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Tab is the name given to a border of lace or other material, worn on the inner front edge of ladies' bonnets. A tab is a loose pendent part of a lady's garment, the term being especially applied to one of a series of pendent squares forming an edge or border.
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A tabard is a simple, sleeveless outer garment that pulls over the head and is open at the sides. Originally tabards were ceremonial and military wear worn from the 13th to 16th centuries, in modern times they are often worn as protective clothing by catering staff.
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Tabby (or tabbinet) is a kind of waved silk, usually called watered silk, manufactured like taffeta, but thicker and stronger. The watering is given to it by calendaring.
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Historically, a tablier was the apron-like part of a woman's dress. During the 1860's and 1870's women's bustle dresses in Britain were won with the overskirt open at the front and draped back at the sides forming an apron or tablier.
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Taffety (taffeta) was a name originally applied to plain woven silks introduced into England in the 14th century. Later the name was applied to a light thin silk of lustre or gloss and to various mixtures of silk and wool.
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A Taglioni was a short, braid-trimmed, men's overcoat, usually with a checked lining, fashionable in the late 19th century and named after an Italian dancer.
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A tailcoat (also known as a cutaway) is a gentleman's long coat, cut away at the front and split at the back, giving the impression of a tail. The tailcoat evolved in England among the horse-riding gentry who found the conventional long coat too awkward for horse riding, and so had the lower front part removed and the back split to allow sitting astride a horse.
The tailcoat became unfashionable, giving way to the lounge-suit, which in turn was pushed out of fashion by the hacking-jacket worn by high-status horse riders, which today is known as a 'sports jacket'.
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A tallith is a Jewish ceremonial shawl-like garment with fringes at the four corners worn around the shoulders of Jewish males at the morning service.
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A talma was a long cape or cloak worn by both men and women during the early part of the 19th century.
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A tam-o-shanter is a round woollen or cloth cap with a flat baggy top much wider than the head band, similar to a beret but fuller. It is named after the hero of Burn's poem 'Tam o'Shanter'.
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Tammy is a fine woollen or wool and cotton textile fabric often with a glazed finish.
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A tank top is a knitted, sleeveless, informal waistcoat-like garment typically worn by men over a shirt. The term is also applied to a woman's vest-like, sleeveless finely knitted informal garment worn without an undershirt.
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A tarboosh or taboosh is an Egyptian, man's brimless hat resembling a fez but with a more waisted shape. The tarboosh is worn alone or as part of a turban by Muslims in some eastern Mediterranean countries.
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Tarbrush is an alternative name for a fez.
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Tarlatan was a thin and fine fabric of cotton or muslin, originating in India, and mostly used for making women's ball dresses around 1900. It was cheap, but did not withstand washing.
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Tartan is a woollen cloth with stripes of various colours crossing at right angles especially in the distinctive pattern of a Highland clan or regiment, and also by Welsh families.
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Ted is a fashion style, originally called the new Edwardian style, and originated with British guards officers during the 1940s who began dressing in a mock Edwardian style. The craze was taken up by the homosexual community and then appropriated by the working classes who added touches of the spiv look.
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A teddy is a women's all-in-one under garment combining a slip and knickers with a press stud or button fastening crutch.
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A teddy boy jacket is a man's long drape jacket, frequently brightly coloured, trimmed with velvet reminiscent of Edwardian styles, whence the name.
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A tee shirt is a unisex, short-sleeved shirt generally made of cotton with a crew neckline, but sometimes a V neck, and either plain or printed with a pattern, picture or slogan. The tee shirt developed from the vest worn as an item of underwear.
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A tee shirt dress is a short, loose dress made from a light jersey knitted fabric with a ribbed collar similar to a tee shirt, but longer.
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A ten gallon hat is an American a high and flat crowned, wide brimmed hat, as stereotypical of the style of hat worn by cowboys. The Stetson is a high quality ten gallon hat made by a particular company.
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A thong is a narrow strip of leather used as a lace or strap.
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A tiara was an ancient Persian head-dress (hence the name which in Greek means a Persian head-dress). Originally worn by the ancient Persian kings and magi, the tiara was adopted by the Romans for both men and women, and in mediaeval times evolved into a lady's headband. By modern times the tiara had further evolved to include an erect front. The tiara is emblematic of purity and chastity.
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A ticket pocket is a small pocket usually found at the top of the right front pocket in jeans, and often mistakenly referred to as a money pocket. Ticket pockets were first introduced around a1860 for carrying one's train ticket in.
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Tights are a garment comprising a combination of stockings and briefs. Tights may be made from a fine woven material or thicker material and occur in all manner of styles, patterns and colours.
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A tippet is a cape of fur or other material for the shoulders. Tippets are an item of the official costume of judges and clergy, and frequently formed part of the outdoor livery of coachmen and footmen. Anciently the tippet was the pendant part of the hood or sleeve.
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A tobe is an Arab undergarment worn by men and women. The tobe is full length, reaching from the shoulder to the ankles, with a collar and fastened with a short button placket. The tobe is worn under the aba.
