Blue dress coat—(navy) for chief petty officers, except bandmasters, a 4-button double-breasted sack coat of dark blue cloth with 3 outside pockets (2 lower, 1 breast) with flaps, the coat worn buttoned; for officers’ stewards and officers’ cooks, the same except with black buttons instead of gilt.
Blue jackets—navy seamen as distinguisht from the marines.
Blue pencil—supposed to be specially efficacious in marking down prices for a “sale”.
Blue undress coat—(navy) for chief petty officers except bandmasters, same as blue dress c., but of flannel or serge.
Blue working dress—(navy) see Working d.
Bluestocking—not an article of attire, but a Bostonprig.
Bluff edge—in tailoring a variety of plain e. (qv) not made by hand, but by first sewing the edges of garment together wrong side out, then turning and pressing flat without other finish; a cheap substitute for felled or prickt edges (qv).
Bluff try-on—not a real one, just a bluff. See Dummy t. (Tailoring term.)
Blunderbuss—a short fire arm with a large bore and a wide mouth.
Blunts—see Needle.
Boarded calf—see below.
Boarding—a term used in the leather trade, denoting a process of making leather supple and raising the grain after shaving, dyeing, etc., by doubling it with the flesh side in and working the folds back and forth by a graining board.
Boarding officer’s uniform—see Custom officer’s u.
Boardwalk—the ocean promenade at Atlantic City, where, in season, and on Easter Sunday particularly, those who have them proceed to strut up and down showing off their new clothes.
Boat cloak—a cape or mantle for use of (naval) officers in a (small) boat.
Boater—British for the stiff, straight-brimmed straw hat known here as “yacht” shape. See Straw hat.
Boatswain’s uniform—(navy) see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Undress, Service dress; (revenue cutter service) Full dress, Service dress. See also variations.
Bob—see Bob-wig and Wig.
Bobbin—a slender spool or reel used in the shuttle of a loom, conveying the weft or filling.
Bob-jerom—a bob wig.
Bobtailed—short tailed—give it any application you fancy.
Bob-wig—a small or medium size w. of the time of George II; specifically, minor b.-w. and major b.-w., the latter with several rows of curls.
Bodkin—a needle-like instrument for piercing holes in cloth, or for drawing tape thru hems, etc.
Body-coat—a dress c.; an under-c.; a close-fitting c.; a livery c.
Body-cover—cant for coat.
Bogus—counterfeit or of inferior quality, as manipulated cloth.
Boil out—trade term indicating the quality of a piece of goods, as “this will boil out”, meaning if woolen, the goods will in the boiling potash test resolve into nothing without trace of cotton or similar non-boilable adulterant. See Boiling-o. test.
Boiled off—commercial term for Shantung silk, to distinguish from silk “in the gum”.
Boiled shirt—inelegant for a white shirt with stiff linen bosom.
Boiling-out test—a means employed to determin the quality of suspected woolen or silk fabrics, a piece of the goods being boiled in a solution of potash, in which the wool or silk is consumed, but any cotton therein remains. See also Acid t. and Cotton cheat.
Bolt—a rolled or folded quantity of goods, of various yardage, according to the fabric or material. Cloth usually runs 40 to 60 yards to the b.
Bombast—cotton or other material of soft, loose texture, employed for padding garments; wadding.
Bombazine—a light, plain woven fabric of silk warp and worsted weft, used for mourning.
Bonbon—general trade term for fine lisle and balbriggan underwear and hosiery manufactured by C. & G. Bonbon et Cie, Troyes, France; also C. Bonbon et Cie, Paris.
Bone—journeyman tailors’ term for a peculiar hard feeling noticeable in the handling of certain kinds of cloths, as heavy overcoatings and experienct especially in working the needle thru; as, “it has a bone in it”.
Bonnet—a Scotch cap.
Book muslin—a thin, glazed, starch-filled cotton fabric, often mechanically crinkled, used for cheap cap linings, etc.
Boon—the woody core of flax.
Boot—a leather or other foot covering differing from a shoe (qv) in that it reaches usually to the knee or above. In England the word boot is synonymous with our word shoe.
Boot—a leather or rubber-cloth flap fastened to the front or dashboard of a carriage or coach and drawn up over the lap of the rider as a protection against rain, etc.
Bootblack—an irreverent urchin who “shines” the fronts of your shoes, but forgets the heels.
Boot-hook—an implement to pull boots on with.
Boot-hose—spatterdashes; stirrup h.
Boot-jack—a wooden or metal contrivance for engaging the heel of a boot while the wearer drags himself out therefrom.
Boot-last—same as b.-tree.
Boot-lick—a flunkey; a hanger-on; one who cringes and flatters to obtain favors.
Boot powder—powdered soapstone to make tight boots go on easier.
Boot slippers—light, soft leather feet for wear inside of rubber boots.
Boot-straps—the loops sewed in the back part of boots for the purpose of pulling them on.
Boot stud—a small, steel roset having prominent sharp points at right angles to the back; used by golf players and others for surety of footing; 8 to 12 are required for a pair of boots, affixt by screws or cleats.
Boot-tree—a stretcher for shaping boots when not in use.
Bootee—an infant’s knit woolen foot covering.
Bootmaker—Briticism for what we call shoemaker.
Boots—a servant, usually a boy or young man, at an inn, hotel, club, etc., who blacks boots and performs other small services for guests.
Bosom—the front or display part of a shirt, specifically known according to style, shape, etc., as dress b., puff b., shield b., plaited b., etc.
Botany—trade diminutiv for the line of cloths made by the Botany mills, Passaic, N. J. A peculiarity of these goods is that they closely approximate fine imported goods, being woven by German workmen (mostly) on imported German looms.
Botch work—bungled.
Bottle coat—a proprietary term for a certain style of form fitting overcoat. (1907.)
