=Florentine=—(1) a heavy silk fabric, woven figured or plain twilled,

chiefly used for waistcoats; (2) a worsted waistcoating material; (3) a

twilled cotton fabric for summer trousers.

=Floret=—trade term for the longest and finest fibers of spun silk (qv)

after carding. (=Fleuret.=)

=Florist=—a shopkeeper with whom young dandies become intimate before

marriage and forget afterward.

=Flossy=—giddy, foppish, fussy, affected (perhaps both in brain and

apparel).

=Flower buttonhole=—see Lapel b.

=Flunky=—(1) liveried man-servant; (2) a toady.

=Flush=—to float or pass weft threads over several warp threads, as in

twill and satin weaving.

=Flushing coat=—something worn about 1825, but not identified.

=Fly=—a placket for closing or fastening together sides or parts of a

garment, as of an overcoat or trousers, so as to conceal the buttons or

other means of fastening. Specially designated as blind f., box f.,

French f., open f. (qv).

=Fly coat=—a long jacket reaching about half way to the knees, worn

previous to the Revolution.

=Fly front=—tailoring term for coats made with an arrangement for

concealing the buttons or other fastenings; a sort of placket of which

the underpart engages the buttons, hooks, etc. Trousers also are f.-f.

(except front falls).

=Fob=—(1) a pendant attachment to a watch, usually of silk, with gold

buckle, slide, ring, seal or other ornament; an article of jewelry most

variously made; (2) a watch pocket in a trousers waistband.

=Fob pocket=—see Watch p.

=Fob ribbon=—heavy, close-woven, plain edged gros-grain or fine ribbed

faille silk r. made especially for watch fobs.

=Fold-back cuffs=—shirt c., usually attacht to the garment, made double

or folded backward. Also called French c.

=Folded collar=—a double or folded-over shirt c., usually high banded.

=Folded cuffs=—see Fold-back c.

=Folding cane=—a walking stick with a concealed joint at about half its

length, to enable it to fold and be carried in a suit case or grip.

=Fool’s cap=—a conical paper c. worn penitentially by the school cut-up.

=Foot bath=—a vessel for bathing the feet.

=Foot boy=—a boy in livery; a page.

=Foot cloth=—(1) a cloth or carpet to walk upon on occasions of

ceremony; (2) a deep housing or state caparison for a horse; a sumptor

c.

=Footease=—proprietary name for a powder to “shake into your shoes” as a

fetich against walking aches.

=Foot-form=—shoes constructed on anatomical or foot-fitting lasts;

orthopedic; waukenphast (qv).

=Foot glove=—a heavy, coarse woolen or felt oversock, worn over shoes

while driving, etc., for warmth.

=Foot hawker=—a peripatetic peddler; a tray or pushcart merchant.

=Foot-mantle=—see Safeguard.

=Foot muff=—a muffler; a fur bag for the feet.

=Foot powder=—a chemical preparation shaken into the shoes for relieving

perspiration, aches, odors, etc.

=Foot scraper=—see Shoe s.

=Foot-sheet=—a square or oblong cloth laid upon floor or chairs for

invalids to sit upon during toilet, changing of bedding, etc.

=Foot-stone=—a small memorial tablet at the foot of a grave.

=Foot-straps=—the buckled straps used to hold down the pantaloons and

trousers of the early part of the last century.

=Foot-warmer=—any contrivance for warming the feet in carriages, in bed,

etc., as (1) a muff, (2) a metal container having slow-burning

cartridges of carbon; (3) a hot brick; (4) a hot-water bottle; (5) an

electric warming pad; (6) a night policeman’s club.

=Football jacket=—a sort of stout canvas cuirass, armless, laced up the

front.

=Football leg guards=—see Shin g.

=Football mouthpiece=—protective chewing gum for scrimmages.

=Football pads=—quilted leather p. for elbows and shoulders, worn inside

the jersey or sweater.

=Football pants=—knickerbockers of canvas, khaki, etc., padded, quilted,

and sometimes with reed guards sewed into the upper leg.

=Football shoe=—a s. laced well down towards toes with ankle-padding,

and spikes or cleats on soles.

=Footgear=—shoes and so forth.

=Foothold=—a light skeleton overshoe of rubber protecting the fore-sole,

but without heel, kept on by a heel strap.

=Footman’s livery=—house dress: footman’s coat, valencia or plush

waistcoat, trousers, shoes, white tie; or court l. (qv); on the

carriage, he should wear the second man’s l.

=Fop=—cross between dandy and dude.

=Forage cap=—a small, low cloth c. with a peak, once worn by officers

and men (U. S. A.) when not in dress uniform.

=Forchet=—old spelling of fourchette (qv).

=Forelock=—a lock of hair growing over the forehead.

=Forepart=—that part of a coat or vest covering the chest.

=Forest wool=—a textil fiber made from pine needles treated with a soda

solution, and otherwise manipulated, spun and woven into a resemblance

of coarse wool, and manufactured on a considerable scale into blankets

and clothing of the cheaper grades, said to be warm and durable; called

wald wolle in Germany, where best known. Compare Xylolin.

=Forester’s uniform=—(=Forestry service=) material a brownish green

woolen or cotton khaki as adopted by the army; coat a combination of the

army officer’s coat and a business sack coat, fitting snugly about chest

but rather loosely about hips and waist, with blouse (Prussian) collar,

2 outside buttoned bellowsed pockets and bronze buttons of the service;

vest optional (?); trousers either ordinary or cavalry style riding

breeches; shirt of gray flannel with 2 buttoned breast pockets; hat of

light-colored felt, similar to army service hat; riding boots or

leggings should be worn with riding breeches and high-topt, heavy shoes,

preferably of surveyor’s or hunting pattern, with trousers; gloves of

buckskin, short or army gauntlet pattern; overcoat same as uniform

material but heavier, double-breasted, ankle length, with deep riding

vent, 2 inside and 2 outside vertical pockets, broad collar.

=Forestry cloth=—a twill woven, clear-finisht worsted fabric of standard

olive-drab color, made in several weights for suitings, coatings,

shirtings, etc. Adopted by the government for the forestry service.

=Fork=—the os coccygis; the crotch.

=Form=—tone, smartness, propriety, stylishness, carriage, appearance,

demeanor.

=Form=—a model or dummy for trying on or displaying any article of

apparel or other merchandise.

=Form fitting=—following the lines of the body closely.

=Forming=—a process in hat manufacture wherein the fur is attracted to a

perforated fan by air-suction, then covered with cloths and dipped in

warm water and afterward “hardened” by careful manipulation and rolling

to make the fibers knit together.

=Forward stock=—the merchandise actually before the customer. Compare

Reserve s.

=Foulard=—properly a light-weight silk fabric, woven plain or twilled,

printed with an all-over pattern, the designs of which are white or

color of the fabric, the background solid color.

=Fountain pen=—doubtless invented to spoil waistcoats.

=Four-cornered cap=—see Mortarboard.

=Four hole=—trade term for buttons pierced with 4 holes or eyes.

=Four hundred=—McAllisterian thaumaturgy.

=Fourchette=—the inner sides of glove fingers. If you will examine a

glove it will be seen that it is cut all of one piece with the exception

of the thumb and the fourchettes, for which the remaining fragments of

the skin are used.

=Four-in-hand=—a long necktie narrow where it goes around the collar but

with widened ends, tied in a sailor knot.

=Fownes=—trade diminutive for the general line of gloves made by Fownes

Bros. & Co., London.

=Fox=—a piece of leather applied over the upper leather of a shoe, next

to the sole, either for ornament or repair. See Foxed.

=Fox=—a canine mammal whose pelt is highly esteemed for winter garments.

=Fox tail=—see Wig.

=Foxt=—a word usually used as f. quarter, f. top or upper. Foxt

designates a peculiar pattern or style for the upper of a shoe.

(=Foxed.=) See Fox.

=Frame=—the metal ribs of an umbrella.

=Frame made=—trade term for fabric gloves knitted without seams.

=Frameless spectacles=—s. (qv) without frame or rim around the lenses.

=Frangipanni=—a perfume derived from or imitating the odor of the (West

Indian) red jasmin.

=Franklin avenue=—a street in St. Louis having a number of small cheap

clothing shops (compare South street and Halstead street); a local

synonym for cheap clothing.

=Fray=—to ravel, to loosen; employed in describing cloth too soft or too

loosely woven to hold stitches in a raw edge or seam.

=Freak=—anything monstrous, extreme in style, vulgarly ostentatious; a

senseless innovation; outre.

=French back=—trade term for a soft-twilled woolen backing of different

weave from the face, formed on the underside of clear-finisht worsteds,

as trouserings, and other fabrics, with the object of increasing weight

or stability without adding appreciably to the cost, or as a means of

reducing cost.

=French back=—an overcoat (a modification of a Chesterfield) with a

graceful shapely back and a long center vent usually reaching to the

waist line, the side seams to the waist line being commonly French prest

inverted plaits; made to button in front with a fly or to button thru as

in a body coat.

=French calf=—indicating calfskin shoe leather produced by (1) a

particular and standard method of tanning or finishing; (2) a c. skin

tanned and finished in France.

=French cambric=—a very fine quality of cambric used for handkerchiefs,

etc.

=French coney=—imitation sealskin.

=French cuffs=—see Fold-back c.

=French edge=—in leather goods manufacture, as luggage, an edge seamed

outwardly, sewn thru and thru; “cobbler sewed”.

=French facing=—the inside cloth facing of a coat, so cut as to extend

around the armholes.

=French fall=—see Falling band.

=French falls=—the top boots of the XVI. century, having wide, flaring

tops that were turned down and then turned up again; also known as

bucket tops.

=French felling=—in tailoring a method of holding two pieces of material

together, as the forepart and the facing of an edge. The parts to be

joined are laid flat, edges even, right sides within. The needle is past

straight thru, at right angles with the edge and close to it from

underneath, upwards. The goods are then turned right side out and the

edge finisht with stitching as desired, the felling being intended to

hold the edge and prevent raveling.

=French fly=—see Blind f.

=French foot=—trade term for hosiery made with a single seam in the

center of the sole. See English f.

=French neck=—(1) in tailoring, meaning a finish given to the back of

the neck of a waistcoat by means of a double strip of lining material

instead of the cloth from which the garment is made, for purposes of

thinness, permitting the coat collar to set closer to the shirt c.; (2)

in underwear, a crocheted instead of a welted or seamed n.

=French percale=—see Percale.

=French prest=—tailoring term applied usually to seams that are sharply

prest; as, the skirts of dress and frock coats; inverted plaits in sack

and overcoats. (F. pressed.)

=French seal=—“electric” seal; imitation.

=French seams=—first sewed outside out, then turned in and sewed again,

so that the edges of the seam are concealed.

=French serge=—a fine twilled, closely woven s.

=French sizes=—name given to various peculiar methods of designating the

sizes of shoes by stamping numerals or letters on the inside lining of

the shoe. See Appendix.

=French system=—weaving term for worsted yarns spun on mules, usually

from shorter staple than required for the Bradford s. (qv), well adapted

for soft-faced goods and velour finishes.

=French toe=—in shoemaking, a wide, plain t. without cap.

=French waist=—trade term for trousers made without a sewed-on

waistband.

=French yarns=—worsted y. combed dry, without oil, resulting in a fairly

fuzzy or wooly strand, but which, however, is less liable to shrink than

y. spun by the English system. Compare English y.

=Fribble=—a trifling or frivolous affectation or fad.

=Fried egg=—a low flat hat.

=Friend=—a borrower.

=Frieze=—a thick, stout, double-woven, napt woolen overcoating, woven of

long fleece doubled after spinning, thoroly fulled after weaving and

slightly felted until waterproof and windproof, and finisht with a long,

unsheared shaggy nap. Said to have originated in Friesland, whence name,

but better known thru the Irish or near-Irish varieties.

=Fright wig=—general term for any monstrosity in the (theatrical) wig

line.

=Frill=—an ornamental strip of material gathered at the attacht edge,

the other edge being free; a flounce; a ruffle.

=Frills=—affected airs or manners in dress or ornament; fopperies.

=Frippery=—tawdry finery.

=Frize holland=—a superior grade of fine bleacht Holland linen, once

used largely for shirts, etc.

=Frock-Chesterfield=—a single-breasted, fly-front overcoat, with a waist

seam, a three-seam back as in a frock coat, and with skirts without

plaits (1907).

=Frock coat=—properly a c. either single or double-breasted, constructed

of parts known as forepart (which in double-breasted coats is divided at

the front line of the chest), sidebody, divided backpart and skirt, of

each 2, the backparts continuing down to the bottom, joining with the

skirt parts and forming the plaits behind, in which pockets are

sometimes placed; when the skirts in front are cutaway from a point near

the waistline the word cutaway is prefixt to distinguish from the more

formal garment, “Prince Albert”, as the double-breasted f. is commonly

known; the “cutaway frock” (of which the [English] walking c. is a

variation) is almost invariably single-breasted and consequently not

made with divided foreparts.

=Frock coat=—(=navy=) for all officers, a c. similar in cut to a

civilian’s f. c., but of dark blue cloth, double-breasted, with 2 rows

of large navy buttons, 9 each, buttoning on the six lower buttons; the

sleeves, collar and shoulders bearing the insignia prescribed for the

rank of the wearer.