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A toga was the national outer garment of men in ancient Rome. A woollen cloak, of elliptical, or in later times crescent shape, with pointed ends, about three or four meters long, it was worn over the tunic, and wrapped round the body in various ways, but generally with one end hanging in front to the ankles, and the other drawn round the back under the right arm, and thrown over the left shoulder. The use of the toga was forbidden to slaves and foreigners, and when under the late republic it was replaced for ordinary wear by other garments, it remained a ceremonial and official robe until the 5th century AD The toga candida, whitened with chalk, was worn by candidates for office, and the embroidered toga picta by generals at their triumphs, while the toga praetexta, with a purple hem, was the dress of free-born boys and of curule magistrates. Emperors wore purple togas.
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A top hat is a type of man's hat with a tall crown with a flat top and a narrow brim. Top hats are worn for formal occasions.
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A topee is a light pith helmet.
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A topsider is a type of shoe, originally made from leather with a traction rubber sole and now made from canvas with a traction rubber sole, designed for use on board yachts.
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A toque is a woman's small brimless hat made of folded or swathed material. They were popular during the Edwardian era.
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A torc is a piece of jewellry or personal ornamentation consisting of one or more metal bars or bands twisted spirallt. Torcs originated with early peoples including the early Persians and Scythians and during the Iron Age became a popular and widespread ornament of the Celts, with the Irish producing the finest and most varied designs.
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A torque was a necklace or collar of twisted metal worn by ancient Britons and Gauls.
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A tote bag is a woman's large, easy to carry, double-handled handbag.
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A toupee was originally a top-knot of hair crowning a wig. Today the term is used to describe any false hair piece.
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A tourneau or barrel skirt, also known as a pegged skirt, is a women's skirt full at the top and tapered at the hem. The skirt has pleats at either side of the front to control the fullness at the top.
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A trench coat is a loose top coat made from cotton gabardine, usually belted, and worn by both men and women. They were originally worn by British officers during the Great War, from whence the name derives.
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Trews were close-fitting trousers or breeches combined with stockings worn by Scottish highlanders and the Irish.
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TREWS
Trews are close-fitting tartan trousers or breeches combined with stockings, formerly worn by Irishmen and Scottish Highlanders during the sixteenth century.
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A tricorn or tricorne is a three-cornered cocked hat, the brim being turned up on three sides. The tricorn was always worn with one of the points facing front.
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A trilby is a soft felt hat with a narrow brim, brushed surface and an indented crown, which evolved from the soft sporting hats of the late 18th and early 19th century.
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A trooper hat is a type of fleece-lined hat with ear flaps that can be pulled down.
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A trouser suit is a women's smart casual or formal costume comprising of a pair of trousers and a jacket, typically made from Crimplene. Trouser suits first proved popular during the 1970's.
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A trunk-hose was a large, short, garment reaching from the waist to the thigh, looking not unlike puffed out brief shorts, formerly worn by men in England during the Elizabethan period before the invention of breeches.
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A tschepken is a Kurdish jacket with a lining, outer and decoration in contrasting colours.
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A tulip skirt, also known as a trumpet skirt, is a women's skirt that is straight from the waist to the hip, and then flares out to the hem creating a shape reminiscent of a tulip flower head or trumpet.
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Tulle is a thin silk bobbinet fabric used for veils, hat and dress trimmings. The fabric originated in Tulle in France, whence the name.
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A tunic was an ancient Greek and then Roman short-sleeved body garment reaching to the knees. Today the term applies more generally to a close-fitting short coat of a police or military uniform.
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The tupenu is a wrap round, skirt like cloth worn by Tongan males for all formal occasions. The tupenu is the normal work attire and is also worn to church. It is ideal for the Tongan climate.
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A turban is a length of fabric - cotton or silk - worn wrapped around the head by many Muslims and by some men in India and the Middle East. Early in the 19th century the turban became fashionable among some European women.
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Turkish trousers are a form of women's trousers developed from the skirt and popularised by the sport of cycling. Turkish trousers are full bloomers, gathered or pleated around the waist and gathered into a band below the knee, giving the impression of a skirt.
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Tussore, tussur or tussah is a silk produced chiefly by the larvae of two species of moth of the genus Antheraea; Antheraea pernyi is a native of Mongolia and feeds on oak leaves; and Antheraea mylitta is found in India, particularly in Bengal where it feeds on various trees. Tussore silk has a strong, coarse filament, flat in section and washable. Though frequently called a wild silk, it is generally cultivated.
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A tutu is a woman dancer's short skirt or dress with a fitted bodice and a skirt of multiple layers of stiffened frills.
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A tuxedo is a tailless, usually dark-coloured, man's evening dress or dinner-jacket often with a silk collar. It is so named after a country club at Tuxedo Park, New York, USA where they were invented as a less formal attire for dinner than the traditional dinner-jacket.
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Tweed is a soft, flexible, twilled woollen fabric, largely manufactured in Scotland, and formerly extensively worn by men although today it is more common amongst less fashionable middle-aged, middle class women. Tweed is often made in two or more colours, the yarn being dyed before weaving. Tweed gets its name from having first been made along the river Tweed in Scotland before spreading to other Scottish towns, Harris tweed being made in the Hebrides.
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Twill is a textile fabric with a surface of parallel diagonal ribs produced by passing weft-threads over one and under two or more warp-threads.
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A twin set is a cardigan and matching pullover pair, knitted with the same yarn and stitch, and worn together by women.
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Abbreviations
Costume
