| Glossary of Formalwear Terms |
| ASCOT (as-kot) A cravat with wide square ends; secured with an ornamental pin. |
| BESOM (be'-zum) Narrow welted edging on coat body above pocket lip. |
| BLACK TIE INVITED An event where a tuxedo or dinner jacket is encouraged but not required. If not a tuxedo, proper dressy attire (coat and tie) is necessary. |
| BLACK TIE OPTIONAL An event where a tuxedo or dinner jacket may be worn but is not required. Proper dressy attire (suit, not a sport coat) is necessary. |
| BLACK TIE REQUIRED An event where a tuxedo or dinner jacket is required. Don't even think about attending without one. |
| BOUTONNIERE (boo'-t?-nîr') A flower or small bunch of flowers worn in a button hole. From Old French, buttonhole. |
| BOW TIE Standard formal attire. Wide array of fabrics, colors and patterns. Black is always the preferred choice. Available usually pre-tied with a neck band to wear on a wing-collar or dress-collar shirt. Be bold, buy a black silk tie that you tie yourself. Very James Bond-like. |
| BRACES The English term for suspenders. Usually of the button-on variety but also available as clip-on. |
| CANE A straight black cane with white tips on both ends. Traditionally carried when wearing "white tie and tails". Usually accompanied by white gloves and a top hat. |
| CONTINENTAL VEST (aka waistcoat) A backless vest designed to accommodate varied sizes of men. Available in a wide array of colors and fabric patterns. With the exception of boys sizes and extra-large sizes, vest comes as a 'one size fits all.' Includes adjustable strapping at the back of the neck for length and across the lower back to adjust the waist. |
| CUFF LINKS Traditional formal attire. Usually available in gold, silver, silver plate, gold plate, and nickel-plate. Normally coordinated with four shirt studs worn on the front placket of the shirt in lieu of buttons. |
| CUMMERBUND
(kum'-er-bund') A broad sash, especially one that is pleated lengthwise and worn as an article of formal dress, as with a dinner jacket. Worn so the open side of the pleats are up (as if to hold opera tickets). |
| CUTAWAY (aka
morning coat) Classic daytime formal attire that used to be worn only for events prior to noon. Now acceptable up until mid-afternoon, but never for evenings. A charcoal grey or black coat with a long coachman back. The front of the coat "cuts away from the button down. Worn with a dove grey or black vest, striped or pin-dot ascot, wing collar shirt, and either striped or nailhead pants. Black formal shoes or dress calfskin shoes are a must. |
| DINNER JACKET Traditionally, for summer, white, off-white or Sahara tan. Panama weave, single or double-breasted, self-faced shawl collar dinner jacket with black formal trousers. Worn with a white pleated wing-collar or spread-collar shirt. |
| DROP The number of inches smaller the trouser waist of a suit is than the coat. A size 40 regular suit, for example, usually has a 6 inch trouser drop... a 34 inch waist. |
| FEDORA
(fí-dôr'-uh) A soft felt hat with a fairly low crown creased lengthwise and a brim that can be turned up or down. |
| FOUR-IN-HAND The simplest of neckwear knots to tie. Name comes from a coach being drawn by four horse in two teams, driven in tandem by a single person. Young blades took up the sport, organized into clubs and adopted the professional coachman's tie as a mark of distinction. A four-in-hand is a small knot for wear with a narrow-spread collar. |
| FULLBACK VEST
(aka waistcoat) Similar to a continental vest but with a full satin back like on a traditional three-piece suit. Usually found with an adjustable strap across the lower back to cinch-in any excess fabric. Available in as many as eight sizes. |
| GORGE The seam on a coat where collar meets lapel. |
| HACKING POCKET A slanted flap pocket on a coat. Rarely found in formal wear. |
| HANDKERCHIEF/POCKET
SQUARE A silk or satin fabric square folded in a variety of manners and placed in the outer breast pocket of a tuxedo. Does not have to match the vest but should complement the colors in the tie and or vest. |
| HERRINGBONE Classic zigzag effect resembling the backbone of a herring. Achieved by altering the direction of a twill. |
| IRIDESCENT Contrasting warp and filling yarns giving a two-color effect. |
| JACQUARD An intricate, variegated, self-pattern weave with clear finish. Named for the Frenchman who invented the loom in the early 19th century. |
| LOW RISE The difference between inseam and outseam of trousers. Several inches shorter than normal rise depending on the designer. Favored by the young and slim. |
| NORMAL RISE The difference between the inseam and outseam of trousers. (Normal rise for size 32 regular, for example, is 10 7/8" (10 1/8" for 32 short and 11 1/8" for 32 long. Rise increases 1/8" for each increase in waist size.) |
| NOTCHED (NOTCH)
LAPEL Type of lapel on which the top line slants down in line with the collar seam. |
| PAISLEY A fabric woven or printed with colorful curved (amoeba-like) abstract figures. |
| PEAKED (PEAK)
LAPEL Type of lapel on which the top line slants up from the horizontal. |
| PIMA Fine grade, long bred staple crossbreed of Sea Island and Egyptian cotton, developed in Pima County, Arizona. |
| PLY One of the strands in a yarn, 2-ply would indicate that two strands have been twisted together to make one yarn. |
| PUMP Type of low-cut, slip-on shoe for formal evening wear. Does not have laces or straps. Usually has an ornamental grosgrain ribbon bow in front. Made of patent leather or dull calf. |
| SHAWL COLLAR An unnotched lapel with no gorge. |
| TARTAN A plaid textile design of stripes of varying width and color against a solid ground, patterned to designate a clan. |
| TWILL A textile weave in which filling yarns pass over one and under two or more warp yarns producing a diagonal rib. |
| TWIST A yarn formed by twisting two or more strands together. Different colored yarns are often used for unusual color effect. |
| UNDERBASTING The temporary sewing together of two pieces of fabric to assure perfect pattern matches. Threads are removed at final pressing. |
| UNDERPRESSING Pressing on the reverse side of the fabric to mold it so it will retain its shape. |
| VENT Slit at center or sides on the bottom of the back of a jacket or coat. |
| WELT A raised double edge, strip, insert, or seam for ornament or reinforcement. |
| WINDSOR The largest of the three neckwear knot styles. Worn with wide spread collar shirts. (Half-windsor is worn with medium spread collar). |
| WORSTED A smooth, compact yarn form long wool fibers, used for smooth, firm, compact fabrics. |
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