Bottle nest—a leather case with 3 or 4 bottles snugly fitted; for the spiritual refreshment of travelers.
Bottom—trousers seat.
Bottom facing—in tailoring the strip of goods turned up within or sewed on along the inside of a garment, as of a vest or coat.
Boucle—an irregular curly-faced fabric, the effect being produced by the use of a two-ply yarn in which one thread is wound around the other and drawn to make curls or loops at uneven distances; properly a rough, lobby, sort of “worsted cheviot”, tho frequently made with a jersey or stockinet body.
Boughten—past participle of “to buy”, in which the archaic termination is still preserved; like gotten, putten, etc., serving to distinguish shop-bought goods from home manufactures.
Bound-edge—in tailoring, covered or bound with braid; for this purpose edges of the garment itself are often left raw. See Flat b., Half-and-half-b., Narrow b.
Bounder—English slang for one who dresses in bad taste, or whose manners, etc., are offensiv; a “cheap dude”.
Bouquet hole—the buttonhole in a coat lapel.
Bourre—a sort of silk shoddy.
Bourette—a woolen cloth with lumps or knobs at intervals over its surface, an effect produced by manipulation of warp and weft yarns before weaving.
Bournous—a long woolen cloak with hood, worn by men in the Orient.
Boutonniere—a little bunch of flowers; the principal excuse for the lapel buttonhole.
Bow—that part of a pair of spectacles clasping the temple or engaging behind the ear.
Bow tie—a t. tied in a bowknot.
Bowback—rather humped.
Bowie knife—a long, formidable weapon, sometimes over a foot in length and two inches broad, worn by hunters and desperadoes in the wilder and more unsettled parts of the Union. One kind is facetiously called Arkansas toothpick. The term “bowie” was derived from a notorious character, Colonel Jim Bowie.
Bowk—a step in the process of cotton bleaching, being boiling in weak lye.
Bowlegged—parenthetical.
Bowler—the common English name for the derby hat, from the name of the hatter who invented it. See also Billycock.
Box calf—a trademark or fancy name for boarded c. (qv).
Box cloth—a superior quality of thick, heavy beaver c. of close, hard texture, fulled and milled until practically waterproof; similar to pilot c. and in appearance midway between melton and beaver, and not unlike kersey; also called livery c.
Box coat—(1) a short, loose fitting top c.; (2) a coachman’s driving c., with or without cape.
Box collar—a high-banded Prussian or military (coat) c.
Box fly—see Blind f.
Box-plait—a plait flattened with the stitching midway underneath so that there is a leaf or fold on each side of the stitching. Compare One-way p.
Box toe—having a stiff piece of sole leather inserted under the upper leather around the toe of a shoe to make it stand up as a solid protection for the human toes.
Box waterproof—a coachman’s mackintosh.
Boxing glove—a padded leather mitten that can hurt.
Boxy—loose fitting.
Boy—the kid who is supposed to be everywhere and everything, and generally is, except when wanted.
Brab—the sheaf of the young leaves of the Palmyra palm, from which “sennit” for hats is made.
Braces—English for suspenders; American for suspender-harness for correcting stoop-shoulders and other light deformities.
Bradford system—weaving term for worsted yarns spun by a method carrying that name, (see textil encyclopedia) producing a harder yarn than by the French system (qv) of spinning on mules.
Bradford yarns—see above. See also English y.
Braid—a narrow textil band or tape formed by plaiting together or crossing diagonally and lengthwise several threads of silk, cotton, mohair or other material, in a manner to achieve a certain width, style, pattern or effect, known in trade as silk b., mohair b., hercules b., soutache b., flat b., half-and-half b., etc. Used for binding coat edges, etc., and decorativly, as in uniforms.
Braid combing—wool classification term. See Wool.
Braided edges—see Bound e., Braiding, etc.
Braided seam—a s. covered with braid laid on and stitched.
Braiding—the process of forming tape or cord like fabrics in which threads held longitudinally, are woven diagonally in and out of each other.
Braiding—the act or operation of binding or decorating a garment with braid.
Brakeman’s uniform—varies with different roads; usually a sack suit of blue cloth, the coat being most frequently double-breasted with brass buttons; blue cloth cap.
Brandenburgs—long, narrow, ornamental buttons of silk or wool on a wooden mold, used chiefly for military overcoats; also known as olives.
Brass—impudent assurance.
Brass buttons—slang for over-gaudy uniforms, livery, etc.
Brass knuckles—see Knucks.
Brassard—(army, navy, etc.) (1) a band of white cloth usually about 4 in. wide, fastened around the upper part of the right sleeve, a red Geneva cross, 3 in. in hight and width, having arms 1 in. wide, stitched or painted upon it; (2) a similar band of black cloth or crepe worn for mourning.
Brave—a swaggering fellow; a rowdyish gallant; a roystering fop.
Bravery—elegance of attire; finery.
Brazilian linen—a fiber obtained from a common South American weed, possessing strength, fineness, flexibility and adaptability for bleaching, dyeing, etc., expected soon to be a popular substitute for flax in nearly all its uses.
Breach—see Wool.
Break—see Collar b.
Break—trade term for tender wool that breaks when stretched—a defectiv condition caused by exposure, insufficient feeding, etc.
Breakfast jacket—(1) a house coat; (2) a butler’s morning coat.
Breaking test—in general, linen fabrics are more difficult to break than those of cotton. The broken edge of linen shows threads that are long and irregular, the projecting fibers being parallel and lustrous. The broken edge of cotton cloth exhibits twisted threads, the fibers being uniform in length and dull in appearance. Practise further enables the operator to distinguish linen from cotton by the sound when the fabric is torn, linen emitting a shrill, and cotton a dull, sound. Furthermore, when a group of threads is quickly broken, the cotton threads twist around each other, while the linen threads hang straight.
