General tips about clothing can be found under Dance Info > Dance Gear XX.

kledinglexiconFurthermore, for every hobby dancer the dress in which you feel yourself comfortable and can move well is okay.

If you are going to dancing competitions it is obviously a very important part of the show. Often dresses are custom made. They may also be quite complicated constructions. And there's a hefty price tag on. Of course you can also find beautiful used things. But they must be in the perfect size and fit fine (or be adjusted).

Scouts: a child who is dressed like an idiot and is run by an idiot dressed as a child.
Sweater: clothing that a child needs to put on if his mother 's got cold.


For ladies probably a cinch, for men often confusing. Hence this dress lexicon. A (limited) list of names for different types of clothing and garments. We limit ourselves to general outerwear.

"Isn’t that mink coat a dream, baby!" "Yes, and it will remain so!"
Love is blind. And lingerie is braille.



Anklet: from the English word ankle: so ankle sock.

Balloon dress: wide ladies dress of which one binds the cloth at the bottom together.

Battle Dress: short jacket for men and women. Owes its name to the military views, close at the waist and with a bulging back.

Leg Warmer: large stockings of wool or cotton, top and bottom are open. Worn around ankles and lower legs from the cold or worn as a fashion statement.

Bra: two cups, shoulder straps and a central band around the chest to support and hide the breasts.

Bermuda: usually brightly colored pants of light fabric, thighs almost entirely covered.

Blazer: leisure jacket. Of origin (brightly colored) light club / association jacket, made ​​in club colors, logos, etc. Originally a (navy blue) jacket with double row of gold buttons, inspired by the 19th-century uniform jacket of the British Royal Navy.

Blouse: thin shirt or light jacket with zippers or buttons, often one or two chest pockets. Summer blouses usually have short sleeves, winter blouses long sleeves. In the north of the Netherlands, a garment for women and men. In the south, only for women, men: shirt.

Boa: clothing made ​​of fur, fabric, feathers or plumes. The name is derived from the Boa Constrictor, a snake. The boa is worn and draped loosely around the neck. In revue shows frequently used because of their theatrical effect. Also in the nightlife, the boa is sometimes worn as a decorative or ornamental garment.

Body (suit): close-fitting one-piece elastic underwear for women that covers the entire body, often with a fastener in the crotch. Athletes and ballerinas wear it often.

Bolero: originally Spanish costumes. Now it is a short jacket with long sleeves that ends at the waist, or a round, small hat with folded rim.

Boat neck: neck from shoulder to shoulder. Owes its name to the fact that it looks like the bottom of a boat.

Bustier: lingerie for the upper body, excluding shoulders and arms, as a tip (from lace or other fine fabric), or as a bra. Can give a narrower waist (wasp waist).

Cape: (shoulder) mantle.

Capri Pants: shorts or fisherman pants, stops below the knee. Popular in the 50s and was back "in" in the 80s and 90s.

Cardigan: sweaters, mostly in wool or cotton with a V -neck, with a row of buttons in front.

Casual: term from corporate live for a mix of informal and free time wear.

Chemise (dress): also called shirt blouse. A sporty yet elegant knotted dress worn with collar and belt.

Chino: cotton pants.

Choker: neck scarf (including jewelry) that is also called foulard.

Cocktail Dress: dress worn on or just below the knee, less formal than the evening dress.

Colbert: jacket, named after Jean - Baptiste Colbert (1614-1683).

Cravat(e): the 'Croatian' wife who said goodbye to her lover gave her mercenary a scarf as he left for the war. He was wearing it around the neck. The Croat or kravat was since 1630 a household name in the fashion world.
(Roman senate members already wore a silk fascalia, to keep the vocal cords warm and legionaries wore a cloth around the neck, a cross between a handkerchief and a shawl.)

Tie: tie or plastron is a long piece of fabric that can be tied around the neck, cravat.

Cleavage: "no" dress, low cut at the neckline, provides a view of a portion of the breasts.

Demi: short for demi – saison, summer overcoat (French for "half").

Three-piece suit: suit consisting of trousers, a jacket and a vest (waistcoat).

Double Breasted / Single Breasted: jacket with a respective double and single row of buttons.

Epaulette: shoulder pads.

Sheath dress: close-fitting, straight dress without a collar, in various lengths. Was launched in 1918 and became known in the 60s as the Jackie - O dress.

Gilet: originally a garment worn under a suit, as part of a three-piece suit, sleeveless, with buttons.

Guepiere (French: waistband, of guêpe: wasp), bustier with jarretelle (and chest support)(, also called torselet).

Halter neck: upper straps that come together from the breast in the neck. The halter is a frequently used application in the bikini.

Harem Pants: baggy breeches from the Turkish - Arab culture with collar around the ankles. Was a success in the 70s and late 80s.

Waist trousers/pants: the waist of the pants is not high as usual, but on the hips.

