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A sabatton or sabaton was a round-toed, armoured covering for the foot, worn during a part of the sixteenth century in both military and civilian dress.
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A sabot is a wooden shoe. They were formerly worn in France and Holland where they are made large enough to be lined with straw or hay.
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A sack coat is a loosely hanging coat not shaped to the back.
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Sackcloth is a coarse linen or cotton cloth used to make sacks and anciently made into garments worn while in mourning, distress, mortification, or penitence.
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A sagum was a military cloak worn by Roman soldiers and inferior officers.
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Salopettes are a form of overall or boiler suit worn in France while skiing or taking part in other sports. Unlike a boiler suit salopettes often have shoulder straps, rather than sleeves.
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A Sam Browne is a wide leather belt supported by a narrow strap passing over the right shoulder of the wearer. The Sam Browne belt was named after its inventor, and was originally worn by British army officers during the Great War.
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A san benito was a tunic worn by victims of the Inquisition condemned to auto da fe.
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A sandal is a simple, and ancient, form of shoe comprising a stiff sole fitted with straps, thongs or a toe knob. The ancient Egyptians made sandals of papyrus soles attached to their feet with rawhide thongs as early as 3500 BC.
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A sarafan is a full, Slav woman's dress with shoulder straps.
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A sarape is a more elegant Mexican type of poncho worn as a covering for the shoulders or coat.
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A sari is a garment worn by women consisting of a six-meter long piece of cloth, one meter wide, worn wrapped around the body over a blouse and petticoat.
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A sarong is a traditional Polynesian skirt-like garment of the Malay archipelago, Java, and some Pacific islands, consisting of a long strip of often striped cloth, about four or more meters long and sewn together at the ends to form a tube, worn tucked into a sash round the waist. Sarongs are won by both men and women.
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Sarouel trousers were trousers with a drop crutch gathered inset between the legs and made of a light jersey fabric. They formed part of the uniform of the Algerian Zouave Regiment.
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Satin is a fabric made from silk or similar yarn, with a glossy surface on one side produced by a twill weave in which weft-threads are almost hidden by the warp.
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A scapulary is a kind of garment or portion of dress, consisting of two bands of woollen stuff - one going down the breast and the other on the back, over the shoulders - worn by a religieux. The original scapular was first introduced by St Benedict, in lieu of a heavy cowl for the shoulders, designed to carry loads.
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Scarpetti are a type of rope-soled shoes worn for rock climbing, particularly in the north Italian Alps.
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Scratch mitts are soft fabric mittens, simply shaped with a ribbon to tie them around the wrist, worn by babies to stop them from accidentally scratching themselves with their finger nails.
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Serge is a durable, woollen, quilted fabric manufactured (woven) on a loom with four treadles, after the manner of rateens. Historically there were various varieties of serge denominated either from their quality or from the place where they were made, and in the 18th century the most esteemed serge was London serge, made in London, which was particularly popular in France, so much so that it was replicated and manufactured in France.
A description of the manufacture of London Serge from an 18th century source reveals the lengthy and intricate process involved in its manufacture:
For wool, the longest is chosen for the warp, and the shortest for the weft. Before either kind is used, it is first scoured, by putting it in a copper of liquor, somewhat more than lukewarm, composed of three parts of fair water and one of urine. After having stayed long enough therein for the liquor to dissolve, and take off the grease, &c. it is stirred briskly about with a wooden peel; taken out of the liquor, drained, and washed in a running water, dried in the shade, beaten with sticks on wooden rack to drive out the coarser dirt and filth, and then picked clean with the hands. Thus far prepared, it is greased with oil of olives, and the longest part, destined for the warp, is combed with large combs, heated in a little furnace for the purpose. To clear off the oil again, the wool is put in a liquor composed of hot water, with soap melted therein: whence being taken out, wrung and dried, it is spun on the wheel.
As to the shorter wool, intended for the weft, it is only carded on the knee with small cards, and then spun on the wheel, without being scoured of its oil. It must be remarked, that the thread for the warp is always to be spun much finer, and better twisted than that of the weft. The wool both for the warp and the weft being spun, and the thread divided into skeins, that of the weft is put on spools (unless it has been spun upon them) fit for the cavity or eye of the shuttle; and that for the warp is wound on a kind of wooden bobbin to fit it for warping. When warped, it is stiffened with a kind of size [some sticky substance used for stiffening fabric], whereof that made of the shreds of parchment is held the best; and when dry is put on the loom.