Breast—the front of the chest.
Breast cord—(army) a decorativ loop of cord and tassels of mohair, of the color of the corps, department or arm of service, worn on the front of the dress coat of enlisted men, from left shoulder to below right arm; a variety of aigulet (qv).
Breast of heel—(shoemaking) the back of the heel.
Breast pocket—any p. inserted in or placed on the breast of a coat or vest, whether outside or inside, tho the latter are generally so specified.
Breast protector—a sort of inflated canvas-and-leather shield worn by baseball and cricket players, fencers, etc.
Breech—see Wool.
Breech cloth—better than nothing.
Breech clout—same.
Breeches—a shaped leg-covering reaching to the knee, closing snugly at that point with several buttons. Compare Knickerbockers. See also Riding b.
Breeches hooks—used in 18th century to suspend the tight, fashionable breeches of the times from the ceiling, the wearer mounting upon the steps and letting himself down in the garments.
Breeches tree—a wooden form for keeping coachmen’s breeches in shape while not in use.
Breeks—Scotch for breeches.
Bretelles—French for suspenders or braces.
Bricklayer’s glove—a sort of leather mitten to which separable heavy leather tips are attacht by means of metal clips, the wrist having a resilient metal clamp. More loosely, any heavy working glove.
Bridgewater—a variety of broadcloth once manufactured at Bridgewater, England.
Brigadier—see Wig.
Brigadier general’s uniform—(army) see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u.; (marine corps) Special full dress, Full dress, Mess dress, Undress, Field dress. Also see variants.
Bright—tailor’s argot for any bright technical idea or suggestion.
Brilliant—jeweler’s term for a diamond of the finest cutting and quality; general slang for all diamonds and sparkling gems.
Brilliant cutting—the most common style of diamond cutting, consisting of two pyramids joined at their bases, the upper one or crown being truncated to form the table, the lower or pavilion ending in a point called the collet. Compare Twentieth century c.
Brilliant lisle—highly calendered. See Lisle.
Brilliantine—a light, thin, plain woven and very lustrous fabric, similar to alpaca. See Mohair.
Brim—the piazza part of a hat.
Briolette—a diamond, generally pear or drop shaped, cut with angular or long facets.
Britch—same as breach—a wool classification term. See Wool.
British—trade term for unbleacht cotton hose.
Broad bound—same as flat b. Compare Narrow b. and Half-and-half b.
Broad goods—cloth wider than 29 in.
Broad silks—trade term for woven silk fabrics for dress and lining purposes.
Broadcloth—for men’s wear, a high grade woolen cloth woven of the finest of felting wool, usually first dyed in the raw; the woven fabric is fulled to a considerable degree and slightly napt and sheared, then steamed, calendered and prest to add luster, the better grades being made with a twilled back. Broadcloth for women’s wear is a lighter fabric and not so costly. Name originally used in contradistinction to Narrow cloth.
Broadfalls—trade name for front fall trousers in which the front flap or fall extends from side to side or nearly to the pockets. See Fall bearer. Compare Narrow f.
Broadtail—apologetic term for the fur of the unborn lamb of the black Persian sheep of Russia; distinguisht from Persian lamb (qv) by the degree of mottling or moire effect of the rich black surface; also called baby lamb.
Brocade—a rich fabric of silk, cotton or wool (or combinations thereof, sometimes intermixt with tinsel) having a pattern in slight relief, produced by raising the threads of the warp or of the weft in the loom; the patterns are mostly floral.
Broche—a term signifying stitcht or embroidered, applied to fabrics worn with a raised design; having such appearance; a sort of brocade.
Brodekin—a buskin or high boot (obsolete).
Brogan—a coarse, heavy shoe fastened by side flaps buckled or laced over a short tongue or instep-piece; forerunner of the modern Blucher shoe (qv).
Brogue—(1) a rude shoe of untanned hide, (originally with the hair outside) tied with thongs, worn formerly in Ireland and the Scotch highlands. See Brogan. (2) Among seamen, coarse sandals made of green hide.
Brogues—trousers (obsolete).
Broken twill—one of the technical names for herringbone weave.
Brooch—an ornamental article of jewelry fastened by means of a hinged pin; a shawl-clasp.
Broom brush—upper class tradesmen’s term for whisk broom.
Brotus—the heaping up of a measure; what is thrown in to make sure of good weight. Used in Charleston, South Carolina, and exactly equivalent to the Gumbo-French word lagniappe of New Orleans.
Brown—unbleacht.
Brown—see Wool.
Brown holland—plain, wide linen cloth, but slightly thickened; used for dusters, summer clothing, etc.
Brown muslin—just as it leaves the looms; not bleacht; usually woven coarser than that intended to be bleacht.
Brownies—diminutiv apron overalls for little tads of 3 years up.
Brummagem—sham jewelry as originally made in Burmingham, Eng. See Attleborough.
Brunswick—union or part wool cassimere.
Brush length—trade term for narrow width haircloth.
Brushing—a polishing or finishing process in shoemaking, rapidly revolving brushes made of bristles or soft pieces of cloth being used to polish and brush up the shoe as a final finishing operation.
Brushing machine—(1) an apparatus for laying the nap on cloths, hats, etc.; (2) an apparatus for dusting hats, shoes, etc.
Bryks—breeches (obsolete).
Buck—a dandy.
Buckeen—Irish dude.
Bucket tops—top boots. See French falls.
Buckle—a fastening device, in clothing used specially for tightening the waist of trousers, waistcoats, etc.
Buckler—cant term for collar.
Bucko—a dandy; corruption of “buck”.
Buckram—a coarse, heavy, plain-woven linen or cotton material sized with glue, used for stiffening, as in coat fronts.
