeau. (Cocked h.)

Cocoon—the covering or chrysalis envelop spun by the silk worm, from which the filaments entering into the manufacture of silk are obtained.

C. O. D.—collect on delivery—otherwise you could have a charge account.

Codfish—the airs, frills and pretensions of the new rich; affected stylishness.

Codfish aristocracy—the “smart set” that furnishes the market for readymade ties, “pants,” “vests,” and outre “fashions” generally.

Codpiece—a medieval ornamental article of apparel. Consult Rabelais, Boccaccio, et al.

Coffin cloth—see Casket c.

Coif—a close undercap—centuries out of date.

Coin case—a sort of purse for odd change.

Coin purse—a small p. for “loose change.”

Coin toe—one of many varieties of shoe toes, rounded, and according to width, known as half dollar t., dime t., etc.

Cokers—iron reinforcements for the sole and heels of the woodsoled clogs worn by European peasants; also known as “irons”.

Cold storage—recommended for furs; for processes, etc., consult scientific works.

Coldwater shrinking—a process of sponging or shrinking woolens by dipping them in cold water and then suspending them on rods or lines in the open air to dry; the London process; the opposite of steam shrunk (qv).

Colichemarde—a peculiar duelling sword of the period of Louis XIV.

Collar—in tailoring that part of a coat or waistcoat that is folded back around the neck. All collars are either straight (put on in a straight line) or horseshoe (hollowed and curved), the former being the better fitting but more difficult to make. As to shape collars are known as notched c., shawl c., ulster c., clerical c., Prussian c., military c., rolling c., etc., while as to material they are designated self c., velvet c., laid on velvet c., inlaid c., etc. All of which see

Collar—a detacht or attacht linen neckpiece. See Shirt c.

Collar-ascot—a neglige c. and cravat combined, but separable. (Proprietary term.)

63Collar bag—a b. of cloth or leather, with a draw-string, for carrying collars when traveling.

Collar box—a container for collars, usually of leather.

Collar break—tailoring term for the creased line of a lapel.

Collar button—an indispensable instrument of iniquitous proclivities.

Collar city (the)—Troy, N. Y.

Collar insignia—(army) see Insignia of rank.

Collar spring—a steel s. device worn under coat collars for the purpose of keeping the coat front together without buttoning and for the further purposes of spoiling the coat and to display the wearer’s vulgarity.

Collar stand—tailoring term for that part of a coat c. where sewed to the coat proper and extending to the crease or turnover point; usually 1⅛ to 1¾ inches in height.

Collar velvet—a very fine and expensive grade of silk v. made especially for the tailoring trade.

Collarette—see Vestlet.

Collars-and-cuffs—nickname for the late Duke of Clarence, son of King Edward VII., arising from his penchant for extremely high collars and protrusive cuffs.

College cap—an adhesive diminutive c. of about the size of a small saucer.

College colors—flamboyance. See Appendix.

College hat—a flat topt soft felt h. of the telescope variety, usually with band in college colors, commonly worn with brim blazed up or banged down in front.

Collet—a shoulder cape or collar.

Collet—the neck or stem of a button.

Collet point—the sharp point or base of a brilliant cut diamond.

Cologne—see Eau de c.

Colonel’s uniform—(army) see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u.; (marine corps) Special full dress, Full dress, Mess dress, Undress, Field dress. Also variations.

Color—briefly, any hue, as distinguisht from white. See Encyclopedia.

Color doctor—in calico printing, a blade for wiping surplus ink from the engraved roll.

Color of the day—in ecclesiastical usage the vestments worn on certain days must be of certain colors, as: white, for the feasts of our Lord, of virgins who were not martyrs, and of confessors; red for feasts of Pentecost and of all martyrs; violet for advent and from Septuagesima until Easter; green for ferial or ordinary days; black on Good Friday and in services for the dead. Cloth of gold is supposed to take the place of white, red or green.

64Color-test—general term for the various means of determining the purity or fastness of colors, which may be by means of exposure, washing, chemical processes, etc. See Acid t., Exposure t., and an encyclopedia.

Comb—a little rake of rubber, horn, celluloid or other substance used in dressing the hair.

Combination suit—undershirt and drawers constructed as one piece or garment; better known as union s.

Combing—the process of arranging the fibers of wool, mohair, silk, cotton, etc., into a parallel condition and of equal length, preparatory to spinning into smooth, even and regular yarn; the perfected application of the carding principle.

Combing wool—fleece intended for worsted yarn, the staple ranging from 4 to 10 inches long; generally classed as fine, medium, coarse and low. See Wool. Compare Carding w.

Come again—shopkeeper’s invitation to try it over again.

Come-back—a customer, not sold to the first time, who returns.

Come-to-Jesus-collar—irreverent term for a plain standing linen shirt c. of the lap front variety; a “choker”; a clergyman’s c.

Comforter—a long woolen scarf or muffler.

Comforter—a quilt or counterpane, especially one of cotton or wool filling between two sheets of cotton or silk, more or less fancifully stitched.

Comfortable—a sort of shawl worn in the first half of the last century.

Commander’s coat—(masonic) a double-breasted frock c. of black cloth, having two rows of 11 buttons each and a standing military collar and epaulets. Compare Sir Knights c. and Fatigue blouse.

Commander’s uniform—(navy) see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Service dress, Evening dress, Mess dress, Undress. See also variations.

Comme il faut—irreproachable.

Commercially all-wool—see All wool.

Commodore’s uniform—see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Service dress, Evening dress, Mess dress, Undress. See also variations.

Common—see Wool.

Commonsense—a name sometimes applied to designate a certain style of broad-toed footform shoe. See Orthopedic.

Competition—a good thing to take the conceit out of some merchants.

Composition cloth—a strong, heavy cotton duck or canvas, chemically waterproofed, used for trunk covers, bags, etc.

65Compound spectacles—(1) s. having lenses made of two different foci or characters in one frame; (2) s. with supplementary (detachable) lenses of colored glass. Compare Bifocal s.

Concertina pocket—a bellows (patch) p.

Conchas—Silver ornaments attached to the spurs worn by cowboys and plainsmen on high days and holiday occasions.

Conditioning—a process in the manufacture of cotton yarns, restoring thereto, immediately after spinning, the natural moisture that was driven out. Originally the purpose was to add weight and deceive the purchaser, but experience, in comparison with yarns “hot off the reel”, has demonstrated that conditioned yarns are improved materially in strength, elasticity and appearance, with freedom from kinks and curls.

Conductors’ uniforms—see Railroad c. u. and Street railway c. u.

Coner—a workman who attends to a cone on which hat bodies are formed.

Coney—a species of rabbit, the fur of which is largely used in the manufacture of fur garments, and by hatters; properly the fur of the conepatus, a genus of badger-like skunks; loosely applied to all cheap furs, such as rabbit, cat, etc.

Confessional cape—a c. worn by Catholic priests in the confessional box; not much in present use.

Confirm—to ratify an order given—a practice that seems to be growing in usage.

Conformateur—a mechanical device for obtaining and recording or holding the shape of the head or of other parts of the body that hats or other articles of apparel may be conformed thereto.

Congress shoe—a s. without a buttoned or laced opening in the front of top, but with elastic gores in the sides.

Coning—in hat making the process of shaping the flat felt into cones.

Connaught—an overcoat of the same class as the present day Chesterfield, popular in England about 25 years ago.

Continental hat—the distinctiv h., so called, worn by the Continental Army of old, but which dates back to the time of William III. See Three cornered h.

Contract—(1) a binding legal agreement insisted upon by employes not confident of holding their jobs otherwise, and proffered by employers not confident of holding good men otherwise; (2) an agreement for merchandise or other services.

Contraptions—vulgarism applied to any new-fangled, peculiar thing or idea; e. g., an extravagant form of dress, a queer and unusual manner of speech, or anything else that is new and to which the public taste is not accustomed.

66Cope—a long mantle of silk or brocade worn over the alb by priests or bishops on solemn or ceremonial occasions; also a state or choral vestment worn by laymen.

Copper toed—name given to the old-time schoolboy’s shoes with copper toe protection against scuffing.

Cops—the conical rolls of thread formed on the spindle of a spinning machine.

Cor de soie—a corded silk of the 18th century.

Cord stitch—a fancy s. of a chain-like nature.

Corded edge—in tailoring an edge finish obtained by laying a cord along the joint and fastening it thereto so as to present a hard-wearing e.; see piped e. Differing from corded welt in that the cord is not concealed but is on the outer edge or surface.

Corded goods—trade term for such goods as Bedford cord, whipcord, repps, ottoman, etc.

Corded pocket—same as jetted p. (qv), especially if the turned over piece encloses a cord.

Corded seam—a plain s. (qv) is first made, then instead of being presst open, the s. is turned to one side and stitcht thru again so that the face of the cloth shows a row of stitching, corresponding, usually, with the edge finish. The three thicknesses give a cord effect to the s., hence the name, altho it is also called “single-stitch s.” Also sewn with a cord or piping between so as to show same on the outside. See C. edge.

Corded wolf’s paw—see Wig.

Cordington—a heavy, close-felted variety of “niggerhead”. See also Petersham.

Cordonnet—inferior silk fibers used for manufacturing braids, binding, twist, etc.

Cordovan—horsehide shoe leather.

Corduroy—a heavy, pile-woven cotton fabric largely used for hunting garments, stable wear, laborer’s clothes, etc.; usually 27 inches wide. In weaving one or two sets of weft may be used (the latter for the better grades), the weft forming the pile which is thrown up in furrows of loops which are afterward cut and singed, and the cloth then dyed.

Cordwainer—a shoemaker.

Cork sole—shoemaking term for an intermediate s. of cork for warmth and protection against wet.