When mounted on the loom, the workman raising and lowering the threads (which are passed through a reed), by means of four treadles placed underneath the loom which he makes to act transversely, equally, and alternately, one after another, with his feet, in proportion as the threads are raised and lowered, throws the shuttle across from one side to the other; and each time that the shuttle is thrown, and the thread of the weft is crossed between those of the warp, strikes it with the frame to which the reed is fastened, through those teeth the threads of the warp pass; and this stroke he repeats twice or thrice, or even more, till he judges the crossing of the serge sufficiently close: thus he proceeds till the warp is all filled with weft.
The serge now taken off the loom is carried to the fuller, who scours it in the trough of his mill with a kind of fat earth, called fuller's earth, first purged of all stones and filth. After three or four hours scouring, the fuller's earth is washed out in fair water, brought by little and little into the trough, out of which it is taken when all the earth is cleared; then, with a kind of iron pincers or pliers, they pull off all the knots, ends, straws, &c. sticking out on the surface on either side; and then returning it into the fulling trough, where it is worked with water somewhat more than lukewarm, with soap dissolved therein for near two hours: it is then washed out till such time as the water becomes quite clear, and there be no signs of soap left; then it is taken out of the trough, the knots, &c. again pulled off, and then put on the tenter to dry, taking care as fast as it dries to stretch it out both in length and breadth till it be brought to its just dimensions. When well dried, it is taken off the tenter, and dyed, shorn, and pressed.
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A set in sleeve is a sleeve which is shaped around the arm, and has a seam on the underarm, constructed and then attached to the bodice.
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The shadow is an English style of thin, short moustache comprising two tapering shaped wings with a gap between them at the centre below the nose.
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The shag or rooster cut, is a hair style popularised by Rod Stewart, and involving dishevelled short spiky tufts on top, with shoulder-length strands down the back.
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A shako is a Hungarian cylindrical military cap with a peak and a plume. In America, imitation shako, known as shako caps, have been popular for children, mainly boys, and also became known as 'yachting caps'. The child's shako cap having a stiff band around the head and a patent leather visor.
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A shawl is a square or rectangular piece of woven, knitted, or crocheted material, usually fringed and worn folded into a triangle around a woman's head or draped over the shoulders or wrapped around a baby and then used to carry the baby close to the mother.
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The Shermanic moustache is a neatly clipped, triangular style of moustache named after the 19th century American general who popularised the style.
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A shirt waister is an item of women's clothing consisting of a waisted skirt extended to dress length.
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A shober is a coarse linen coat with a full skirt at the sides, flat at the front and back, worn by the Chuvash people of the Volga region.
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Shoddy is wool obtained from woollen rags and wastes and re-spun.
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A shoulder bag is a woman's bag with a handle intended to be supported over the carrier's shoulder.
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A shoulder cape coat is a man's long overcoat, usually fitted and fastened to the waist then flared out, and with a shoulder cape for extra protection from the rain.
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A shovel hat is a type of black felt hat worn by some clergymen, with a brim rolled up to resemble a shovel in shape.
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A Siberian anorak is a variation of the familiar anorak jacket, but is a fur-trimmed, hooded leather jacket often with decorative embroidery around the sleeve and hem.
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Silk is a fabric made from the fine, soft, glossy thread spun by the larvae of certain moths especially the silkworm moth.
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A singlet is a man's short-sleeved vest with a small, button placket fastening at the neck. Singlets were later adopted by women both for underwear and outerwear.
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A skeleton jacket was a jacket onto which the trousers buttoned. They were commonly worn in the first quarter of the 19th century.
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The skeleton suit was a boy's ensemble consisting of a frilled shirt and trousers, the trousers usually buttoning onto the shirt, and frequently a short, fitted jacket with two rows of buttons from shoulder to waist worn over the shirt. Skeleton suits were standard costume worn by boys from the age of five from 1770. After about 1800 the trousers were buttoned to the jacket, known as a skeleton jacket.
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A ski mask is a fine knitted hood similar to a balaclava, but also covering the face with holes for the eyes and mouth.
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A skullcap is a small, close fitting, peakless cap, usually of a soft material.
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A slicker is a long, waterproof raincoat of a smooth and usually brightly coloured material, with storm flaps, often worn at sea.
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A slipper is an elegant, thin-soled shoe made of fabric or leather, that barely covers the foot and has no fastenings so that it slips on and off with ease.
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The Sloping box car moustache is an American style of straight moustache, slightly tapered out from the nose, and extending the width of the top lip. The sloping box car moustache was developed during the 20th century.