Buckskin—a sort of doeskin or kersey, but stouter and with bolder, clearer twill, chiefly used for riding breeches, livery wear, etc.
Buckskin—(1) soft sheepskin; (2 pl) breeches or trousers made of b.
Buckskin—proprietary name for an improved sort of gum tissue for hems, seams, etc.
Bucktails—a name given to the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves (also known as 1st Pennsylvania Rifles and Kane Rifles, from one of the commanders) famous thruout the Civil War for their rare fighting qualities and from the habit of the men of wearing a bucktail in their hats, which a Grand Army post of the survivors perpetuates.
Buff clothes—none at all.
Buff coat—a jerkin or doublet of leather (?) worn by certain colonial troopers of 17th century.
Buffalo—see B. robe.
Buffalo cloth—a shaggy fabric woven in imitation of b. fur.
Buffalo horn—trade term for buttons made of horn, bone, etc., in contradistinction to imitations thereof, distinguished by greater clearness and irregular markings of color.
Buffalo robe—a rug or covering made of the hide with the hair on. More commonly called “buffalo”.
Bugazeen—an old term for calico.
Bugs of Egypt—a style of waistcoat buttons popular in the early part of the last century; probably in imitation of scarabeii.
Bull muck—in yarn spinning an expression meaning careless, slovenly making of unclean, tangled and otherwise imperfect “tops”. (British.)
Bulldog golf cap—a large g. c., setting well back on the head, with a visor dependent almost vertically.
Bulldog toe—a very heavy broad toe; a shoe style that was very popular some years ago and still obtains.
Bullet-proof cloth—a fabric (recently invented by a German priest) of mysterious composition, quite thick and heavy, having the property of stopping shot and bullets fired at it; various other similar fabrics have since been invented.
Bull’s-wool-and-oakum—salesmen’s slang term for very coarse clothing fabrics of inferior quality.
Bullion—a slender barrel-shaped ornament of gold or silver wire or thread in coils, groupt to form tassels, as for chapeaux, etc.
Bullion fringe—an ornamental fringe of heavy twisted cords covered with gold or silver threads, used for uniforms, regalia, etc.
Bumbershoot—vulgar for umbrella.
Bumpers—metal corners used on trunks; sole leather corners on hand luggage.
Bumpkin—an awkward, provincial dude.
Bunching—Briticism expressing a uniformity of appearance permitting two or more pieces of the same fabric to be sold as same shade or effect. Handspun and hand woven homespuns, for instance, cannot be buncht because of unevenness, but by the use of mill-spun yarn b. becomes possible.
Bung—cant term for a purse or pocket.
Bunion—in shoemaking, a specially comfortable shape of shoe, usually quite plain without tips, for tender feet with enlarged joints, etc.
Bunk—a sleeping berth.
Bunting—a light-weight, plain woven woolen fabric of loose construction; used for flags, and in a limited manner in men’s wear.
Burberry cheviot—a variety of wool c., twill woven in fancy patterns, used as a suiting.
Burberry cloth—a medium to light-weight waterproof fabric, of mercerized cotton warp and weft, with a fine round cord like repps, employed for automobile garments, raincoats, etc. A lighter weight fabric of the same class is known as Roseberry c.
Bureau trunk—a t. opening on a diagonal line, setting flat against the wall, and composed of tray-compartments in tiers, suggesting a bureau when opened.
Burgonette—an iron helmet or cap with neckpieces worn by French pikemen of 16th century.
Burlaps—a sort of gunny sacking.
Burning test—burnt ends of linen threads after the flame is extinguisht appear smooth and compact, while the fibers of cotton threads treated in the same way are spread out more or less in brush form. Wool and silk exhibit charred knobs.
Burnishing—a finishing or polishing operation for completing the heels, bottoms and edges of a shoe.
Burnt cork—used by minstrels to blacken the skin.
Burring—in wool-cleansing the mechanical process of removing burs and other foreign substances from the fleece before the initial spinning process. Compare Carbonizing.
Busby—a tall fur cap, with or without a plume, and with a bag hanging from the top over the right side, worn by British hussars, artillerymen and engineers.
Bushel—to alter, repair or remedy the fit of a garment.
Bushel—a tailor’s thimble.
Bushelman—a tailor or workman who does alteration or repair work.
Business coat—usually meaning a sack c.
Business cutaway—see Morning frock c.; English walking coat.
Buskin—a sort of knee length boot with leather sole and cloth leg; worn 17th and 18th centuries.
Bust—properly, a glorious feminin physical development, but also used in a limited way as expressiv of a man’s chest.
Buster Brown—almost as distressing as Little Lord Fauntleroyism.
Butcher’s coat—a long frock worn by butchers and drivers of meat wagons; usually of stout gingham, duck, etc.
Butcher’s linen—a stout, coarse, white l. used for backing shirt bosoms, etc.
Butler’s livery—(morning) Tuxedo or breakfast jacket, low-cut waistcoat and trousers, white shirt, black tie, black shoes; (evening) dress coat, low-cut waistcoat, trousers, white shirt and white tie, black shoes. A fancy waistcoat is permissible with evening suit in clubs and hotels.
Butt rest—a leather thingummy strapped across the body by lazy and weak salmon and tarpon fishers.
Butteker—cant term for shop.
Butterfly—a shaped tie for wear with folded collars.
Butternut—the coarse brown homespun cloths and jeans woven prior to and during the Civil War, colored brown with a dye from the butternut tree.
Button—a device for fastening or ornamenting articles of apparel, usually round, and designated in the trade according to composition, shape, style, purpose, etc., as silk braid b., mohair b., lasting b., cloth b., hard rim b., ivory b., rubber b., composition b., bone b., pearl b., horn b., gilt b., etc.; flat b., cup b., ¼ round b., ½ round b., shank b., 2 hole b., 4 hole b., uniform b., pants b., vest b., coat b., overcoat b., etc.; all of which see.