Corkscrew worsted—a twill woven suiting having a round, even twill, supposed to, but not suggesting the twists of a corkscrew, formed by the warp surrounding and imbedding the weft and appearing on both face and back of the fabric.

Corner pocket—same as top p.

Coronation cloth—a black-and-red variation of Queen’s mourning c., (qv) appearing just previous to the first time set for coronation of King Edward VII.

67Coronet—an article of decorativ attire not popular in democratic America, tho in activ demand by heiresses of peddlers, packers, etc.

Corporal’s uniform—see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u., Fatigue u. Also variants.

Corpulent—trade term for a man whose waist and breast are more than normal measure; i. e., a man whose chest seems to have slipt down below his belt. See Stout.

Corselet—medieval armor.

Corset—contraption of cloth, steel and whalebone for giving shapeliness to a woman or effeminacy to a man.

Corset vest—a vest (waistcoat) cut snug and tight to compress the waist and strongly constructed to withstand the strain.

Cosmetique—same as Pomatum.

Cossacks—a peculiar shapeless sort of trousers reaching about to the ankle where they are drawn with a ribbon and tied, rather full below the waist where they are gathered by plaits to shape; popular in first half of 19th century. Also called Plaited trousers.

Cost-mark—the first thing, not comprehended in his duties, that the new employe takes an activ interest in learning.

Coster suit—general term for anything garish and cockneyfied.

Costume—(1) dress and the science and history of dress; (2) the garments one may be wearing.

Costume de rigueur—extreme formal or evening dress; prescribed ceremonious attire.

Costumer—one who furnishes garments of any particular period or fashion for theatrical use, masquerades, etc.

Costumer—a piece of furniture upon which clothes are hung at night.

Costumic—of or pertaining to costume (rare).

Cotta—a short surplice, with and without sleeves.

Cottes noir—“black coats”, the nickname of a corps of mercenary German troops of the early 17th century, whose appointments were black thruout.

Cotton—the soft, wooly fleece or down from the seed boll of the c.-plant. How interesting are the encyclopedias! Look it up.

Cotton-bale—a bundle of about 500 lbs., in dimension 54 × 27 × 27 inches.

Cotton bengaline—silk b. with cotton warp.

Cotton cheat—term used by righteous factors in denunciation of mercerized woolen and worsted fabrics.

Cotton classification—the New York commercial classification is (1) full grades: fair, middling fair, good middling, middling, low middling, good ordinary, ordinary; (2) half grades are designated by the prefix “strict”; (3) quarter grades by the prefix “barely”, 68meaning a point above half grade and the next full grade above, and “fully”, meaning a point between half grade and the next full grade below. Liverpool high grades are higher and low grades lower than those of New York. Classifications for length are short staple (under 25 mm.), medium (25 to 30 mm.), long (30 to 40 mm.), and extra (40 mm. or more).

Cotton gin—a machine for separating the seeds from the fiber of cotton.

Cotton test—if silk or wool suspected of containing cotton, light a specimen by match; if adulterated will burn until consumed; the more common test for wool is by boiling in caustic soda. See Breaking t., Burning t., Oil t., Sulfuric acid t., Thru-lighting t., Untwisting t., Acid t. There are also microscopic and other tests. See an encyclopedia.

Cotton velvet—velveteen.

Cotton warp—trade term for suitings and other cloths woven with a warp of cotton and with filling of woolen or worsted.

Cotton worsted—stout all-cotton or part-cotton worsted-wove suitings for men’s wear in imitation of honester goods, usually of hard, slippery feel and the despair of the workman who has to “chop” it with shears. See Cottonade; also Manipulated.

Cottonade—stout cotton cloth woven in imitation of woolen or worsted trouserings, produced of coarse yarns, the patterns executed in the loom; usually narrow width.

Cottonette—an elastic knitted cotton fabric employed for bathing suits.

Cotts—see Cotty wool.

Cotty wool—the poor fleece of sheep exposed to severe weather or inadequately fed; generally hard, brittle, matted and of little value.

Cotul—a moss grown on the rocks in several British isles: basis of the brown dye used in coloring Harris tweeds.

Count—in spinning, the number given to any thread or yard (except silk) to indicate its relativ fineness, based on the number of threads required to weigh one pound. See Spinning; also see an encyclopedia.

Counter—a peculiarly shaped piece of sole leather used for stiffening or supporting that part of the upper of a shoe immediately around the heel.

Counterhopper—a too familiar term for salesclerks in retail shops.

Counter jumper—same thing.

Counterpane—a coverlet or quilt.

Counting glass—a magnifying glass for counting threads, twills, etc., of a fixed focus with an aperture of definit dimensions to serve as a multiple.

69Court coat—(1) a formal dress c. in European use; resembles c. in vogue in the days of the Georges; cut somewhat like a “cutaway”, with standing collar, deep pocket flaps, braided frogs instead of buttons, braided edges; (2) a house footman’s c.

Court dress—(England) velvet tailcoat with steel buttons, silk waistcoat, velvet knee breeches, black silk stockings, buckled low shoes and white gloves, a cockt hat carried under the arm and a small dress sword worn at the side.

Court livery—c. coat, silk or satin knee breeches, plush waistcoat, silk stockings, buckled low shoes.

Court plaster—silk or cotton gummed with an antiseptic or healing compound, useful after a scrap; originally worn by court ladies in the shape of beauty patches (and pimple hiders?).

Court tie—a low shoe with short vamp; a sort of pump.

Coutil—a closely woven cotton fabric with a fine herringbone twill, slightly resembling jean, used for corsets. (Included herein because some men wear ’em.) (Coutille).

Cover coat—a top c.; a covert c.

Covered button—general term for coat, waistcoat and overcoat buttons made on a wooden or metal mold and covered with silk braid, mohair, lasting, cloth, etc., which see under those names.

Coverlet—an outer covering for a bed; a quilt.

Covert cloth—a stout twill woven woolen coating, the warp of which is of two twisted yarns of differing colors with a single weft of the same color as the dark strand of warp, producing a pepper-and-salt or mixt effect in the piece, well fulled and sheared according as a smooth or twilled surface is to result. Low grade coverts are sometimes woven with a cotton-and-wool or all-cotton warp.

Covert coat—a short top c., properly of covert cloth.

Couverture pantaloons—a cloth or rubber lap robe for motoring wear, convertible into over trousers by means of bands, hooks and buttons.

Cow seal—trade term for leather made from cowhides stamped in imitation of seal leather but with a large, coarse grain. Compare Pin s.

Cow-tail—see Tail.

Cowboy boots—b. of fine stout calfskin, the legs of which are decorated with fancy lines and curves stitcht into the leather, and having heels at least 2 inches high curving inwardly with a very small bottom, not as a matter of vanity or daintiness, but as a check against the foot slipping thru the stirrup and as a brace against ground-slipping when roping an animal.

Cowhide—(1) thick, heavy boot leather; (2) sole leather; (3) rough boots of ditto and of pleasant memory of boyhood country days; (4) a heavy flexible tapering leather whip used by teamsters and sometimes of unpleasant youthful memory.

70Cowes coat—see Dinner jacket.

Cowl—(1) a monk’s hood; (2) the garment of which it is a part.

Cowlick—(1) a tuft of hair turned up over the forehead, as if licked by a cow; (2) a tuft of hair sticking up out of the crown of the head that can’t be brushed down.

Coxcomb—a pretentious, conceited dandy.

Crabbing—a process in cloth weaving by which yarn is uniformly moistened and stretched. See Cockling.

Craiganputtach—a variety of Scotch tweed from the town of that name.

Crammer—mentioned by Capt. Gronow: probably a choking neck stock or high cravat.

Crank—a fool customer who knows better than the salesman what he wants.

Crape—see Crepe.

Crape-cloth—a fine quality, light-weight, stoutly woven worsted fabric, with a surface in imitation of silk crepe, much used for dress coats.

Crash—(1) coarse linen toweling or suiting; (2) a light-weight “homespun” woolen suiting woven in imitation of linen toweling.

Cravat—a necktie or scarf, particularly of the larger, hand-tied varieties.

Cravat pin—see Scarf p.

Cravatings—silk fabrics designed for neckdressings.

Cravenette—a process applied to yarns before weaving, rendering the cloths made therefrom repellent to water and moisture; sometimes applied also to the woven fabric with satisfactory results; a secret process owned by The Cravenette Company and B. Priestley & Co., of Bradford, England. Frequently, the word is most erroneously misused as a name for an overcoat, tho the word strictly refers only to the proofing process, and strictly represents, therefore, neither a garment nor a fabric.

Crease—a prest fold.

Crease—a large dagger used by the Malays. (Kris.)

Crease line—in tailoring (1) the line along which a coat collar is folded; (2) where a lapel or rever is turned; (3) a horizontal line in the center of trousers legs, front and back; (4) any other place where a crease may be necessary or fashionable.

Credit—the precious privilege of obtaining goods one day and of paying for them, if you can, some other day.

Credit clothier—term specially applied to retail tradesmen who sell clothes on the installment plan, exacting a larger profit for their “obliging” accommodation.

71Creedmore—a sort of brogan or blucher shoe for farmers, railroaders, etc., made of extra heavy leather, double stitcht and reinforced by rivets, and having commonly an outside sole leather counter.

Creepers—a baggy sort of dress for children learning to move about; usually bifurcated.

Creole—a stout shoe similar to a Congress gaiter, but with tops and uppers cut in one piece and without caps.

Crepe—generic name for semi-transparent fabrics of silk, wool or cotton, or combinations thereof, having a weave effect characterized by a crinkly surface of minute irregular ridges or sometimes of small twisted knots or puckers, usually produced by making the weft or warp (or both) of hard twisted threads, each alternate group twisted reversely, which by loom spacing and tension, relax and untwist when the fabric is taken from the loom, resulting in the peculiarity described. Black silk c. is used almost entirely for mourning.

