Fashion Lingo: 2012

01/11/12

Architectural shoe

Shoe design inspired from sources outside of their traditional boundaries of footwear in terms of form, structure, and materiality.

Source: Architecture and Fashion Collide with United Nude Footwear

Test you fashion lingo with this excerpt from Toronto Standard:

"Every girl needs a black leather skirt. Step it up this season with an architectural shoe. Nothing screams military chic like skinny cargo pants with a pair of beautiful camo-print ballet flats. Want to look as effortlessly cool as Rachel Bilson? Try a tribal-inspired hobo bag with a retro mini. For night, go luxe with a glam gown, but add unexpected accessories, like a splash of leopard print.
Totally surreal."

15/10/12

Manbag

A handbag or purse carried by a male.

It is easy to define but it gets more complicated when it comes to choosing a man bag. The criteria should be as follows: small, sleek, lightweight, and definitely not look like a purse. Briefcases, messenger bags and backpacks are not man bags. They are too large and bulky to carry on a daily basis without looking like a man is not headed to school or work. Fannypacks are a no-no, unless you want to look like an ubergeek and repel women. Also, stay away from fancy designs, patterns, or the color pink. Flight, utility, and certain camera bags generally fall into the category of man bags.

Four in five men now carry a ‘manbag’ – and on average it weighs more than a lady’s handbag.

The trend has been put down to the need to carry an ever-growing number of electronic gadgets – from smartphones to iPads, Kindles and laptops – as well as keys and wallets.

26/09/12

BB cream

BB cream: blemish balm (cream).
A type of tinted face cream used to cover (and possibly correct) blemishes.

Source: July-December 2011 package of the Camlex New Words Collection

19/09/12

Textspeak is spreading into fashion lingo

The Guardian tells us that, ‘Beyoncé and Cheryl sported his dresses with amaze (amazing) metal bits,’ while Grazia magazine, urging its readers to watch a popular TV talent show remarks as an aside, ‘Although appaz (apparently) you already are’. Other text words used in this way include obvs (obviously), totes(totally), blates (blatantly) and soz (sorry).

Source: The spread of textspeak into general language

Fashion quote

"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 now easier to understand Sanskrit than some of the words commonly used by commentators within the fashion industry to describe garments."

(Debenhams spokeswoman Lizzie Singleton)

The lingua franca of the fashion world is „fashionese“ or „fashion speak“. Originally it was the language of the fashion pack - the designers, stylists, journalists and models,- made to keep the little people out.

Fashion Lingo