Glossary of Victorian Dressmaking Terms

Understanding the Names

Victorian dressmaking have a language of its own. Here are some terms covering gown design and fabrication choices that will make it easier for you to describe the gown of your dreams.

SHAPES
A-line: A gown that is gently flared from the waist to hem, usually with a fitted waist and no horizontal waist line. Sometimes called a princess line Ball gown: A very full skirt with a natural (as opposed to elongated or high) waistline. Basque waist: Elongated about 2 inches below the natural waist. / may dip to a point at center front. Empire waist: A shortened waistline created by attaching the skirt just below the bust line. Princess line: A slightly-flared design that accentuates the waist and curves outward just below it. Also called A-line.

NECKLINES
Bateau neck: A slightly-curved neckline that skims each shoulder blade Decolletage: A plunging neckline that reveals cleavage. High: High banded collar; fits close to the neck Jewel neck: A gown bodice that rises about the bust line to circle the base of the neck Keyhole back: A tear-shaped opening, either small and close to the nape of the neck or larger and dominating the back of a gown. Off-the-shoulder: Falls below the shoulders, may or may not have sleeves Portrait neck: Neckline that frames the shoulders and gives attention to the bustline. Queen Anne neck: A sculpted design that is high on the sides and back with a sweetheart shape across the front. Sabrina neckline: A straight neckline that begins 2 inches from the edge of each shoulder

Scoop neck: A rounded neckline lower than a jewel neck. Sweetheart: shaped like the top half of a heart.

SLEEVES
Bishop: fuller in the lower forearm, then gathered at the wrists into a wide cuff Cap Sleeves: short fitted sleeves Gauntlets: An option with many sleeveless gowns, they are fabric coverings for the forearm (from elbow to wrist). Gauntlets look like gloves with the hands removed Juliet: Long fitted sleeve with a puff at the top. Leg-O-Mutton: Sleeve with gathered full top tapers to a snug fit at the wrist. Poet: Extravagantly rounded from the shoulder to the elbow. Point sleeves: Long sleeves, generally very fitted to the arm, which come to a point on top of the hand and just below the wrist. Puff: Short sleeve gathered into a gentle rounded shape.

LENGTHS
Ballerina skirt: Full from waist down and reveals the ankles. (Similarly, ballet skirts end just above the ankles.) Floor-length gowns: Should be hemmed to fall one-half to one-and-one-half inches above the floor. This is personal preference. High-low: A skirt cut shorter in the front and falling to floor length in back.

TRAINS
Brush train: The shortest train length, just brushing the floor. Also called a sweep train (some definitions put a sweep at a slightly longer length than a brush) or a court train. Cathedral train: A train extending 9 feet from the waist (roughly 5 or 6 feet behind a bride, since her height from waist down is factored into the train's length). Some definitions also classify a train extending 7 1/2 feet as cathedral length. Chapel train: A train extending 4 feet from a bride's waist. Court train: short train extending about one foot longer than a sweep or blush train. Royal train: The longest train length. Extends more than 9 feet from the

waist. Sweep train: shortest train just brushing the floor. Watteau: train attached higher than the waist, usually near the shoulder line or from an empire waistline. Bustle: A gathering of fabric caught up with some detail - such as a bow or a small peplum - at the back of a gown. Most common at the waistline.

FABRICS
A word about fabric before we begin. There are two terms erroneously interchanged. One is fiber and the other is fabric. Fiber refers to what the fabric is made of such as silk, polyester, acetate, rayon, etc. Fabric refers to the weave of the fiber - satin, organza, chiffon, taffeta. You can have a fabric such as satin made of almost any fiber. Each fiber has it's own characteristics and comes in a wide range of quality. Use of one fiber over another does not in and of itself constitute a better gown. Bengaline: A fabric usually a blend of cotton and acetate with tightly oven crosswise ribs. Brocade: a fabric with a pattern woven in Charmeuse: A soft, flexible fabric usually shiny on one side and matte on the other side. Chiffon: A sheer, soft, limp, fluid fabric. Crepe: A lightweight fabric characterized by a finely-crinkled surface. Crepe back satin: A light to mid weight fabric that is satin on one side and crepe on the other side Duppioni: A tightly woven fabric with slubbed yarns, often used interchangeably with raw silk. Duchess Satin: A very heavy stiff satin Faille: A lighter version of bengaline Georgette: A sheer fabric with the same weave a chiffon and crepe but heavier than chiffon and lighter than crepe. Matte Satin: A medium weight satin with a dull finish. Organza: A sheer usually stiff fabric with a plain weave. Peau de soie: Matte satin Point d' esprit lace: Fine net fabric characterized by oval or square dots woven in a grid-like pattern. Raw silk: A fabric characterized by course, intermittent nubs in the weave.

Shantung: A lighter weight version of duppoini Taffeta: A lightweight crisp cross woven fabric that gathers into great fullness. Tulle: a lightweight fine sheer billowy net.

TRIMS
Alencon lace: A needlepoint lace, generally in a floral design, outlined with heavy threads on a sheer net background. One of the most common bridal laces. Re-embroidered Alencon has been stitched over with sequins, pearls or other trim for added definition. Bugle beads: Tubular beads used for ornamentation. Chantilly lace: A delicate-looking lace marked by a hexagonal mesh between dominant designs and a scrolled outer edge. Guipere lace: Heavy lace work of dense patterns joined by thinner bars. Illusion detailing: Featured on many bodices and created by using a fine, sheer fabric. Point d' esprit lace: Fine net fabric characterized by oval or square dots woven in a grid-like pattern. Schiffli lace: Actually not a lace proper but an embroidery used on bridal gowns. Schiffli is added directly to a fabric instead of being sewn on top of it as most laces are. Venice lace: A heavy needlepoint lace, generally made in cotton, in higher relief than regular Alencon.