Crepe—a species of thrown silk. See Throwing.

Crepe cloth—see Crape c.

Crepe de Chine—a fine, soft, thin silk fabric slightly crinkled; used for neckwear, mufflers, etc.

Crepe de sante—a light-weight cotton or linen fabric, resembling momie in weave, used for undergarments, pajamas, etc.

Crepele—French word meaning crepe-effect.

Crib—a small bed; a berth or bunk.

Cricket—a small footstool.

Cricketing—general name for fine twilled flannel suitings (from popular British use).

Crispin—a shoemaker. See St. Crispin.

Crispin cloak—see Houppelande.

Croat—a cravat; such as was worn by the Croatians in the French army in 1636.

Crocheted tie—a slimsy thing on a level with colored shoe laces; usually a souvenir of a misguided sweetheart.

Crock—to blacken, or stain, or lose color, as a dye that is not fast.

Crocus finish—a superior glaze or polish given to knife blades, etc.

Crofter—a peasant worker in (British) woolen or linen mills; a linen bleacher; a worker at crude hand looms.

Crofting—the bleaching of linen or cotton fabrics on grass or bleaching grounds.

Croise—weaving term indicating that the warp threads cross each other on the back of the fabric, as velvet, broadcloth, etc., forming a sort of twill.

Crop—a short wooden riding or hunting whip with a leather loop instead of a lash at one end and usually a handle at the other.

72Crop—a growth of hair or beard; a wig.

Cropping—technical term for nap-shearing.

Cross dyed—trade term for fabrics in which, in weaving, a skein-dyed decorativ thread of a dark color, usually black, is woven into the fabric in the gray, and the whole piece afterward dyed a lighter color, permitting the dark decoration to show thru. Also called resist dyed (qv).

Cross-gartered—see Malvolio in “Twelfth Night”.

Cross-legged—the manner in which journeymen tailors work, whence their inclination to parenthesis of the legs.

Cross pockets—regular p. (qv).

Cross stitches—threads crossing one another, either singly (in the middle) or doubly (in the ends), something like a snake fence; used for staying the edges of velvet on collars, but often used for ornament only.

Cross stripes—in weaving, s. running across the width instead of along the length; horizontally.

Crossbred—the best sheep for mutton tho producing coarse wool.

Crossbreed—wool classification term. See Wool.

Crotch—juncture of the two halves of a trouser.

Crotch piece—a triangular piece of goods sewed onto the inner legs of trousers at the crotch when cut from goods not wide enough to permit of unspliced chopping.

Crotch seam—the fork s. See Stride.

Crown—(1) the upper part of a hat, particularly the flat or table part thereof; (2) the top piece of a flat crowned cap.

Crown—a decorativ circlet or covering for the head, worn, carried or displayed as a mark of kingly or sovereign power; unknown in U. S.

Crown—the upper pyramid of a diamond. See Brilliant cutting.

Crown-piece—see Crown.

Crow’s-foot tack stitch—in tailoring, an ornamental tack for ends of pockets, vents or inverted plaits. The tack is first laid out in a triangle and the threads laid in from base to apex-sides, alternately from one side and then the other, until the threads meet at the base. This is the most common form; there are variations, not differing greatly in effect or method.

Crow’s-foot—a three-pointed embroidery stitch sometimes used in finishing pockets. See above.

Crow’s-toe—same as Crow’s-foot.

Cruiser—a waterproof moccasin boot with a sewed-on sole and a medium heel, both studded with small hob nails.

Crush hat—the collapsible opera h.

73Crush opera—same as O. hat.

Crusher—a soft felt hat, not hurt if stuft into a bag; much loved of travelers.

Crutch—the crotch or fork; (properly crotch).

Crutch—a walking prop for cripples and invalids.

Ct.—abbreviation for carat.

Cue—see Queue.

Cuff box—a receptacle for cuffs; usually of leather.

Cuff button—wrist jewelry.

Cuff links—cuff buttons. See Links.

Cuffs—(1) ornamental finishing to coat sleeves; (2) separate or attacht bands as a finishing for shirt sleeves.

Cuirass—defensiv armor covering the entire upper part of the body.

Culet—see Collet point.

Cummerbund—a broad, soft sash.

Cup button—bowl shape.

Curl—a cute little kink.

Curled yarn—weft y. commonly composed of two or three threads of contrasting colors, characterized by loops or curls at intervals, variously effected.

Curling—a process in hat manufacture whereby brims are shaped to conform exactly to a model.

Curling iron—a machine that had better be left altogether to women, who have hair to burn.

Currier—one who curries or dresses leather.

Curtain—the waist lining of trousers.

Custom made—made in the mode; to order and to measure.

Custom tailor—one who makes clothes to order only. Compare Merchant t.

Customer—an individual highly prized by the proprietor and patronized by the salesperson; sometimes called an “Indian”.

Customer’s labels—in the readymade clothing trade (wholesale) a name given to woven silk labels, bearing retailer’s names, sewed into neck of coats.

Customs inspector’s uniform—coat, vest, trousers and cap of dark blue cloth, the coat 4-button double-breasted in winter with 2 lower pockets with flaps, 1 outside welted breast and 1 inside breast pocket; in summer to be 4 buttons, single-breasted, square cut. Inspectors of passenger’s baggage wear red cap instead of blue. Insignia indicating rank worn on front of cap. All coat and vest buttons of flat bone, to be covered with shells when on duty.

Cut—a coil of two hanks of yarn.

74Cut goods—trade term for hosiery knitted on a round knitting machine, the tubular, unshaped product being cut into required lengths, then footed, shaped, etc., by cutting out and adding other pieces as needed; the cheapest process of manufacture.

Cut mark—a mark fixt on the warp during dressing or beaming, to indicate a certain length and serve as a point for separating two adjoining pieces of cloth when woven.

Cut-off cuff—a sewed on or special c.

Cut-off vamp—same as Short v.

Cut pile—having a pile made by cutting the loops of the warp or floats of the filling on certain fabrics, as velvet, plush, etc.

Cut velvet—see Velvet.

Cut wig—see Wig.

Cutaway frock coat—a single-breasted f. c. with the skirts cut in a slanting line from a point near the waist. See Frock c. Occasionally—and whimsically—this c. is made double-breasted, but such an order is the despair of the tailor because of the difficulty of obtaining a smart appearance.

Cutlas—a heavy, curved short sword with one cutting edge and a bowl-shaped guard, used mostly in hand-to-hand naval engagements; latterly being discontinued.

Cutler—a dealer in knives, scissors, razors, table cutlery, surgical instruments, etc.; a manufacturer or repairer of same.

Cutlery—cutting instruments collectivly.

Cuts—trade term for less than a bolt or full piece of goods; short lengths.

Cutter—(1) in tailoring, the man who takes the measurements and drafts and cuts the paper patterns, which, in the larger establishment are turned over to “choppers” (qv) who “make the lay” on the cloth and cut the cloth; (2) in ready-to-wear clothing manufacturing the “cutter” is the man who lays out the pattern on the cloth and cuts the cloth, either by shears, electric cutting machine or long knife—corresponding to the “chopper” of the merchant tailor; (3) in shoe manufacturing, one who lays the patterns on the leather and cuts therefrom the vamps or other parts of a shoe.

Cutters-up—manufacturers of various articles of apparel. See Cutting-up trade.

Cutting knife—a long, tapering k. (24 to 30 in. blade) working in a groove or slot, used for cutting cloth, linings, etc., in large shops. As many as 75 layers of cloth may be cut at one stroke.

Cutting machine—an electrically operated m. for cutting several thicknesses of cloth at one operation, moved about by hand and controlled at will of the operator. There are two principal styles (1) a straight knife 5 to 6 in. long, and (2) a circular or wheel 75knife 3½ to 4½ in. in diameter, which will cut thru about 30 layers of heavy cloth and about 45 of light cloth; the straight knife will cut several more layers.

Cutting-up trade—indicativ of the trades that buy yard goods for purposes of manufacturing, as clothiers, tailors, shirt makers, etc., as distinguished from the jobbing trade.

Cutty—a short-stemmed pipe.

D

Dalmatic—a wide sleeved tunic reaching to the knees, worn over the alb or cassock at mass and communion by deacons; also a medieval state or coronation robe. As an ecclesiastical vestment it was originally white with wide perpendicular stripes of purple; as now worn it follows the color of the day with stripes of embroidery.

Damascened—see Damascus blade and Jowhir.

Damascus blade—general term for swords famed for the quality and temper of the metal as well as the beauty of the jowhir or watering of the blades.

Damask—a twill woven fabric of linen, cotton, silk, etc., with loom-figured all-over patterns.

Damask—steel workt in the Damascus style, showing the wavy lines of the different metals; also called watered and twisted.

Dame fashion—a fetich.

Damier—large square checks.

Dancing clog—a laced leather low shoe with wooden sole (very noisy).

Dancing pump—a low-heeled, low shoe with short vamps, with or without ornamental bow at instep.

Dandified—dandyish; foppish.

Dandy—a beau; not quite a dude.

Dandy—something out of the common; first-class.

Dandy trap—a loose stone, which slips when trodden on, and, in wet weather, throws up the mud under it, to the great detriment of the clothes of the victim.

Darbies—cant for irons or handcuffs.

Darning stitch—a s. peculiar to darning or embroidery.

Dart—a place in a garment from which a tapering piece or V has been cut to make it fit the figure, as at the waist. Same as fish.

Dauber—a small brush or other arrangement for applying blacking or polish to shoes, incidentally soiling the hands.

76Day dress—generally, single and double-breasted frock coats, as contrasted with swallowtails and Tuxedos for evening dress and sack coats for day business and lounge wear.