=Frocking=—coarse cotton jean; drilling; dungaree; fustian.

=Frog=—an ornamental cloak or coat button or fastening of silk or wool

crocheted or braided in various fancy forms.

=Frog=—(1) an old term for a seaman’s coat or frock; (2) a leather

pocket or case for a pistol, bayonet or cutlass.

=Front=—a one-word epigram for appearance—clothes, manners, etc.

=Front facing=—in coat and vest making the strip of goods forming the

inside forepart or edge of the garment.

=Front-falls=—trousers not made with a single fly-opening, but with a

wide front flap, buttoning on both sides.

=Frosts=—spiked soles for walking on ice (early 18th century).

=Fudge wheeling=—an ornamental process in the finishing of the edges of

shoe soles.

=Full-baste=—tailoring term for a coat or other garment ready for try-on

with every seam basted, instead of some of the seams being sewed up.

=Full bellows tongue=—a tongue in a laced shoe, attacht to both sides of

the tops of the shoe at the opening and filling completely this opening.

=Full bottom=—see Wig.

=Full box=—lingo for a very loose effect in overcoats.

=Full chested=—bulgy.

=Full dress=—see Evening d.

=Full dress=—(=army=) the prescribed uniform worn on state occasions at

home and abroad; when receiving or calling upon the President or upon

the ruler or member of royal family of other countries; and at

ceremonies and entertainments when it is desirable to do special honor

to the occasion, or when f. d. is prescribed for enlisted men. For

general officers, dismounted; f. d. coat and trousers, chapeau,

epaulets, sash, white gloves, f. d. belt, saber, black shoes; same,

mounted: f. d. coat, dress breeches, f. d. cap, shoulder knots, sash,

drab leather gloves, f. d. belt, saber, black boots, spurs; officers of

staff corps and departments: officers of cavalry, artillery, infantry

and engineers, dismounted: f. d. coat and trousers, f. d. cap, white

gloves, f. d. belt, saber, black shoes, and aigulets and shoulder belts

for those authorized to wear them; same, mounted: f. d. coat, dress

breeches, f. d. cap, drab leather gloves, f. d. belt, black boots,

spurs; aigulets and shoulder belts as authorized; chaplains, dismounted:

f. d. coat and trousers, chaplain’s hat, white gloves, black shoes;

same, mounted: f. d. coat, dress breeches, drab leather gloves, black

boots, spurs, chaplain’s hat; for enlisted men, worn at reviews,

parades, and other ceremonies under arms, unless otherwise prescribed;

dismounted: dress coat, with breast cord, dress trousers, dress cap,

black shoes, white gloves, russet leather belt and cartridge box;

mounted: dress coat with breast cord, dress breeches, dress cap,

leggings, russet leather shoes, drab leather gloves, spurs, saber belt,

and cartridge box (when prescribed).

=Full dress=—(=navy=) worn on ceremonial occasions such as making or

exchanging visits with officers of flag rank, foreign officials, etc.,

and on ceremonies and entertainments where “dress” is not sufficient.

Consists of—for all commissioned officers, except chaplains, chief

boatswains, chief gunners, chief carpenters and chief sailmakers: f. d.

trousers, cockt hat, epaulets, sword and f. d. belt, scarf, white

gloves, medals and badges; for the officers excepted above and for

warrant officers, mates and clerks, the same as “Undress A”, and for

midshipmen, the same as prescribed for commissioned officers,

substituting the blue cap for the cockt hat and shoulder knots for

epaulets.

=Full dress=—(=marine corps=) to be worn by officers on occasions of

ordinary ceremony, such as usual reviews, inspections, street parades,

etc.; by enlisted men on occasions of ceremony when officers appear in

special f. d. or f. d. uniform, and when ordered by commanding officer;

and by members of the band on occasions of parades or reviews when

officers appear in special f. d. or f. d. uniform and when ordered by

commanding officer. Consists of—for major general commanding: f. d.

coat, f. d. or white trousers, chapeau, f. d. cap or white helmet, sash,

sword with f. d. belt and knot, shoulder knots, white gloves, black

shoes, white standing collar (or, when mounted, dark blue riding

breeches, drab leather gloves, black boots with spurs); for officers of

the line: a similar uniform except no chapeau or sash; for officers of

staff: a similar uniform except aigulets instead of shoulder knots, no

chapeau or sash; for enlisted men (including non-commissioned officers,

drummers and trumpeters): f. d. coat, blue or white trousers, f. d. cap

or white helmet, white gloves, black leather shoes, arms and

accouterments as ordered; for leader, drum-major and all members of

band: f. d. coat, blue or white trousers, special f. d. cap or white

helmet (shako for drum-major only), epaulets (leader only), shoulder

knots, aigulets (except for drum-major) sword with f. d. knot and belt,

(leader only) white gloves, black leather shoes, accouterments as

ordered.

=Full dress=—(=revenue cutter service=) worn by officers on occasions of

special ceremony and quarterly muster on board vessels of first and

second rate; first visits to commanders of war vessels and military

posts, parades of ceremony, etc.; consists of frock coat, plain dark

blue trousers, epaulets, chapeau, sword, f. d. belt and sword knot.

=Full dress belt=—for naval officers of the rank of rear admiral and

higher, of dark blue cloth with gold stripes of prescribed widths and

with blue cloth sling straps likewise decorated; for commissioned

officers, with certain exceptions, of dark blue silk webbing, with woven

gold stripes.

=Full dress breeches=—(=marine corps=) for all mounted officers, of same

material, and with same stripes, as f. d. trousers cut as prescribed for

field b.; worn with black boots and spurs.

=Full dress cap=—(=army=) for all officers, a c. of dark blue cloth,

with drooping visor of black patent leather and a flat gold cap-strap,

with bands of gold lace and velvet and insignia according to rank.

=Full dress cap=—(=marine corps=) of fine dull finisht dark blue cloth,

the sides 3¾ in. deep in front and 3½ in. in back, the top flat and

slightly oval and flaring out slightly, the visor dropt at an angle of

about 60° from the horizontal. For major general commandant, having a

band of dark blue velvet 1¾ in. wide, embroidered all around with gold

oak leaves, the visor covered with dark blue cloth, the top trimmed with

loops of narrow gold soutache braid, and otherwise finisht and decorated

as prescribed. For all other officers, the same, except the band is of

gold lace; the visor for officers of line and staff to be ornamented

with gold thread, and for company officers and captains in the staff of

plain black patent leather; for non-commissioned officers, drummers,

trumpeters and privates, a similar c., but with a band of scarlet cloth

lapseamed to blue sides, red worsted soutache ornament on top of c.;

other details per specifications; for leader of the band, second leader

and musicians, same as prescribed for special full dress. For

drum-major, a shako of black lambskin, 8½ in. high in front, 10 in. high

in back, plain red cloth top and red cloth bag trimmed with gold

soutache braid, gilt chin strap form under chin, and 12 in. red, white

and blue vulture feather plume on right side.

=Full dress coat=—(=army=) a double-breasted frock c. of dark blue cloth

with a standing collar, 2 gilt buttons at back of waist and 1 near the

end of each plait behind; the skirt to extend from one-half to

three-quarters of the distance from hip to knee. For general officers:

collar and cuffs of blue-black velvet; for other officers, collar of

same material as c., no cuffs. Buttons in front: for general, 2 rows of

12, placed by 4’s; lieutenant general, 2 rows of 10, placed 3 upper and

lower, 4 in middle; major general, 2 rows of 9, placed by 3’s; colonel,

lieutenant colonel and major, 2 rows of 9, spaced equally; captain,

first and second lieutenants, 2 rows of 7 equally spaced. For chief of

engineers, same as for general officers, except that a piping of scarlet

velvet appears on upper and outer edges of lapels, continuing down the

edges of the coat to bottom of skirt and from top of back flaps to

bottom of skirt, with a skirt facing of scarlet velvet; for other

officers of engineer corps, similar piping and facing, but of scarlet

cloth. For all officers, sleeve, collar and shoulder ornaments as

prescribed by regulation.

=Full dress coat=—(=marine corps=) for major general commandant and all

line officers, a double-breasted frock c. of dark blue cloth, in length

1 in. below crotch, with standing collar, 2 rows of large marine corps

buttons wider apart at top than at bottom (9 placed in 3’s for major

general commandant, 8 equidistant for other officers), 2 pockets in

skirt folds, collars and cuffs with trimmings prescribed for rank of

wearer. For officers of staff, a single-breasted tunic of dark blue

cloth, in length 1 in. below crotch, with closed skirt behind, trimmed

as for line officers, but without pockets, standing collar, and with

trimmings as prescribed; aigulets and shoulder knots with f. d. and

special f. d. For non-commissioned officers and privates, a

single-breasted tunic of dark blue cloth, reaching 1 in. below crotch, 8

large marine corps buttons in front and 2 in back at end of waist seam,

standing collar, the coat piped down front, around the bottom and up the

plaits of the skirt to waist seam with ⅛ in. scarlet cloth; scarlet

shoulder straps and sleeve bands and other details as prescribed. For

drummers and trumpeters, a c. of the same style, except that it is of

scarlet cloth with white piping, black collar, black shoulder straps and

black sleeve bands, these straps piped with white; for leader of the

band, a tunic of dark blue cloth, same patterns as prescribed for staff

officers, except: the breast trimmed across with ⅛ in. gold tubular

braid and 3 rows of marine corps buttons, 7 each row; cuffs trimmed as

prescribed for first lieutenant without the scarlet backing. For second

leader of band, a f. d. c. of scarlet cloth, made as prescribed for

enlisted men of the line, except: the collar of black broadcloth piped

with white; front and bottom edges and back of skirt plaits to waist

piped with white; front trimmed across with black mohair braid (in the

same manner as undress c. of officers) and with 3 rows of marine corps

buttons, 7 each. For musicians of band, same as for second leader,

except: with pointed cuffs of black broadcloth. For drum-major, same as

prescribed, for second leader, except: collar of scarlet cloth trimmed

with gold lace and piped with white cloth, breast trimmed with ½ in.

gold tubular braid, pointed cuffs, outlined with ½ in. gold tubular

braid. Other details per regulations.

=Full dress coat=—(=navy=) for bandsmen a single-breasted tunic of

scarlet cloth, buttoned to the neck with 8 gilt buttons, standing

collar, the front edges, bottom and skirt plaits (to waist seam) piped

with white cloth, no outside pockets, shoulder decorations as

prescribed.

=Full dress frock coat=—(=revenue cutter service=) for all commissioned

officers: of dark navy-blue cloth, double-breasted, buttoning to the

neck, rolling collar, 2 rows of service buttons on breast, 9 each side,

spaced equidistant, full skirts extending nearly to the knee, trimmings,

attachments, etc., as prescribed.

=Full dress saber belt=—see Saber b.

=Full dress shirt=—see Evening d. s.

=Full dress sword belt=—(=marine corps=) for all officers and leader of

the band, of 1½ in. marine corps gold lace with a ³⁄₁₆ in. stripe of

scarlet silk thru the center, white leather lining, showing edges, ⅛ in.

Slings of same material and design.

=Full dress trousers=—see Evening d. t.

=Full dress trousers=—(=army=) for general officers, of dark blue cloth

with 2 stripes of gold wire lace mounted on velvet, of the color of coat

collar, along outer seams; for chief of engineers, the interval between

the stripes of scarlet velvet; for officers of staff corps and

departments (except engineers) 1 stripe of gold lace; for officers of

engineer corps, stripes of scarlet cloth with white piping; for officers

of cavalry, artillery and infantry, of sky-blue cloth with 1½ in.

stripes, welted at the edges, of the colors of the facings of their

respective corps or arms, except that for infantry the stripes are

white; for chaplains, of plain black or dark blue cloth, without stripe,

welt or cord.

=Full dress trousers=—(=navy=) of dark blue cloth with a stripe of gold

lace covering the outseam of each leg.

=Full dress trousers=—(=marine corps=) for major general commandant and

all staff officers, of dark blue cloth, cut with medium spring, side

pockets, outseams trimmed with 1¼ in. black mohair braid. For line

officers, same as Special f. d. For non-commissioned officers, of

sky-blue kersey, outseams finisht with 1 in. stripe of welted edge

scarlet cloth. For privates, the same without the scarlet stripes. For

drummers and trumpeters, the same except that the outseams have a ³⁄₁₆

in. scarlet welt; for leader of the band, same as prescribed for line

officer’s special f. d. For second leader and musicians, same as

prescribed for privates, except: with 2½ in. stripes of scarlet cloth

down outer seams, stitcht on the outer edges, showing ¼ in. of light

blue between. For drum-major, same as prescribed for other

non-commissioned officers.

=Full dress uniforms=—(=army, navy, marine corps, etc.=) see Full d., et

var.

=Full dress waistcoat=—see Evening d. w.

=Full fashioned=—general term for hosiery, etc., produced on automatic

knitting machines, made in flat strips or patterns and then joined,

either by machine or by hand. See F. regular.

=Full feather=—in full dress; attired in one’s best clothes.

=Full fig=—(nautical) full dress.

=Full frock=—the double-breasted frock coat, or “Prince Albert”.

