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 “W”. The W terms run from wardrobe and wash care labels through waterproofing, wearability and wearable technology, to Western wear, wholesale clothing, wicking, winter clothing and footwear, women's fashion and shoes, workwear, the world of fashion and woven labels.
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 "W".
The twenty-one W entries fall into a few clear families. Clothing-care and construction terms come first: a wardrobe is both the furniture that holds clothing and the collection itself; wash care labels carry the washing, drying and ironing instructions and fiber content every garment sold in the United States must bear; and woven labels are the loom-made brand and care labels — damask, satin and taffeta — sewn into garments. Waterproofing and wicking are the two moisture terms, working in opposite directions: waterproofing keeps water out of a fabric or garment, while wicking moves moisture away from the body so it can evaporate.
A second family covers how clothing is worn and judged. Wearability asks whether a garment is durable under normal wear and whether people will actually wear it beyond a runway; wearable fashion trends applies the same practical test to seasonal styles; and wearable technology is the genuine category the phrase points to — clothing, footwear and accessories that incorporate electronics. Western wear and the white hat belong to the American West: cowboy hats, boots, Stetson hats, bolo ties and duster coats, and the film convention in which heroes wore white hats and villains black. Workwear, winter clothing and winter footwear cover clothing built for jobs and for cold: durable, protective garments, layered insulation, and insulated, waterproof, high-traction boots.
The remaining entries cover the business and the broad picture. Wholesale clothing explains the wholesaler as the middleman between factory and retailer — distinct from the manufacturer who produces the goods — and wholesale clothing supplier sources explains how a boutique finds a good supplier, from the New York and Los Angeles fashion districts to wholesale directories. Women's fashion, women's footwear and women's shoes map the largest apparel market, from couture to everyday categories and from athletic shoes to pumps. The world of fashion steps back to the whole realm — garments, accessories, beauty, culture, sustainability and trends — and wisdom collects quotations from Lincoln, Einstein, Steve Jobs and others that apply well beyond fashion.
Start with the term list directly under the introduction — those links are the whole W 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 W section covers wardrobe, wash care labels, waterproofing textiles, wearability, wearable fashion trends, wearable technology, Western wear, white hat, wholesale clothing and its supplier sources, wicking, the wife beater shirt term, winter clothing, winter footwear, wisdom, women's fashion, women's footwear, women's shoes, workwear, the world of fashion and woven labels — each reachable from the term list on this page.
Every W 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.