Button board—a heavy brown paper or pulp b., used in filling the shells of covered buttons.
Button flaps—trade term for buttoned f. over hip pockets in trousers.
Button fly—tailoring term meaning a placket which conceals the buttons of the opposit side or part of the garment.
Button machine—a machine for making cloth covered buttons, operated by hand power.
Button mold—a wooden shape to be covered with braid, cloth, etc.; also often of metal.
Button stand—an allowance or addition to the right forepart of a coat or vest for the sewing on of buttons, usually 1½ inches on single-breasted coats and ¾ of an inch on vests.
Button-stay—a strip of linen canvas interplaced between cloth and lining for the purpose of giving strength for button stress.
Button strap—a strip of thin leather or cloth stitcht to the inside of shoe tops thru which, for greater strength, the buttons are sewed or attacht by patent fasteners.
Button thru—said when a coat or other garment or part thereof is made without a fly and with buttonholes cut thru from face to back, the buttons, of course, showing—a labored explanation, but plain?
Buttonhole—(1) a workt aperture to receive a button and fasten a garment; (2) a fingering place for politicians and borrowers.
Buttonhole chisel—a straight, thin steel tool with a wood handle, used for punching buttonholes thru many thicknesses of material.
Buttonhole cutter—a device like a pair of pliers with a cutting blade for uniformly cutting buttonholes.
Buttonhole making—the cut edges of the b. are first roughly overcast by plain or loopt stitch, fastening in place at the same time a cord or thread all around the cut opening, which is then finisht by close, even loopt stitches. On cotton and linen goods the cording is omitted. Of handmade buttonholes in tailoring there are several varieties, chief of which are the flat or satin stitcht b. and the gimp or coarse b.
Buttonhole stitch—a regular close loopt s. used in garment making. See B. making.
Buttonhole twist—a loose 8 strand, 3 cord silk thread that in working tightens up, making a firm, solid, durable buttonhole. See also Machine t. and Sewing silk.
Buttonhook—a metal device for buttoning shoes without injury to fingernails and temper.
Buttons—(1) a page’s coat single-breasted, short, close fitting, with standing collar, closing with 19 buttons, whence name; (2) the lad himself.
Butts—cleaned and prepared hides, ready for tanning.
Buyer—the head of a department in a large store who, of course, never knows as much as his clerks.
Buzz-saw test—name given to a demonstration of the comparativ composition of various makes of shoes, including their own, by the Regal Shoe Co., in which, usually in a show window, numbers of shoes were sawed thru on a circular saw and the edges exposed and otherwise explained to the spectators. The demonstration is understood to be protected under trade mark laws.
Byron collar—name given to a lay-down shirt c., the fronts of which are not creased, but broadly and softly rolled; much affected by artists and the Bohemian gentry.
Byron roll—see above.
By the candle—in old England a mode of auction by which people were allowed to bid during the burning of an inch of candle, the goods being knockt down after the light had gone out to the highest bidder.
C
Caba—a small traveling bag or valise; nearly obsolete.
Cabasset—a light morion or iron cap with a wide drooping brim, worn by French infantry of 16th century.
Cabin bag—a hand b. or valise with straight boxy sides, opening not from a center point, but from the sides at the roof angles, the two top parts coming together and clamping to form a cover.
Cable seam—see Round s.
Cable silk webbing—trade term for elastic w. woven with a roundish twill, an effect helpt by a twisted instead of flat silk thread.
Cable yarn—y. twisted coarsely, like a rope.
Cachemire—in textil designing, signifying Persian or other Oriental patterns.
Cachi—a small, felt cap, in red, brown or white, surmounted with a tassel in a contrasting color, worn by Arabs—sometimes one on top of another or several others. See also Haik.
Cacks—our first baby shoes.
Cadet—(1) glove trade term for long fingers; (2) a shade of gray; (3) a student at a military school; (4) something worse.
Cadet cloth—the standard blue-gray woolen uniform c. prescribed by the U. S. Military and Naval Academies and by various schools and institutions of similar character for cadet dress; the color effect is usually a combination of indigo blue and white yarns.
Cadet collar—a highhanded Prussian c.: also called stand-and-fall c.
Cadet overcoat—an outercoat that appeared during the winter of 1907–08; both single and double-breasted, buttoning to the throat, with a high Prussian collar. Also known as West Point o., army o., automobile o.
Cadet uniforms—(Annapolis) for Dress—a jacket resembling that of Special full dress (qv) of commissioned officers of the navy, except that it is cut Eton shape, without tails, with narrow braid on collar; dress trousers, dress cap and white gloves. Service dress—blouse resembling that of commissioned officers, waistcoat (optional), service trousers and dress cap. The trousers, both dress and undress, in general the same as for commissioned officers, but cut higher in the waist and without pockets. Working dress for drill—canvas jumper and trousers, white hat or knit cap, as ordered, black silk neckerchief, jersey or sweater, all, in general, corresponding to similar articles worn by enlisted men.
Cadet uniforms—(revenue cutter service) for Full dress—a single-breasted fly-front sack coat of dark blue cloth reaching to top of inseam of trousers, having a standing collar, the collar edges and side seams in back trimmed with lustrous black mohair braid, and with grade marks, devices, etc., as prescribed. For Service dress—a similar coat, omitting the sleeve ornaments and some of the braiding. Trousers of dark blue cloth, cut full in the legs without bottom spring, two hip pockets only; blue cloth waistcoat; blue cloth cap; blue cloth overcoat, with hood; also the white u. and other garments as prescribed.
