With the changing fashion trend one is seeing a number of new styles with new names coming up, which have left many shoppers baffled and clueless, as to what exactly they are buying. To ease customers’ confusion, department store Debenhams has decided to release a dictionary, to help all understand the plethora of new descriptions and phrases emerging from the fashion industry.
“It’s now easier to understand Sanskrit than some of the words commonly used by commentators within the fashion industry to describe garments,” quoted Debenhams spokesman Lizzie Singleton as saying. “Shakespeare managed to accurately describe the entire human condition using simple English, so we’re certain the fashion industry can do the same to describe a pair of trousers. It’s virtually a secret language, designed solely for fashion experts and people who spend every day reading fashion magazines,” Singleton added.
Some words featured in Debenhams fashion dictionary:
- Blurt [Blouse/Skirt] all in one blouse and skirt combo.
- Cardigown [Cardigan/Dressing Gown] Cardigan, usually long and belted like a cardigan.
- Coatigan [Coat /Cardigan] Cardigan with a coat appearance.
- Jardigan [Jacket/Cardigan] a thick jacket like cardigan that requires no coat on top.
- Jeggings [Jean/Leggings] Leggings with jean like qualities.
- Jombats [Jegging/Combats] tight combats of jegging quality.
- Mace male Lace
- Mackets [Mac/Jacket] a cross between a mac and a jacket.
- Mandles [Man – Sandals] sandals for men.
- Mankinis [Male/Bikini] skimpy swimwear for men championed by Borat.
- Meggings [Male Leggings] very tight jersey trousers for men.
- Mubes maxi tube dress
- Shacket [Shirt/Jacket] Jacket of shirt like appearance.
- Shoots [Shoe/Boots] not quite a shoe nor a boot but something in between.
- Skorts [Skirt/Short] shorts with the look of a skirt i.e. culottes.
- Skousers [Skirt/Trousers] trousers with an attached skirt.
- Tankini [Tank/Bikini] cross between a bikini and a tank top for a more modest swim option.
- Tregging [Trouser/Legging] Leggings of trouser like appearance.
- Watchlet [Watch/Bracelet] a bracelet which includes a time telling decorative element.
- Whorts [Winter shorts] thick, often wool based shorts, normally worn with tights in winter
The Debenhams dictionary have been rolled out in all the stores. The dictionary aims to help every shopper, both fashion expert and non expert alike, to shop easily and clearly in all of the brand`s stores.
However, Debenhams is also urging the fashion industry to use existing English words to describe their garments rather than made up amalgamations. Hopefully the dictionary will go some way to cleaning up the confusion.
Debenhams plc, is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops.