=Full-headed=—tailoring term, meaning having fine plaits or puckers of

material in the upper part, as a sleeve; not skimpt; more liberal than

usual; specially, a joining of sleeve and shoulder so that top of sleeve

head shows up full. See Sleeve head.

=Full peg=—tailoring term for extra baggy trousers, commonly predicativ

of college fledglings. See P. top and Half p.

=Full regular=—trade term for hosiery and underwear in which the seams

are made by hand knitting instead of by machine; the most expensiv

grade.

=Full Scotch=—see Scotch edge.

=Full skeleton=—tailoring term for coats made without lining. Compare

Half s.

=Full uniform=—the complement of costume, ornaments, arms, etc.,

prescribed for officers and men in the military and naval service on

inspection, parade and ceremonial occasions. See Full dress, Special

full dress, etc.

=Full vamp=—shoemaking term for vamps where the toes are not cut away

under the tips. See Whole v., et var.

=Fulled=—made thicker and more compact by shrinking.

=Fuller’s earth=—a species of non-plastic clay used as an absorbent of

grease and oil and as a cleansing agent; also used in fulling cloth.

=Fulling=—the process of cleansing and condensing (or shrinking) woolen

and worsted goods to render them stronger and firmer. See encyclopedia.

=Fulling gum=—a substance used for preparing warps for weaving.

=Fur beaver=—a long-napt cloth imitating fur.

=Fur felt=—hatter’s term for f. (and hats thereof) made from the fur of

nutria, beaver, coney or other fur-bearing animals.

=Fur seal=—the “sealskin de luxe”, being of much finer texture than wool

s. and correspondingly more valuable. Found in Alaska, Shetland Islands,

Lobos Island, etc., the former being of the most uniform excellence. The

hide of this variety is seldom, if ever, used for leather.

=Furbelow=—(1) a plaited or puckered flounce; (2) broadly, redundant or

superfluos finery or ornament.

=Furrier=—(1) a dealer in or maker of fur goods and garments; (2) a fur

dresser.

=Furrier’s knife=—a flat piece of steel, having the general outlines of

a rhomb, one edge of which is sharpened, the opposite edge or top being

concaved to form a handle.

=Furs=—familiar term for fur outergarments.

=Fuscous=—dusky; grayish brown, tawny.

=Fussy=—fancy, effeminate, meretricious.

=Fustian=—(1) formerly a kind of stout cloth made of cotton and flax;

(2) now a coarse twilled linen or cotton fabric; (3) corduroy and

similar fabrics are also so-called.

G

=G-string=—an aboriginal modesty-bit.

=Gabardine=—a cloak-like garment worn by Russian Jews; usually made of

black cloth, silk or moire; it is buttoned down front to waist, whence

it hangs to the ankles.

=Gabardine=—a close-woven, fine twilled waterproof cotton cloth for

sporting and motor wear. Probably a blind name.

=Gag=—investiture for the mouth, of any sufficient model, style, or

material, worn at discretion when the alternativ might be hurtful,

usually applied by burglars who object to raucous cacophony.

=Gaiter=—(1) a cloth or leather covering for the leg or ankle; a

spatterdash or overgaiter; (2) a shoe without opening, but elastic gores

at the sides. See Congress g.

=Gaiter bottoms=—tailoring term for trousers cut snug at the ankle and

extending out covering the instep with strap fastening beneath the foot.

=Gaiter trousers=—just described (vs).

=Galashiels=—a town in Scotland famous for its tweeds known by that

name.

=Galatea=—(1) a striped worsted suiting faintly suggestiv of Bedford

cord; (2) a stout striped cotton fabric, used for shirts, pinafores,

etc.

=Gallant=—(1) a (good or bad) man who pays court or markt attention to

women; (2) a beau; (3) a man of showy or ostentatious attire.

=Galligaskins=—(1) wide hose or trousers formerly worn by seamen; (2)

leather leggings. See Venetians.

=Galloon=—general term for various kinds of worsted, silk or tinsel lace

or decorativ braid used on uniforms, etc.

=Galloon-gallant=—contemptuous for an over-decorated fop.

=Galloway=—a breed of cattle raised in Scotland, noted for the softness

and excellence of their glossy black hair; the skins are used for fur

coats, lap robes, etc.

=Gallows=—an early name for what we now call suspenders, modernly

corrupted to “galluses”.

=Galluses=—suspenders. See Gallows.

=Gambados=—boot-like leathers, resembling leggings or spatterdashes,

attacht to a saddle, protecting the feet and serving as stirrups.

=Gambeson=—an old-time (’way back) coat of leather or cloth, stuft and

quilted, worn defensivly.

=Gambroon=—a twilled cloth of worsted-and-cotton or linen-and-cotton,

used for summer trousers; also a twilled linen lining material.

=Game bag=—similar to an ammunition b., but with ventilating holes.

=Gams=—slang for legs, and by extension, trousers.

=Gants=—French for gloves.

=Gape=—a yawning or divergence, as of coat tails spreading apart, or of

coat collar standing out and away from the neck.

=Garb=—one’s dress in its entirety; costume; style or peculiarity of

apparel, as clerical g.

=G. A. R. uniform=—a plain blue sack suit, the coat either single or

double-breasted, with brass buttons, and commonly a black slouch hat,

with cord and tassels and gilt badge.

=Garibaldi=—a loose blouse waist resembling those worn by the soldiers

of Garibaldi, the Italian patriot.

=Garmenture=—a generic name for dress.

=Garner’s=—trade diminutiv for the fine shirting percales manufactured

by Garner & Co., Reading, Pa., and Pleasant Valley, N.Y.

=Garnetted=—trade term for fabrics containing garnetted or made over

carded yarns. Garnetted worsteds, for illustration, are not entitled to

the designation “pure worsted”. See Garnetting.

=Garnetting=—the process of separating clippings, waste, etc., into new

spinning fibers, resulting in carded yarns, usually mixt with good

fibers, as garnetted worsted with wool, etc.

=Garrison pocket=—the right hip p.

=Garrison shoes=—(=army=) for enlisted men: of russet calf, Blucher

style.

=Garter ring=—a gold finger r. made in imitation of a strap buckled in a

circle.

=Garter webbing=—a narrow, elastic textil band or ribbon, having strips

of India rubber as part of its warp; elastic w. (qv).

=Garters=—commonly, elastic bands capable of being elongated and

adjusted ad libitum, worn around the lower extremities of one’s

locomotiv members for maintaining the proper position and required

altitude for the habiliments of the tibia.

=Garters=—nautical slang for leg irons.

=Gas iron=—a tailor’s smoothing or pressing i., heated by internal gas

jets.

=Gasoline iron=—a tailor’s i. heated within by means of a gasoline

flame, the fluid being contained in a tank affixt to the outside.

=Gassing=—a finishing process in cotton cloth manufacturing; removing

the fuzz by singeing.

=Gauche=—in ill taste, awkward.

=Gauntlet=—a glove with wide cuffs attacht, usually stiff, covering the

coat sleeves, to protect from dust and wind in driving; originally a

mailed covering for the hand and wrist, often with offensiv armor.

=Gauze=—any light open-woven cotton, silk or wool material.

=Gauze weaving=—a method in which the warp threads are more or less

intertwined among themselves, achieving light, open texturs and many

fanciful or lacy combinations; if plain it is usually called leno.

=Gem=—any precious stone, particularly when cut and set ready for

wearing.

=Gem peg=—a rest for the g. stick (qv) in g. cutting.

=Gem stick=—a rod, on the end of which a g. is cemented whilst being

cut.

=Gem stone=—general term given to minerals suitable for cutting, as a g.

=Gemel ring=—a r. formed of 2 or more rings; a puzzle r.

=Genapping=—a process in woolen manufacture by which the free fuzz or

loose fiber known as “nap” is removed from woolen yarn by singeing to

make it suitable for certain kinds of cloth.

=General’s uniform=—see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u. Also

see variants.

=Geneva gown=—a clergyman’s full g. of black silk or wool stuff, made

with an inner cassock-front, meeting in a sort of military collar, with

white banks at the neck, and buttoning all the way down the front.

=Genoese velvet=—a rich patterned silk v., sometimes interwoven with

gold thread.

=Gent=—not a gentleman.

=Gent’s furnisher=—the vulgar general title of a very respectable

business.

=Genteel=—les bourgeois gentilhommes.

=German sock=—a knitted s. of extra heavy wool, with buckled tops or

with canvas legging tops reaching to the knee, for wear with arctics or

heavy shoes.

=Get up=—a scheme of costume; the way you are drest.

=Gew-gaw=—any flashy, useless ornament.

=Ghaba=—a long, loose flowing coatlike garment worn by the merchant

class in Persia; is double-breasted, lapping over and fastening with 2

buttons, while, about the waist, a shawl is wound several times, knotted

and the ends tuckt out of sight.

=Gift-of-gab=—an eccentricity of salesmen.

=Gig=—a machine for raising a nap on cloth by passing it over rotating

cylinders armed with teasels. Compare Slubbing machine.

=Gigging=—giving a nap to woolen cloths, such as broadcloths, beaver,

chinchilla, melton, etc.

=Giller=—a horsehair fishing line.

=Gilling=—a step in the process of combing worsted yarns; bringing the

fibers level and parallel into a uniform strand.

=Gilt button=—brass.

=Gimmal ring=—see Gemel r.

=Gimp buttonhole=—made as described under b. making, but employing very

coarse silk twist, and taking long, regular stitches over a heavy cord.

Contrast Satin b. h.

=Gingerbread=—over-fancy, glaring, loud, fussy, insubstantial.

=Gingham=—a plain-woven reversible cotton fabric, loom-patterned in

simple checks, stripes and plaids.

=Gingham=—vernacular for a large family umbrella.

=Ginning=—a step in the process of preparing cotton for weaving;

separating, mechanically, the seeds from the fiber.

=Girdle=—the circumferential rim of a diamond or other precious stone;

the line of juncture of the upper and lower pyramids. See Brilliant

cutting.

=Glace=—glove trade term, meaning polisht or drest kid (or other)

leather.

=Glad rags=—evening dress clothes; frock coats; new or good clothes,

generally.

=Glasses=—generality for eye g. or spectacles.

=Glaze=—a sizing or high finish applied to certain fabrics, as sleeve

linings, hat trimmings, cheap underwear trimmings, etc. See Glazing,

Sizing and Washable.

=Glazed kid=—trade term for kid leather finisht with a high polish, in

contradistinction to dull k., which has a flat or dull appearance. See

Chrome k.

=Glazing=—a glossing or calendering process effected by steam-heated

steel rollers.

=Glengarry=—a cape overcoat; now known as Inverness (qv).

=Glengarry=—a Scotch cap.

=Glims=—cant for spectacles. (British).

=Gloria=—a twill woven silk and wool fabric, used largely for umbrellas.

=Gloss finish=—see High polish.

=Glove=—a leather or textil covering for the hands, having separate

stalls for each finger. Anciently gloves possest considerable

significance as pledges of troth and confidence, gages of battle,

emblems of office, etc.—which is interesting to the searcher for

curiosa, but too lengthy for this short-order book.

=Glove=—a wooden scraper, fastened to the workman’s hands, used in

felting hats.

=Glove box=—a container for gloves.

=Glove kid=—a term used mostly by shoemakers to designate a fine, soft

leather employed for the tops of fine shoes.

=Glove of mail=—a mailed gauntlet.

=Glove stretcher=—a device for stretching or “easing” gloves.

=Glove tree=—a wooden form in the shape of a hand for keeping gloves in

condition.

=Gloversville=—a town in New York where nearly all the gloves made in

this country are produced.

=Goat=—an omnivorous animal, once characteristic of Harlem and the

Bronx, whose hide furnishes shoe leather and glove skins and whose pelt

is made up into wild animal fur robes, etc.

=Goatee=—a beard or tuft, so trimmed that it falls from the chin like

the beard of a goat; a fashion once very common, but now rare.

=Goater=—a thief’s term for dress.

=Goggle-cap=—a chauffeur’s c. having a front band in which goggles are

affixt.

=Goggles=—a covering for the eyes, or also for part of the face, with

glasses or lenses secured in silk gauze, leather, metal or rubber,

fastened around the head with straps or wire frames and worn to exclude

dust when automobiling, mining, etc.

=Gold=—a precious metal, bowed down to, in the representativ abstract,

by all the tribes of Israel and by the also-ran; in commerce and

industry made into jewelry for one’s wives and near-wives; in medicin as

an alleged constituent of a celebrated cure for good fellows.

=Gold filled=—trade term for a compound plate of 2 sheets of g. having a

sheet of baser metal between them; by extension applied to cheap jewelry

made thereof.

=Gold lace=—l. wrought with g. or gilt thread; an ornamental or

decorativ trimming fabric formed by weaving silken threads wound round

with g. filaments; most used for military, naval and similar uniforms.

=Gold stick=—an official of the royal household of Great Britain, a

colonel of the Life Guards or a captain of the gentlemen-at-arms, who

bears a gilt rod on state occasions; also loosely applied to other state

attendants.

=Goldsmiths’ company=—one of the ancient London guilds, having certain

hereditary privileges, among them that of stamping or certifying all

gold and silver.

=Golf bag=—a long, open-end b. of canvas, leather or plaid, or

combinations thereof, with a sling strap, and usually with an outside

pocket for balls.

