Anatomy of garments: jackets, coats, shirts, and blouses

I set out to elevate my vocabulary

So after reading a bunch of fashion week reviews, I realize that my glossary of fashion terms is… lacking, to say the least. As André Leon Talley puts it: “What could this talented YouTuber offer? Surely she didn’t know what a martingale back is to a Balenciaga one-seamed coat.” Samesies, except I’m not even a talented YouTuber.

Balenciaga coat made from just 1 piece of fabric, given shape by 1 seam that ran underneath the arms

Ah, so this is the famed martingale back that Liza Koshy didn’t know! Thanks André.

Jackets

I have to admit I used to have a difficult time differentiating between a jacket and a blazer — and maybe I still do — but I think the main difference is that blazers are more informal than jackets. That being said, a couple of notable jacket types are listed below with accompanying pictures.

1. smoking jacket: lounge jacket… think hugh hefner (gross). typically with a shawl collar (a rounded, continuous collar) and made out of velvet or silk. pic not included because they remind me of hefner too much. eeeek.
2. norfolk jacket: single-breasted, tweed, and belted. pic not included because this was popular in the 1860s and uhhh not popular anymore.
3. bolero / shrug jacket: the former more structured, the latter more cardigan-like. these are cropped jackets typically worn by women over dresses. i’m totally not a fan of this look as it reminds me of the late 1950s but i do love the more modern structured tuxedo-like boleros from peter do (see pics below!)
4. harrington jacket / blouson / bomber jacket: ah, the jacket that james dean made famous. a much more pleasant image conjured up in my mind than hefner. the key element to these jackets is that they have an elasticized waist, where it’s drawn tighter instead of just hanging loose. i just bought one for myself from everlane! (see bottom right pic)
5. other jackets that you should already know of: parka, windbreaker, down jacket, denim jacket

1st-2nd pic: peter do bolerojacket | 3rd pic: everlane bomber jacket

Coats

anatomy of a coat

• collar stand: kind of self explanatory… the hard part of the collar that makes it stand up
• epaulettes: anything ornamental on the shoulders, but with respect to coats, they’re the weird button straps on the shoulders of your coat that you’ve always wondered why they’re there for. turns out, they’re actually there to hold your bag up so it doesn’t fall off! crazy…. right.
• gun / storm flap: a protective flap either on the upper right or left chest that ensures that water doesn’t go inside the coat when it rolls off the shoulder
• throat latch: when in use, the strap can be buttoned across the front of the collar stand as extra protection against cold weather. when not in use, it can be buttoned and hidden away by the undercollar.

source here

• back yoke: i guess this isn’t specific to coats but i only just learned of this word recently so i’ll throw it in here. it’s basically the upper part of the garment under the shoulder area used for shaping or may have gathers / pleats / can accommodate additional volume underneath it.

BACK YOKE!!!!

• inverted pleat: uhhh hard to describe but just look at the picture below. it’s pretty self explanatory — literally a pleat that’s inverted.
• raglan sleeve: a sleeve that extends in one piece fully to the collar, leaving a diagonal seam from underarm to collarbone

burberry trenches

types of coats

1. classic coat styles originated from the UK: the trench coat, the Chesterfield, the Inverness, the British Warm overcoat, the balmacaan. I don’ t know the nuances between each but just wanted to be able to recognize these words if I ever came across them somewhere.
2. polo coat / camel coat: coat made out of camelhair, originally from England as a wrap coat in which polo players casually tossed on in between matches, before popularized in the US amongst ivy league students. characterized by large patch pockets, wide lapels, double breasted, and camelhair.

3. mackintosh raincoat: raincoat named after the inventor Charles Macintosh and made out of waterproof fabric (it used to be rubberized fabric but not sure what they use nowadays)

4. duffle coat: coat with hood and toggle fastenings

5. princess line coat: a-line silhouette (flared out at the waist)

6. wrap coat: belted and usually with wide lapels

duffle coat from uniqlo | wrap coat from uniqlo

7. cocoon coat: unstructured, soft oval shape and rounded shoulders, casual and oversized.

8. pea coat / reefer jacket: short length, double breasted, wider lapels

9. others: teddy bear coat, cape coat, poncho

cocoon coat from everlane | peacoat from uniqlo

Shirts and Blouses

• gusset: triangular reinforcements inserted in the side seams at the bottom to reduce stress from tight-fitting / not stretchy clothes.
• armscye: armhole
• placket: the double layers of fabric that hold the buttons and buttonholes in a shirt. plackets are also found at the neckline of a shirt, cuff of a sleeve, or the waist of a skirt / pair of pants.
• pleat styles: folds of fabric in the back of a shirt to allow for movement / accommodate natural curve of back. there is the center box pleat (most comfortable) or side pleats (more constricting).
• types of sleeves: raglan, epaulet, set-in, dropped-shoulder, yoke sleeve

types of sleeves | tunic from uniqlo

• t-shirts: polo (collared shirt with placket neckline with a few buttons), henley (collarless shirt with placket neckline with a few buttons), raglan (solely in the sleeves), sweatshirt (you know what this is), tunic (longer than a shirt but shorter than a dress)
• blouses: peasant / prairie (smocking, wide neck, puffy sleeves), peplum (short gathered & flared fabric at the waist), blouson (blouse drawn tight at the waist), bardot (off the shoulders), smock (i.e. olivia rose)
• others: surplice (diagonally crossed neckline or bodice to create a faux wrap), shell (plain sleeveless, collarless blouse as part of a set to complement trousers or a jacket)

smocked blouse from olivia rose | surplice top from madewell