Shirt is a garment made ​​of thin fabric for the upper body, worn by men. Women also wear shirts, but then they are called blouse (in the Netherlands).

Vest: sleeveless jacket, or confusingly similar garment.

Hot pants: very short, tight shorts that just covered the ass. The hot pants were hot in '71 - '72.

Jack: outerwear that comes down to the waist or just below.

Jacquet: has a long body and is always worn with a striped trousers and a black or gray vest (wedding attire, solemnly).

Jak: short jacket or baggy blouse.

Gown: dress for women. Was under the influence of Japanese traditional silk clothes, kimono, the fashion around 1920. Originally a long one-piece dress to the ankles, cut to the figure to make it look tall and slim.

Jarretelle: garter (lingerie) to prevent sagging of the stocking. Jarretelles are attached to a suspender belt around the waist, or to a corset.

Coat: garment that one wears over normal clothing to protect themselves against cold or precipitation.

Jeans: see article at the bottom of the list.

Jopper: mid-length waterproof sports jacket, used for example in sailing.

Jersey: snug woolly.

Jumper: sleeveless, collarless pinafore dress to be worn over a blouse or shirt.

Jupon: underskirt.

Dress (also robe) is a garment for the woman with the bodice and the skirt made as a whole.

Kaftan: straight dress with a continuous row of buttons.

Kalot: crown cap or skull cap of the clergy.

Camisole: sleeveless undergarment for women. (Belgium: (wool) vest).

Straitjacket: torso enclosing corset, center front tightly laced with laces, pushes the breasts upwards. Nowadays, more metaphorically: drag.

Smock: tabard without closure, put on over the head. Used to be worn by peasants and laborers, forerunner of the overalls.

Kilt is a (Scottish) skirt specifically for men.

Knickerbockers: pants that come just above the calves.

Corset: bodice attracted to the woman (18th/19th century). Reinforced with boning, center back laced with laces. Constriction to wasp waist and push-up bosom.

Costume: clothing that belongs to a particular group, class, occasion or period. Example: robes of priests, kings, academic gowns and theatrical clothes. Also used for fancy dress parties: carnivals, Halloween..

Garter: band to keep stocking, originally for men with shorts.

Calf trousers: trousers with the legs get no lower than mid-calf.

Leggings: pants of thin, stretchy fabric that is tight around the legs.

Lumberjack: coat that reaches to the waist with continuous closure, knitted collar and cuffs.

Maillot: in Netherlands long socks attached to shorts (pantyhose). In Flanders, a leotard. In France, a jersey of an athlete (cyclist). Maillot de bain = swimsuit. Maille = French for mesh (like a fishing net).

Women's suit: two-piece suit for women consisting of skirt and jacket.


Marcelleke: under bodice, underwear to keep the upper body warm, sleeveless undershirt and plain color (And a Belgian man’s name: Marcel).

Pinafore: around the shoulders, narrow dress without waist, straight flowing. An example is the reform dress.

Oxford pants: baggy pants that owes its name to the English university where students introduced her in the 20s.

Mantle: long outer clothing that can be fastened at the neck.

Overall: (work) clothing (with sleeves and legs) that is worn over other clothing.

Suit: informal western set of clothes for men. It consists of a pair of pants, shirt, jacket, a tie and possibly a vest and a hat.

Frock coat / cutaway / morning coat : with 1 button closed men's jacket with rounded fronts and backside leaking longer. Originally worn with a black / gray striped or plain trousers, white shirt, vest and gray tie.

Peplos: tubular sleeveless dress from ancient cultures. Celtic women used two rectangular pieces of fabric that were on the sides and shoulders fastened with fibulae (pins)

Pants: invention of the Celts, first it were just pieces of cloth that were tied with straps around the leg. Romans found the pants barbaric.
The trousers of workers were seen as a symbol of revolutionary spirit. The aristocrats wore indeed a culotte (pants just below the knee). The decree of 1799 that women in Paris forbade unauthorized to wear pants on the street was abolished on 31/01/2013.

Panty: nylon stocking - leg pants in one piece. The tights came in 1967 on the market, partly due to the rise of the miniskirt fashion.

Pareo: cloth is tied around the hips. The longer variant is knotted around the breasts, and covers the entire body. A pareo is worn as beachwear over a swimsuit or bikini.

Petticoat: clothing for women, especially worn in the 50s. A petticoat consists of several layers of wide flared fabric, first of starched cotton, later nylon, making it very wide off. Can still be seen at the female partner in ballroom dance competitions.


Pocket square: decorative cloth inserted into the breast pocket of a jacket. At a tie appropriate accessory but a different color / pattern.

Polo shirt (T) shirt in elastic fabric with short button placket, a limp, flat collar and short (or long) sleeves. The polo shirt was designed in the twenties of the last century by the French tennis champion Rene Lacoste.

Push -up: bra that pres up breasts so they look bigger.