=Golf cap=—general name for cloth caps made with a visor or peak, but

without a band.

=Golf cloth=—see Albert c.

=Golf coat=—generally, a single-breasted sack c. or Norfolk jacket with

a plaited fullness under the arms to allow freedom of stroke (whence

name of Stroke c. sometimes given) with a belted back; more loosely, any

old c. one is not afraid of soiling; once upon a recent time a gaudy

thing of green or red, or with green or red trimmings.

=Golf discs=—small rubber knobs affixt to heels and soles of shoes for

surety of footing.

=Golf glove=—a g. of soft leather, usually chamois, commonly made with

open (hole) knuckles and to button on the top or outside of wrist; altho

there are many other models.

=Golf hose=—heavy woolen or worsted stockings, in Scotch patterns, quite

“swell” when they were costly.

=Golf shoes=—s. made for the use of golfers, with protruding nails or

buttons on soles to prevent slipping.

=Golf sleeves=—trade term for neglige shirts with s. made in 2 pieces,

separated and buttoning at about the hight of the elbow, the forepart

being removed for freedom and comfort.

=Golf stocks=—any neck stock.

=Golf studs=—see Boot s. and G. discs.

=Golf waistcoat=—same as Coat sweater.

=Golosh=—an overshoe; formerly of wood; but modernly of rubber.

=Good form=—see Form.

=Good middling=—see Cotton classification.

=Good ordinary=—see Cotton classification.

=Goodwood=—perhaps the most fashionable race-meet in England, vieing

with Ascot, but unlike the latter, being a private park, owned by the

Duke of Richmond.

=Goodyear stitching=—a modern mechanical process of sewing together the

sole and vamp of a shoe, the process commencing and concluding at the

breast or back of heel. See below.

=Goodyear welt=—in shoemaking, meaning that the uppers and soles are

secured by means of a welt sewed on the Goodyear machine, an improvement

on the McKay machine. See above.

=Goose=—a tailor’s heaving smoothing iron, originally the kind heated on

a stove or flame; so called from its handle, which somewhat resembles

the neck of a goose.

=Gore=—a triangular piece of cloth let into a garment to widen it or eke

out narrow goods; a gusset.

=Gore=—see Elastic g.

=Gorge=—that part of a coat or vest encircling the neck; where the

collar, if any, is joined. Compare Opening.

=Gorget=—(1) an ornamental neckband, very full and broad in front, worn

a century or two ago when men knew how to dress; (2) a steel throat

armor.

=Goring=—see Elastic gore.

=Gown=—(1) a sack overcoat; a Chesterfield; a raincoat; (2) a

clergyman’s robe; (3) a bachelor’s, doctor’s or other academic g.; (4) a

night robe; (5) the slip or covering thrown over you whilst in the

barber’s chair.

=Gownsman=—a collegian.

=Grade=—to arrange a scale or system of sizes for manufacturing or for

buying and selling; to classify fibers, qualities, etc.

=Grader=—an assistant to the designer or head cutter in wholesale

manufacturing houses; his duty is to take the first paper patterns

designed for the season and grade them onto heavy paper for the cloth

cutters to work from; these are called “block patterns”.

=Grading=—the making of a set of patterns, in all sizes, for any article

of apparel.

=Graduated tie=—a t. for wear with standing shirt collars, narrowest at

the middle and widening evenly to the ends.

=Graft=—a sticky substance much esteemed by buyers, manufacturers and

politicians.

=Grain leather=—l. made from the hides of neat cattle, split so thin as

to be suitable for same uses as goat, calf, etc., which it is made to

imitate.

=Grand street=—a street in New York famous for its Jewish pushcart

trade; being lined for many blocks with double rows of peripatetic

merchants displaying almost every class of merchandise.

=Grandpa’s hat=—a tall “top h.” of felt or beaver fur or rough silk

plush, bell shaped, reminiscent of the 40’s.

=Granit=—weaving term for small irregular effects produced by yarns of

several colors or by an irregular arrangement of the warp and weft,

comprehending any and all fabrics without specific weave for foundation;

in general, any face finisht fancy weave suiting not made on a twill.

(=Granite.=)

=Grass linen=—coarse, plain woven, unbleacht l., used for summer

clothing.

=Grass suit=—a weedy thing that makes a duck hunter look like a tree to

a fool bird, but like a cannibal to timid humans.

=Gray cloth=—undyed.

=Gray cotton=—unbleacht or undyed.

=Grease paint=—an article of theatrical makeup.

=Grease spot=—the badge of a slob.

=Great-coat=—any heavy overcoat; particularly a coachman’s skirted

overcoat.

=Great Scott!=—an aptly named depilatory (a proprietary article) said to

be composed of tallow and pitch, which, on removal, causes the

beauty-seeker to say Great Scott—and then some.

=Greaves=—leg armor.

=Grecian sack=—a loose, baggy box overcoat worn about 1850–60, usually

with velvet collar and cuffs and quilted satin lining.

=Greeley hat=—see Horace Greeley h.

=Green cap=—a color (of c.) that undergraduates in some of our colleges

are chivalrously endeavoring to force freshmen to wear.

=Green gold=—g. alloyed with silver. Compare red g. and white g.

=Greenback=—vernacular for paper money.

=Grege=—raw silk as wound off the cocoons.

=Gregorian=—see Wig.

=Gremial veil=—an embroidered cloth spread over the knees of a bishop

when sitting during high mass.

=Grenadier cap=—a tall pointed c. or head covering, properly of

bearskin, worn in certain European military corps.

=Grenadine=—a gauzy or net-like silk fabric used for men’s neckwear and

women’s dresses.

=Grenadine=—a species of thrown silk. See Throwing.

=Grenoble=—(1) a town in France famous for its many glove factories and

the fine quality of kid skins raised in the surrounding neighborhood;

(2) a trade diminutiv implying excellence.

=Grey Breeks=—the popular name for Lord Lynedoch’s 90th Regiment of Foot

(1794).

=Grip=—a suit case; a large traveling bag.

=Gripper=—see Wiper.

=Grogram=—a stiff fabric of silk and wool or all-wool, of diagonal

weave; a coarse stuff of which boat cloaks, heavy coats, etc., were once

made.

=Groom’s box overcoat=—see Coachman’s b. o.

=Groom’s frock coat=—same as Coachman’s f. c., but about one inch

shorter, and worn with a leather belt.

=Groom’s livery=—like coachman’s l. with slight modifications of detail.

=Groom’s vest=—a waistcoat of whipcord or corduroy with knitted or

flannel sleeves attacht.

=Gros de Londres=—a fine weave of gros-grain silk (qv).

=Grosgrain=—a stout, close-woven, fine corded silk fabric, dyed in plain

colors and having but little luster.

=Guanaco=—a South American animal of the camel family yielding a coarse,

inferior hair of but little use.

=Guard’s coat=—a long, loose traveling overcoat of tweed or homespun,

made with a whole back, held together in gathers by a cloth strap.

(1907)

=Guernsey=—a close-fitting, knitted woolen shirt worn by sailors.

=Guessfit=—term coined by the compiler of this dictionary for use by

tailors in derision of readymade—and now used by cheap tailors

everywhere who live in glass houses themselves.

=Guinea cloth=—see Outing c.

=Gum bucket=—nautical slang for tobacco pipe.

=Gum shoe=—a rubber overshoe.

=Gum shoe=—a term for underhand transactions.

=Gum stocking=—see Elastic s.

=Gum tissue=—see Rubber t. and Buckskin.

=Gums=—rubber overshoes.

=Gun-mouthed trousers=—see Sailor’s t.

=Gun-pocket=—place for the arsenal.

=Gunner’s uniform=—(=navy=) see Special full dress, full d., dress,

undress; (=army=) Full dress, Dress u., Service u., Fatigue u.;

(=revenue cutter service=) Full dress, Service dress. See also

Variations.

=Gunny=—see Gunnysacking.

=Gunnysacking=—coarse spun canvas or burlap of loose material, such as

jute, used here for baling—but they use it in India for clothing among

the poorer classes.

=Gusset=—a triangular piece of cloth, usually small, inserted into a

garment to give added strength or more room; a gore.

=Gutter seam=—term used by collar and cuff manufacturers descriptiv of

an edge s. made by folding the inner and outer plies, previously stitcht

together inside out, in over the interlining, and then stitcht thru,

finally, from the outside, the inner edges of the fold being generally

overcast in advance of the first stitching. This s. is supposed to wear

extra well, with little or no (?) liability to turn into “saw edges”.

=Guy=—anyone who makes a show of himself in his clothes.

=Gymnasium shoe=—a laced soft s. of kid or canvas, with a light elk or

buff turn sole, having but little sock lining and no counter or box toe.

=Gymkhana costume=—anything absurd, in keeping with the farcical

character of this ridiculous race or sport.

=Gyves=—fetters; the old word for handcuffs.

H

=Haberdasher=—a dealer in “men’s furnishings”.

=Habit=—the double-breasted dress coat of 1840–50 with very high collar.

=Hackle=—see Hatchel.

=Hackling=—a process of preparing flax fibers for spinning, arranging

them smoothly and parallel.

=Haik=—a white drapery drawn low on the forehead and falling

curtain-like about the face; it conceals the cachi (qv) and is held in

place by one or more tightly fitting rings of camel’s or goat’s hair,

prest down tightly on the head, and is of such dimensions as to conceal

the entire figure. (Arabia.)

=Hair clipper=—a small hand-mowing machine for making “shavy-headed

monkeys”.

=Hair cutter=—a patronizing sort of barber.

=Hair dresser=—just barber.

=Hair dye=—essence of vanity used to make gay bloods of old bucks.

=Hair oil=—maybe medicinal, but once worn to plaster down one’s hair

when such was considered “the thing”; now a mark of the near-gent.

=Hair seal=—unpluckt s.

=Haircloth=—an elastic, resilient material woven of cotton or linen warp

with a weft or filling of hair from the manes and tails of horses;

employed as a stiffening interlining in coats, etc.

=Hairline=—in weaving, a narrow striped color effect on clothes of any

description.

=Half a warp=—see Warp.

=Half-and-half-bound=—in tailoring, an edge finish where the braid is

applied evenly, back and front covering the edge, and stitcht only along

the outer edges of the braid.

=Half-and-half braid=—see Silk b.

=Half-and-half sleeve=—a coat s. of which the two parts are of nearly

equal width; an old style of s. with a seam showing in front, and is

seldom now used.

=Half back=—trade term for a class of woolens combining some of the

characteristics of both thru-and-thru and backt goods.

=Half blood=—wool classification term. See Wool.

=Half-boot=—an ankle boot.

=Half hose=—men’s stockings; socks.

=Half lined=—tailoring term applied to garments that are partially lined

or partially “skeleton”.

=Half mitts=—gloves with half length fingers and thumbs.

=Half mourning=—black mitigated by lavender, gray or other subdued

colors or white.

=Half-peg=—trade term for trousers on the peg-top order, but not cut

quite so full. See P. top. and Full p.

=Half round=—trade term for buttons shaped like a half sphere.

=Half Scotch=—see Scotch edge.

=Half skeleton=—tailoring term for coats with unlined back, the

side-bodies being lined.

=Half sole=—repairing term for worn shoes, boots, etc.—a new s. applied

to the tread or forepart of the s.

=Half top pocket=—set at a shorter angle from the vertical than the top

p.; almost a side p.

=Haling hands=—heavy gloves or mittens of colonial days worn by sailors

and workmen (hauling—h?).

=Hall-boy’s suit=—plain cloth, single- or double-breasted blouse or sack

coat, with regular lapel collar (or with standing military collar if

single-breasted, ornamented, if at all, on cuffs or shoulders or both;

side seams of trousers trimmed to match. For clubs or hotels the jacket

or blouse may have two or three diverging rows of buttons, but is closed

with hooks and eyes, the collar and cuffs sometimes being of contrasting

color of cloth, in which case the trousers have a narrow piping of same

in the side seams. No waistcoat.

=Hall mark=—(British) the mark placed upon gold and silver by the

Goldsmiths’ Company certifying to fineness. A slight variation each year

establishes the date of production.

=Halo=—an aurea worn by the head of the house, clearly perceptible to

himself and a few satellites, but absolutely undiscernible by anyone

else of normal faculties.

=Halstead street=—a street in Chicago having a great number of small and

cheap clothing shops (compare South s. and Baxter s.); a local synonym

for cheap clothing.

=Hand-fitted=—tailoring term for the linings fitted into a coat one

piece at a time, all the sewing being done by hand. Compare Bagged.

=Hand-glasses=—eye-glasses and spectacles were once so called in New

York.

=Hand loom=—(1) a more or less primitiv or improved l. operated entirely

by h. and foot, as opposed to power l.; usually found in cottages; (2)

trade term for goods woven on h. looms; nearly synonymous with homespun.

=Hand made=—made by h. workers: distinguisht from machine made.

=Hand made buttonhole=—not machine made.

=Hand-me-down=—(1) readymade clothes; (2) second-h. clothes; from being

handed down from one person to another.

=Hand padded=—tailoring term applied (1) to collars, lapels and coat

fronts, meaning that same was made by h. instead of machine; (2) the

result of making such parts by h., taking close, even, tight stitches.

