Glossary
Men's fashion glossary
The garment types, fabrics, fits and patterns that appear on the pieces tagged on Moidello, with a short explanation of each.
Jackets and outerwear
- Chore coat
- A boxy, hip-length work jacket with patch pockets on the front, originally French workwear in hard-wearing cotton such as canvas, twill or moleskin. Today it is worn as a light outer layer over a t-shirt, shirt or knit.Men's outerwear outfits
- Overshirt
- A heavier shirt cut to be worn open over a t-shirt or knit, or buttoned up as a light jacket. Usually in wool, flannel, canvas or corduroy, often with chest pockets.Men's outerwear outfits
- Workwear jacket
- A jacket based on traditional work clothing, made from durable fabric such as duck canvas or twill, often with reinforced seams and several pockets. The chore coat is one type. Also called a worker jacket.Men's outerwear outfits
- Waxed jacket
- A jacket in cotton treated with wax, which makes the fabric resistant to wind and rain. The surface creases and wears with use and can be re-waxed to restore it.Men's outerwear outfits
- Denim jacket
- A jacket in denim. The most familiar version is the trucker jacket: waist length, with buttoned chest pockets and a pointed collar.Men's outerwear outfits
- Military jacket
- A jacket modelled on army uniform, typically in olive, khaki or navy cotton, with flap pockets and a practical, straight cut.Men's outerwear outfits
- Windbreaker
- A light jacket in tightly woven or coated fabric that keeps out wind and light rain. Usually unlined, so it packs small.Men's outerwear outfits
- Down vest
- A sleeveless insulated layer filled with down, worn over a knit or under an open jacket to keep the body warm while leaving the arms free.Men's outerwear outfits
Tops and knitwear
- Heavyweight t-shirt
- A t-shirt in thick cotton jersey, noticeably heavier than a standard t-shirt, often 220 gsm or more. The weight gives it structure, so it holds its shape and hangs straighter.Men's outfits with t-shirts
- Breton top
- A top with horizontal navy and white stripes, originally worn by French navy sailors. Usually in heavy cotton with a wide boat neck.Men's outfits with t-shirts
- Long-sleeve polo
- A polo shirt with long sleeves, often knitted rather than made in piqué. It sits between a t-shirt and a shirt in formality.Men's outfits with polo shirts
- Flannel shirt
- A shirt in flannel, a soft woven fabric, usually cotton or wool, that is brushed to raise the fibres for extra warmth. Often checked.Men's outfits with shirts
- Western shirt
- A shirt with details from American ranch wear: pointed yokes across the front and back, snap buttons and often flap pockets.Men's outfits with shirts
- Rollneck
- A knit with a high, close-fitting neck folded over on itself, also called a turtleneck. Worn on its own or under a jacket instead of a shirt.Men's outfits with sweaters
- Cardigan
- A knitted sweater that opens at the front with buttons or a zip. Worn as a mid layer over a t-shirt or shirt.Men's outfits with knitwear
Jeans and trousers
- Selvedge denim
- Denim woven on a traditional shuttle loom, which gives the fabric a finished edge (the self-edge) that does not fray. It shows on the inside of the outseam when the hem is turned up, often with a coloured line.Men's outfits with jeans
- Raw denim
- Denim that has not been washed or distressed after dyeing. It is stiff and dark at first and fades over time in a pattern that follows how the jeans are worn.Men's outfits with jeans
- Unsanforized denim
- Denim that has not been through sanforization, a pre-shrinking treatment. It shrinks noticeably at the first wash or soak, which has to be taken into account when choosing a size.Men's outfits with jeans
- Denim weight
- Denim is described by the weight of one square yard of fabric in ounces (oz). Around 12 oz is a midweight; 14 oz and up is heavy and feels stiffer and more durable.Men's outfits with jeans
- Washed denim
- Denim that has been washed after it is made, which softens the fabric, removes most of the shrinkage and lightens the colour. Stonewashed and bleached denim are stronger versions of the same process.Men's outfits with jeans
- Baggy jeans
- Jeans with a wide cut through the seat, thigh and leg, usually worn with the hem stacking slightly on the shoe. Extra baggy is a wider version of the same fit.How to style baggy jeans
- Straight leg
- A cut where the leg keeps the same width from the knee down to the hem. A relaxed straight leg adds more room through the seat and thigh.Men's outfits with jeans
- Bootcut
- A cut that is fitted through the thigh and widens slightly from the knee down, originally so the jeans would fit over boots.Men's outfits with jeans
- Cargo trousers
- Trousers with large patch pockets on the side of the thigh, originally military. Often in cotton canvas or ripstop with a relaxed fit.Men's outfits with trousers
Shoes and accessories
- Court sneakers
- Low-top sneakers based on tennis shoes, with a clean leather or suede upper, a flat cupsole and little or no branding.Men's outfits by shoes
- German army trainers
- A low-top sneaker based on the indoor training shoe of the West German army from the 1970s, with a leather upper, suede overlays and a gum rubber sole. Often shortened to GAT.Men's outfits by shoes
- Deck shoes
- Leather shoes with a siped, non-marking rubber sole made for grip on wet boat decks, and a leather lace running around the collar. Also called boat shoes.Men's outfits by shoes
- Espadrilles
- Light canvas shoes with a sole of braided jute rope, traditionally from southern France and northern Spain. Usually worn in summer without socks.Men's outfits by shoes
- 6-panel cap
- A baseball cap made from six fabric panels that meet at a button on top. It is the standard construction for most baseball caps.Men's outfits with accessories
- Trucker cap
- A baseball cap with a foam or fabric front panel and mesh at the back for ventilation, often with a high crown and a snap closure.Men's outfits with accessories
- Beanie
- A close-fitting knitted hat without a brim, often with a folded cuff. Usually in wool, acrylic or a blend.Men's outfits with accessories
- Cuff bracelet
- A rigid bracelet that is open at one side, so it slides onto the wrist instead of closing with a clasp.Men's outfits with jewellery
- Automatic watch
- A mechanical watch that winds itself as the wearer's wrist moves, which turns a rotor inside the case. It runs without a battery.Men's outfits with watches
- Quartz watch
- A battery-powered watch in which a quartz crystal vibrating at a fixed frequency keeps time. More accurate and cheaper to make than a mechanical movement.Men's outfits with watches
- Dive watch
- A watch built for use under water, with water resistance of at least 100 metres, a rotating bezel for timing a dive and luminous hands and markers.Men's outfits with watches
- Duffle bag
- A soft, cylindrical bag with a top opening and carry handles or a shoulder strap, used as a weekend or travel bag.Men's outfits with bags
Fabrics and materials
- Duck canvas
- A heavy, tightly woven plain-weave cotton used in workwear. Its weight is given in ounces, for example 12 or 16 oz, and it softens with wear.Men's outfits with trousers
- Twill
- A weave with a diagonal rib, used for denim, chinos and many jackets. It is more durable and drapes better than a plain weave of the same weight.