Pullover (often sleeveless) sweater with a round or v - shaped neck, to wear over a blouse or shirt.

Reform dress: straight, wide dress, which is only fastened with straps on the shoulders. The dress has no waist and was in his time (circa 1910) not very popular.

Robe: long woman dress, frock.

Skirt: tube - or cone- shaped garment that is worn around the waist and at least partially covers the legs. In contrast to a pair of trousers, a skirt has no legs.

Tail Coat: black tie; black, open worn jacket with silk lapels, with short front and long back, with a matching black trousers with double piping on the side, with a low cut white pique waistcoat, and a white shirt with white pique front, with a white bow tie.

Sari: the most famous garment worn by Indian women. A cloth of five to seven meters long and one meter wide that women wrap around after some practice.

Singlet: short sleeveless top underwear.

Scarf: (Persian: shal,) square or rectangular piece of cloth that is worn to cover the head, neck and / or shoulders.

Slipover: or "tops", sleeveless sweater worn over a shirt or blouse =
Spencer: sweater with v -neck sleeveless.

Smoking / Tuxedo: semi - formal evening wear, men's costume - black jacket with front and back pieces of equal length, wide lapels and trousers with satin trim, a white blouse and black bow tie and black patent leather shoes.

Stola: Roman dress for women that was worn over the tunic. Was to the ankles or even to the feet, while the tunica reached only to the knees.

String: small swimming shorts or panties that covers the genitals and further just a string around the waist and the butt crack. Popular since 1970. Ass lace.

Sweater: warm body cover with long sleeves, usually made ​​of synthetic material. The name refers to sweating.

Tanga : high-cut panties with sideband at the hip (both ladies and gentlemen). If side panels are wider than 3 cm, it is a hip panties. If the back is so small that it is drawn between the buttocks, it's a thong or G -string.

Uniform: prescribed dress (military).

Tenue de ville: city clothes, a two - piece suit and tie for men, or a two -piece dress for women.

Top: airy piece of outerwear for women in different styles: strapless bodice, a bodice (often sleeveless or with short sleeves), or as a navel sweater, short sweater, lets the umbilical region uncovered.

Toque: French name for a hat, but is also used to designate a product to protect the male genitalia.

T - Shirt: upper garment with short sleeves and a round or V - neck (originally undershirt). A T-shirt has no closure, is pulled over the head. It got that name because if spread, it shows a T-shape. Therefore, it is always written with a capital letter.

Tunic: originally canonicals, now a short tunic with outside pockets or a ladies garment worn underneath the skirt or dress and letting it partially free.

Tutu: outstanding, short ballet skirt of mesh.

Sweater: upper garment for the upper body. Usually a shirt, T - shirt or blouse worn underneath. Sweaters are often knitted.

Vest: garment (with closure, sleeveless) for the upper body that originally hung down over the hips, but increasingly crept up.

Bow tie: butterfly -shaped tie worn by men on the edge of a shirt.


Voile: short light veil of a lady's hat, also wide-meshed fabric of wool or silk for dresses.

Doublet: quilted short sleeveless vest covered belly and chest. Old Dutch. Also tube, camisole.

Wide- spread: wide outstanding collar of a shirt. Originally devised to make room for the double Windsor knot (in a tie). Today, mainly associated with the Italian style.

Back from the fashion show. "How were the toilets?" "I had no to go." MT


Jeans are sturdy cotton pants on which the seams of the bags are reinforced with rivets.

In 1847 Levi Strauss emigrated to the United States. He made of fabric sturdy and coveted trousers for the gold miners in California.
Due to shortage of canvas he switched to a strong cotton type, called "Serge de Nimes" (Twill from Nimes. Twill is a weave pattern causing a sloping ridge.). This name corrupted into 'denim'. For the problem of pockets that sometimes were tearing out tailor Jacob Davis in 1872 devised a solution: rivets. On May 20, 1873 Strauss and Davis asked patent on this. The pants or waist overalls had a back pocket with the typical Arcade Stitching Design, suspenders, and a watch pocket.
Fabric for jeans is woven with a warp that is indigo colored, and the weft threads which are white. The blue paint type was called in French "bleu de Genes" (from the Italian " blu di Genova", so actually "Genoese blue"). The "bleu de Genes" was later further corrupted to "blue jeans", or jeans.
It is the most popular piece of clothing for men and women, in various models, colors and brands worldwide.
 
Models in order of sales:
The bootcut is tight to the knees, but downwards wider,
straight leg have straight leg,
skinny jeans: tight fitting to the skin, hence narrow legs, and
elephants pipes were sold even less.

In 17th century paintings by an unknown ‘Master of the Blue Jeans' who came from Italy, probably the substance could already be seen. Perhaps is denim well over 300 years old?

Often a girl with a huge wardrobe started with a very small panties. (Max Tailleur)
Nothing fits a woman better than nothing. (Maurice Donnay)