glossary - bosweel.dk · ent lengths and at different angles. ... comes from the urdu kamarband....

2016

Independent Shirtmakers since 1937

Glossary

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Glossary

A

02

2016

B

ACCESSORIES (French accessoires) Accessories, often orna-mental items, e.g. buttons, handkerchiefs, cufflinks, ties and bow ties.

APPLIQUÉ Decorations sewn or glued on the fabric.

ALL-OVER PRINT Print or embroidery that completely covers the item of clothing.

BABYCORD OR PINCORD Corduroy is woven fabric with a ridged pile. The number of ridges or wales per inch indicates their width. Wide-wale corduroy is fabric with 0 - 10 wales to the inch; standard corduroy has between 11 and 15 wales. Needlecord is finer, with 14 - 18 wales, and babycord has 18 - 22 wales.

BIRD EYE A woven pattern that looks like a bird’s eye. Avail-able as woven or knitted fabric in a characteristic geometric pattern, with a centre something like a bird’s eye. Striking and exclusive fabrics.


Glossary

03

2016

BB

BLEND A blend or melange is the name for a yarn or fabric mix-ture. Mixing yarns of different colours produces a mottled fabric. A blend may also be a mixture of different fibres of different origins, such as polyester/cotton. Blending a natural fibre with a synthetic produces a fabric with excellent qualities, since the fibres complement each other.

BLOUSE A woman’s shirt in a more feminine style.

BOW TIE (PRE-TIED AND SELF-TIED) Accessories with dinner jackets and full evening dress. A bow tie is a narrow strip of fabric tied at the neck in a bow. It is traditionally worn with a dinner jacket. Bosweel’s range includes both pre-tied and self-tied bow ties. Although a bow tie is considered an accessory for a dinner jacket or evening dress, in fashion today it may be worn with a suit as a smart alternative to a tie.

BOX PLEAT A double pleat (uniform style) at the centre of the back or in a pocket. The pleat allows greater freedom of move-ment and mobility.

BROCADE A patterned fabric often used for waistcoats. The name comes from Italian and means ‘embroidered’.


Glossary

04

2016

CB

BUTTON-DOWN COLLAR Collar with the points held down by buttons.

CANVAS Hard, coarsely woven cotton fabric.

CASUAL Casual often means relaxed comfort in a sporty, easy-go-ing and modern style. Casual is the opposite of formal wear.

CHAMBR AY Oxford Chambray is woven with a dyed warp yarn and a white filling yarn, and has more weight than poplin. It is a soft, strong fabric in basket weave, with two parallel warp yarns and a softer filling yarn in the weft.

COLLAR A collar is the piece of fabric on a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens at the neck. It consists of the collar and the stand. There are countless types of collars, with points in differ-ent lengths and at different angles.


Glossary

05

2016

CC

CONTR AST A contrast is an effect in a different colour or fabric. Some models from Bosweel has a contrast inside the cuff or collar stand, or on the front or yoke, or in the colour of the buttons. There may also be contrasting stripes on the front, or contrasting thread may be used for the buttons or buttonholes. A contrast may also be a decoration, such as visible stitching, embroidery or a print.

COTTON Cotton is a natural fibre obtained from the seed capsules of the cotton plant. It is highly absorbent, breathable and hard-wearing. Cotton clothing is easily machine washed and often withstands high temperatures when washed and ironed.

CRINKLE LOOK / CRUSHED Fabrics with permanent fine creases or a creased look. Often used in more casual clothes.

CUFF The cuff is the term for the end of a sleeve, and shirt cuffs are held together by buttons or cufflinks. Cuffs come in many different styles, and the height of the cuff varies. A more formal shirt will usually have a double cuff (French cuff), which is folded back to reveal the inner side. French cuffs have extra holes instead of buttons, and cufflinks are inserted to close the sleeve at the wrist. Cufflinks are sold separately as accessories. Bosweel’s cuffs have an extra buttonhole, so they can also be worn with cufflinks


Glossary

06

2016

DC

CUMMERBUND (BLACK TIE) A cummerbund is a garment worn around the waist, often with a dinner jacket. It was brought to Britain by army officers serving in India. The name comes from the Urdu Kamarband. The form known today be-came popular in the 1920s. It is worn with the folds upwards, so that a ticket can be placed in the folds.

