BUTTON DOWN

The lightest of the collar types or American collar as better known has two small buttons fixing the tips and the original purpose of this was to avoid that the points could raise during a polo tournement. This is the reason why the company Brooks Brothers is considered the first to have used this expression to define the collar used by the English polo players. In the US this collar is used both informally and formally matched to a suit.

BIB

This insert can have a round or a square shape, shorter or longer and basically it is a piece of fabric normally in piquet o plissè fabric used for dinner or tuxedo shirts that can be used with stud buttons or surfaced by a fly front.

CHAMBRAY

A lightweight, soft fabric with white weft and coloured warp that give the fabrica mottled look.

CUFF OR SLEEVE PLACKET

A slit that runs along the forearm to the cuff and surfaces an under slit that usually features a button.

COLLAR BAND OR LIST

Part of fabric underneath the collar and sewn to the points.

COLLAR STAYS

Strips of plastic or other material (also mother-of-pearl) inserted in a slit under the collar points to keep them down and firm.

CUFF OR SLEEVE PLACKET

A slit that runs along the forearm to the cuff and surfaces an under slit that usually features a button.

DOUBLE-TWISTED

Adjective referring to threads and yarns submitted to a double twist torsion in order to join one or more threads so to make the fabric more resistent and ensuring at the same time a higher quality.

DARTS

Stitchings on the back of the shirt made with the purpose to reduce the width and to give the shirt a more fitted shape.

END ON END

Fil à fil, French expression literary indicating thread to thread. Light texture, generally cotton, with the warp formed alternatively by a white thread with a coloured one. Very similar to the Chambray.

ENGLISH ROUND

Very fine and transparent and solid fabric characterized by a few threads of warp defined as “round” because of their curved direction moving at at time towards right and left.

FLY FRONT OR COVERED PLACKET

A fold of fabric covers the buttons for a modern, clean finish. This is not very popular but greatly requested for more formal occasion.

FINISHING

All processes done once the fabric is finished and removed from the loom. All these are finalized to give the fabric brilliance, consistence and softness. Also made shirts can be finished such as those in denim that may be chemically finished or treated to get a softner touch or a different colour shade.

FRENCH COLLAR

French collar is a style of collar with open or spread points different to the so called Italian collar with closed points. They are both a perfect match to a formal  suit and tie.

FRENCH OR DOUBLE CUFF

The cuff is folded to form a double layer to be worn with cufflinks. This is quite a formal cuff style so matched with formal shirts or tuxedo shirts. It
is also available as single cuff very similar to a simple cuff with two buttonholes to be jointed by cufflinks.

FINE STITCHING

Refined seam, generally hand-made, realized to give more prestige to the shirt but also to better reinforce the parts of the shirts machine sewn.

FIT

When a garment, in this specific case, a shirt perfectly dresses a person as adapated to his physical features.

FUSINGS

Collar and cuffs are heated by a special heat transfer presser so to make them consistent and stiff. These can be soft in case of lightweight fabrics, or standard  or stiffer upon the customer’s request. They can also not be thermo heated as per a lot of customer’s preference.

INSIDE PAD

Same as placket but with a different purpose. Used double layered especially for open collar shirts.

MOUCHE OR GUSSET OR FLY

Mouche for its French origin. A small triangle or piece of fabric in a different shape used to reinforce the closing at the bottom the sides of the shirt (back and
front). Mistakingly this small detail has been considered to have only an aestetic purpose.

MUSLIN

Soft and light fabric, almost transparent, in silk, cotton or wool originally in Mossul, Iraki city from which fabric got its name.

NEST

Fabric in linen or cotton or wool with a striped embossed geometrical design alternated by diagonally crossed hollows thus resembling a beehive.

OXFORD

Fabric in pure cotton very similar to the pinpoint but weaved with a heavier thread. It definitely has a rougher structure than the pinpoint and it is surely the most durable of all fabrics. Used especially with button-down collars for casual shirts, it is more and more nowadays matched formally with suits and not tie.

PANAMA

Fabric in wool, cotton or other fibers created with a special framework that equally doubles threads in the warp and in the weft.

PINPOINT

It is an evolution of the oxford and presents itself with a granular effect. Its weft appears as made of tiny pinholes and like oxford fabrics only warp yarns are colored.

POCHETTE OR HONKY

A French word for the handkerchief which is placed in the jacket breast’s pocket and a distinguished trait of elegance. In cotton or linen, it is an important accessory for a dandy, refined look.

PIQUET

Cotton fabric generally white used for the bosom or bib of dinner shirts. It has a specially designed curve displaying an exquisite sharp look.

PLACKET

The part of the front folded at 3.5 centimetres to which on one side buttons and on the other side buttonholes are applied

PRINCE OF WALES

Well known teased and combed fabric of the typical Scottish pattern made of small squares designed inside bigger squares with other added elements. Black and white or white and brown are the yarns generally used so to reduce the effect of the bigger squares. It was named by Eduard VIII Prince of Wales who requested the realization of this particular fabric.

POINT

The collar part on the front of the and sewn to the band.

SARTORIAL

Adjective to indicate a shirt made on a customer’s measurements cut and sewn by hand with partially or totally hand-made refinements.

SEA ISLAND

Uniquely superb high quality cotton known especially for its long staple and silk like hand similar to cashmere. This is a special cotton which grows only in West Indians Islands (Caribbean) and it is picked up with the utmost care as it is very delicate. Its prestige is also due to the limited production which makes it even more precious.

SOLID

Fabric or yarn of a single colour.

STRETCH

English word used to indicate the elasticity of a fibre, yarn or fabric.

STUDS

It is the term used to refer to the display of specific buttons similar to jewels on formal or evening shirt.

TWILL

This fabric is easily identified by the diagonal lines or textures of the fabric. Very resistant fabric is widely used for sporty shirts.

TWISTED

Adjective referring to threads and yarns being twisted to join one or more threads.

VOILE

This fabric is very light and transparent. The “veil” is obtained by using very thin and twisted threads that are waved with a cloth framework. Perfect for formal dinner shirts or for summer lightweight shirts.

WARP

Vertical threads fixed to the loom on which the cloth is formed by the consecutive passing and interlacing of threads running horizontally (weft).

WEFT

The whole of threads being weaved proceeding horizontally and interwining at the warp.

YARN COUNT

Yarn or thread count term used to indicate the number of yarns per square metre of a woven fabric. A combination of vertical yarns (warp) and horizontal yarns(weft).

YOKE

Upper reinforced part corresponding to the shoulders of the shirt. French translation carré used also in Italian.

ZEPHIR

This fabric is subtle but compact at the same time, generally very light and realized in pastel colours. It takes the name from the Zephir wind so immediately evocates a sense of freshness and it is particularly suitable for the summer season.