Cadet uniforms—(West Point) for Dress—a gray cloth coatee, conforming closely to the shape of the wearer, single-breasted, with three rows of 8 gilt ball buttons in front and 12 on the skirts in rows of 3; standing collar with a ball button on each side, ball buttons on cuffs, the garment trimmed and decorated with black braid. For Undress or Fatigue—a single-breasted blouse with standing collar, fly front, trimmed with black braid; insignia, etc., as per regulations. Trousers, in winter, gray cloth with a black stripe 1 in. wide down the sides; in summer, white duck; for riding, gray kersey riding trousers with brown canvas leggings. Overcoat, gray kersey, double-breasted, with stand-and-fall collar, 6 gilt buttons down each breast, 2 at hips and 1 on back plaits; cape of same material. Badges, stripes, insignia, etc., as per regulations.
Cady—a hat.
Caftan—(1) a black garment almost identical with the Anglican cassock, worn by the Mohammedan priesthood; (2) an undercoat having long sleeves and girdled with a sash, worn in Turkey, Arabia, Egypt, etc.
Calendering—a mechanical process in cotton and linen finishing, imparting a smooth, even surface or gloss.
Calfskin—a fine, durable shoe leather; often shortened to calf.
Calico—a coarse printed cotton cloth; used in the cheapest grade of shirts, etc.
Callimanco—a glossy, woolen stuff, both plain and ribbed, very fashionable and much used up to Revolutionary times.
Camblet—see Camlet.
Cambric—(1) a fine, white linen fabric used for handkerchiefs, etc.; (2) a fine cotton fabric in imitation of linen; (3) also a heavier glazed cotton lining material.
Cambric—see Ramie.
Camelshair—the fine, wooly hair from the neck and back of the camel.
Camelshair cloth—a thick, soft, shaggy material, usually woven like cheviot, having long hairs intersperst over its surface.
Camisol—(1) a kind of jacket or under-waistcoat without sleeves; (2) a kind of straight-jacket (qv) with long sleeves which may be tied behind the sufferer’s back.
Camlet—a stiff, closely woven fabric having a wavy surface, nearly waterproof, originally worn of camels-hair (whence name) but now mostly of Angora wool, silk and wool, or wool-and-cotton or linen; once largely used for cloaks; best known in 17th and 18th centuries.
Camlet yarn—a y. made in Turkey from the long, silky hair of the Angora goat; also called Turkish y.
Camleteen—a worsted camlet; an imitation camlet.
Camletto—see Camleteen.
Campaign wig—supposed to be a simplification of the pompous peruke (which had become exceedingly arrogant in the time of William and Mary) yet really quite a pretentious affair, tho worn for traveling and for undress.
Campbell stitcht—refers to one of many processes in modern mechanical shoemaking.
Camphor—bad for moths.
Camping shoe—see Moccasin s.
Cancellations—the negativing or voiding of orders given; a matter of diplomatic difference between mills and manufacturers, et al.
Cane—a walking stick.
Cannon pocket—oh, murderous hip p.!
Canoe carrier—a pneumatic cushion somewhat like a life preserver to prevent canoes shifting and chafing whilst en portage.
Canonical inch—the inch or so of hair, continuing down in front of the ears, affected as whiskers by Anglican clergymen.
Canonicals—clergymen’s officiating clothing as prescribed by canon.
Cantab—a variety of thin leather used for suspender ends.
Canteen—a drinking flask, usually worn slung by a strap from a shoulder.
Canton flannel—a stout twilled cotton cloth with a dense nap on one side, largely used for underwear. Also made with a nap on both sides.
Cantsloper—a sort of mackintosh or weather-coat of Colonial days.
Canvas—(1) a coarse, plain-woven fabric of linen or cotton, used both bleacht and unbleacht, for tropical clothing, yachting wear, shoes, etc., etc.; (2) also a stiffening material, usually unbleacht, used in tailoring. See Elastic c.
Canvasers—in ready-to-wear clothing manufacture workmen who baste canvas interlinings, padding, etc., into place in the shells (of coats) as received from the closers (qv).
Cap—a covering for the head, of various shapes and materials, less formal than a hat.
Cap—in shoemaking, the same as tip (qv).
Cap-a-pie—thoroly equipt from head to foot.
Cap device—an insignia of rank, etc., worn in uniform caps.
Cap-of-maintenance—an ornamental and ceremonial c. of scarlet velvet and ermine borne before kings of England at their coronation; also before the mayors of some British cities on similar occasions.
Cape—(1) a circular covering for the shoulders; (2) the inside yoke of a coat, formed of the lining.
Cape Ann hat—same as Squam h., except the crown is soft instead of stiff.
Cape Ann suit—a s. of oiled or painted waterproof material worn by fishermen, sailors, et al., consisting of a coat buttoning or clasping close to the throat with a laid over fly, overalls and a sou’wester hat of same material.
Cape cap—a c. commonly of rubber, with visor and deep apron covering head, neck and shoulders.
Cape coat—an overcoat with a cape and with or without sleeves. See also Inverness.
Capeskin—trade name for cape goatskin, used for gloves.
Capote—a hooded coat or cloak; a military overcoat.
Captain’s uniform—(army) see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Service Dress, Evening dress, Mess dress, Undress; (marine corps) Special full dress, Full dress, Mess dress, Undress, Field dress; (revenue cutter service) Full dress, Dress, Service dress, Social full dress. See also variations thereof.
Capuchin—see next.
Capuchon—a hood attacht to an overcoat or ulster.
Caracul—Astrakhan fur (qv).
Carat—(1) a twenty-fourth part, used to express the fineness of alloyed gold, as 18 c. is ¹⁸⁄₂₄ (or ¾) pure gold; 24 c. pure or unalloyed; (2) a unit of weight for precious stones; the international c. is 3.168 grains or 205 milligrams.
Carbonized wool—see below.
Carbonizing—a chemical process of removing (by charring) all foreign vegetable substances, as burs, from wool fleece, preparatory to the initial spinning processes. Compare Burring.
