I thought it would be fun to add a little fashion vocabulary to my blog. Not everyone knows what to ask for when they are looking for a particular look and so many fashion words and colors are borrowed from the French and therefore not pronounced the way they appear. I will start with the very basics and write more in future posts. Don’t worry. I will keep it simple and I will try to illustrate each word or category. When you know the vocabulary of fashion, it is easier to get what your are asking for. Today I will illustrate the very basic categories of fashion.

Fashion – the currently accepted, prevailing style

Fad – a fashion that suddenly bursts into popularity (and not always understood!)

 

 

Trend – a general direction something is developing or changing

 

 

Style– a characteristic or distinctive form

 

 

Design – a specific version of a style (in this case, the “wrap” dress)

 

 

Classic – a fashion that retains general acceptance over an extended period of time

 

 

Avant-garde – ahead of its time, comes straight off the runway

 

 

And now just a little bonus: a dress which has a seam under the bustline is usually a sheath style dress, and the design is is “empire” which in fashion is pronounced ommpeer.