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A short, unfitted sleeve cut as a small flounce or drape over the shoulder, resembling a miniature cape rather than a fitted tube.

A large patch pocket, often with box pleats and a flap closure, applied to the outside of trousers or jackets for extra capacity.

A luxury animal-hair fibre combed from the undercoat of cashmere goats, softer and lighter than sheep's wool but less durable, used in fine knitwear.

A hand stitch worked with small, criss-crossed stitches between two fabric layers, used to secure hems and facings while allowing flexibility.

A hem secured with a catch stitch worked loosely between the hem edge and the garment, allowing some give and a flat finish from the right side.

A hand stitch worked in a loose zigzag pattern, catching only a thread or two of the outer fabric, commonly used to secure a hem invisibly.

A stitch formed by looping thread through a previous loop in a continuous chain; quick to sew but prone to unraveling if pulled from the end, it was used in early sewing machines.

English-born designer working in Paris, widely regarded as the father of haute couture; he founded the House of Worth in 1858 and was the first designer to label garments and show seasonal collections.

A short, straight-cut workwear jacket with patch pockets and a button front, traditionally made of sturdy cotton twill for manual labor.

Slim, straight-cut trousers that taper slightly toward a cropped or ankle-length hem, offering minimal ease through the leg.

A skirt cut from one or more full circles of fabric with a hole for the waist, producing an evenly flared hem without darts or gathers.

A hem on a flared or circular-cut garment, eased and often narrowed to accommodate the curved raw edge without puckering.

A skirt draft based on radius calculations from the waist measurement, producing a pattern that flares in a full circle or half circle without darts.

American designer credited with founding modern American sportswear in the 1930s-40s, pioneering practical, mass-producible separates such as the wrap dress and using humble fabrics like denim and cotton jersey.

A smooth, flat hardwood block pressed onto a just-steamed seam or edge to flatten and set a sharp crease as it cools.

Stitching a strip of transparent stretch elastic into a knit seam, such as a shoulder seam, to prevent stretching out while retaining flexibility.

Reusable fabric diaper, typically layered with absorbent inner fabric and a waterproof outer layer, closed with snaps or hook-and-loop tape.

The process of constructing a collar pattern shaped to fit a garment's neckline, determining the collar's stand height, fall, and roll line based on the desired style.

A narrow band that attaches the collar to the neckline, allowing the collar to sit upright before folding over on a shirt.

A fabric's resistance to fading or bleeding dye during washing, light exposure or rubbing, tested before combining contrasting fabrics in one garment.

A close-fitting activewear piece made from firm stretch fabric engineered to apply graduated pressure to muscles during exercise or recovery.

A collar designed to be worn open, exposing a notch-like opening at the top button, or closed at the neck like a mandarin collar.

A thin, twisted or braided cord used inside piping, as a drawstring, or couched onto fabric for decorative surface texture.

A durable cotton fabric woven with extra weft yarns cut to form vertical ridges, or wales, of pile; sewn with the nap running consistently in one direction.

Lightweight costume armour built from heat-formed EVA foam sheets, shaped, sealed, and painted to mimic metal or hard plating, then attached to a fabric base or harness.

A machine patented by Eli Whitney in 1794 that mechanically separated cotton fibers from seeds, dramatically increasing cotton production and, in the American South, entrenching slave labor on plantations.

A stitch made on a coverstitch machine that forms parallel rows of stitching on top and interlocked loops beneath, used for stretchy, professional-looking knit hems and seams.

A machine that sews two or three parallel rows of straight stitching on top with interlocking looper threads underneath, used for hems and flat seams on knits.

A neckline formed from bias-cut fabric that drapes into soft, loose folds below the collarbone rather than lying flat.

A fabric with a crimped, pebbly surface produced by high-twist yarns, heat-setting or a crepe weave, giving good drape and a matte finish.

A stiffened or hooped petticoat used to hold out a wide skirt; the cage crinoline of steel hoops, introduced around 1856, replaced heavy layered petticoats and dominated 1860s fashion.

Spanish couturier who opened his Paris house in 1937, renowned for sculptural, architectural silhouettes such as the sack dress and balloon skirt built through precise draping and construction.

A simplified, elongated figure template used by fashion designers to sketch clothing designs quickly onto a consistent body proportion.

The vertical distance from the waist to the seat while seated, used in trouser drafting to position the crotch line and set the rise of the pattern.

Diagonal wrinkles radiating from the crotch seam of trousers, indicating that the crotch curve, rise, or crotch length does not match the wearer's body shape.

The process of constructing a band or shaped pattern piece that finishes the opening of a sleeve at the wrist, sized to the wrist measurement plus ease for closure.

A finished opening at the sleeve hem, faced or bound with a separate strip, that allows the cuff to open wide enough to fit over the hand.

Wide-legged trousers cut to resemble a skirt, with each leg constructed as a separate panel joined at a center seam.

A facing edge that rolls to the outside instead of staying tucked inside usually means it lacks understitching or the interfacing is too light. Understitch close to the seam and match interfacing weight to the fabric.

Top finish of a curtain that determines how it hangs and gathers, such as pencil pleat, eyelet, or tab top, usually stiffened with heading tape or interfacing.