CUTAWAY COLLAR A collar with widely separated conical corners. A classic that is acceptable with or without a tie.

DENIM This usually means denim twill. White weft yarns are used with blue or black warp threads. Denim withstands hard washing and is very durable. Washing and wear effects are often used to give denim a casual look, producing lighter areas in the fabric.

DENIM-LOOK A lighter fabric, often in cotton, which is not washed as hard as ordinary denim.


Glossary

07

2016

ED

DINNER JACKET (TUXEDO) A dinner jacket or tuxedo is a formal jacket or suit with satin lapels. Dinner jackets are normally black. They may be single or double-breasted, and are worn over a white shirt, often with a wing collar. Dinner jackets are worn for festive occasions after 6 pm. In terms of style a dinner jacket (black tie) comes between a dark suit and full evening dress (white tie). The dinner jacket originated in the late 19th century, when Henry Poole from London’s legendary Savile Row made a short velvet jacket to be worn when smoking after dinner. While a dinner jacket is called a ‘smoking’ in several European languages, the garment called a ‘smoking jacket’ in English is usually made in velvet and sometimes in other colours besides black. In the USA a dinner jacket or suit was named a tuxedo after Tuxedo Park in New York.

DIP-DYEING Colour effect achieved by dipping the garment several times to different depths in the dye bath. It produces a shaded effect on the garment.

DOUBLE FACE Double face is a name for fabrics with a right side on both sides. It can also mean two fabrics worked together.

DOBBY A dobby weave is usually an advanced construction that creates a pattern in the surface of the fabric. Dobby weaving often makes use of yarns in different thicknesses and different weaving techniques, e.g. narrow twill edges on a single weave or a zig-zag pattern.


Glossary

08

2016

FE

EASY CARE Care or treatment to make a garment crease resist-ant or dirt-repellent.

ELASTANE Elastane is an elastic synthetic fibre that is highly flexible and dimensionally stable. It is primarily used in swimwear and lingerie, but its stretch effect also improves fit and comfort in everyday clothing including shirts.

ENZYME WASH A softening wash with enzymes, which tones down the colours of the fabric. A form of after treatment often used on causal clothing.

FIL Á F IL End-on-end fabric (Fil à Fil) is woven with two different yarns, producing an irregular effect in the fabric. It is a fine, comfortable material, highly suitable for solid-coloured shirts with structure.

FLANNEL Flannel is fabric in a classic weave, woven as either two-shaft or twill. It is made from loosely spun yarns, and brushed on one side or both. This makes it very soft and warm. Flannel is available both in solid colours and with patterns.


Glossary

09

2016

HF

FLAP POCKET A pocket with the opening covered by a flap. This pocket type is seen on Bosweel’s uniform shirts.

FULL EVENING DRESS White tie is the most formal festive dress code for men. An open dress coat with tails is worn over long trousers. Under the dress coat, a white shirt is worn, prefer-ably with a starched front and wing collar, and a white waistcoat and bow tie. The white tie and waistcoat are often made of piqué fabric. The most formal dress code is known as white tie in Eng-lish because of the obligatory white bow tie. It is worn at wed-dings and special evening occasions after 6 pm. In some formal settings a black waistcoat is worn instead of white with evening dress.

HERRINGBONE Herringbone is a variation of twill weaving. The difference is that the pattern zig-zags and looks like the bones of a fish. An attractive weave with a fine effect.

HOUNDSTOOTHH Houndstooth is also known as dogtooth or dogstooth. It is a two-toned textile pattern of broken squares in four-pointed forms, often in black and white, although other colours are also used. Very fine variants are called puppytooth.


Glossary

2016

10

LI

INTERLINING Interlinings are made from woven material. They are often single-coloured fabrics, used to stabilise the fab-ric of the garment. Interlinings are typically found in collars and cuffs and on the button placket, and they are glued to the back of the fabric. Bosweel only uses interlinings from the German Wendler company.

JACQUARD Often exclusive fabrics, jacquards are weaves or knits in large and usually repeated patterns.

JERSEY Jersey is a generic name for all types of knitted goods made of different materials.

JETTED POCKET Pocket openings with narrow fabric edges.

