Clothing Definitions — definition lists for the apparel industry from Apparel Search
This is the second page of the clothing definitions, and it is devoted to the C terms. The list moves from light layers such as the camisole and chemise to heavy structure — corsets, crinoline and the cassock — and around the world in the process, taking in the chador, chamanto, chaps, cheongsam and chlamys along the way.
This is the second page of the clothing definitions. Learn more about the various types of clothing in the international market. You will find that the world has a huge assortment of garments. Hopefully you will learn about something new today.
Clothes Definitions Pg. 2
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The C page is a lesson in layering. At the lightest end sit the camisole and chemise — soft, sleeveless under-layers that later escaped into outerwear. Over them go cardigans and coats, and over everything, in bad weather or high drama, the cape and the cloak. The coverall sits at the practical extreme: one garment that protects the whole body at work, the ancestor of the boilersuit. Cargo pants and capris, also here, show two different answers to the same question of how trousers should adapt — one adds pockets and rugged cloth for utility, the other shortens the leg for warm weather and ease. Reading these terms together explains why a wardrobe is built in layers: each layer solves a different problem of warmth, protection, modesty or movement, and the definitions name the solution, not just the garment.
Many C garments carry meaning beyond warmth. The cassock is clerical dress; the chador is a full-body cloak worn by many Muslim women; the cheongsam is a Chinese dress whose close fit and high collar are instantly recognizable; the chaps of the cowboy and the chamanto of Chile belong to working life on horseback and farm. Ceremonial clothing and court dress, both listed here, follow rules set by institutions rather than individuals.
Then there is construction. The corset and the crinoline did not cover the body so much as rebuild its outline — one compressing the waist, the other expanding the skirt over a cage of hoops. The cocktail dress and the croptop mark the opposite modern impulse: shorter, lighter, freer. A catsuit removes seams between top and bottom altogether. Together the C terms trace fashion's pendulum between structure and freedom, which is exactly why learning them as a group, rather than one at a time, is so useful.
Page 2 covers C terms including Camisole, Cape, Capris, Caps, Cargo Pants, Cardigan Sweaters, Cassocks, Catsuit, Chador, Chaps, Chemise, Cheongsam, Cloak, Coat, Cocktail Dress, Corsets, Costumes, Coverall, Cowboy Boot, Cowl, Crinoline, Croptop and Culottes.
Both are loose outer garments worn over other clothing. A cape is typically shorter and sleeveless with a fastening at the neck, while a cloak is a longer, fuller garment that envelops the body more completely.
Page 3 continues the list with the D to F terms, including Daisy Dukes, Dancewear, Dress, Evening Dress, Farthingale, Formal Wear, Frock and Fur Clothing.