Luxury Lexicon 26 terms
Menswear terms
The language of suiting, tailoring and the fit of menswear.
B
C
- Cap toe
- A shoe with a distinct cap section over the toe, usually formed by an additional piece of upper material.
- Chelsea boot
- An ankle boot with elastic side panels and usually a pull tab, designed to slip on without laces.
- Chukka boot
- An ankle-height boot, usually with two or three pairs of lace eyelets.
- Collar
- A band or shaped piece of fabric attached around a garment’s neckline.
D
- Derby
- A lace-up shoe with an open lacing system: the panels carrying the eyelets sit over the vamp.
- Desert boot
- A type of ankle-height chukka boot traditionally made with a suede upper and a crepe-rubber sole.
H
- Houndstooth
- A pattern of broken checks with pointed corners, often seen in contrasting light and dark colours.
L
- Loafer
- A slip-on shoe without laces or another fastening, usually with a low heel.
M
- Made-to-measure
- Making a garment by adjusting an existing pattern to a customer’s measurements.
- Monk strap
- A shoe fastened by a strap and one or more buckles instead of laces.
O
- Oxford
- A lace-up shoe with closed lacing, in which the panels holding the eyelets are stitched beneath the vamp.
P
- Penny loafer
- A loafer with a strap across the vamp containing a small shaped opening.
- Piqué
- Fabric with a raised texture, such as small ribs, cords or a honeycomb-like surface.
R
- Ready-to-wear
- Ready-to-wear is clothing made in standard sizes and offered for sale as finished garments.
S
- Saddle shoe
- A lace-up shoe with a contrasting, saddle-shaped panel across the middle of its upper.
- Seersucker
- A fabric with alternating smooth and puckered areas, often arranged in stripes.
- Spectator shoe
- A spectator shoe uses contrasting colours or materials across sections of the upper, often at the toe and heel.
T
- Tailor
- A craftsperson who cuts, makes, alters and fits garments, chiefly structured ones such as jackets, coats and trousers.
- Tailoring
- Making, shaping and fitting garments, including suits and coats, as well as altering finished clothing.
- Tweed
- A rough, often nubby wool cloth woven in twill or herringbone, used chiefly for suits and coats.