De Joinville—a neck dressing, a plain, flat strip of satin or silk which must be folded before it is put on, and is passed thru a flat (gold) clasp or “scarf ring”, having a hinge at one side and a spike or projection on the inner side of the rear part for engaging and keeping in place the adjusted tie; sometimes this clasp is made with a hinged pin; also the scarf is frequently tied as an ascot, puff, once-over, waterfall, etc.

Dead gold—unburnisht.

Dead hairs—see Kemp.

Dead horse—(nautical commerce) wages paid before they are earned.

Dead wool—fleece taken from pelts of sheep that have died. Same as Kemp.

Debeige—see Beige.

Decoration—trade term for the white or bright-colored threads used to lighten up worsted and other otherwise plainish fabrics; usually employed when the “decoration” is of silk or mercerized threads.

De soy—see Sergedusoy.

Deep mourning—lusterless black outer garments with crepe and no social intercourse or amusements.

Deep scye—a variety of armhole not fitting up close under the arm, as is usual, but where the front and back parts of the coat are cut away in a descending curve to a point a little above the waist, affecting, of course, the style of sleeve also.

Degage—easy; unconventional; neglige.

Delaine—a name given to combing wools. See Wool.

Delivery—getting goods to the purchaser; usually behind promised time.

Delivery boy—a pert young imp, hired, in the opinion of customers, to talk back to them.

Deltoid muscle—the pons asinorum of tailoring.

Demi-toilette—day dress.

Demi-vest—see Vest-front.

Denim—a heavy, twilled cotton fabric, usually woven with plain colored warp threads, as blue, gray, brown, etc., with white weft; used for overalls, jumpers, etc. Dungaree.

Denmark satin—a coarse, worsted fabric, woven with smooth, satin twilled surface; a variety of lasting cloth.

Dent’s—trade diminutiv for the general line of gloves made by Dent, Allcroft & Co., London.

Dental floss—a lightly twisted antiseptic heavy silk yarn used for cleansing between the teeth.

77Dental powder—“tooth powder”. See Dentifrice.

Dentifrice—any substance or preparation used in cleansing the teeth.

Dentist’s coat—a short working jacket of heavy drill or duck, not unlike barber’s c., barkeeper’s c., waiter’s c., etc.

Department store—the apotheosis of the junk shop.

Depilatory—a chemical preparation for removing hair from face or other parts of the body.

Deposit—a tailor’s insurance against loss if you fail to call for your suit.

Derby jacket—same as D. sack.

Derby sack—a single-breasted s. coat with the regular front, with a short underarm cut terminating in a waistline extending back to the side seam, meeting a body-shaped back part which has a center vent reaching to the made waistline, and finisht with inverted (side) plaits also reaching to the waistline.

Deshabille—undress.

Designer—one who originates and plans styles for manufacturing; in wholesale clothing manufacturing one who also cuts the (first) paper patterns, which are afterward turned over to an assistant to grade into sizes.

Detroit cap—a c., usually of fur, having a round crown, a rolling band highest at the back and sloping to the front, meeting a visor that may be rolled up or down.

Devil—a machine employed in hat manufacturing for thoroly mixing furs after carroting.

Devil—(woolen manufacture) see Willowing machine.

Devil’s receptacles—a nickname given to the wide, long, trailing, slasht sleeves worn by the gay bucks of the 14th century.

Devon—a heavy, close-milled overcoat cloth, in character between melton and kersey; one of the old names for a variety of kersey.

Dew retting—the decomposition of flax by dew. See Retting.

Dhotee—an East Indian concession to modesty. See Waistcloth.

Diagonal—general term for worsted fabrics having a diagonal twill produced by raising the warp threads progressivly, from left to right, or right to left, usually at an angle of 45°, in groups of 2, 3, 4, etc., and filling in the weft threads to make them stand out in ridges.

Diapers—our first garments.

Dice—a square, woven pattern.

Dicer—a silk hat.

Dicky—originally (about 1809) a stiff, standing collar; latterly a separate shirt bosom, with collar band, worn in place of shirt by the impecunious. (Also Dickey).

Didies—see Diapers.

78Digitalia—the fingered glove of the ancient Romans. See Chirothecae.

Dimity—a fine cotton fabric having a stripe or figure raised on the face and deprest on the back.

Dining jacket—see Dinner coat.

Dink—to dress or bedeck. (Scotch).

Dinky—absurdly small, skimpy or insufficient.

Dinner jacket—an informal dress coat without tails, somewhat like a sack coat, for dinner wear, men’s evening parties, but not where ladies are present, as at balls, operas, etc. Also called Cowes coat and Tuxedo coat.

Dip—in tailoring, a downward inclination of the waist line of a frock coat or the bottom line of a sack coat.

Dip-front—see Dip.

Diplomatic uniform—the court dress of American ministers abroad, while officially “the ordinary dress of an American citizen” is, by official approval, a plain dress coat and waistcoat, knee breeches, black silk stockings and low shoes. This simplicity of attire, contrasted with oriental sumptuousness and European splendor makes our ambassadors and ministers peculiarly conspicuous.

Dirk—(1) a Scotch dagger generally without chape or guard; (2) a midshipman’s side arm, either straight or curved. (British navy.)

Dirk knife—a clasp k. with a large dirk shaped blade.

Discharge printing—a method of producing patterns in textil fabrics by dyeing in the piece of a solid color and printing the designs with a bleaching agent. Compare Batik, Extracted, Resist dyeing, Tied-and-dried, etc.

Discount—a rebate for prompt pay, or for imperfections, or out of courtesy (as to clergymen), or delusivly as in most advertisements.

Display—(1) merchandise appropriately arranged for public view; (2) personal ostentation.

Distaff—a rod or staff for holding a quantity of wool or flax in hand spinning; usually held under the left arm.

Distingue—very smart; elegant.

Dittis—a fabric formerly made in Manchester, used for (and whence the name of) Ditty bags (qv).

Ditty bag—(nautical) a small bag to hold sewing gear, shaving tackle, etc.; a sailor’s “housewife”.

Ditty box—a small box for holding a sailor’s thread, needles, brushes, combs, etc.

Diver’s helmet—see Diving dress.

79Diving dress—a waterproof, air-tight garment, like a combined blouse and trousers, with helmet, the whole hermetically sealed, heavily weighted, and supplied thru pipes with air for the wearer to breathe.

Diving suit—see D. dress.

Division list—a proportionate scale of selling prices, used in the clothing trade, showing the relativ prices of suits, coats, trousers, vests and combinations thereof.

Division square—a tailor’s s. marked with the various fractional computations commonly required in sub-dividing the taken measures when drafting.

Dobbie—that part of a loom that raises and lowers the harness frames. Also called Witch. (Dobby).

Doctor’s cap—(scholastic) usually of black velvet, with gold tassel. See Mortarboard c.

Doctor’s gown—(scholastic) a loose flowing g., usually of silk, with round, open sleeves barred with black velvet and faced down front with same; or the velvet may correspond in color with the binding or edging of hood.

Doctored—(1) manipulated; (2) adulterated.

Doeskin—a high grade woolen suiting, and trousering material, close woven, fine twilled, fulled to a very considerable degree and finisht as required, usually (1) dry, (2) doeskin, (3) melton or (4) worsted, being respectivly (1) sheared of all nap, baring the weave, (2) smooth nap, weave nearly concealed, (3) a close standing nap, (4) smooth, hard and glossy; there are also other finishes.

Doeskin—a fine quality of jean (qv) closely twilled and with a wool filling.

Doeskin finish—see Doeskin and Dress faced.

Dog—vernacular for affected or redundant finery or style; to put on airs; vulgar ostentation.

Dog-rabbitting—see Piecing-out.

Dogskin—a stout, dry, inelastic glove leather made from kyudles or sheep in imitation of it.

Dolman—a sort of cape or cloak with wide open sleeves; also the uniform jacket of a hussar, worn like a cape, with the sleeves hanging loose.

Dom Pedro—a heavy leather brogan.

Domestic—made here; not imported—for which thanks often should be given.

Domestic finish—laundry term for linen finisht without gloss and with but little bluing.

Domestics—cotton goods of American manufacture as distinguisht from imported goods. Always used in the plural.

80Domet—a loosely woven, napt, all-cotton, flannel, originally woven with a woolen weft; largely used for neglige shirts, night robes, children’s wear, etc. See Outing cloth.

Domino—(1) a mask or half mask worn at masquerades; (2) an adjustable robe or hood worn at masquerades; (3) a loose flowing hooded garment of ecclesiastical wear.

Donegal tweed—strictly that hand-scoured, homespun tweed made wholly in the county of Donegal, Ireland, on the hand looms of the peasantry; more loosely tweeds made of Yorkshire yarns woven, dyed and finisht in Donegal; falsely, any fabric in imitation thereof.

Doorman’s livery—same as Footman’s dress 1.

Dornex—a heavy 17th century coarse linen, used for servants’ clothing.

D’Orsay—trade term for a certain well-rounded effect in the curl of a hat brim. Compare Pencil curl and Anglesea.

Double-and-twist—(1) trade term for weaving yarns doubled and twisted in combinations of two or more colors; (2) fabrics woven from such yarns—Bannockburns and Drummond worsteds, being examples.

Double-breasted—loosely, any coat, waistcoat, undershirt or other garment having a double thickness in the front with a double row of buttons and buttonholes or other means of fastening.

Double-breasted cutaway—a variation of the single-breasted frock, known about 1840, and but infrequently seen since, despite attempts to revive it. See Cutaway frock coat.

Double-breasted reefer—same as D.-b. sack coat.

Double-breasted sack coat—see Sack c.

