Fashion talk

Sometimes it's just as hard to keep fashion terms straight as it is to figure out a wardrobe on a budget. Here's a list of definitions to make it a little easier. Au courant. Fashionable, in style, the current rage, fad, etc.

Buffalo plaid. Similar to checks; often used in tableclothes. Squares in the plaid are the same size.

Chemise. A woman's undergarment somewhat like a loose short slip. A loose dress that hangs straight with no waistline.

(Haute) couture. Custom-made fashions of high quality, especially by well-known European designers.

Couturier. Designer of women's fashions. Often sells the clothes designed.

Charmeuse. A soft, lightweight silk cloth with a finish like satin.

Diamant'e. Decorated with rhinestones or with other brightly glittering bits of material (diamant'e sandals, buckles, etc).

Foulard. A lightweight material of silk, rayon, or sometimes cotton in a plain or twill weave, usually printed with a small design.

Ghillie. A tongueless shoe with loops instead of eyelets, and a lace that is crisscrossed over the instep and may be tied around the ankle.

Glen plaid. Short for Glenurquhart plaid. A pattern or cloth with thin, crossbarred stripes in black and white and one or more muted colors.

Gobelin. A tapestry made at the Gobelin works in Paris, or a similar kind of tapestry.

Herringbone. An irregular broken twill weave. Lines extend from opposite sides in parallel, slanting rows.

Houndstooth check. A pattern of irregular broken checks in woven fabric for jackets, shirts, etc.

Jacquard weave. A figured weave. made on a Jacquard loom (named after the French inventor J. M. Jacquard, 1752-1834).

Louis heel. A small curved heel.

Panne. A soft cloth resembling velvet, but with a longer nap and a lustrous finish.

Ready-to-wear. ``Off the rack'' clothes. Many designers show both ready-to-wear and couture collections.

Redingote. A long, fitted coat cut along princess lines. Often worn open in front to show dress beneath. The term redingote is a French adaptation of the English words ``riding coat.''

Tartan. Woolen cloth with a woven pattern of straight lines of different colors and widths crossing at right angles.

Tattersall. A checkered pattern of dark lines on a light background.