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Historically, a dealer in small sewing goods and trimmings in Britain, or a dealer in men's clothing and furnishings in the United States.

A shop, or its stock of goods, selling sewing notions and small supplies such as thread, needles, buttons, ribbon, and trims.

A lightweight, smooth plain-weave silk with a soft drape and slight sheen, one of the most common silk lining fabrics.

A woven interfacing of hair, wool, and cotton fibers, hand or machine stitched into a jacket's chest and lapel to build structured, moldable shape in traditional tailoring.

An extremely narrow seam trimmed close to the stitching line after sewing, used on sheer fabrics such as chiffon or lace to minimize visible bulk.

A neckline supported by a strap or band that fastens behind the neck, leaving the shoulders and upper back bare.

The traditional dress of Korea, consisting of a short jacket (jeogori) and a high-waisted wrapped skirt (chima) for women, worn historically and today for formal and ceremonial occasions.

The way a fabric feels to the touch, described as soft, crisp, slippery, or rough, an important factor when choosing fabric for a pattern.

A hem invisibly secured by hand stitching rather than machine stitching, standard in couture and fine tailoring for its near-invisible finish.

A zipper inserted using small, evenly spaced hand backstitches or prick stitches along the zipper tape instead of machine topstitching, for an inconspicuous couture finish.

A very narrow hem formed by rolling the raw edge between the fingers and securing it with tiny whipstitches, used on scarves, ruffles, and fine fabrics.

The wheel at the right end of a sewing machine that manually raises and lowers the needle and can be turned to advance a single stitch.

French for 'high sewing,' a legally protected term for custom-fitted, largely hand-finished garments produced by an officially accredited Parisian fashion house.

The finished edge of a garment, typically at the bottom, where the raw fabric edge is folded and stitched to prevent fraying.

The extra fabric length added beyond a garment's finished hemline, folded up and stitched during construction to create a clean, durable hem edge.

A knit hem that curls up on itself after stitching, refusing to lie flat, is caused by the fabric's stretch and the raw edge's tendency to roll. Stabilize with a twin needle and stay tape, or a coverstitch.

A jeans hem shortened while keeping the factory-finished edge and topstitching intact is done by folding the excess up inside the leg, then stitching just above the original hem from the right side.

A durable bast fibre from the cannabis sativa plant, similar to linen but stronger and more mildew-resistant, often blended with cotton for garment-weight fabric.

A pullover knit shirt with a short button placket at the neckline and no collar, originating from boating and rowing wear.

A variation of twill weave in which the diagonal rib reverses direction at regular intervals, forming a distinctive zigzag pattern used in coating and suiting.

A crossed hand stitch worked in a V pattern, used to secure hems, interfacing, or facings with a decorative, flexible line.

A measurement taken around the ribcage just above the fullest part of the bust, often used instead of full bust to choose a bodice pattern size.

A circumference taken above the bust and under the arms, close to the ribcage, often used instead of the full bust measurement to choose a bodice pattern size.

Fullness at the hip located higher on the body than the standard pattern block assumes, causing tightness or drag lines a few inches below the waistline on skirts and trousers.

The horizontal circumference around the fullest part of the hips and seat, usually seven to nine inches below the waist, used to size skirts and trousers.

Costume-making practice that researches original garments, patterns, and construction methods from a specific historical period to recreate them as accurately as materials allow.

A narrow ankle-length skirt so tight at the hem that it restricted the wearer's stride, a controversial fashion of the early 1910s associated with designer Paul Poiret.

A pattern alteration that removes excess fabric from the upper front of a bodice to fit a chest less full than the standard block assumes.

An educational movement, formalized in the United States from the 1900s, that taught sewing, garment construction, and household management in schools, shaping generations of home dressmakers.

A seam finish in which bias binding strips are stitched over each raw seam allowance edge and understitched, giving a couture-quality enclosed edge on unlined garments.

A flat metal hook and matching straight bar used mainly at waistbands to hold the closure edge to edge without overlap.

A small metal fastener pair, a bent hook that catches on a loop or bar, used at waistbands, plackets and the top of zips for a flat, secure closure.

A two-sided fastening tape of a stiff hooked surface and a soft looped surface that grip when pressed together, used for adjustable or quick-release closures.

A skirt held out in a dome or bell shape by a framework of hoops, worn under crinolines and, in earlier colonial and 18th-century forms, related to the farthingale and pannier.

A hem stiffened and given body by stitching horsehair braid to the raw edge before turning it up, common on formal and bridal skirts.

A traditional sew-in interfacing woven partly from horsehair, prized in tailoring for the springy, moldable structure it gives to jacket fronts and collars.

Paris fashion house founded by Charles Frederick Worth in 1858, credited with establishing the couturier as a named creative authority rather than an anonymous dressmaker, dressing European royalty and elites.

A loose, sleeveless tunic woven and embroidered by Indigenous Maya women of Mexico and Central America, with patterns that traditionally signal the wearer's home village and community.