Double cloth—general term for any fabric composed of two single textures woven and joined at one operation, the conjunction being effected by interlacing part of the warp threads of one texture with those of the opposit texture, as (1) a fabric with two warp surfaces and one of weft in the center; (2) a fabric with two weft surfaces and one of warp in the center; (3) a fabric with two distinct series of warps and wefts, each woven separately, but united at regular intervals to each other during the course of weaving. Unless the object is to produce effects not possible with single cloths the doubling is usually for the purpose of giving weight and body without the expense of weaving the face pattern thru and thru. Also called Backt-c., Frenchback, etc.

Double collar—a folded c. (qv).

Double corkscrew—see Chain-weave serge.

Double crepe—a very crisp, crinkly black silk c. (qv) used for deep mournings. Compare Single c.

81Double cuff—a c. that is folded and turned back on itself or onto the sleeve. Compare Single c., Fold-back c.

Double dyed—dyed twice over; thoroly impregnated; said also of mixt goods dyed once in a cotton dye and once in a wool dye, or otherwise, as the case may be.

Double faced—fabrics having a pattern on each side.

Double knit—knitted with a double stitch, giving a double thickness to the fabric.

Double milled—sheared twice.

Double pick—two filling threads run together into the same shed of the warp.

Double pile—any fabric with pile or heavy nap on two sides, as double plush, double-faced canton flannel, etc.

Double satin de Lyon—a s. having both surfaces glossy.

Double sole—trade term for hosiery made with a s. much heavier than the body of the stocking. See Spliced heel.

Double soled—term for shoes made with extra thick soles.

Double-stitcht—an edge or seam finish obtained by stitching twice in parallel rows of stated width, as “¼ in. d. s.”. See “Single s.”.

Double-stitcht seam—same as cord s. (qv) but stitcht twice and with a larger underlay or outlet for the second row of stitching. Also called Lap s.

Double-width—generally, all fabrics ranging from 48 to 60 in. wide and folded lengthwise before being rolled into bolts; originally goods were “single width” (27 to 36 in.) and many are still so woven, fine trousering and shirtings particularly; strictly, the proper term is “quarter”, as four-quarter (⁴⁄₄) for 36 in.; six-quarter (⁶⁄₄) for 54 in., etc.

Double work—knitting term for the use of two threads together instead of one, and for the fancy effects so produced.

Doublet—a close-fitting outer body garment with sleeves and sometimes with short skirts and belted at the waist, worn from 15th to 17th centuries, usually with hose.

Doupe—gauze weaving.

Dowdy—see Slob.

Dowlas—originally, a strong, plain woven linen fabric used for working blouses, etc.; latterly, a sort of stout calico.

Down at the heels—poverty; destitution; general seediness; needing clothes.

Downright—see Wool.

Drafting cape—see Measuring c. and Beatty c.

Drap—French word for cloth; seldom applied to cotton fabrics.

Drap d’alma—a fine, close, flat ribbed twilled fabric of wool or silk and wool, finisht on but one side.

82Drap d’ete—a fine double warp worsted fabric with fine lengthwise cords or ridges on the face, and a smooth back, used for dress and clerical wear, summer coats, etc.

Drape—loosely, any smooth-faced fine cloth for dress wear; crepe (qv).

Draper—a dealer in cloths; also a clothier, haberdasher or dry goods merchant.

Draw string—a tightening tape or s. working thru a gathered hem, or eyelets.

Drawer supports—any device attacht to trousers (or to suspenders) for the purpose of holding up the nether undergarments.

Drawers—nether undergarments.

Drawing—a process of woolen manufacture by which the combed fleece assumes a yarn or thread-like appearance; roving.

Drawing stitch—a method of making an edge-to-edge join or a seam without a lap, a s. being taken up thru one side, then drawn over and down under and up thru the other side, and so on; usually employed joining collars to coats.

Drawn in—see Hold in.

Dreadnought—see Fearnought.

Drech—trash; trashy. (German.)

Dress—general term for garments and articles of apparel and the science and manner of wearing them; more particularly one’s outer attire.

Dress—tailor’s term, indicating the manner in which a man disposes himself in his trousers, necessitating a certain difference in the crotch-fulness of one trousers leg, as “right d.” or “left d.”

Dress—(navy) the uniform to be worn upon the reception of various prescribed officers of the government, governors of states and territories, American ambassadors, ministers, etc.; on visits in part to commanding officers; on Sunday morning inspections. Consists of—for all commissioned officers, except chaplains, chief boatswains, chief gunners, chief carpenters and chief sailmakers—frock coat, undress trousers, (white may be prescribed) cockt hat, epaulets, sword and undress belt, scarf, white gloves, medals and badges; for officers excepted above and for warrant officers, mates and clerks, the same as “undress A”; for midshipmen, the same as prescribed for commissioned officers, substituting blue cap for cockt hat and shoulder knots for epaulets; for chief petty officers, except bandmasters, and for stewards and officers’ cooks; blue dress: blue cloth coat and blue cloth trousers, blue cap, white shirt, white collar and cuffs, black cravat; white dress: white coat, white trousers, white cap, white shirt, white collar, black cravat. For bandsmen; blue dress: full dress coat, blue trousers, helmet, white standing collar, belt, gloves (and for bandmaster, a sword); white dress: same as blue dress but with 83white trousers. For all other enlisted men; blue dress: blue overshirt, blue cloth trousers, blue cap, neckerchief, knife lanyard (seaman branch only); white dress: dress jumper, white dress trousers, white hat, neckerchief, knife lanyard (seaman branch only); (Revenue cutter service) worn by officers performing any special duty with enlisted men under arms away from the vessel, and when calling officially upon officers other than commanders of vessels of war or military posts; consists of frock coat, white or blue trousers, cap, shoulder straps, sword and black leather belt over the coat which is worn buttoned.

Dress belt—(army) see Army b.

Dress board—(navy) a bulletin b. on which the prescribed dress or uniform of the day to be worn by the crew is described by executiv officer’s orders.

Dress breeches—(army) for all officers, of same material and with same stripes as d. trousers, cut in the prescribed pattern and fastened from the knee down with dark bone buttons or with lacings. See also Service b.

Dress cap—(army) for all officers, same as Full dress c. (qv) except with certain differences of trimming and insignia. For enlisted men: of dark blue cloth of same style as prescribed for officers, bearing a stripe of cloth of the color of the corps, department or arm of service, with appropriate rating insignia.

Dress coat—see Evening dress.

Dress coat—(army) a sack c. of dark blue cloth or serge. For general officers: double-breasted with high rolling collar and 2 rows of gilt buttons groupt according to rank, 3 buttons on cuff; skirt to extend one-third of distance to knee, with 4 inch slit at hip for saber; all pockets inside. For all other officers: single-breasted with standing collar, c. closing with flap containing concealed fastenings, c. cut form fitting with saber slit and side vents and trimmed around bottom, front edges, collar and vents with 1¼ in. flat black mohair braid; shoulder and collar ornaments per regulations. For enlisted men: a single-breasted sack c. of dark blue cloth, cut with a straight front, fastened with 6 buttons down the front; standing collar; shoulder loops of same goods let in at shoulder seam and fastened to collar with small button; 3 buttons on cuffs; collar, shoulder loops and cuffs piped with cord-edge braid of the color of corps, department or arm of service.

Dress derby—a d.-shaped hat, covered with gros-grain or other plain silk; for wear with dinner jacket. Also called Tuxedo hat.

Dress faced—a term sometimes given to woolen cloths, such as doeskin, broadcloth, beaver, etc., having a slight nap. Compare Bareface finish, Scotch finish, Velvet finish.

Dress frock coat—(Revenue cutter service) same as Full dress f. c., but worn without epaulets.

84Dress gloves—(1) generally, g. of fine kid; (2) specifically, g. of white kid or fabric for evening dress.

Dress jumper—(navy) worn by all enlisted men, except chief petty officers, officers’ stewards, officers’ cooks and bandsmen; made of bleacht cotton drill, of pattern similar to the blue overshirt (see naval overshirt) except that the body hangs straight and loose to 2 to 3 inches below the hips; trimmings same as for blue overshirt (but all of white), the collar and cuffs being of dark blue flannel.

Dress refines—see Refine cloth.

Dress reform—an ever-recurring evanescent dream.

Dress reformer—a human by-product of civilization subject to cerebral coruscations, occasionally menacing to the peace of his fellow men.

Dress shield—a light rubber or other perspiration-proof device sometimes used in the armholes of coats.

Dress shirt—a (loose) trade term for a white or colored s. with a full set-in stiff bosom. Compare Evening d. s.

Dress shirt protector—see Shirt p.

Dress suit—see Evening dress.

Dress suit case—see Suit c.

Dress tie—a folded strip of white linen, lawn or dimity to be tied in a bow, worn only with full evening dress.

Dress trousers—see Evening dress.

Dress trousers—(army) for all general officers, including staff corps and departments but not engineers—of dark blue cloth without stripe, welt or cord; for chief of artillery, of light blue cloth with 1½ in. stripe of scarlet cloth; for all other officers, the same as for full dress. For enlisted men: of sky-blue kersey, of regulation cut.

Dress uniform—(army) the prescribed u. worn by officers at reviews, inspections, parades and other ceremonies when the troops are in d. u.; at such other duties under arms as may be prescribed; on courtsmartial, courts of inquiry, and boards of officers when prescribed; also authorized as a mess dress, and for social occasions when full dress is not worn. For all officers, dismounted: dress coat and trousers, dress cap, black shoes; under arms add dress belt (worn under coat) saber and white gloves; same, mounted: dress coat, dress breeches, dress cap, drab leather gloves, black boots, spurs; under arms, add dress belt (under the coat) and saber; for chaplains, dismounted: dress coat and trousers, chaplain’s hat, black shoes, white gloves (when occasions require gloves); same, mounted: dress coat and breeches, chaplain’s hat, black boots, spurs; for enlisted men: worn when prescribed by commanding officer; dismounted: dress coat and trousers, dress cap, black shoes and, when under arms, 85white gloves, russet leather belt, and cartridge box; mounted: dress coat, service breeches, dress cap, russet leather shoes, leggings, spurs, drab leather gloves and, if under arms, saber belt and cartridge box.