See next.

=Hand padding=—cloth, canvas, shoddy, etc., sewed together in position

and ironed into shape entirely by h. for fashion’s sake or to improve

fit.

=Hand shaping=—term generally applied to shoulders and coat fronts,

indicating that the interlinings were cut and sewed together by h.,

being workt into shape during the latter operation, in contradistinction

to such work made wholly or in part by machine (vs).

=Hand-to-handmade=—tailoring term meaning made entirely by operators,

passing, stage by stage, from one h. to another. See Section work.

=Hand-woven=—(1) made on h. looms; (2) not made in a mill.

=Handball gloves=—g. made of padded leather, with full or cut-off

fingers.

=Handcuffs=—steel wristlets of temporary wear occasionally seen in the

lower walks of life.

=Handjar=—an oriental dagger or short broadsword.

=Handkerchief=—a square of linen, silk or cotton, with hem or selvage;

plain, printed, embroidered or otherwise fancified, used for wiping the

face or nose, and by country swains to waft a bye-bye to the old folks

and one other as the train pulls out.

=Handkerchief bosom=—in shirt making a neglige shirt with a b. made of a

fancy handkerchief.

=Handkerchief box=—a receptacle for handkerchiefs.

=Handle=—trade term for the “feel” of textil fabrics as indicativ of

working and wearing qualities.

=Handsel=—(1) a gift or token of good will; a votiv offering to Luck;

the first sales or earnings, bestowed upon some one; (2) earnest money

on a contract.

=Hanger=—(1) a loop sewed into the neck of a coat-lining or waist lining

of trousers for the purpose of hanging them up in a way to become

shapeless; (2) a chain for the same purpose sometimes used on heavy

overcoats; (3) a wooden or metal device over which coats and vests may

be hung in a shape-retaining manner or trousers suspended to retain

their creases.

=Hanger=—a short cut-and-thrust sword, curved near the point; a sort of

cutlass. (17th and 18th centuries).

=Hangnail=—skin partially torn from its attachment near the root of a

finger nail.

=Hank=—a bundle of two or more skeins of yarn tied together; also a

single skein (qv).

=Hankie=—colloquial for handkerchief.

=Hanselines=—a kind of breeches. (Obsolete.)

=Hard finisht=—same as Clear f.

=Hard press=—same as following.

=Hard prest=—tailor’s term for flat p. lapels, seams, etc. Compare Soft

p.

=Hard rim button=—a b. made over a mold, usually covered with cloth

matching the garment, but protected by a rim and back of hard rubber,

naturally the most durable of covered buttons.

=Hare=—a short-tailed, long-eared rodent of the genus Lepus, the pelt of

which is an important staple of hat manufacture and is also largely used

in cheap fur garments.

=Hare’s combings=—loose or dead hair removed in cleaning skins, and used

as an adulterant in the manufacture of cheap hats.

=Hare’s foot=—see Rabbit f.

=Harlequin check=—a check pattern of three or more different colors.

=Harness belt=—a leather b. of horsey appearance.

=Harris tweed=—a men’s wear fabric made on the island of Harris, one of

the smaller British isles; originally woven by very poor people on hand

looms, and dyed with natural products. A number of people took an

interest in the work, notably the Duchess of Sutherland, and now a

considerable trade is done in the cloth, which on account of its

excellent qualities and high price, is now widely imitated, the

imitations being known by the same name; the genuine is easily

identified by its peculiar peaty odor.

=Haslock=—the throat-wool of a sheep; the finest grade.

=Hat=—a formal covering for the head; of various models and worn at

various angles of inclination; a frequently remarked characteristic is,

that, altho a h. may be satisfactory any day and night, it may not be

the next morning.

=Hat band=—a ribbon surrounding the crown.

=Hat block=—a mold on which hats are formed.

=Hat body=—an unfinished h. in any stage of its progress from the

forming machine to the stiffening or napping apparatus.

=Hat box=—(1) a round or square carrying case for hats (one or more),

usually of sole leather with fancy silk linings, etc.; (2) the same, of

paper board.

=Hat brush=—a b. of soft bristles for cleansing and smoothing hats.

=Hat case=—a h. box.

=Hat conformateur=—see Conformateur.

=Hat cover=—a mackintosh or rubber covering for coachmen’s or groom’s h.

=Hat furs=—the principal furs used in the manufacture of hats are hare,

rabbit, coney, nutria, beaver, muskrat, seal, mink, etc.

=Hat honor=—doffing the h.; a salute.

=Hat lining=—until the last 10 or 15 years nearly all men’s hats were

lined, usually with satin in one or many colors, and often with white

satin bearing pictures of sporting scenes, landscapes, etc., and

especially portraits of ballet girls, and reproductions of paintings

from life.

=Hat manufacturing=—see Carroting, Devil, Forming, Sizing, Stiffening,

Stretching, Blocking, Finishing, Soft finishing, Curling, Flanging, etc.

=Hat pad=—a strip of felt slipt inside the sweatband to make a large h.

fit a smaller head—and frequently removed the morning after.

=Hat rack=—a row of hooks to hang hats on for some other fellow to

choose from.

=Hat tip=—the gaudy gold label pasted in the crown of a h. by

manufacturers.

=Hatchel=—an implement for cleaning flax or hemp, usually consisting of

a set of iron teeth fastened to a board, thru which the flax is drawn

and broken, removing the woody fiber; a hackel.

=Hatter=—a seller of hats; a friend of Alice in Wonderland, but not,

despite the popular impression, always mad in March.

=Hauberk=—a sort of coat of mail, either chain or plate, worn by the

doughty warriors of the moldly past.

=Haute nouveaute=—high novelty.

=Havelock=—the light cotton cape or neck covering worn by soldiers and

travelers in hot countries, hanging from a cap, behind the neck.

=Haverly hat=—a name given to hats (any style) for a short time during

the latter half of the last century because such hats had tickets, good

at any and all of Haverly’s theaters or traveling shows, entitling the

owner of the h. to admission. (From J. H. Haverly, a popular minstrel

“magnate”).

=Haversack=—(1) a soldier’s ration bag, hung from the shoulder; (2) a

hunter’s leather ammunition case.

=Hawick=—a town in Scotland famous for tweeds.

=Head=—see Wool.

=Head=—the face or small top part of a collar button.

=Head-and-face-protector=—a sort of leather armor for boxers afraid to

take punishment.

=Head carrier=—see Tump line.

=Head harness=—general term for helmets, leather caps, ear guards, etc.,

worn by slugball players.

=Head net=—a contrivance for warding off insects.

=Headlight=—diamond.

=Headstone=—a memorial tablet at the head of a grave, often highly

decorativ (or supposedly so), and emblazoned with a choice compilation

of eulogistic lies.

=Health band=—same as Abdominal b.

=Heather=—a flower found in the meadows of the British kingdom; basis of

the yellow dye used in coloring Harris tweeds.

=Heather mixtures=—trade name for fabrics of no special pattern but

showing a color scheme resembling, tho faintly, a heather meadow.

=Heel=—the pieces of leather put together and placed on the outside of

the shoe immediately under the h. of the foot.

=Heel breast=—(shoemaking) the back of the h.

=Heel lift=—(1) an elastic device of rubber, cork and felt to wear

within shoes for the purpose of relieving the jar of walking, also to

throw up the instep; (2) one of the layers of leather used in forming

the h. of a shoe.

=Heel plate=—(1) a metal plate affixt to heels to prevent the leather

from undue wear or damage; (2) a metal attachment fastened to the h. of

a shoe for securing certain styles of ice skates securely thereto. See

Shoe p.

=Heel rand=—see Rand.

=Heel seat wheeling=—a little line of indentations made in the leather

around the h. (of a shoe) by a wheel, as one of the finishing

operations.

=Heel shaping=—a mechanical process, of course.

=Heel stay=—see H. strip.

=Heel strap=—sometimes called back s. A loop either of leather or woven

tape inserted in the top at the back of the shoe and used to draw the

shoe on the foot by inserting the finger thru the loop.

=Heel-strip=—a narrow band of leather or cloth sewn inside hems of

trousers where they rub on the heel.

=Heeling=—in modern shoemaking an entirely mechanical process, save for

laying the leather together and filling with nails the holes in a

nailing machine.

=Held-blistered edge=—drawn too tightly with the stay tape. (Tailoring

term.)

=Heliotrope=—a “heavy” perfume distilled from or in imitation of the

flower of the same name.

=Hemp=—see Kemp.

=Hemstitch=—an ornamental finish for hems, as in handkerchiefs, effected

by drawing a few threads parallel to the hem and connecting in groups by

stitching, the exposed threads running oppositly.

=Henrietta=—a sort of fine cashmere, usually with a silk warp.

=Hercules braid=—a flat, coarse ribbed worsted braid, of various widths,

used for ornament or decoration, largely for uniforms, and often called

military braid.

=Hermsdorff=—trade diminutiv for fast-black hosiery, etc., dyed by Louis

Hermsdorff, Chemnitz, and used in the sense of being a standard of

quality.

=Herringbone=—general term for patterns, produced in weaving, consisting

of short diagonal lines running warpwise, meeting and contrasting with

another series turned oppositly, with zigzag repetition; a fishbone

pattern.

=Herringbone stitch=—see Padding s.

=Hessians=—high boots, tassled in front, worn early in 19th century.

=Hickory shirting=—(1) a heavy, stout, plain-woven cotton material,

resembling gingham, heavily starcht and calendered, used for working

shirts. See Osnaburg. (2) Name also applied to a coarse twilled cotton

fabric, striped or checkt, also used for working shirts.

=Hides=—trade term for the skins of large animals, as horse, cow, ox,

etc. Compare Skins.

=Higgin=—the old-fashioned shoemaker’s pot of water for wetting soles.

=High-band=—trade term for high, turndown or folded shirt collars; also

called high-bander. See Meeting folder, Lock front, Fold collar, etc.

=High dutchers=—skates, the blades of which are ornamentally curled in

front; those without this ornamentation are called dumps.

=High heels=—a godsend for runts—and surgeons.

=High-pickt=—textil trade term for many threads to the inch.

=High polish=—laundry term for perverted elegance applied to one’s

linen.

=High-rise=—term applied to trousers cut high in the waist. See Rise.

=High-shouldered=—having pronounced shoulders of more than normal hight.

=Highwater=—derisiv term for trousers too short for the wearer.

=Highland gaiters=—overgaiters or spats.

=Hilt=—the handle and guard of a sword.

=Himation=—a square or oblong piece of cloth, more or less decorated,

worn by the early Greeks draped about the left shoulder and covering the

body (more or less) according to its adjustment.

=Hip=—that part of the body between the brim of the pelvis and the free

part of the thigh.

=Hip boots=—b. reaching to the hips.

=Hip pants=—see H. trousers.

=Hip pocket=—a p. placed horizontally in the rear portion of trousers,

between the waistband and seat; a breeding place of sudden death if

fortified.

=Hip-spring=—tailoring term indicating an allowance made for the

fullness of the hips in cutting a garment, as a waistcoat.

=Hip trousers=—t. intended to be worn without suspenders, and to be

sustained by the hips with or without the aid of a belt; usually cut

lower in the waist, and closer fitting there, than when suspenders are

to be worn.

=Hirsute appendage=—whiskers.

=Hob nails=—short n. with very broad, heavy heads, used for sporting

shoes, working brogans, etc., as a protection to the soles and for

surety of footing.

=Hockey glove=—a stout padded leather g. for protecting fingers, joints,

etc.

=Hockey leg guards=—see Shin g.

=Hockey shoe=—a laced s. with a strap across instep from side to side of

heel.

=Hog=—pigskin.

=Hog wool=—term given, in England, to w. clipt from lambs.

=Hoi polloi=—“gents” who wear “pants” and ready-tied neckwear.

=Hold-all=—a leather or canvas shawl roll or carrier. See Carry-all and

Wrap.

=Hold in=—tailoring term signifying, in the making of a garment, the

feat of getting a larger part neatly into a smaller opening, or seaming

a larger to a smaller part, or to work in an edge to less than its cut

dimension, for purposes of shapeliness, style, etc. Compare Stretch.

=Holland=—a fine, stout, compact, plain woven linen cloth, usually

unbleacht, sometimes slightly glazed, used as shirtings, suitings,

interlinings, etc.; originally made in Holland, whence name.

=Holster=—a carrier for the personal arsenal.

=Hollow ground=—cutler’s term indicating that a blade, as of a razor, is

ground concave instead of flat.

=Hombourg hat=—about same as Alpine or Fedora. See Tyrolean h.

=Homespun=—general name for the plain woven woolen suitings made by the

peasantry of the British isles, properly from undyed natural colored

homespun yarns, with or without an admixture of home dyed yarns, woven

on crude hand looms, and of rather loose, tho stout, texture and of

enormous durability. Modernly imitated on power looms.

=Honeycomb=—(1) an ornamental pattern, effected in the loom, applied

mostly to towelings, giving a resemblance to honeycomb cells; (2) a

raised effect in weaving, sometimes employed in worsted suitings.

=Hood=—a cloth covering for the head; sometimes attacht to overcoats and

capes, also to academic gowns, ornamentally so in this latter case.

