Fashion A-Z

From applique to zippers, a comprehensive dictionary with definitions and
meanings of key fashion vocabulary, written by Camilla Morton.

Fluted Hem

Fluted Hem gives a flirty finish to a silhouette — imagine a pencil skirt with a flounce on its hem. It's a popular feminine shape, which encompasses super slim pencil skirt that flairs out at the knees or below, in a style that evokes both the mermaid shape and a love of dancing.

Frog Fastenings

Frog Fastenings are sometimes referred to as a ‘Chinese frog’. These are ornamental braidings used to fasten the front of a garment and consist of a button on one side, with a loop to pass through on the other. The ‘frogs’ stand out eitherside like bookends. The fastenings date all the way back to Ancient China, but were famously used in in the brocade down the front of 17th century military uniforms. It was then that this decorative technique became known as ‘frogging’.

Gaiter

Gaiter, similar to a spat, is a protective covering of cloth or leather that sits over a shoe. Both cover the ankles and sometimes even the lower leg. But while a gaiter is is an overshoe, a spat can be incorporated into the shoe itself, covering the instep and ankle. Imagine ‘Spats’ Columbo, the gangster in Prohibition America in Billy Wilder’s 1959 film ‘Some Like it Hot’.