Dress waistcoat—see Evening d. w.

Dress worsted—general term for fine grades of unfinisht and face-finisht worsteds, used for dress wear. See Unfinisht worsted. Whipcord, etc.

Dressed leather—any l. that has been curried or stuft with oils to increase its flexibility, its resistance to water, etc.

Dressing—(1) a process in weaving by which every thread of the warp is uniformly set in its proper position in the loom; (2) last process in shoemaking consisting of final applications of dressing or polish, the treatment of dull or bright spots, stains, etc.

Dressing bag—a fashion-writer’s affectation. See Suit case, Kit b., Traveling b., etc.

Dressing gown—a loose g. or robe worn while dressing or in undress.

Dressy—fond of dress; supposedly elegant or stylish.

Drill—trade abbreviation for drilling (qv).

Drilling—general term for stout twilled cotton and linen fabrics used for pockets, interlinings, summer trousers, etc.

Driving coat—(1) a c. designed for protection or style when driving; (2) a duster (qv).

Driving gloves—g. with re-enforced palms and under-fingers, often with gauntlet tops.

Driving hood—a knitted covering for the head that may be worn variously, as a h. over a cap or without a cap, or as a throat muffler, etc., according to adjustment.

Driving rug—a carriage robe.

Drop stitch—knitting term for a skipt or slipt s., done to effect a lacy or other pattern.

Drum-major’s shako—(marine corps) see Full dress cap.

Drummer—usually the whole band, judging by his noise.

Drummond worsted—in general, any plain Oxford w., twill woven, one warp of black and one of one or two shades of gray (or white), both twisted, and then alternated, the filling yarn being of the same colorings and arrangement. Strictly the term belongs to worsteds manufactured by a firm of English weavers of that name and with whom this peculiar plainish effect seems to have originated.

Dry cleaning—a naptha or other chemical process; meaning not washed in water.

Dry finish—trade term for woolen fabrics (as doeskins) sheared of all nap, baring the weave.

86Drying frame—any contrivance for drying underwear, hosiery, etc., in shape and without loss of size, the garment being pulled over same and adjusted; some of these frames are made of wood, others of spring wire, etc.

Dubbing—a preparation for softening and waterproofing leather.

Dub—(1) in weaving, to dress with teazels for raising a nap (see Teazeling); (2) in leather making, the act or process of rubbing in a softening or waterproof mixture or dressing.

Duck—a heavy, strong, plain woven linen or cotton fabric similar to, but of lighter weight than, canvas, used for summer clothing, hospital, army and navy uniforms, and as vestings, etc. In weaving, two threads of warp are laid side by side and treated as one.

Dude—not worth description.

Duds—clothes.

Duffels—an old-time heavy woolen cloaking with a thick tufted or knotted nap, originally made in Duffel, Flanders; match cloth.

Duffle bag—about the same as Wangan b (qv).

Dull—in the shoe trade, a general term indicating a distinction between bright or patent (or enamel leathers) and calf, kid and other mat or dull finisht leathers.

Dumbbells—link cuff buttons with rigid bars; name from having originally been made with plain balls at either end, resembling dumbbells.

Dummy—a figure on which clothes are displayed; a “form” (qv).

Dummy box coat—not a real c.; an unusable c., carried by coachmen for show; an illustration of the economics of snobbery.

Dummy buttonhole—not cut thru but stitcht on the surface only, for purposes of ornament.

Dummy try-on—a basted-together fictitious “try-on” of linings and interlinings “fitted” to the customer while the actual coat is being made up without t.-o. or fitting; a device of “cheap tailors” to save the expense of try-ons. Compare Bluff try-on.

Dumps—skates. See “High dutchers”.

Dun—a result of not paying your bills.

Dunce cap—a tall, conical paper c. awarded to some luckless scholar in the old days for lack of brilliancy and worn, for the weal of the class, in some prominent corner of the room, or on a seat by the teacher. “Those were happy days”. Also called Fool’s c.

Dundee—a twill-finisht thibet, made to imitate unfinisht worsted.

Dundrearys—long, flowing side whiskers.

Dungaree—in the British navy a fine quality of blue jeans used for sailors’ shirt collars, watch-marks on sleeves, etc.; also in a coarse grade for working clothes; in the American navy a coarse 87cotton stuff similar to denim; a term commonly used in reference to navy working clothes.

Dungaree junipers—(navy) a blouse of blue denim, single-breasted sack pattern, buttoned to the neck and loosely fitting; worn by enlisted men on working duty.

Dungaree trousers—(navy) working t. of blue denim, made with a fly instead of with front falls, worn by enlisted men.

Dunnage bag—a large, long b., commonly of canvas, for laundry, etc.

Dunrobin—a fine Scotch plaid.

Durance—lasting (qv). (Same as below?)

Durant—a strong, close-grained woolen stuff of Revolutionary times.

Dust—an article kept in stock in large quantities in all mercantil establishments and usually hard to move save by continued exertion.

Dust coat—same as Duster.

Dust shield—see Wind s.

Duster—a light overcoat of linen, mohair or other thin fabric, once extensivly used for traveling or driving.

Dutch metal—an alloy from which much of the “gold” lace of commerce is manufactured.

Duttees—the coarse brown calicoes of India.

Duxbak—proprietary name for a semi-waterproof canvas used for sporting and rough weather clothing.

Dye bath—a solution of coloring matter for dyeing purposes.

Dyebeck—same as Dye bath.

Dyeing—the art and operation of coloring textil fabrics by immersion in a properly prepared bath; dyes are chiefly vegetable or anilin, and a source of anguish if they fade unduly. See an encyclopedia.

Dyer—one who dyes fabrics.

Dyer’s weed—see Woad.

Dye-stuff—any material used for dyeing.

E

Ear caps—see E. muffs.

Ear flaps—those parts of a cap that may be turned down to cover and protect the ears from cold.

Ear guards—padded leather protectors worn by footballers.

Ear lock—the lock of hair curling over or near the ear; any lock of hair on the side of the head; a love lock.

88Ear muffs—pads or m. for wear over the ears in cold weather, usually of velvet, held in place by an elastic cord or metal spring. Popular in St. Louis with the first touch of frost.

Ear rings—jewelry worn in the ears, the lobs of which are pierced for the purpose; once upon a time gentlemen wore them; nowadays noticed mostly on foreign laborers.

Ear tabs—see E. flaps and E. muffs.

Ear whiskers—short tufts of scrub reaching to the depth of the ears.

Easter—tailor’s harvest time.

Eating apron—a garment for young children, having a bib and sleeves made of one piece; also an a. without sleeves.

Eau de Cologne—a strongly perfumed toilet water; properly, that for which the city of Cologne is celebrated. In this city the industry was establisht in the beginning of the 17th century by Paul Feminis and Maria Clementine, a nun, jointly possessing the secret and conducting the business; at his death Feminis bequeathed the formula to the Farina family, while the nun left it to Peter Schaeben; both families still carry on the business and are the leading manufacturers.

Ecru—raw color, as of silk, linen, etc.; unbleacht.

Edge baster—in ready-to-wear clothing manufacture, a workman who finishes the work begun by the straighteners, underbasters and edge operators, by turning in the outer part and facing (of a coat) and basting the edges preparatory to final felling and stitching.

Edge operator—in ready-to-wear clothing manufacture, a workman who does only the first seaming of coat edges.

Edge setting—the process of burnishing the edges of shoe soles on a lathe-like machine called an e. setter.

Edge trimming—see foregoing.

Edges—the e. of coats, waistcoats, etc., are variously denominated, according to manner of making and finish, blind e., bluff e., braided e., bound e., corded e., double-stitcht e., felled e., piped e., plain e., prickt e., raw e., single-stitcht e., etc., which see.

Effect threads—weaving term for decorativ threads of different colors added to worsted and woolen fabrics, usually of mercerized cotton or silk, or resist-dyed wool or worsted.

Effigeen—an old-time lining fabric.

Egyptian—trade term for cotton grown in the Nile districts of Africa; very silky, smooth and strong; more commonly known as Maco.

Eiderdown—a thick woolen-pile fabric, woven on a cotton stockinet body.

Elastic canvas—a plain-woven fabric of linen or cotton, unbleacht or bleacht, of various weights, used for stiffening garments.

89Elastic gore—a woven tape-like fabric, made in such a manner with rubber threads that it forms an elastic tape or goring which is inserted in the sides of a shoe immediately over the ankles, made so that the shoe may be stretcht and drawn on and held on the foot by this elastic goring, no lacing being used in this style of shoe which is commonly known as Congress shoe or gaiter.

Elastic seam—proprietary term for a make of undergarments of jeans, nainsook, etc., having strips of elastic knitted material let in between seams, or in places of strain, etc.

Elastic stocking—a s. of silk and rubber threads for reducing swelling, aiding the muscles, etc.

Elastic twill—a fine flexible cloth used for dress wear.

Elastic webbing—any garter or suspender w. of silk, cotton or other material having interwoven threads of pure rubber.

Elasticity test—to determin the quality and e. of silk thread, take a yard of thread and hold it firmly in each hand on some set table or object, and keeping one hand stationary, start to stretch it. If it breaks off short there is either cotton or other adulterant.

Elbow sleeves—term for undershirts with sleeves reaching to the elbows.

Electric seal—imitation sealskin, usually muskrat or cat.

Electric tanning—treatment by electric current in connection with the astringent liquor, to hasten conversion into leather.

Elegant—a French dude.

Elevator-boy’s suit—same as Hall-boy’s s.

Elk skin—a soft, pliable, oilless leather, usually made of calf s. and tanned by a chemical process; used chiefly for athletic and sporting shoes.