- Suede
- Leather with the inner side of the hide buffed to a soft, napped surface. Softer and more flexible than smooth leather, but more sensitive to water and stains.Men's outfits by shoes
- Merino wool
- Wool from merino sheep, with finer fibres than ordinary wool. It feels softer against the skin, regulates temperature well and resists odour.Men's outfits with knitwear
- Lambswool
- Wool from a lamb's first shearing, softer and finer than wool from adult sheep. Common in knitwear.Men's outfits with knitwear
- Cashmere
- A fine, soft fibre from the undercoat of cashmere goats. It is warmer than sheep's wool for its weight and is used in knitwear and hoodies.Men's outfits with knitwear
- Donegal
- A wool yarn or tweed named after County Donegal in Ireland, recognisable by small flecks of colour spun into the yarn.Men's outfits with knitwear
- Piqué
- A cotton knit with a fine raised texture, the classic fabric for polo shirts. The texture lets air through and hides creases.Men's outfits with polo shirts
- GSM
- Grams per square metre, the standard measure of fabric weight. For t-shirts, roughly 150 to 180 gsm is a standard weight and 220 gsm or more counts as heavyweight.Men's outfits with t-shirts
Fit and pattern
- Regular fit
- A standard cut with room to move, neither close to the body nor deliberately loose.
- Slim fit
- A cut that follows the body closely through the chest, waist or leg, with less extra fabric than a regular fit.
- Relaxed fit
- A cut with more room than a regular fit, especially through the body or the seat and thigh, without being oversized.
- Boxy fit
- A cut that is wide and relatively short, so the garment falls straight from the shoulders instead of narrowing at the waist. Common in t-shirts, overshirts and chore coats.Men's outfits with t-shirts
- Oversized fit
- A cut that is deliberately larger than the wearer's normal size, with dropped shoulders and extra width. It works when the rest of the outfit balances the volume.Men's streetwear outfits
- Herringbone
- A twill weave in which the diagonal rows change direction at regular intervals, forming a V-shaped pattern. Common in tweed jackets and coats.
- Houndstooth
- A two-colour woven check made of broken, four-pointed shapes, traditionally in black and white wool.
- Plaid
- A pattern of horizontal and vertical stripes crossing each other in several colours, also called tartan. Check is the broader term for any squared pattern.Men's outfits with shirts
Style
- Smart casual
- A dress code between formal and relaxed. Typical pieces are chinos or dark jeans, a shirt or fine knit, and leather shoes or clean sneakers. Less formal than a suit, dressier than everyday wear.Smart casual for work
- Workwear
- Clothing based on garments made for manual work, such as chore coats, canvas trousers, overshirts and sturdy boots. Valued for durable fabrics and practical details.Men's outerwear outfits
- Capsule wardrobe
- A wardrobe built from a limited number of chosen pieces in a coherent colour palette, selected so that they all combine with each other.Build a core wardrobe
- Layering
- Wearing several thinner pieces on top of each other instead of one thick piece, for example a t-shirt, an overshirt and a jacket. It adds texture and makes it easy to adjust to the temperature.An autumn wardrobe for a Nordic climate
- Streetwear
- A style that grew out of skate, surf and hip-hop culture, with loose fits, graphic and logo prints, caps and sneakers.Men's streetwear outfits
- Vintage
- Clothing from earlier decades, or new pieces cut and finished to look like them. Faded denim, worn leather and older sportswear are typical.Men's vintage outfits
- Preppy
- A style rooted in American college and prep-school dress: oxford shirts, polo shirts, cable knits, chinos and loafers, often in navy, white, red and beige.
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- A link to a store that carries a tracking code. If someone buys through it, the site that shared the link may receive a commission from the store. The price for the buyer is the same.Terms of use
More questions about the site or about men's style are answered in the FAQ and the style guides.