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A sloppy Joe is a crew-necked, knitted pullover.
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Slops were baggy breeches worn during the sixteenth century and early seventeenth century.
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A slot seam is a seam in which a contrasting piece of fabric is introduced into the seam, and the seam then topstitched leaving the contrasting material visible.
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A slouch hat is a particular type of hat worn by men of the Australian army with the left side of the brim turned up.
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A smock was in mediaeval times a loose, knee-length or calf-length garment with a close gathered yoke, made of cotton or linen and worn by women under their gowns. In the 18th century the smock developed into a loose, yoked, shirt-like outer garment often with long sleeves, worn by farm workers. By the 20th century a smock was a yoked shirt or dress often worn as maternity wear, or as a protective overall.
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Smocking is the ornamentation of a garment by gathering a section of material into tight pleats which are held in place by parallel lines of stitches in an ornamental, frequently honeycomb, pattern.
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A smoking-jacket is a gentleman's jacket made of velvet or other rich cloth, usually trimmed with braid, and formerly worn by men when smoking or lounging informally at home.
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A sneaker is a rubber-soled, canvas uppered shoe originally developed for playing croquet, and then popularised in 1917 with the launch of the 'Ked'.
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A snood was a fillet or ribbon used to bind the hair, being worn around the head like a hair band, and formerly worn in Scotland by unmarried girls.
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Socci were Roman slippers worn by women in the house.
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Originally, a sock was a light shoe worn by actors in ancient Greek comedy, and sometimes used as a symbol of comedy distinct from tragedy in which the actors wore buskins. The sock subsequently developed into a knitted or woven covering for the foot and ankle, or to a detachable inner sole to a shoe.
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A solitaire was a broad black ribbon worn over a stock during the 18th century, with the ends at the front being tied, left to dangle or pinned at the front.
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A sombrero is a felt hat with a very broad brim, originally from Spain and widely used through Spanish America and the southern USA.
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A songkok is a type of oval brimless hat, resembling a skull worn in Malaysia and Indonesia.
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A sou'wester is a sailor's waterproof hat, usually made of oilskin, with a brim that is very broad behind and slanted downwards.
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A soutane is a type of cassock with a scarf and cincture, worn daily by the secular clergy of the Roman Catholic Church in France, Italy and some other countries.
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Spatterdash were mediaeval, high, leather leggins equipped with multiple buttons for fastening.
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A spectator is a type iof women's court shoe constructed in two contrasting colours.
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A spencer was a man's short, double-breasted overcoat without tails popular during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and named after Earl Spencer who popularised the coat. The spencer ended at the waist and was closed with buttons down the front. It had long sleeves that ended in cuffs. The neckline had a stand-fall collar. The spencer was worn outdoors over a frock or coat.
The term spencer later applied to a close-fitting jacket or bodice worn by women and children in the early 19th century.
A spencer was a woman's woollen bodice under-garment of the late 19th century worn during winter for extra warmth.
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A sporran or sporan is a leather (sometimes seal skin) pouch or purse usually covered with fur and adorned with ornamental tassels and traditionally worn by the Scottish highlanders in front of the kilt. In Wales the sporran is known as the ysgrepan and is made of goat skin and covered with horse hair, but is otherwise very similar to the Scottish.
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A sports jacket is a loosely cut jacket, usually made from tweed or cotton fabric with a checked design.
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The square button moustache (toothbrush moustache) was a narrow, square, straight moustache, extending the width of the nose, but not the lips, popularised by Oliver Hardy and Charlie Chaplin and also worn by Adolf Hitler which led to its fall from grace.
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Ssernall trousers are Egyptian full trousers with legs that taper toward the ankle and pulled together with a drawstring.
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The ssitar is a Kurdistan short shirt worn by both men and women. The ssitar has long pointed sleeves which are worn wrapped around the wrists, or tied behind the neck, and gussets under the arms for freedom of movement.
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A steamer coat is a man's or woman's warm overcoat, usually made from calf skin, and belted at the waist.
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A steamer trunk is a firm-framed piece of luggage resembling a mobile wardrobe which includes drawers and hanging compartments for transporting clothes.
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A steelmaker's shirt is a men's shirt, similar to a tee shirt, but with longer sleeves and a button placket.
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A steeple hennin was a very tall, conical hat, frequently worn with a veil.
