French
French words used in fashion, craft and the luxury industry.
41 terms
- Alternance
- A study-and-work arrangement that combines education with time in employment; the contract and rules depend on the country and program.
- Appliqué
- Decoration made by attaching pieces of fabric to a larger fabric surface.
- Atelier
- French for a workshop or studio, including a workroom where garments, accessories or other objects are made.
- Avant-garde
- Experimental or unconventional design that challenges established styles or ways of making things.
- Batiste
- A fine, lightweight fabric with a plain weave and a soft, often semi-sheer appearance.
- Bouclé
- Yarn with loops that give it a textured surface, or fabric made with that yarn.
- Boutique
- A specialist shop, often selling clothing, accessories or products from a particular brand.
- Brocade
- A woven fabric whose raised decorative pattern is formed with additional patterning threads.
- CDD
- Contrat à durée déterminée: a French fixed-term employment contract, subject to specific legal conditions.
- Chambray
- A plain-weave fabric, usually made with a colored warp and a white or undyed weft.
- Charmeuse
- A lightweight satin-weave fabric with a lustrous face and a duller back.
- Chemise
- A loose undergarment or lingerie piece that hangs from the shoulders.
- Chenille
- A yarn with short fibers projecting around its core, or a soft, pile-textured fabric made with it.
- Chiffon
- A lightweight, sheer fabric with a slightly grainy surface and a flowing drape.
- Couture
- French for sewing or dressmaking; in fashion, often used for specially made, carefully constructed clothing.
- Cravat
- A length of fabric worn around the neck and tied or arranged as neckwear.
- Crêpe
- Fabric with a crinkled or grainy surface, produced through its yarns, construction or finishing.
- Crepe de chine
- A lightweight fabric with a subtle crepe texture and a soft drape, often made from silk or polyester.
- Décolleté
- Describing a low-cut neckline that exposes the upper chest and sometimes the shoulders.
- Défilé
- French for a runway show presenting a fashion collection.
- Denim
- A durable, usually cotton fabric with a twill weave, often made with indigo-dyed warp yarns and lighter weft yarns.
- Drapé
- The way a fabric hangs, folds and moves under its own weight.
- Faille
- A woven fabric with pronounced ribs running across its width.
- Georgette
- A lightweight, often sheer fabric with a crinkled surface and a springy drape.
- Haute couture
- A controlled French designation for fashion houses meeting specific requirements for made-to-order clothing and its presentation.
- Jacquard
- A weaving system that controls individual warp threads to create patterns, and a name for fabrics made with it.
- Lingerie
- Underwear and nightwear, often made with fabrics such as lace, silk or fine cotton.
- Matelassé
- Fabric with a raised, quilted-looking surface created by its construction rather than by a separate layer of padding.
- Métiers d’art
- French for skilled artistic crafts, including disciplines such as embroidery, engraving and decorative metalwork.
- Mise en place
- Preparing and arranging ingredients, tools and service items before cooking or service begins.
- Moire
- A rippled, water-like surface effect on fabric, commonly produced by finishing a ribbed cloth.
- Organdy
- A lightweight, sheer, plain-weave cotton fabric with a crisp finish.
- Piqué
- Fabric with a raised texture, such as small ribs, cords or a honeycomb-like surface.
- Prêt-à-porter
- French for ready-to-wear: clothing made in standard sizes and offered ready for purchase.
- Savoir-faire
- Practical knowledge and skill developed through experience, especially in making or doing something.
- Voile
- A lightweight, semi-sheer, plain-weave fabric, often made from cotton or a cotton blend.