Ell—a measure of length as for cloth, having different values in different places, and now rarely used; in England an ell is 45 inches, in Scotland 37 inches.

Elysian—a fine grade of overcoating cloth, having the nap laid in diagonal lines or ripples, something like, but rougher than Chinchilla, and with straighter hair.

Embroidered—ornamented with fancifully workt designs in stitches.

Emerald—a green precious stone anciently considered an enemy of impurity and that would break if it but toucht the skin of an adulterer.

En regle—in high ceremonious attire.

Enameled collar—a shirt c. made of a material composed of two sheets of white paper between which was a connecting layer of thin muslin showing thru the paper sides, after pressure, with a cloth-like effect; invented in 1857. Since made entirely of paper, the surfaces stampt to imitate cloth.

90Enameled leather—a heavy kind of upper leather finisht with a shiny surface like patent leather, but in which a figure or pebble has been workt into the surface of the enamel.

End—technical term for a thread of warp or weft.

Ends—remnants.

Engagement ring—something you work hard to save up for so she can “show off” among her friends until she finds someone else to buy her a more gorgeous one, when you may, if lucky, get it back.

Engineer’s cap—a flat crowned, nearly straight c., made on a band, with a large visor.

Engineer’s uniform—(army) see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u., Fatigue u., et var.

English foot—trade term for hosiery made with a seam at either side of the sole. See French f.

English mourning crepe—see Crepe.

English square—imposing name for a readymade scarf with flaring ends (about 1900).

English waist—trade term for trousers made very high in the back.

English walking coat—a single-breasted cutaway frock c. with hip pockets, usually made of fabrics less sedate than the formal black goods used for the cutaway frock or morning c. (qv).

English yarns—worsted y. that have been well oiled before combing, resulting in a smooth level yarn in which the fibers lie nearly parallel to each other. Compare French y.

Enlisted men’s uniform—(navy) see Dress, Undress, Working dress; (army) Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u., Fatigue u.; (marine corps) Full dress, Undress, Field u.; (revenue cutter service) Full dress, Service dress. See also variations.

Ensanguined undergarment—a variant of “bloody shirt”.

Ensign’s uniform—see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Service dress, Evening dress, Mess dress, Undress. Also variations.

Enweave—to intertwine or intermix by weaving; another form of inweave.

Epaulet—an ornamental badge of rank worn by certain officers of army, navy, etc., on the shoulders of the coat, usually a sort of plastron of gold bullion with gold fringe, and bearing insignia of rank. Now largely supplanted by shoulder knots, shoulder straps, etc. (Epaulette.)

Epauls Americaines—French poking fun (?) at our wadded shoulders. See American shoulders.

Epigonation—a lozenge-shaped ornament of stiffened silk bearing a cross or picture, worn hanging from the girdle by the Greek and Russian ministry.

91Epiminikia—bands resembling the Latin maniple (qv) worn by bishops, priests and deacons in the Greek and Russian churches, those for bishops being richly ornamented.

Episcopal ring—a gold r., usually set with a large amethyst, symbolizing that the wearer (a bishop) is wedded to his diocese.

Epitrachelion—a long, narrow stole worn by priests of the Greek and Russian churches, resembling the Latin pallium (qv).

Equi-pede—a horseman’s coat, ample skirted and long enough to cover the mounted rider (saddle and all) from neck to boots, a coat and apron in one, quickly and easily contracted to the size of a sack covert coat for walking and dismounted work generally.

Erect—not stooping.

Erkens’ worsted—a fine, close twilled worsted dress or coating cloth resembling Venetian, the twills apparently crossing each other. (From name of German manufacturer.)

Espardènas—see Alpargatas.

Estamene—similar to serge, but having a rough, nappy face resembling cheviot.

Etamine—a light woolen cloth similar to batiste and nun’s cloth.

Etiquette—the formalities or usages of social or professional intercourse.

Etoffe—French for cloth.

Eton collar—a folded shirt c., usually of white linen of medium hight stand, but with a broad turnover of nearly uniform width all around, folded at an angle; worn by boys.

Eton jacket—a short j. without collar or lapels, reaching only to the waist line, first worn by the boys of Eton College.

Etruscan gold—luster removed by acid, leaving it satiny yellow.

Eugenie’s wigs—knitted montero caps (qv) presented by Empress Eugenie to the Arctic exploration of 1875, and so dubbed by the jackies.

Even exchange—retail trade term, meaning the exchange of purchases for something else without there being any difference in price.

Evening dress—the swallowtail and Tuxedo as opposed to frock coats for day dress and sack coats for business and lounge wear; vulgarly “full dress”.

Evening dress A—(navy) a uniform to be worn on occasions of ceremony in the evening, to which officers are invited in their official capacity, such as public balls, dinners and evening receptions. Consists of—for all commissioned officers except chaplains, chief boatswains, chief gunners, chief carpenters and chief sailmakers—evening dress coat, evening dress waistcoat (blue), full dress trousers, cockt hat, epaulets, sword and full dress belt, black tie, white gloves; for chaplains the same as “Evening Dress B”; for midshipmen, the same as prescribed for commissioned 92officers, substituting the blue cap for the cockt hat and shoulder knots for epaulets. On occasions where the full uniform would not be appropriate “Evening dress A” may be prescribed without swords and belts and with blue caps instead of cockt hats; or in hot weather, or in appropriate circumstances, mess dress with full dress trousers may be ordered.

Evening dress B—(navy) a uniform to be worn at social evening occasions where officers are invited in their official capacity, and at dinner on board vessels other than those of the fourth rate by officers for whom the evening dress coat has been prescribed (except when the uniform of the day has been white). Consists of—for all commissioned officers (except chief boatswains, chief gunners, chief carpenters and chief sailmakers) and for midshipmen: evening dress coat, evening dress waistcoat, blue (unless white is ordered), undress trousers (unless full dress trousers are ordered), blue cap, black tie. In hot weather or under other appropriate circumstances mess dress may be substituted.

Evening dress coat—a skirted c. with the foreparts cut off at the waistline, the skirts commencing at the hips and gradually narrowing downward, the front made with long-roll lapels, not to button, tho furnished with buttons and buttonholes on each side, the lapels usually faced with silk; invariably made of fine black cloth and properly lined with black silk.

Evening dress coat—(navy) a uniform c. similar to a civilian’s e. d. c., of dark blue cloth with 3 large navy buttons on each breast, well spaced, two at the waist behind and one at the bottom of each fold, with sleeve marks and epaulets as prescribed for frock c.; always worn open. For chaplains the same with black silk buttons.

Evening dress shield—see Shirt protector.

Evening dress shirt—trade term for fine quality white d. s. with extra large bosoms.

Evening dress trousers—plain t. of same goods as the coat, but slightly shaped, and sometimes with a stripe of fancy braid down the outside seams; in trousers for wear with the dinner jacket (Tuxedo) the braid is omitted.

Evening dress trousers—(marine corps) for major general commandant and all other officers, of dark blue cloth, cut after the prevailing style of civilian’s evening dress, but with long snug fitting waist, without pockets or buckle straps, suspender buttons inside the band, outseams trimmed with 1¼ inch stripe of gold lace. Also white t. for wear with white mess jacket, of same cut but without stripe on outseams.

Evening dress uniform—(army) a special full d. u. authorized for wear on occasions of ceremony to which officers are invited in their official capacity, such as balls, official dinners and receptions, etc.: an evening dress coat of dark blue cloth cut on 93the lines of the civilian dress coat, with regulation gilt buttons, of same number and placed as prescribed, the sleeves ornamented in same manner as full dress uniform coats; an evening waistcoat of dark blue or white with three small regulation buttons; also full dress trousers for all officers except those of engineers, cavalry, artillery and infantry, who wear dark blue trousers without stripes; patent leather shoes and full dress cap; shoulder ornaments, etc., per regulations. For occasions of special formality the u. for evening functions is the same as full dress dismounted u.; and this may be worn at above described occasions at discretion. On proper occasions, which are not official in character, officers are permitted to wear civilian evening dress.

Evening dress waistcoat—a w. cut low to expose the shirt bosom, the garment being most properly single-breasted, 3 or 4 buttons and 2 pockets, and the opening either V or U shape, with a shawl collar, which is sometimes trimmed with a row of fancy braid. May be of black cloth to match coat and trousers or of white wash fabrics or silk, which latter may be plain or have a small figured pattern.

Evening dress waistcoat—(navy) similar to a civilian’s e. d. w., of dark blue cloth with four small gilt navy buttons (or black silk buttons for chaplains). The “white evening dress” w. to be of same style but of duck or similar material (if for chaplains with white buttons). (Marine corps) for all officers; of same material as corresponding mess jacket, single-breasted with four small marine corps buttons, rolling collar.

Evening jacket—see Dinner j.

Everlasting—a cloth used for breeches during the latter part of the 18th century, mostly for servants’ wear.

Examiner—in the apparel trades one who closely scrutinizes finisht garments for detection and correction of errors, flaws, etc. His criticism, which is final, sometimes results in further changes.

Exchange—to receive back goods bought and give the purchaser something else in the place thereof.

Expenses—the one thing that makes the boss sit up nights.

Exposure test—generally, exposing a piece of cloth or other material, article or substance, to the weather, continuously for a number of days (usually on a roof or in some place where it is not likely to be meddled with) for determination of color, quality, etc.

Express paid—sent, not (?) at the receiver’s expense.

Exquisite—an ineffable clothes-wearing nuisance.

Extension shoulders—deceptivly broad.

Extension tree—a shoe t. having a spring, ratchet or other device for stretching the shoe longitudinally.

Extra—a substitute or temporary clerk.

94Extra stout—trade term for readymade garments designed to fit extra corpulent or very fat persons.

Extras—anything or lots of things not contemplated in the price; the “nigger-in-the-woodpile” reason for many low prices.