=Hood overcoat=—any o. with an attacht or detachable hood; a military o.

=Hoods=—scholastic h. are made of the same material as the gowns; lined

with the official colors of the college or university conferring the

degree, or with which the recipients of academic honors from other

institutions may be connected, and are trimmed with velvet, the color

being distinctiv of the faculty to which the degree pertains. Thus: Arts

and Letters, white; Theology, scarlet; Law, purple; Medicin, green;

Philosophy, dark blue; Science, gold yellow; Fine arts, brown; Music,

pink; Pharmacy, olive; Dentistry, lilac; Veterinary, gray; Forestry,

russet; Library science, lemon.

=Hook-and-eye=—a small h. of double wire and an appropriate e. to engage

it; a garment fastening device.

=Hook-in=—to shorten, as of the gorge of a collar.

=Hop gloves=—white lisle g. in contradistinction to white cotton or

Berlin g. (West Point colloquialism.)

=Hop stick=—a crutch.

=Hopsacking=—a coarse, open-wove, woolen fabric, with a square or

checkered mesh in imitation of bagging, made in suiting and overcoating

weights.

=Horace Greeley hat=—a tall, felt “plug” h., later known as the (Grover)

Cleveland h.

=Horned alligator=—a leather characterized by its peculiar sharp ridges

or protuberances (the spinal ridge of the critter?).

=Hornoid=—trade name for a composition used for buttons in imitation of

real horn.

=Horns=—unseen articles of decoration sometimes worn by married men.

=Horse-shoe collar=—trade term for coat collars not made on a straight

line, but curved and twisted to fit corresponding hollows carved into

the neck of the coat. This is a c. that is easily made by machinery and

is a characteristic of most readymade clothing and cheap tailoring.

Compare Straight c.

=Horse show=—once a parade-show of horse-flesh and accomplishments;

nowadays a raree show of the frills and fripperies of human “fashion”

and vanity.

=Horsey=—applied to a straining after coaching or stable effects in

attire by those who think it smart.

=Hose=—general term for stockings, long, short and otherwise; anciently,

a sort of tights.

=Hosen=—obsolete plural of hose.

=Hosier=—British for “gent’s furnisher”.

=Hosier=—one who deals in hosiery and other knit goods. (Mostly of

British use.)

=Hosiery=—broadly comprehending stockings, tights and all branches of

the hosier’s business.

=Hot-water bag=—an article of temporary wear in illness.

=Houppelande=—(1) a kind of cloak or overgarment worn alike by men and

women in France in the 15th century, resembling somewhat a modern

dressing gown or kimona; (2) a name given in France, in the early part

of the last century, to a single-caped frock coat, sometimes called a

crispin cloak (qv).

=House coat=—a fancy lounging c. or jacket.

=House slippers=—homely solid comfort.

=Housemaid’s collar=—“British” for the highband folded or double shirt

c. (men’s—not women’s, mind you!).

=Hovie=—a mantle of state, worn about the time of the crusades, quite a

gorgeous affair and often hung with silver bells.

=Huckaback=—a heavy, coarse, rough linen or cotton toweling of a

birdseye, honeycomb or armure weave; commonly shortened to huck.

=Huddersfield=—a manufacturing town in Yorkshire and the chief seat of

the English cloth and woolen manufactures; a name commonly given in this

country to clay worsteds from the best coming from that town from the

mills of J. & B. Clay.

=Humeral veil=—an oblong scarf of the same material as the chasuble,

worn over the shoulders by sub-deacons at high mass and by priests when

giving the benediction or carrying the sacrament in procession.

=Humidor=—a casket designed to maintain a certain degree of moisture or

humidity in cigars kept therein.

=Hunting boot=—an extra heavy and high shoe of stout, waterproof

leather, foxt and double soled, with hobnails in sole and heel.

=Hunting cap=—a close-fitting, velvet c., with short visor.

=Hunting-case=—a watch-c. having the dial side as well as the back

protected by a cover or lid.

=Hunting coat=—a short, red cutaway—English, you know.

=Hunting costume=—those who ape British modes will please wear a “pink”

(i.e. vivid scarlet) frock coat with round-cornered bell skirt (or

“pink” morning coat), white corduroy or leather breeches, fancy

waistcoat, neck stock, top boots, and tall silk hat; appareled thus you

are fit to join William Waldorf Astor and other near-Britons.

=Hunting cuffs=—a finish on coat sleeves consisting of buttoned open

vents with, usually, a row or two of stitching in simulation of cuffs.

=Hunting frock=—a single-breasted f. coat with short full skirts.

=Hunting hat=—a silk h. with cord or guard to prevent loss.

=Hunting hood=—a knitted wool h. covering entire head (except face),

neck and upper shoulders, worn in cold countries by hardy hunters,

explorers, etc.

=Hunting sack=—a name given to single-breasted s. coats designed for

shooting purposes; usually with a turned down collar closing at the

throat and capacious patch pockets.

=Hunting shirt=—(1) a deerskin, blouse-like garment, in use amongst

trappers and frontiersmen; sometimes very ornamental; (2) any stout

woolen, cotton or linen s. of inconspicuous color.

=Husking cloth=—a heavy cotton ticking used for farmers’ gloves and

mittens.

=Husking glove=—a g. used by harvest hands for husking, etc.

=Hustling suit=—see Jepson.

=Hymeneal knot=—a style of k. that, with a little practise, is one of

the easiest tied and untied.

=Hyperion curls=—found in novels and in portraits of Roscoe Conkling.

I

=Ice-cream hat=—a light-colored, soft felt h. on the telescope order,

extreme in some detail of color, shape or trimming, affected usually by

college boys and other irresponsibles.

=Idiot fringe=—football hair; bangs.

=Imitation=—not genuin; deceptiv; fraudulent.

=Imitation fur=—textil achievements, usually on a stockinet body, often

quite deceptiv; near-fur.

=Imitation haircloth=—a stiffening interlining fabric not made with

horse hair, but entirely or nearly so of heavily sized vegetable fibers,

tho some of the “better” grades have variously alternated real horse

hairs inserted. For tailoring purposes these poorer grades are

practically worthless. See Istle.

=Immaculate=—spotless.

=Imp=—one length of twisted hair in a fishing line.

=Imperial=—a cravat tied in a small, close knot and with long, wide,

flowing ends or apron.

=Imperial=—a pointed tuft of hair on the chin just under the lower lip;

so called because worn by Napoleon III.

=Imported=—“from the old world”, or elsewhere.

=Imprime=—French for printed; generally used in speaking of warp-printed

silks.

=In-and-out flap=—in tailoring a f. made the same size as the pocket so

it can be turned into same; the opposit of laid-on f., which may be

larger than the width of the pocket opening; the former the distinctiv

pocket f. of sack coats, the latter more often seen on frock coats.

=In-the-drag=—tailors’ term indicating that one is behind in his work

and has to “pull out”.

=In the flannel=—see Flannel.

=In the grease=—term for fleece marketed as clipt from the sheep;

unwasht.

=In the gum=—silk that has not been “boiled off”.

=Inauguration cloth=—a variant of coronation c., used in this country

during the vogue of the former and about the time of a presidential

inauguration.

=Inch tape=—a t. measure.

=Incline measures=—m. taken by tailors to ascertain if a customer is

erect or stooping, carries his head forward or backward, has large or

flat blades, etc., and how much.

=Incroyable=—a name given to politicians and dandies (imagine,

politicians!) of the time of the (French) Directorate (1795–99), who

made extremity in dress a cult—they wore the highest collars, the

chokingest cravats, the most pretentious canes and were otherwise much

like the precieuses ridicules of Moliere’s time.

=India silk=—a soft, thin, untwilled s. fabric, woven like fine muslin.

=Indian gown=—see Banyan.

=Indian tanned=—name given to a slow process of preparing leather for

the market, by curing the raw hides with salt and repeated immersions in

bark solutions, usually requiring as many weeks to complete as acid

tanning (qv) does days, but resulting in a softer, more pliable and more

durable leather.

=Indigo=—a deep blue dye obtained from several plants of the genus

Indigofera, native of India and Asia and also found in Africa and South

America; known from the most remote times; a permanent color.

=Indigo test=—the common t. for i.-blue on wool is to drop a small

quantity of nitric acid on the goods and leave it to dry out, when, if

the goods are pure i., the center of the spot will be a bright yellow

with a border of green. For testing on cotton the simplest and safest

way is to burn a piece of the goods on a porcelain plate; if the color

is i., that part of the plate where the i. burns will be covered with a

blue film; no other coloring matter will show a similar reaction.

=Inexpressibles=—prudery for trousers, outer as well as under.

=Infantry uniform=—see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u.,

Fatigue u., et var.

=Infielder’s glove=—a padded g. of buckskin or other stout leather for

baseball players.

=Informal dress=—see Day d.

=Ingrain=—dyed in the yarn or in a raw state.

=Inlaid collar=—in tailoring, a c. partly of the material of the garment

and partly of velvet, the latter laid under the cloth and forming a sort

of border or frame around it. Compare Laid-on c.

=Inner leaf=—see Leaf.

=Inseam=—in tailoring, the inner seam of the leg of a pair of trousers;

sometimes also called the crotch seam; also the forearm seam of a

sleeve.

=Inseam=—(glove term) a plain turned-in seam, used only with the heavier

leathers.

=Inside back=—the inner lining of a vest, particularly the back part

thereof.

=Inside breast pocket=—a p. made within the lining of a coat, ordinarily

on the right side only, should there be an outside b. p., but if none,

then on both sides.

=Inside pocket=—any p. made on the i. of a garment, usually within the

lining, as in coats and waistcoats.

=Inside shop=—in the clothing business, any s. (usually on the

manufacturer’s premises) where the manufacturer hires the workmen thru a

foreman. See Outside s.

=Inside ticket pocket=—a small p. within the right-hand p. of a coat.

=Insignia=—any device or decoration used by orders, societies or

governments as signs or marks of office or distinction.

=Insignia of rank=—(=army=) devices worn on the collar of the uniform,

as follows: general and lieutenant general, such as they may prescribe;

major general, two silver stars; brigadier general, 1 silver star;

colonel, 1 silver spread eagle; lieutenant colonel, 1 silver leaf;

major, 1 gold leaf; captain, 2 silver bars; first lieutenant, 1 silver

bar. Also shoulder straps, similarly markt, as well as other regulation

distinguishments—better read the department rules and regulations.

=Insole=—any inner lining or sole of a shoe, whether a fixt part thereof

or removable.

=Instructor’s glove=—a boxing g. for teachers of the manly art, so

constructed as to do no hurt.

=Insurance=—getting some rich corporation to pay you for burning up.

=Interlining=—any textil or other material placed between the cloth and

the lining proper of a garment for purposes of shape, strength,

stiffening, etc.

=Intimate=—cant term for shirt.

=Inventory=—a detailed account of merchandise, accounts and business

transacted; that on which hopes of advanced salaries rise or fall.

=Inverness=—a long, loose overcoat with cape, but without sleeves, for

evening dress wear.

=Inverted seam=—sewn inside out.

=Invisible patch=—cobbler’s term for a patch applied by cement to a worn

or damaged spot, the edges of the p. having first been shaved thin to

leave little or no ridge or seam.

=Invisible stitch=—in tailoring, any s. not permitted to come to the

surface, as a felling s., pricking s., etc.

=Invisible suspenders=—s. worn underneath the shirt or shirtwaist and

attaching to the trousers buttons, usually by means of loop hooks,

commonly worn with summer attire when it is desired to appear without a

vest or coat or both.

=I. O. O. F. coat=—same as Masonic Sir Knight’s c., but with 9 buttons

instead of 11.

=I. O. U.=—familiar term for chirographical curiosities collected,

largely as a fad, perhaps, by tailors.

=Iridescent=—color-glitter; an effect of weaving.

=Irish linen=—general term for fine, plain-woven full bleacht linen

cloth for shirt bosoms, collars and cuffs, handkerchiefs, etc.; usually

36 inches wide.

=Iron=—lots of it used to weight cheap silks.

=Iron cloth=—a fabric manufactured from steel wool, having the

appearance of having been woven from horsehair and used for stiffening

certain kinds of coat collars, such as standing collars on uniforms,

etc.

=Iron garters=—cant for leg irons.

=Iron-yarn=—lustrene (qv).

=Ironing=—a finishing process in felt hat manufacturing.

=Ironing=—a finishing process used on the uppers of some kinds of shoes,

a peculiarly shaped iron being used, in modern practise heated by

electricity, sometimes by a lamp or flame. The process is used to smooth

out the wrinkles and creases formed in the leather by handling the shoes

thru the factory in the earlier manufacturing stages, the shoe being

placed on a form during the operation.

=Irons=—see Cokers.

=Istle=—the fiber of a Mexican plant used for cheap brushes, imitation

haircloth, etc. Also called Tampico, Mexican fiber, etc.

=Italian cloth=—a plain colored, twill woven fabric, resembling heavy

satine or jeans, composed of cotton warp with worsted or mohair filling;

also of both cotton warp and weft.

=Ivory=—tusks of the elephant, hippopotamus, narwhal, walrus, etc. See

also I. nut and Vegetable i.

=Ivory nut=—the seed of a Venezuela palm (phytelephas macrocarpa); when

dry is very hard and resembles natural ivory in textur and color; made

into buttons, etc. See Vegetable i.