Card—short for loom-c.
Card case—a small leather wallet or metal c. for visiting cards.
Card-clothing—sheets of rubber or leather with wire bristles or teeth used for covering the cylinders in wool-carding machinery.
Cardigan jacket—a close-fitting, knit ribbed woolen or worsted body-j., with or without sleeves; a sort of collarless sweater with a buttoned front.
Carding—the process of opening up the fibers of wool, flax, hemp, silk, etc., for the purpose of cleaning them of foreign matter and rendering the material fine and soft, preparatory to spinning into yarn.
Carding wool—fine fleece 2 to 4 inches long. See Clothing w.
Carmelite—a fine woolen stuff, usually undyed or natural color, used mostly for women’s wear.
Carpet bag—an old-fashioned hand b. or valise for traveling; reminiscent of Lincoln’s time.
Carpet slippers—Christmas gifts.
Carr’s—trade diminutiv for the fine melton cloths made by Carr, Son & Co., London.
Carreau—in weaving, a small check, square or diamond-shaped effect.
Carrot-top—red haired.
Carroting—one of the initial processes in preparing hat furs for felting—a treatment of nitric acid and quicksilver while the fur is still on the skin.
Carry-all—a hunter’s pack bag.
Carsey—old name for kersey.
Carton—a pasteboard box.
Caruso pocket—see Raincoat p.
Cash—an imperativ diminutive for cash-boy or cash-girl.
Cash—an alleged vulgar and disreputable word for money.
Cash-boy—a young imp who feels that you would rather flirt with the saleslady than catch the 5:14 train and so delays bringing back your parcel and change.
Cashier—a dispenser of pay envelopes and receiver of customer’s cash.
Cashmere—a fine grade of wool; properly from the c. goat; used largely for underwear.
Cashmere—(1) a fine twilled, soft finisht woolen fabric; used for vestings and suitings; (2) a knitted underwear fabric, properly of c. wool, tho as often (or oftener) of other similar wools.
Cashmere glove—a fabric g. of fine worsted yarn with a nap inside.
Cashmerette—an old-time material for fancy waistcoats.
Casket cloth—a light-weight c. resembling cheap grades of melton, of wool, wool waste, cotton, etc., and used for our final overcoating.
Casque—a sort of helmet.
Cassimere—general term for a large class of woolen cloths for men’s wear, coarse and fine, both plain and twill woven, having the pattern produced in the loom, and usually appearing in distinct checks, plaids and stripes; the cloth is never napt; sometimes made with worsted warp and woolen weft. Name a variant of Cashmere.
Cassinette—an inferior coarse fabric, similar to union cassimere (qv), used in the cheaper grades of men’s clothing.
Cassock—(1) a plain, close-fitting garment, reaching to the feet, the distinctiv dress of clerics indoors and out, worn with and without vestments, often with a sash; the color is black for priests, purple for bishops, red for cardinals, the pope alone wears white; (2) a similar garment worn by Anglican clergy when officiating; (3) a short, loose jacket worn under the Geneva gown by Presbyterian ministers; (4) a military cloak; (5) a name some times given to the single-breasted clerical frock coat with closed-throat military collar.
Cassock bands—see Bands (2).
Cassock vest—a clerical waistcoat without opening in front, closing on the side, and with a short military collar.
Cast knitting—a variety of k. in which the needles are thrust from the inside while the yarn is held on the outside of the fabric or article that is being made.
Cast-off—wornout or discarded clothes we don’t want.
Cast-off buckle—a suspender b. that permits a separation of the end strap from the webbing as a toilet convenience for lazy persons.
Castor—see C. beaver.
Castor—a shade of gray.
Castor—(1) a general term for light-weight gloves of any leather from which the grain is removed, commonly gray or drab in color; (2) one of several terms for ooze kid.
Castor beaver—a heavy milled, face finisht, all-wool cloth, a little lighter in weight than ordinary beaver (qv); used for overcoats, etc.
Castor Francaise—a long-haired felt used by hatters; and hats of same.
Cat—a night prowling animal whose hide, after its ninth death, becomes sealskin, etc.
Cat o’ nine tails—a multi-thonged whip or scourge sometimes worn out on bad boys, et al.
Catalog—a book or pamphlet listing wares of sale; in widest use as a publication for the special benefit of mail order customers.
Catcher’s mask—a guard for the face; constructed of wire and leather, worn as a protection against pitched and foul balls, the batter’s bat, etc.
Catcher’s mitten—a very large, heavily padded leather glove or pillow on which the pitcht balls are received by the catcher, so contrived as to hold the ball and save a home run.
Catching mitt—see Catcher’s gloves and C. mitten.
Cats-and-dogs—trade term for a miscellaneous collection of merchandise of more or less doubtful value.
Cathedral beard—a broad, spreading, square cut b., “so called because men of the church did wear it”.
Cavalier cape—familiar term for evening dress cloak and by extension for the Inverness overcoat.
Cavalry uniform—see Full dress, Dress u., Service u., Fatigue u., et var.
Cellular cloth—broadly, any c. more or less loosely woven, characterized by cell-like meshes or openness.
Celluloid—a chemical substance consisting largely of cellulose and camphor, manufactured in imitation of linen, amber, shell, ivory, etc.
Celluloid collars—c. that need never go to a laundry and should never go near to a fire; c. cuffs ditto; worn largely by workingmen who could just as well do without them.
Cemented seam—trade term used in reference to s. fastened together by a strip of rubber tissue or cement or other adhesiv, usually lapt, and commonly stitcht, tho the stitching is sometimes omitted. Mostly used on old-style mackintoshes.
Cerement—a garment, covering or wrapping for the dead; grave clothes.
Ceremonial—formal (as dress).
