Prêt-à-porter

French for 'workshop,' used in the fashion world to describe the studio space where a designer's garments are actually made, especially at couture houses.

A triangular piece of fabric inserted into a seam or hem to add extra flare and fullness to a skirt, dress, or sleeve.

A heavy, openwork lace in which the decorative motifs are held together by connecting threads rather than by a net background fabric.

French for a test garment sewn up in inexpensive fabric to check a design's fit before cutting into the final fabric; used more often outside the US than the equivalent term muslin.

French for 'sewing' or 'dressmaking,' used in English to describe fine, skillfully constructed garment sewing in general.