Extract wool—wool produced from waste or clips which are of mixt wool-and-cotton, the wool being extracted by a process of carbonization.

Extracted—dyeing term indicating that patterns or designs in colors differing from the general ground color, or in white, have been achieved by (1) acid treatment, (2) bleaching, (3) tying and dyeing, (4) mordanting, etc. See Batik, Bandanna, etc.

Eye shield—a silk or papier mache s. worn to protect weak eyes against light; also to hide the effects of “somebody bumping into it the night before.”

Eyeglasses—lenses suitably mounted for attachment to the bridge of the nose, differing from spectacles in needing no bows across the temples or behind the ears; pince nez.

Eyeglass chain—a safety device of gold or other metal.

Eyeglass cord—a light silk c. for attaching eye-glasses to the clothes or person to prevent loss.

Eyeglass holder—a case for holding eye-glasses when not in use; of various styles, as hinged, open-end, etc., usually of leather or leather-covered metal.

Eyelet—a small hole, workt around with buttonhole stitching.

Eyeshade—a sort of visor for protecting the eyes from the glare of strong light.

F

Face—the right side or outer surface of a fabric or material.

Face—the table or (exposed) upper part of a brilliant cut diamond or other precious stone.

Face cloth—a c. laid on the face of a dead person.

Face cloth—a wash c.

Face finish—meaning, in the textil trades, the manner in which the face or outerside of a fabric is finisht; as clear f., doeskin f., unfinisht, etc., which see.

Face guard—a mask or covering worn by workers in chemical laboratories; or by fencers, or baseball players, etc.

Faced—having an over or underlying strip of same or different material for purposes of appearance or re-enforcement. See Facing.

Faced cloth—fabrics having a finisht face, as worsteds, in opposition to fabrics such as tweeds, cheviots, etc.

95Facet—one of the small triangular plane surfaces of a diamond or other gem.

Facing—tailoring term for an underlying or overlying strip or re-enforcement of material, the same as or different from that of the garment, as (1) the strip along the inside of coat openings which also form the face of the lapels or revers; (2) the strips of goods inside the openings of pockets so that the eyes shall not be offended with lining showing thru; (3) the covering of silk laid on lapels or revers, to the edge or to the buttonholes; (4) the contra-colored cloth, showing on the turned back skirts or revers of old-time military coats; (5) the strip of cloth extending all around the inside edges of a waistcoat from neck to bottom side seam, which is sometimes of undercollar cloth for the sake of a thinner edge; and so forth.

Faconne—figured; usually employed in connection with fancy silks.

Factory cotton—unbleacht domestic cotton goods in contrast to those which are imported.

Factory yarn—coarse, unscoured woolen y., used for knitting hose, mittens, etc.

Fad—the current vogue; transient popularity.

Fad—a hobby.

Faga—a narrow strip or sash of silk wound several times around the waist. (Spain).

Faille Francaise—a soft, lustrous silk fabric of wider cord than gros-grain, but narrower than ottoman.

Fair—see Cotton classification.

Fair shake—a fair bargain.

Fal lal—any gaudy or trifling ornament or trinket; foppish frippery.

Falding—a kind of frieze, mentioned by Chaucer, approximating the coarse red woolen stuff still worn by Irish peasant women for petticoats and jackets.

Fall bearer—that part of broadfall trousers forming the front waist band, and to which the fall or flap is buttoned; the b. also contains the pockets. See Broadfalls. Compare Narrow falls.

Fall down—one of the old names for broadfalls (qv).

Fall weight—in the cloth trade suitings of 12 to 16 ounces and overcoatings of 16 to 24 ounces are so known. Compare Winter w., Spring w., Summer w., Tropical w.

Falling band—(1) a sort of wide turned down collar, usually of linen, plain or ornamented, sometimes with floating ends or tabs; worn over the neck of the doublet or jerkin of old days; (2) an ecclesiastical neckdressing.

Falling collar—see Prussian c.

96False face—what we begged pennies for when young.

False hair—someone else’s tho it covers your own bald spots.

False teeth—of great utilitarian value but, alack! also signs of immoderate vanity.

Family umbrella—facetious term for old-fashioned extra large u.

Fan—once fops carried them; nowadays women.

Fan—the side of a cockt hat.

Fancies—any merchandise not classed as staples or regulars; novelties.

Fancy back—general term for fabrics having a pattern on the back or underside differing from that on the face, as certain fancy overcoatings, raincoatings, etc.

Fancy dress ball—an occasion where one can spend a good deal of money on a costume that may never be worn again—unless he rents some trumpery from a costumer, which nice folk are squeamish about doing.

Fang—a broken or protuberant tooth.

Farmer’s satin—properly a satin wove fabric having a cotton warp and worsted filling, finisht with a high luster, used for coat linings, etc.; also called Italian cloth.

Fashion—the prevailing mode.

Fashion artist—a perverse individual who has trances twice a year or oftener for the benefit of clothing manufacturers and fashion journals.

Fashion doll—a device once extensivly used to display fashions in miniature.

Fashion monger—one who affects scrupulous attention to fashion; a dandy.

Fashion-plate—an engraving or other pictorial representation of the prevailing fashions of any period.

Fashion writer—a has-been or going-to-be literary hack who need never be taken seriously.

Fashionable—conforming to the prevailing mode; approved.

Fashionable back width—tailoring term indicating a change in measurement of the back to correspond fashionably with width of shoulder.

Fashionable tailor—one who gets the highest prices and who consequently caters only to the wealthy classes; one to whom every manufacturer of readymade clothing goes for his own clothes and for ideas for his business.

Fashionable waist—tailoring term. See Waist.

Fast color—applied to colors supposed not to fade in washing or thru exposure.

Fast dye—fast color; unfading.

Fat man’s frock—a cutaway frock coat, only the top button of which is intended for use; also called “one button cutaway”.

97Fat man’s sack—a sack coat made to be buttoned only at the top button, and cut away slightly from that point downward.

Fatigue blouse—(masonic) a 5 button, single-breasted, straight front sack coat, without pockets and with Prussian collar. Compare Commander’s coat and Sir Knight’s coat.

Fatigue coat—(army) for enlisted men: a single-breasted sack c. of brown cotton duck, of prescribed pattern.

Fatigue trousers—(army) for enlisted men: of brown cotton duck, without stripes.

Fatigue uniform—(army) for enlisted men dismounted: worn on fatigue or stable duty: f. coat, and trousers, service hat, russet leather shoes.

Favors—more or less costly trivialities distributed at cotillons.

Fay, to—to fit. “Your coat fays well”. This obsolete form, a curtailment of “fadge”, and in use during the Augustan age of English literature, is occasionally encountered in New England.

F. B. Q.—proprietary name for a well-known make of ready-to-wear clothing, meaning “finest beyond question”.

Fearnought—a heavy fulled woolen fabric used for sailors’ overcoats and clothing; sometimes called Dreadnought.

Fearnought—(weaving term). See Mixing picker.

Feather—a channel about ⅛ inch deep, extending around the edges of a shoe sole, along and into which holes for the stitches are pierced obliquely.

Feather top—see Wig.

Feathers—when commingled with tar a punitiv form of clothing worn next the body; occasionally met with in communities of zealously guarded morality.

Featherweight—very light or summery.

Fedora—a soft felt hat, the crown having a crease in the center from front to back. See Hombourg, Alpine, Tyrolean, etc.

Feel—see Handle.

Fell—felling is the act of sewing one piece of material onto another; to turn in a seam.

Fell—archaic for hides or pelts; also used in the sense of hairy.

Felled edge—a variety of plain or blind e. (qv), hand-finisht, with a felling stitch (qv), obtaining a perfectly plain surface.

Felled pocket—a jetted p.

Fellers—see Finishers.

Felling, French—see French f.

Felling silk—see Sewing s.

Felling stitch—an over-and-over continuous s. used to fasten linings onto the outer body, to hold bindings to the edge, join under-collars to body, etc., the closeness of the stitches being regulated according to the purpose for which they are used.

98Fellmonger—a trader in skins, furs, etc.

Fellware—skins, furs, etc.

Felt—properly a fabric made by interlocking or compacting wool, fur or hair, or a mixture thereof, by rolling or pressure, without weaving, often with the aid of glue and heat; used extensivly in garment trimming, etc; also a woven fabric whose fibers are matted by shrinking or otherwise.

Felt shoes—s. made out of felt, wholly or in part.

Fencing glove—a padded g., with a deep cuff or gauntlet.

Fencing mask—a wire m. for the face, so constructed as to be quickly removable.

Fencing plastron—a padded and quilted leather or canvas chest and side protector with a heart sewed on to jab at.

Ferrandine—an old-time cloth, similar to poplin, of silk or silk and wool or silk and mohair, once used for waistcoats.

Ferrule—the metal end-tip of an umbrella rod or cane.

Fez—a brimless felt cap in the shape of a truncated cone, usually red with a black tassel, worn especially by Turks and Shriners.

Fibrilia—a textil material made from the fibers of flax, jute, china grass, hemp, etc., and used as a substitute for more valuable fibers; used to a limited extent in the manufacture of hosiery, blankets, etc., in the proportion of 1 part to 3 of wool, cotton, etc.

Fiddle—tailoring term for supererogatory attentions toward a customer.

Fiddleback—irreverent name for the modern chasuble.

Field belt—(army) a b. of russet leather worn by enlisted men.

Field breeches—(marine corps) of khaki serge or drill, to match f. coat, without stripe, welt or cord, loose above knees and about seat, fitting closely below knees and extending to tops of shoes, fastening with buttons and lacing or all lacing; seat re-enforced, suspender buttons inside of band, 4 belt loops. For major general command and all officers. White b. of same style may be worn by mounted officers in the tropics when not on duty.