Cerevis—a small cylindrical cap, usually with a society, or corps monogram, worn by students in German universities.
C. G.—trade diminutiv for the balbriggan and lisle thread hosiery and underwear manufactured by C. & G. Bonbon et Cie., Troyes, France.
Chain—warp.
Chain hole—a vertical buttonhole in a waistcoat, from which the watchchain is suspended.
Chain stitch—an ornamental s. formed by carrying the thread thru repeated slip loops, easily pulled out by pulling the underthread; sometimes used for basting.
Chain-weave serge—trade term for s., so woven as to resemble chains laying close together diagonally, clear finisht and piece dyed (qv); also called double corkscrew.
Chain-weave worsted—see C.-w. serge.
Chalk—loosely, any substance used by tailors for drafting patterns and marking cloth.
Chalk stripes—trade term for fabrics having white stripes on a dark ground, as serges, unfinishts, etc.
Chambray—a fine quality of gingham, plain colored, woven of very fine count cotton yarns, the warp and weft usually of different colors, with a linen finish.
Chamois—a soft, pliable leather, originally prepared from the skin of the c. goat, used for gloves, garment interlining, chest protectors, pockets, window cleaning, etc.
Chamois fiber—name given to a stout crinkled paper fabric used as an interlining, for chest protectors, etc.
Chamois pocket—a p. in trousers, waistcoat or other garment, chamois lined.
Championship belt—usually a most gorgeous affair competed for by pugilists.
Change pocket—a small p. for small change, usually placed on the right side of coats, either above or within the regular p. on that side, and occasionally, in overcoats, on the inside facing of the left side; also called ticket p.
Changeant—changeable; an effect in weaving obtained by employing both warp and weft, composed of two strands of different colors, the changeable colors being an effect of light-play, according as viewed.
Changey-for-changey—(nautical) an expression used in relation to a “swap”, denoting that each party is satisfied with his bargain.
Channel—in shoemaking, the groove or gutter along the edges of the sole wherein are the stitches holding sole and other parts together.
Chap money—English provincialism for a rebate allowed by a dealer for spot cash payment.
Chaparejos—strong leather breeches or overalls to protect the legs from trees and brush while riding; worn by cowboys on the plains and by them commonly abbreviated to “chaps”.
Chaparro—see Chaparejos.
Chape—(1) the metal tip of a scabbard; (2) a catch or loop.
Chapeau—a hat; especially, a plumed or military hat.
Chapeau—(navy) a rigid cockt hat of black silk beaver, 16 to 18 in. from peak to peak, 5–5½ in. high on left fan, 4–4½ in. high on right fan. For the admiral of the navy, to have in the fold at each end a tassel of 5 gold bullions underlaid by 5 blue bullions; a strip of 2 in. gold lace laid on flat around the outer rims of the fans, passing under the peaks; on the right fan a 3¾ in. black silk cockade with a loop of 1½ in. gold lace over it, fastened with a large size navy button, the ends of the loop being carried over the rim; for rear admirals, the same but with a 1½ in. strip of gold lace around the outer rims; for other commissioned officers except chaplains, chief boatswains, chief gunners, chief carpenters and chief sailmakers, the same, but with a strip of black silk 2½ in. wide around the rims, in lieu of gold lace, laid on half-and-half; (Army) similar, according to pattern in offices of quartermaster general; to be worn with the peak front turned slightly to the left, showing the gilt ornaments upon the right side; (Marine corps) of black silk plush, curved pattern, same as prescribed for general officers of the army, except that both sides shall be 5 in. high, with an embroidered gold lace ornament on the right side surmounted with a marine corps cap ornament and a large marine corps button, a gold wire tassel in front and rear peak, and a plume of canary colored cock feathers for major general commandant; for all staff officers (optional) the same, except that the plume is of red cock feathers. This chapeau may be worn with special full dress and full dress in place of cap for indoor occasions when desired; never to be worn when mounted. (Revenue cutter service) a rigid or folding chapeau of black silk beaver, of same dimensions as prescribed for the navy, the rims bound with black silk lace 2½ in. wide, showing half-and-half; on the right fan a black silk cockade 3¾ in., over which is a strip of gold lace fastened with a revenue service button, a tassel of 3 gold and 3 blue bullions in each peak.
Chapeau bras—a soft, three-cornered dress hat that can be folded and carried under the arm, worn commonly in the 18th century and still by officers in the U. S. navy.
Chapeau de poil—a beaver or felt hat.
Chapka—(Bohemian) a sort of mortarboard hat, part of the Lanciers uniform.
Chaplain’s evening dress coat—(navy) see Evening d. c.
Chaplain’s evening dress waistcoat—(navy) see Evening d. w.
Chaplain’s full dress coat—(army) a single-breasted frock c. of black cloth with standing collar, fastening with 9 black silk buttons; no ornaments.
Chaplain’s frock coat—(navy) a single-breasted f. c. of dark blue cloth, buttoning to the neck, with one row of 7 flat black silk buttons and plain standing collar on which is embroidered in silver a Latin cross, and on the sleeves rows of black braid according to rank.
Chaplain’s hat—(army) with full dress and dress uniforms, a black felt h., similar to the service h. (qv) with a cord of gold bullion and black silk intermixt.
Chaplain’s mess jacket—(navy) see Mess j.
Chaplain’s undress waistcoat—(navy) see Undress w.
Chaplain’s vestments—(army and navy) while conducting services the chaplain may wear the v. of the church to which he belongs.
Chaplain’s white service coat—(navy) same as w. s. c. (qv), but with white buttons.
Chaplet—a wreath or garland for the head—worn only in pictures from mythology; perhaps, by certain of the illuminati of the very ancient past; and by the near-actors in certain frivolous and unclassifiable theatrical productions of latter times.
Chapman—a peddler of trifles or cheap small wares.