LINEN Linen fibre is obtained from the stalks of the flax plant, and known for its high tensile strength. Linen is the strongest plant fibre used for textiles, and is two or three times stronger than cotton fibres. Linen fibres are also completely smooth, so there is no pilling. At the same time linen fibres become softer and more flexible the more they are washed. Linen fabrics are soft and comfortable, with a cool feel when worn, and they crease nat-urally in use. Linen can be treated, for instance with an enzyme wash, giving it a casual, extra soft look.


Glossary

2016

MM

11

MANDARIN COLLAR A mandarin collar is a short, upright stand on a shirt without a collar. The mandarin collar starts at the plack-et, and is normally 2-5 centimetres high. The style came originally from jackets and costumes worn by the Chinese Mandarins. The front edges of a mandarin collar may be straight or rounded, and the edges of the stand may meet or overlap.

MERCERISED COTTON Mercerising is a process to improve cotton. When fabric is treated with caustic soda, it shrinks by about ten per cent, and thus becomes stronger, but dull. However, if the fibre is held taut or even stretched while it is treated with caustic soda, the fibres straighten out. (They are originally flat and form spirals, though this can only be seen in a microscope.) This stretch-ing changes the structure of the fibres, so that they become smooth and shiny. Mercerisation gives cotton a sheen, which is retained after washing and in use. The smooth surface is also more resistant to wear, while the fabric is more receptive to dyes, and becomes more durable. The attractive sheen is only achieved with the higher qualities of cotton.

MICROFIBRE Microfibres are very fine fibres spun from poly-amide or polyester. Fabrics woven from them are light and soft, breathable but wind and waterproof, and easy to clean.

MODAL Modal, e.g. as Polynosic / Modal fibre, is a type of cellulose fibre, but its inner structure is different from viscose. The cellulose molecules are longer, arranged closer together, and more parallel.


Glossary

2016

NM

12

MOTHER-OF-PEARL Mother-of-pearl comes from the inner layer of sea shells. It is used to make buttons and jewellery, and is recognisable by its bright, shimmering lustre. Mother-of-pearl is exclusive, varying from one button to another, so each has its own unique appearance. Mother-of-pearl buttons are included in Bosweel’s range as accessories to dress shirts.

NATTÉ Natté is a French word for plaited, and the fabric is airy, with a fairly loose, spaced-out weave with openings, making it breathable. The weaving technique produces a fine fabric with a sheen, exclusive material for an elegant shirt.

NATUR AL F IBRE All naturally occurring fibres, such as cotton, linen, silk and wool.

NECK LABEL The tag or label at the neck. This shows the brand name or logo – and is often sewn on the inside of the yoke of the shirt.


Glossary

2016

13

NON-IRON Shirts are never 100 % non-iron, but by combin-ing fibres, yarns, bindings and weaves, fabric and treatment, it is possible to achieve results that are more or less non-iron. Non-iron properties can be achieved through the nature of the yarn, mechanically (the weave) or chemically (by after treatment). What a customer considers non-iron is individual, and at Bosweel we use fabrics with an Easy Care finish. They are crease-resistant, non-iron as far as possible, and withstand repeated washing. It is advisable not to fill the washing machine completely when washing non-iron shirts, and to hang them up to dry immediately when the washing cycle is completed.

OXFORD Fabrics named after the English university town, with a weave that looks large, because double threads are always woven together. The characteristic appearance is obtained by weaving coloured and white threads together. Oxford fabric is soft and breathable, and therefore very popular both for formal shirts and for styles with a more casual look.

PAISLEY A pattern with a teardrop shape, originally from Persia.

PATTERN REPEAT The repeat or pattern repeat is the section of a larger pattern which is always repeated.

PN


Glossary

2016

14

PP

PEACH FINISH Fabric treatment in which the fabric is brushed or roughened to give it a very soft, downy surface: hence the expression peach finish.

PETITE FLEURS (French for small flower.) Small floral prints that cover the whole of the fabric.

PIGMENT DYEING A colouring method that leaves the fabric with a casual, worn appearance, and it becomes increasingly washed out with use and washing.

PIMA COTTON The highest quality cotton. It was originally cultivated by the Pima Indians in South America. It produces long, very fine fibres, which are soft and strong and receptive to colour.

PIN TUCKS A tuck sewn along the crease on trousers or an appliquéd pleat on the front of a shirt.