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Steinkirk was a late 17th century fashion in which a fine quality lace neck cloth or cravat was worn studiously disarrayed, with the front ends twisted together and passed through a buttonhole or attached with a brooch to one side of the coat. The Steinkirk originated following the battle of Steinkirk in 1692 at which the soldiers were caught unawares and had no time to dress smartly before being plunged into battle.
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A stetson is a particular barnd of ten gallon hat.
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Stewart Dress Tartan is worn by pipers of the Scots Guards, Black Watch and King's Own Scottish Borderers.
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The Stewart Hunting Tartan is worn by pipers of the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Regiment.
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A stock was an 18th century high neckband of linen which could be stiffened, and was worn folded around the neck with a buckle closure at the front or back.
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Stockinet - also known as jersey cloth and elastic cloth - is an elastic knitted fabric used for underwear etc.
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A stocking cap is a knitted cap, usually ending in a tassel, worn by sailors and fishermen and later also by workmen in Britain until the mid-19th century.
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Stockings are a close-fitting knitted covering for the legs and foot. Formerly stockings were made of cloth, then later silk and man-made fabric such as nylon. Queen Elizabeth I was presented by Mistress Montague with a pair of black knit silk stockings, which so pleased her that afterwards she refused to wear cloth stockings ever again.
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A stogie was a heavy type of 19th century American boot or shoe.
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A stola was a long, loose garment originally of ancient Greece - where it was worn as an under garment - and worn by married Roman women over the tunic and reaching down to the feet. The bottom of the stola was decorated with a sewn border. The stola was usually gathered and confined at the waist by a girdle, at sometimes decorated at the throat with a coloured border. The stola hade either short or long sleeves and was fastened over the shoulder by a fibula.
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A stole is a strip of silken material worn over both shoulders by priests and bishops, but over the left shoulder only by deacons, in their administrations. The council of Laodicea forbade the use of the stole to the inferior orders of the clergy. Symbolically it represents the yoke of Christ. The colour of the stole may be changed in harmony with the church's seasons.
The stole was later adopted as a rectangular, often fringed at the ends, cloth worn by women wrapped around the shoulders in a manner similar to a shawl.
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A stomacher was a richly ornate garment worn by both sexes during the 15th and 16th centuries, covering the stomach and chest. Later the stomacher was worn under a bodice by women only. The purpose of a stomacher is to flatten the appearance of the stomach.
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A stovepipe is a type of man's hat similar to a top hat, but exaggerated with a straight crown and a narrow brim. The stovepipe was popular in Britain during the 19th century.
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A string tie is a simple string effect tie, worn tied in a bow at the front.
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The strip-teaser moustache is a very narrow style of moustache worn halfway between the upper lip and the nose with slightly upturned ends.
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A sugar-loaf hat (properly a Copotain) is a flat-topped, conical hat that was typically worn in Britain from the 17th to the early 18th centuries by both men and women - the women wearing the hat when travelling or riding, and became typical of the costume of the Puritans. By the early Georgian period at the start of the 18th century the sugar-loaf hat was no longer fashionable, wigs being popular in place of hats.
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Sunray pleats are wedge-shaped pleats which gradually become wider towards one end, often the hem of a garment.
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A supertotus was a wide cloak or mantle worn in Europe as an overcoat during the 12th and 13th centuries.
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A surcoat was a long garment worn over mediaeval armour. The surcoat was often embroidered with the owners heraldic arms.
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A surplice is a loose white vestment of varying length, with wide sleeves; worn by the clergy, and usually by a choir at divine services.
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Swaddling is the tight binding of newborn babies with bands of cloth to prevent movement, with a view to encouraging straight growth of arms and legs and to prevent accidents. The practice was continued in Britain until the 18th century when the harm it does babies was finally recognised.
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A swagger is a woman's three-quarter length and flaring single-breasted coat.
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A swagger pouch is a woman's firm framed bag with two handles, one each side of the opening.
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A sweater is a heavy woollen jersey formerly worn by athletes, usually to prevent cold after exertion. The name derives from the early garments which were worn during training with the purpose of inducing sweating and thereby reducing the athlete's weight.
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A sweatshirt is a long-sleeved knitted cotton article of clothing worn by athletes and others.
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Swiss muslin is a fine muslin dress fabric, usually having a raised or woven pattern of dolls or figures. It is so called because it was formerly imported from Switzerland.
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A szedria is a type of man's cloth, button-up waistcoat with an extended placket.
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A szur coat is a traditional Hungarian shepherd's coat made from woollen blanket fabric, decorated with elaborate contrasting embroidery and an extra deep collar.
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Abbreviations
Costume