J

=Jabot=—the shirt-frill or ruffle we wore in the 18th century; a fancy

falling band.

=Jacerma=—a sort of short doublet, part of the national costume of

Hungary.

=Jack-a-dandy=—some sort of a fop.

=Jack boots=—(1) originally, large top b., reaching above the knees and

worn defensivly; (2) riding b. with a large frontpiece at the knees; (3)

heavy top b. reaching above the knees, worn by fishermen and others.

=Jack-knife=—a large, strong clasp k. for the pocket; in the navy worn

with a lanyard.

=Jack-towel=—a roller t.

=Jackanapes=—another sort of a fop.

=Jacket=—(1) a short coat, usually not extending to the knees; a sack

coat; (2) the sack coat worn by servants.

=Jacket suit=—same as sack s. and lounge s. (qv).

=Jacobite=—a shirt collar.

=Jaconet=—a light, soft white cotton cloth, similar to cambric, but

heavier, used for undergarments, night shirts, etc.

=Jacquard loom=—a l. for weaving fancy figured goods as damasks, etc.

=Jaeger=—trade diminutiv for the sanitary natural wool underwear, etc.,

introduced by Dr. S. Jaeger, a German scientist who advocates the

wearing of nothing but natural wool garments inside and out, as well as

for sleeping, house furnishings, etc., and by extension applied to other

makes of natural wool underwear.

=Jag=—in New England, a parcel, bundle, or load; an old English

provincialism which has held its ground colloquially on this side of the

Atlantic. Jag is also a slang term for an umbrella, possibly from that

article being so constantly carried. Also descriptiv of being so happy

with foolish froth that one can’t stand steadily.

=Jail clothes=—see Prison uniform.

=Jam=—cant for gold ring.

=Jansenist=—see Wig.

=Jant=—jaunty or stylish (?) (1816).

=Janus cloth=—a two-faced (sic) plain-woven worsted c.

=Japan=—a sort of varnish for metallic things.

=Japanned leather=—term for varnisht leathers, of which patent l. and

enamel l. are varieties.

=Jardiniere=—weaving term for flowery effects; many-colored.

=Jasper=—in weaving, a seeded or pepper-and-salt effect, rather more

distinctiv than Oxford (qv).

=Java=—a straw hat braid.

=Jean=—a stout, round twilled cloth, either all-cotton or cotton warp

with wool filling; of various grades and finishes; used principally for

working trousers.

=Jean de Bry=—a long skirted coat of about 1810, the tails of which were

twice the length of the body part.

=Jeannet=—a coarse variety of jean (qv) differing structurally in that

the warp instead of the weft threads form the twill. (=Jeannette.=)

=Jellab=—a hooded woolen garment, somewhat like a blouse, worn by Moors

and Arabs. Corruption of Jellabia.

=Jemmy=—a fop.

=Jenny=—a spinning machine.

=Jepson=—a one-piece suit of clothes for men, invented by Edgar Jepson,

an Englishman, at about the turn of the present century—a sort of

combination coat and trousers intended mainly for work and play wear,

rather than for social intercourse, the inventor himself wearing, then,

the regulation attire. Also called “loose skins”.

=Jerkin=—a sort of waistcoat, still in use in North of England; formerly

a jacket, short coat, or upper-doublet.

=Jersey=—a sort of sweater.

=Jersey cloth=—a stockinet c. of silk and wool or wool-and-cotton; very

elastic. Compare Stockinet.

=Jet=—a variety of hard, dense, black mineral coal, capable of a

brilliant polish, used in making buttons, ornaments, mourning jewelry,

etc. Also called black amber.

=Jetted pocket=—in tailoring, a slit or slasht p., having a small strip

or piece of the material seamed on and turned over inside, forming a

cord at the turned edge and acting as a facing within. Also called

Corded p.

=Jeunesse doree=—gay youth.

=Jewel case=—a container for jewelry.

=Jeweler’s rouge=—hematite (red oxid of iron) ground to an impalpable

powder; used for polishing.

=Jeweler’s sawdust=—finely grained boxwood s.; used as a cleansing and

drying agent on gems and jewelry.

=Jewelry=—ostentatious bedizenment.

=Jiji japa=—(1) the fiber of a South American plant of same name, made

into hats much like Panama hats, but considerably cheaper; (2) a hat of

this fiber. (Pronounced hehe happa.)

=Jilted pocket=—see Jetted p. (Corruption.)

=Job lot=—general term applied to odd lots of merchandise set apart for

sale at reduced prices.

=Jobber=—(1) one who purchases merchandise in large lots and resells in

smaller; (2) a contractor for a mill’s output.

=Jock-strap=—vulgarism for the plain suspensory customarily worn by

athletes. See Suspensory.

=Jockey cap=—a small skull c. of silk or satin with a prodigious visor

of same material, in the color or colors of the horse’s owner.

=Jockey club=—a well-known perfume once quite popular with men.

=Jockey lift=—a metal device used in drawing on livery boots, serving at

the same time to hold the breeches securely in place while boot is being

pulled on.

=Johnny Jones hat=—see Telescope h.—it’s a bit more rakish.

=Join=—tailor’s term for seams generally, and specially for the notcht

or markt parts of a seam.

=Joining paste=—a preparation used by actors to blend the wigband with

the forehead in making up.

=Join-up=—the process of sewing the two halves of a coat or trousers

together.

=Joseph=—the caped surtout of olden days; a riding coat; also called

wrap-rascal (qv).

=Josette=—a heavy twilled cotton cloth similar to khaki, used for riding

breeches, sporting wear, etc.

=Josie=—see Joseph.

=Jour=—tailoring workshop abbreviation for journeyman (qv).

=Journeyman=—a workman who has completed his apprenticeship or learned

his trade.

=Joury=—a local familiar name applied to fellow “jours”.

=Jouvin=—trade diminutiv for gloves made by Jouvin et Cie., Grenoble,

France. Xavier Jouvin was the inventor of an automatic glove cutting

machine.

=Jowhir=—the “watering” of a Damascus blade; “damascening”.

=Judge’s gown=—a plain, open g. of black silk, without collar, and with

wide, flowing sleeves.

=Judge’s wig=—a large, full-bottomed w. of precise curls, with a flap

hanging down in front on each side of the face. (English.)

=Judgment=—a favorit word with cutters in criticism of (tailoring)

“systems”—especially those who make great pretensions but who do not as

regularly “make good”.

=Judicial gown=—see Judge’s g.

=Jumper=—a workman’s loose outer-jacket or blouse.

=Jumper=—a mechanical pressing machine used in clothing factories, so

called because the operator jumps on a lever to secure extra pressure.

=Juniors=—trade term for boy’s clothing, generally.

=Junk=—(1) any miscellaneous lot or collection of goods; (2) goods of

very inferior quality.

=Jupe=—a heavy jacket. (Same as below?)

=Jupon=—a sort of surcoat without sleeves, tight fitting, but shorter

than the hauberk (qv) over which it was worn; almost always made of rich

stuffs and blazoned with the arms of the wearer. (About 1400 A. D.)

=Justice’s gown=—see Judge’s g.

K

=Kaikai=—a thin, plain-woven, cheap Japanese silk fabric, usually in

warp stripes.

=Kanaka wolf=—(1) a w. of the Sandwich Islands, or loosely, of any of

the South Sea Islands; (2) the fur thereof.

=Kangaroo=—a herbivorous macropodoid, marsupial mammal of Australasia,

whose hide, when tanned, becomes a soft, supple, durable, shoe leather.

=Karat=—see Carat.

=Kemp=—(1) straight, coarse, shiny fibers or “dead hairs”, conspicuous

in coarse-bred wool; (2) a mixture of short, coarse, white hairs and

wool fibers, occurring chiefly where the fleece is lightest and

shortest.

=Kennel coat=—see Paddock.

=Kentucky jeans=—a superior quality of jeans (qv).

=Kerchief=—see Handkerchief and Neckerchief.

=Kersey=—a heavy, all-wool cloth, compact, firm and pliable, gigged and

fulled to a degree completely covering and concealing the warp and weft

threads, the face finisht with a fine, short, close nap; of quality

depending on the wool used, the cheaper grades often being thickened

with flocks. Also a twill woven cloth of cotton warp and wool weft,

similarly finisht, used for the cheaper grades of clothing.

=Kerseymere=—(1) a fine, twilled, woolen cloth of peculiar texture, 1

thread of warp and 2 of weft being always above; (2) a name sometimes

given to cassimere.

=Kerseynette=—cassinette.

=Kevenhuller=—a cockt hat with the crown wholly hidden, the middle of

the front brim being the highest point; this succeeded the cockt hat

(qv) of the 1770’s.

=Key chain=—a metal chain for attaching Mr. Staylate’s bunch of keys to

a trouser’s button.

=Key ring=—a more or less complex safety device from which keys are

easily lost.

=Khaki=—a browny-drab or dust-colored cloth of cotton or cotton and

linen, of stout texture, compactly woven with a slight twill, adopted by

various governments for field service dress; also used by civilians for

riding breeches, hunting clothes, etc.

=Khaki cap=—(=marine corps=) for all officers, of same pattern as blue

undress c., the base of the c. all around to a depth of ¼ in. of dark

blue cloth, a ½ in. black patent leather strap, bronze corps device and

buttons.

=Kicker=—a customer who doesn’t seem to be satisfied.

=Kicking for a job=—tailor’s term for applicants for work.

=Kicks=—slang for trousers.

=Kicksie=—one of many names for children’s romping clothes, especially

of the bloomer order; sometimes applied to drawers, pantalets, etc.

=Kid=—leather made from young goats for gloves, shoes, etc.

=Kid=—wool classification term. See Wool.

=Kids=—kid gloves.

=Kihei=—a sort of mantle, about 6 feet square, of tapa bark (see Malo)

once (and perhaps occasionally now) worn by both sexes in Hawaii; by the

men as a sort of upper garment, by tying 2 corners on one side together

and putting the head thru the opening so made.

=Kike=—contemptuous term for unscrupulous, tricky Hebrew merchants and

manufacturers; a term little used outside of the apparel trades and

seldom heard in connection with large concerns.

=Kill=—in tailoring, a garment that cannot be made satisfactory, after

repeated alterations is said to be “a kill from the start”; a misfit;

any garment not made according to specifications and which must be

replaced by a new one.

=Kilmarnock=—a Scotch cap.

=Kilt=—(1) originally that part of a Scotchman’s belted plaid which hung

below the waist; modernly, a separate garment like a short plaited

petticoat reaching from the waist to the knees, commonly made of clan

tartan goods; (2) a children’s garment like the modern k. of any

material—a step between dresses and pants.

=Kilt hose=—long, heavy, woolen h., usually with fancy tops that are

rolled or turned back several times to form a sort of cuff at about the

hight of the calf.

=Kimona=—in old Japan the characteristic dress of both sexes; nowadays,

in this land, the garment that makes a woman look dowdy to her husband

and entrancing to someone else’s husband.

=Kip=—see Kips.

=Kips=—the skins of yearlings and animals larger than calves.

=Kiss-me-quick=—a curl or fashioned lock of hair on one side of the

forehead.

=Kit bag=—a commodious leather traveling b., having a flat, rectangular

bottom and sloping sides.

=Kit pack=—a sort of half boot of the long, long ago.

=Kite tail=—term applied to a make of athletic underwear, having the

skirt (of the shirt) cut away over the hips, leaving flaps or tails in

front and behind.

=K K=—tailor’s hoglatin for sawhorsy legs.

=Kleptomaniac=—a shoplifter (qv) of social position.

=Klondyke cap=—a c. usually made of fur, having a round crown, a large

visor and ear tabs connected behind and tied over the top when not worn

down.

=Knapsack=—a pouch or case of leather or stout cloth, used by soldiers,

travelers, prospectors, etc., for carrying light personal luggage,

usually worn strapt to the back.

=Knee band=—the lower hem or finishing-piece on knickerbockers or

breeches; made to close with buttons, straps or lacings.

=Knee breeches=—same as Breeches. Compare Knickerbockers.

=Knee breeches=—the first important event in a boy’s life.

=Knee-buckle=—old name for short trousers or breeches for dress wear.

=Knee buckles=—objects of splendor when breeches were in form; oftenest

of silver.

=Knee cap=—an external covering for the knees, worn as a protection by

carpenters, carpet layers, et al.

=Knee drawers=—reaching only to the knee, specially devised for summer

comfort.

=Knee protectors=—shields of leather or other material, worn, when not

out of sight, by youngsters when playing marbles and other destructiv

innocent games.

=Knee silk=—thin, tough s. sewed inside knees of trousers to relieve the

strain and prevent bagging.

=Knee staking=—a process in leather manufacture, where the dyed and

dried skins are still further stretcht, loosened and made pliable by

pressure of a workman’s bare knee on the leather brought quickly down

the stake.

=Knee warmers=—stockinet or other knitted elastic, wool, silk or cotton

coverings for persons afflicted with cold, weak or rheumatic knee

joints.

=Kneipp linen=—an elastic, mesh-knitted, linen fabric used for

undergarments.