Glossary

2016

15

PP

PINSTRIPE Contrasting fine stripes on a single-coloured background.

PIPING Piping is a narrow strip, often in a contrasting colour, often sewn onto the edge of a garment part, such as the edge of the stand.

PIQUE Fabric with a relief-type weave that gives it a waffle structure.

PLAIN WEAVE / CANVAS BINDING A strong, uniform and slightly stiff fabric, depending on the nature of the yarn. The name comes from the Dutch doek. Originally lighter than canvas, but now synonymous with canvas. Fabrics with the same number of threads and the same yarn quality in the warp and the weft are square, and will not pull unevenly when washed.

PLEATS A pleat is a fold between two pieces of fabric that are sewn together. It allows greater freedom of movement and a better fit. Pleats may be seen at the back, in the sleeves or near pockets.


Glossary

2016

PP

16

PLISSÉ (French: Fold) Small creases or folds pressed into the material while it is heated. Plissé may also be sewn tucks like those on dress shirts.

POLYAMIDE Polyamide has roughly the same properties as poly-ester. It has the greatest tensile strength of all synthetic fibres, and is most hard wearing. Widely used in swimwear and sportswear.

POLYESTER In polyester the fibres are a category of polymer with the units held together by ester linkages. Although there are many different types of polyester, the term polyester often refers specifi-cally to a material called polyethyleneterephthalate (PET). It is very hard wearing, dimensionally stable and easy to care for. There are different polyesters, which are often blended with other fibres and used for practically all types of clothing. Polyesters do not crease as easily as natural fibres, and have a high breaking strength. In addition, polyesters can change their shape when exposed to heat, which makes polyester blends ideal for plissé treatment to produce permanent pleats.

POLYNOSIC Polynosic is another name for Modal, a modified form of viscose. Some types of Polynosic can be mercerised. Polynosic / Modal fibre is also a cellulose fibre, but the structure in the core is different from viscose. The cellulose molecules are longer; they are arranged closer together, and more parallel.


Glossary

2016

SP

17

POPLIN Poplin is a closely woven fabric generally used for shirts. Tightly woven weft and warp threads go over and under each other to produce a smooth, uniform surface. Poplin can have an elegant sheen, which is excellent for shirts. It is different from a single weave in that the warp threads are closer, and often twice as close as the filling yarn.

PRINCE OF WALES A woven check pattern inspired by a Scot-tish district check. The woven pattern is produced by colours in both the warp and weft, which is used especially in woollen and cotton fabrics.

REPP Fabric with vertical and horizontal ribs. This effect is obtained by using warp and weft threads in different thicknesses.

SATIN OR SATEEN Satin is used to describe any fabric woven by the satin weave method in silk, cotton or wool. The weft thread runs or floats over three to five warp threads before running under a single warp thread. The crossings of the warp threads on successive weft threads are staggered. This technique gives the fabric a completely smooth appearance, so that the woven structure is hard to see. Using warp threads in one colour and weft threads in another produces a shot effect, with the col-our changing at different angles. A satin weave can be used with all fibres and threads, but is most often seen with silk, cotton and various synthetic fibres. Satin is a closely woven fabric with a smooth, shiny surface.


Glossary

2016

18

TS

SEERSUCKER The word seersucker derives from Persian šir o šakar, meaning ‘milk and sugar’. Seersucker is fine cotton fabric, woven in a special way to create the typical puckered stripes. It is often used for summer clothes, or sportswear and casual wear. Bosweel often has seersucker fabrics in the summer collection.

SHOT Elegant fabric that shimmers in two colours or more, depending on the angle and the light. This effect is produced by contrasting colours in the warp and weft. Often used as a lining fabric.

SILK Natural fibre obtained from the cocoon of silk moth larvae (silkworms). Its low density makes it one of the most comfortable fabrics, and it keeps its shape extremely well. Silk is warm in the winter and cool in summer. Its appearance may be light, shiny or shimmering. An exclusive natural material.

STRETCH When yarns with elastic properties are combined with non-elastic yarns, the fabric becomes stretchable. The clothes made from it allow greater freedom of movement and comfort.

THREAD Sewing thread is specially robust yarn made of several threads twisted together for maximum strength. Thread is used for seams and buttonholes and for decorative stitching. The threads used by Bosweel are European quality threads supplied exclusively by the Amann company.


