The Vocabulary of Fashion

1
The Vocabulary of Fashion
A Stitch in Time
Martha Ostergar 2009
2
An Edited History

• c. 25000 BC Impressions of textiles in hardened
  clay.
• c. 6500 BC In Israel, evidence of a precursor to
  knitting.
• c. 6000 BC In Anatolia, the dead are wrapped in
  woven textiles.
• c. 3000 BC In Near East, sheep bred to produce a
  wooly fleece rather than hair.
• AD 298 In Tarsus, foot-powered looms.
• AD 500 In India, spinning wheels.
• AD 1000 In Egypt, finely decorated knit socks.

3
Old English

• 725
• WULL or WULLO wool

• 700
• Linen

• 950
• SCOH shoe

• 725
• SOCC sock
• A flat, slipper-like shoe.

4
Shirt or Skirt

• 1000
• SCYRT shirt
• Garment for upper body, worn next to skin made
  out of washable material.

• 1300
• SKYRTA shirt
• From Old Norse

• Since ON skyrta and OE scyrt are cognates, ON
  skyrta changed to mean skirt while OE scyrt
  changed pronunciation.
• CHEMISE is also present in this context. It
  refers to a longer shirt worn for warmth, mostly
  by women.
• The word SCEORT (short) is believed to be related
  to scyrta and scyrt.

5
Old English

• 950
• HRING ring

• 1000
• ÉARE HRING earring

• 1000
• GLÓF glove
• Plural glófan
• Glove of mail or hawking glove.

• 1100
• HOSON hose
• Influence on Romantic forms hosa, hos, osa

6
Old English

• 1000
• BELT
• Broad flat leather used to confine a dress,
  support various articles, or as an ornament.
• Described by part it in encircled or supported
  waist-belt, sword-belt.

• LEðER
• Originally used in compounds only
• Leðer-hose, weald-leðer (bridle)
• 1225 no longer restricted to compound.

7
Old French

• Fabrics 1366-1386
• TAPHETAS taffeta
• SATYNE satin
• SERGE heavy twill (denim)

• Accessories 1300-1438
• BRACEL bracelet
• BOTON button
• LAS or LAZ lace (tie)

• Garments 1275-1462
• ROBBE or ROUBE robe
• GOUNE gown
• JAQUET jacket

8
Middle English

• 1300
• COTE cote
• Usually had sleeves and made of wool

• Fabrics
• COTON cotton
• CANEVAS or CANABAS canvas
• JERSEY from knit stockings made on Jersey Island

9
Sanskrit

• 1613
• DUMGRI dungaree
• A coarse, cotton fabric now synonymous with
  denim or heavy twill.
• From Hindi
• Dumgri (hard/coarse)

• 1616
• KAMARBAND cummerbund
• A pleated band for the waist.
• From Hindi or Urdu
• Kamarband kamar (waist) bandi (band)

10
Sanskrit

• 1752
• BANDHUNU bandana
• A special dying process now refers to a large,
  woven cotton square.
• From Hindi
• Bandhunu (to dye) bandhana (to tie)

• 1787
• BUNGRI bangle
• A bracelet with no clasp.
• From Hindi
• Bungri (glass)

11
Sanskrit

• 1801
• PAIJAMAHS pyjamas or pajamas
• Originally referred to pant only
• From Hindi or Urdu
• Pai (leg) jamahs (clothing) English plural s

• 1899
• JODHPUR
• A style of pant worn by men in Jodhpur, India
  known today as a riding pant.

12

• http//www.monarch-garments.com/MG6697.jpg
• http//images.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encycl
  opediaimages/n/ne/newton_thornhill.jpg
• http//www.costumes.org/HISTORY/leloir/vol10/29_16
  88-95banyans.jpg
• http//www.glamourvanity.com/images/bangle-bracele
  ts.jpg
• www.vijayint.com/bandanas_pure_silk1.htm
• svensays.wordpress.com/.../
• http//www.wmich.edu/dialogues/themes/indianwords.
  htm
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_clothing_
  and_textiles_technologycite_note-Chang-0
• http//www.conservapedia.com/Clothing
• http//www.by-the-sword.com/acatalog/Medieval_Doub
  le_Wrap_Belt_200454.html
• http//www.worldwidestore.com/36835c.htm
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File46-aspetti_di_vi
  ta_quotidiana_discrezione_Taccuino_Sanitatis_detai
  l2..jpg
• http//www.rainfall.com/posters/landscape/21604.ht
  m
• http//janes-wardrobe.com/historical/16th20C.htm