=Knickerbocker=—weaving term for ornamental effects produced by using

yarns of two single threads twisted and containing added loose wool at

intervals, which, when woven, gives a shaggy or lumpy appearance. See

Bourette and Boucle.

=Knickerbocker drawers=—knee length.

=Knickerbockers=—knee breeches with loose, baggy knees, usually fastened

with strap and band, instead of close-fitting cuffs. Compare Breeches.

=Knife lanyard=—a sling of knitted, bleacht white cotton, worn by

enlisted men in the navy, long enough when around the neck to allow a

knife to be used with arm extended.

=Knights of Pythias coat=—same as Masonic Sir Knights c., but with 9

buttons instead of 11.

=Knights Templar coat=—see Sir Knights c.

=Knit=—See Knitting.

=Knitted cloth=—a fine, closely knitted fabric of silk or mercerized

cotton yarn, made in Saxony and but little known in this country;

principal uses gloves and underwear for the European market.

=Knitted vest=—a sort of cardigan jacket or sweater of any material and

degree of fineness, fashioned much like an ordinary waistcoat.

=Knitting=—the process of forming a fabric out of a single thread by

means of needles on which the thread or yarn is placed in a succession

of loops, so arranged in rows that each loop in one row passes thru the

adjacent loop in the preceding row.

=Knitting machine=—any machine for knitting fabrics or garments, usually

employing a series of barbed or hooked needles.

=Knitting wool=—fleece too long and coarse for fine weaving purposes.

See Wool.

=Knock-kneed=—knees that turn inwardly or rub against each other in

walking. See K.-k.

=Knockabout=—any rough-and-ready clothes or garment; more specifically,

a loose overcoat or “slip-on”.

=Knocker=—the man who finds fault with this book because he happens to

know more about a certain subject than is given in the definition. This

is a book of “handy reference”—not a text book.

=Knopt yarn=—weft yarn distinguisht by lumps or knots, usually of

different color, at uniform or varying distances thruout its length.

(=Knopped.=)

=Knot=—a cravat with flowing ends, tied the same as a four-in-hand.

=Knuckle duster=—a metal weapon used to protect the knuckles and to add

force to a blow. See Brass k.; also called (slang) “knucks” (qv).

=Knuckle mitt=—a small cushion of padded leather, with a strap, worn for

punching bag practise and exhibitions.

=Knucks=—thug’s finger jewelry, so constructed as to be of much efficacy

in a fracas.

=Krimmer=—Persian lamb; the curly gray fur of commerce.

=Kris=—a large dagger, used by the Malays—Englisht “crease”.

=Kt=—abbreviation for karat or carat (qv).

L

=Label=—a badge, stamp or any distinguishing mark, affixt to articles of

merchandise.

=Lace=—once used for men’s neckwear. See encyclopedia if you wish to

know more.

=Lace stay=—a piece of tape or similar material placed between the

thicknesses of the leather in the uppers of shoes to strengthen the

uppers where the lacing eyelets or hooks are inserted.

=Lace-up boots=—Briticism for laced shoes.

=Lace work=—trade term for open work designs in hosiery.

=Lacrosse gloves=—same as Hockey g.

=Ladies-cloth=—a fine, wide flannel, slightly napt, similar to

broadcloth.

=Lagniappe=—something thrown in over and above; good measure. Current in

New Orleans—but fast disappearing from use. See Brotus.

=Laguna=—trade name for a variety of wood from the Philippine islands,

used for walking sticks.

=Laid-on flap=—in tailoring a f. not sewed into the pocket opening but

laid on above it, usually wider than the opening, as the side pockets of

frock coats. See In-and-out f.

=Laid-on velvet collar=—in tailoring a c. partly of velvet and partly of

the material of the garment, the former laid upon the cloth but not

covering it, usually to within half an inch or so of the edge, the

exposed cloth forming a sort of border or frame. Compare Inlaid c.

=Laid wool=—w. clipped from sheep that have been greased or tarred as a

protection from the weather.

=L’Aiglon coat=—a sort of cutaway frock c. made familiar by Sarah

Bernhardt when she appeared in Rostand’s play of that name as Duc de

Reichstadt.

=Lamb’s wool=—the first clip from young sheep. Compare Wether w.

=Lamps=—spectacles or eye-glasses.

=Lance=—textil term for woven effects like minute darts, points, specks,

etc.

=Lap-and-foot robe=—an adjustable rubber or cloth lap r. for automobile

wear, serving as over-trousers, robe and foot-muff.

=Lap-board=—an oblong board, round at the ends, laid on the lap of the

workman, upon which the seams and other parts of a garment are presst in

the process of making.

=Lap front=—a straight standing shirt collar without front opening, but

lapping one end over the other when buttoned.

=Lap robe=—a rug for driving or traveling.

=Lap seam=—a s. made by overlapping or laying on, instead of turning in;

one edge laid or lapt over the other and sewn twice. See Double-stitcht

s.

=Lap seam=—(glove term) see Pique s.

=Lapel=—(1) the length of a dress coat in front, or from the gorge seam

down to the waist seam; (2) the narrow strip—square at the lower end and

angular at the upper end—which is sewed to the front of double-breasted

frock coats; (3) the roll or “lay-over” of the front of a sack coat or

any coat; the most observable part of a coat collar.

=Lapel button=—coat jewelry, usually bearing lodge emblem.

=Lapel fob=—a watch f. or short chain of metal, leather, etc., worn

attacht to the l. buttonhole, the watch being carried in the outside

breast pocket of coat; also called Watch Albert.

=Lapel forepart=—the sewed-on lapel of a double-breasted frock coat. See

L. seam and Frock coat.

=Lapel seam=—the s. caused by sewing the back edge of the lapel strip to

the front edge of the forepart.

=Lapidary=—one who cuts, grinds, polishes and mounts precious stones and

other gems.

=Lappet=—a small lap or flap.

=Lappet weaving=—a method of producing small figures or designs on

cloth, having the appearance of being darned or embroidered; special

warp threads being introduced and made to cross small sections of the

regular warp, manipulated by a lappet or needle attachment.

=Lares and Penates=—one’s household gods; loosely one’s belongings of

all sorts.

=Last=—a wooden form on which shoes are made.

=Lasting=—a strong, closely woven, double-twill, worsted fabric, mostly

used for buttons and shoe tops.

=Lasting=—the process of giving shape to a shoe.

=Lasting button=—a b. made on a mold covered with lasting cloth; worn on

evening dress almost exclusively.

=Latch key=—a door k. that sometimes does not fit.

=Latchet=—a shoe lace or fastener of a sandal.

=Latin cassock=—differing from the Anglican c. in that it buttons all

the way down the front with the cincture knotted forward of the left

hip.

=Launder=—to wash and iron, as articles of clothing.

=Laundry=—the place of destruction.

=Laundry bag=—better than a newspaper for your soiled linen.

=Laundryman=—keeper of the place of torment.

=Laundry marks=—causes of profanity.

=Lavant=—see Wig.

=Lavender=—a nice, clean scent for linen.

=Laventine=—a thin silk used for sleeve linings.

=Lawyer’s=—see Wig.

=Lay=—in garment making the disposition of the paper patterns upon the

cloth prior to cutting, so arranged as to effect economy of material,

achieve exact matching of patterns, etc.

=Lay down collar=—a low, folded linen shirt c.

=Lay-out=—see Lay.

=Lay-over=—see Lapel.

=Lay-up=—in shirt collar making the successiv layers of linen or cotton

cloth laid out on tables and from which by means of patterns and a sharp

knife a number of collars or parts are cut at one time.

=Layette=—a fussy outfit of clothes, etc., provided in anticipation of

units affecting the birthrate.

=Leaf=—in tailoring, a word used to describe the folded part of a collar

(exclusiv of the lapels). The ordinary coat collar consists of an outer

l., or that part folded over, and an inner l., or that part on the

inside of the fold, also called the “stand”. Used alone the word leaf

means outer l.

=Leaf=—a division of warp threads in weaving for the insertion of the

weft; a loom harness.

=Leather=—cant term for pocketbook—to “pull off leather”, is, therefore,

to steal pocketbooks or purses.

=Leathers=—colloquial for coachmen’s kidskin livery breeches.

=Left dress=—the right way. See Dress.

=Left-overs=—goods carried over from one season or “sale” to another.

=Left twill=—weaving term indicating that the direction of the rib (as

of serge, cheviot, etc.) leads from the bottom of the cloth (held

lengthwise) upwardly to the left. See Right t.

=Leg irons=—climbing irons; also shackles.

=Leggin=—a covering for the leg like a long gaiter; a protector in cold

or wet weather or outdoor sports. (=Legging.=) See Puttee.

=Leghorn=—a light-weight hat straw, usually in herringbone weave.

=Leipzig dye=—an unusually rich color (and finish) given to sealskins

and other furs dyed in Leipzig, which it seems impossible to obtain

elsewhere. Compare London d.

=Let out=—to make larger or longer.

=Letter-carrier’s uniform=—see Postman’s u.

=Leur=—a hatter’s brushing pad.

=Levantine=—a stout twilled silk, each side finisht equally but of

different colors.

=Levelling=—a mechanical process in shoemaking, following the operation

of Goodyear stitching, whereby the turn-up of the channel is prest down

or leveled by means of two rolls moving automatically back and forth

with a pressure of about 5000 pounds.

=Levy=—eleven pence, the value of the Spanish real, which circulated in

this country some years ago. (Pronounced levvy.)

=Lid=—a hat—slang, of course.

=Lid=—a pocket flap.

=Lieutenant’s uniform=—(=navy=) 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; (=army=) Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u.

See also variations.

=Lieutenant general’s uniform=—see Full dress, Dress u., White u.,

Service u. Also see variants.

=Life belt=—a belt of inflated rubber, or one containing cork, for use

as a life preserver.

=Life preserver=—a cork-filled belt, ring or jacket worn, if obtainable,

after accidents at sea.

=Lifters=—cant for crutches.

=Ligne=—a unit of measurement: ¹⁄₁₁ of an inch (ribbon measure), ¹⁄₄₀ of

an inch (button measure), etc.; the rib of a braid; as 6 ribs is 6

ligne, etc.

=Lily irons=—confederate handcuffs.

=Limericks=—a name once given to gloves of such delicate thinness, that

altho they would fit a large hand, they would fold up into the compass

of a walnut shell. From the town of that name, once famous for its glove

industry. For the nature of the leather see Morts and Slinks.

=Limestone wool=—powdered limestone mixt with chemicals, subjected to

heat and strong air-blast, coming out as fluffy white wool, which is

woven into a flexible fabric used for clothing.

=Liming=—a process in leather preparation following that of sweating

(qv), whereby roots of hairs are loosened.

=Line=—the fine, long fiber of flax, separated from the tow by heckling.

=Line=—see Ligne.

=Lined gold=—see Rolled g.

=Linen=—general name for fabrics woven from yarns spun from the fiber of

flax; nothing like reading an encyclopedic article.

=Linen mesh=—a net or cellular sort of weave, of linen, used for

undergarments.

=Linen prover=—see Counting glass.

=Linen test=—see Breaking t., Burning t., Oil t., Sulfuric acid t.,

Thru-lighting t., Untwisting t.

=Lining=—general term for materials used for covering the inner side of

a garment or anything. In men’s clothing usually silk, Italian cloth,

farmer’s satin, serge, alpaca, silesia, etc.

=Links=—(1) shirt cuffs not closed or overlapping at the ends when

buttoned; (2) double-headed buttons worn with link cuffs, of the

dumb-bell or loose-link variety; (3) two coat buttons joined by workt

strands of silk thread, worn sometimes in dress and frock coats, also in

open vented sleeves.

=Linocord=—proprietary name given to a style of buttonhole for collars

and cuffs having a line of heavy thread or cord (whence name) past and

worked around the aperture.

=Linsey-woolsey=—a stout, medium-weight cloth made with linen warp and

wool filling; a homespun and homewoven fabric of colonial days, now

practically obsolete.

=Lirripipe=—a sort of tippet, tempus Richard II.

=Lisle thread=—a fine, hard twisted, compact t. of long staple cotton

prepared by combing instead of by carding, employed in the manufacture

of fine hosiery, underwear, gloves, etc.

=List=—the selvage of woven textil fabrics.

=List slippers=—cloth s.

=Litter=—a temporary bed upon which a wounded or sick person is carried.

=Little Lord Fauntleroy=—an impossible kid that started a clothes cult.

=Live net=—a netted-mesh bag for bringing home fish, made much like a

woman’s shopping bag.

=Liver pad=—slang for chest protector (qv).

=Livery=—the dress or uniform of servants.

=Livery=—see Wool.

=Livery cloth=—see Boxcloth.

=Livery tailor=—one who makes a specialty of and whose business consists

largely if not entirely of the making of dress and undress livery and

uniforms.

=Livery undress=—groom’s frock or sack stable suit, made of tan, brown

or black mixt whipcord. The frock coat may be worn with either trousers

or breeches and leggings.

=Living-in=—term describing the manner of employment of English shop

assistants who are generally boarded with or at the expense of their

employers in quarters above the stores or in specially maintained

dormitories or barracks; a survival of the old system of apprenticeship,

but which, under pressure of public opinion and modern business ideas,

is dying away to the greater independence and welfare of the clerks.

=Lizzie=—a mental dude.