Glossary

2016

VT

19

TIE A tie is a long, lined and folded strip of fabric which hangs from the collar to the waist of the trousers. Ties are normally worn with a shirt and jacket, or simply with a shirt. They vary greatly in width, according to fashion, and are made of many different mate-rials. The tie developed from the cravat, and can be traced back to the middle of the 17th century. Besides being an accessory, ties are also used to show memberships of various groups, army regiments, particular clubs, schools or lodges.

TRIMMINGS A decorated or appliquéd edge, e.g. piping or binding.

TWEED This was originally hand-woven woollen tweel, Scot-tish for twill. Today hand-woven Harris Tweed comes from the Hebrides, and Donegal Tweed from Ireland, but tweed is also woven at weaving mills. Tweed is often used for overcoats, jackets and suits.

TWILL Twill is a method of weaving which produces a diagonal pattern in the fabric. The warp and weft threads always cross at least two other threads. The weave is stepped to give it the diag-onal twill appearance. The materials are often fairly soft.

VELOUR / VELVET Velour is a knitted cotton fabric with a soft pile. Velvet appears similar, but is a woven fabric with a silk pile.


Glossary

2016

V

20

VISCOSE Viscose is a regenerated fibre, produced or reconsti-tuted from other materials such as wood, cotton waste or other plant material with a high cellulose content. Viscose is absor-bent and conducts heat away from the body well, while it has an acceptable tensile strength. It is also easily dyed, withstands cleaning and washing, and it is an inexpensive raw material, so it is popular for producing textiles.

WAISTCOAT A waistcoat is a sleeveless garment normally worn over a shirt and under a jacket. It is considered the third item in a three-piece suit. A waistcoat has a vertical opening in front, often closed with buttons, and it may be double or single breasted. A waistcoat may also have lapels. Sometimes it is still customary to leave the lowest button undone. A waistcoat is worn under the jacket with full evening dress.

WOVEN PLEATING A special fabric with a woven pleated effect. Used on the front of exclusive dress shirts.

W


Glossary

2016

WW

21

WOOL Wool is generally made from the fleeces of sheep. Other animal fibres which are suitable for spinning may also be called wool together with the name of the animal. Examples of animal fibres that resemble wool are alpaca, llama, vicuña, cashmere and angora from goats or rabbits. Wool is a natural fibre that varies a great deal. The quality of the fibres (staples) varies from one animal to another, and also depends on the climate, the breed and health of the animal, and what it feeds on. Woollen products have a more or less water-repellent surface, because they contain lanolin, but they still absorb moisture. The natural crimp of the fibre gives it elasticity, and it is a fantastically warm material for clothing.

There are countless names for qualities of wool – here are just a few:

Cool wool is a very light fabric made of pure new wool. Cool wool is good for temperature regulation and to some extent crease resistant. Lambswool is the soft wool obtained the first time a lamb is shorn, at the age of six months. Lambswool is very fine and soft. Merino is very fine quality wool from merino sheep. The fibres are long, soft and heavily crimped.


Glossary

2016

YY

22

YARN The yarn is defined as the thread used to weave the fabric. It consists of fibres, which are processed to form the yarn. Natural fibres are found in many different lengths, while chemical fibres are cut to the desired lengths. The appearance of the fabric depends very much on the surface and form of the fibre, and a crinkled fibre with a rough surface is easier to spin than a straight, smooth fibre.

When fibres are spun, they are twisted, so they become strong-er and can be used for weaving fabrics. When two threads are twisted together, they form a strong, durable yarn, which is called a 2-ply. Shirt fabrics may be woven with 2-ply yarns, and depending on the direction of the twist, they may be called S-twist or Z-twist. The direction of the twist of the yarn can af-fect the final properties of the fabric, and combining both twist directions can balance the tendency to skew in knitted fabric.

Fabrics are never better than the yarn that is used, and it is often the yarn that has the greatest influence on the quality and properties of the fabric.

YOKEThe yoke is a separately cut section at the top of a garment such as a shirt. On Bosweel men’s shirts the yoke is in double fabric, and supports the fit.

glossary - bosweel.dk · ent lengths and at different angles. ... comes from the urdu kamarband....

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