Coco Chanel
COH´-coh shuh-NELL´ If you know the name of only one fashion designer, let it be Coco Chanel (1883-1971). Though she passed away half a century ago, her name still packs […]
Women’s Wear Daily
You’re at least vaguely familiar with Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar, but have you heard of Women’s Wear Daily? Considered the bible of the women’s fashion industry, the trade journal, […]
bon chic, bon genre
bōng SHEEK´ bōng ZHANG´-hruh (French, ‘good style, good type’) Bon chic, bon genre is a French fashion adjective similar to ‘preppy.’ The term also applies to a lifestyle. As applied […]
dernier cri
dehr´-nyay CREE´ (literal French, ‘last cry’) The dernier cri is the newest fashion, whether in the field of fashion itself or in another discipline. For example, “gauchos” for women were […]
couturier
coo-CHUR´-yay At its most basic level, couturier is the French term for male dressmaker, though it’s often applied to designers, manufacturers, and merchants of women’s clothing in general, male or […]
haute couture
oht´ kwi-TYUR´ (literally ‘high cutting’ or ‘high dressmaking’ in French) Haute couture is custom-made women’s clothing by top fashion designers, as well as the system that creates such clothing. This […]
chaise longue
shez LOAN´-guh A chaise longue is a long upholstered chair designed to allow a single person to recline. (We’re not talking about La-Z-Boys—chaises longues have no moving parts.) Chaises longues exist […]
chinoiserie
sheen-WAHZ’-ree Chinoiserie is a decorative style in which Chinese motifs, authentic or dreamed up by Westerners, are applied to furniture, wallpaper, porcelain, and other decorative accessories. The style was especially […]
passementerie
poss-MAHN´-tree Remember the tassels and fringe on your grandmother’s curtains? Those decorative elements—including braiding and other types of trim used on bed canopies, upholstered furniture, and throw pillows—are collectively called […]
trompe l’oeil
trohmp LAY´ (French, ‘deceives the eye’) The term trompe l’oeil refers to a visual illusion that tricks the viewer into seeing flat, painted detail as three-dimensional. While the technique […]