Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
This section contains concepts and terms that are of interest to members of the apparel industry, fashion industry or textile industry. The goal of this area is to provide information formatted around key topics of interest to the industry in which we work, as well as to the ultimate consumer of fashion products. On this page, you will find areas of interest that begin with the letter “L”. The L terms range from production topics such as labels to wardrobe ideas such as layered clothing and the little black dress, and on to style movements and market ideas such as Lolita fashion, loungerie, limited editions and luxury fashion.
This section contains concepts and terms that we feel are of interest to members of the apparel industry, fashion industry or textile industry.
The goal of this area is to provide you with information that is formatted around key topics of interest to the industry in which we work as well as ultimate consumer of fashion products.
On this page, you will find areas of interest that begin with the letter "L".
The fourteen L entries split into a few clear families. Labels is the production entry: a guide to the many kinds of labels the apparel industry uses, from clothing, care, woven and printed garment labels to carton, polybag, bar code and RFID labels for shipping and warehousing. Layered clothing, leisure wear and the little black dress are wardrobe entries — ways of dressing that solve a practical problem, whether that is staying warm and adaptable in cold weather, relaxing in genuinely comfortable clothes, or having one simple black dress that works for almost any occasion.
A second family covers how fashion is seen and sold. The latest fashion trends explains why trends move quickly and how industry professionals use forecasting services, trend boards and trend reports rather than reacting late. Local fashion is about proximity — finding clothing stores and companies near a home or office, by location, state, city or town. Logo designs and the fashion logo game look at the marks that make brands instantly recognizable, on letterhead and signage but above all on the clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories themselves.
A third family covers style and market position. Lifestyle fashion brands are brands that embody the values and aspirations of a group or culture so closely that customers buy across many categories from the same name. Limited editions are low-quantity, sometimes numbered, collectible releases. Lolita fashion is the Japanese subculture influenced by Victorian and Rococo clothing, with Gothic, Classic, Punk and Sweet sub-styles. Loungerie names lingerie-like apparel worn visibly on the outside, a look with roots in 1930s slip dresses and 1980s stage costumes. Luxury fashion and its 2008 spotlight close the letter, looking at extravagant, high-quality goods, the houses and retailers that sell them, and the very high price tags that persisted even in a soft economy.
Start with the term list directly under the introduction — those fourteen links are the whole L section, each exactly one click away. Readers looking for a topic rather than a letter can use Fashion Terms by Category, which groups terms around subjects, and the full Fashion Terms Directory for the complete A to Z listing across both directory pages. Terms that start with a number have their own directory page as well, linked from the letter bar.
The L section covers labels, the latest fashion trends, layered clothing, leisure wear, lifestyle fashion brands, limited editions, the little black dress, local fashion, logo designs and the fashion logo game, Lolita fashion, loungerie, luxury fashion and the 2008 luxury fashion spotlight — each linked from the term list on this page.
Every L term has its own page with a definition and explanation written for the apparel, fashion and textile industries. The list on this page links to each of them, and the Fashion Terms Directory links onward to the other letter directories.
The terms are written for members of the apparel, fashion and textile industries and for consumers of fashion products who want a plain explanation of an industry concept.