Part 6
=Clerical collar=—(1) a coat and waistcoat c., straight standing, not turned over, similar to that known as military c. (qv); on the waistcoat, however, the clerical c. buttons behind and has a continuous front; (2) a separable linen shirt c. closed in front and buttoning behind, the Anglican c. being single and the Roman double or folded.
=Clerical frock coat=—a single-breasted frock c. with straight skirts (not cutaway), buttoned from waist line to throat, usually with 7 buttons, with military collar.
=Clerical full dress=—as worn by Anglican clergymen, consists of a sort of single-breasted cutaway frock coat without revers, buttoning to the throat, with a military collar; a cassock waistcoat and plain trousers.
=Clerical girdle=—a sort of cincture of black or white worsted or silk rope with tasseled ends.
=Clerical sack coat=—a square-cornered single-breasted s. c., without revers, usually with 6 buttons, closing to the throat, with military collar.
=Clerical shirt=—a plain white linen s. without a made bosom, but with a simple placket.
=Clerical shirt collar=—see Clerical c. (2).
=Clericals=—short, close-cropt side whiskers.
=Clerk=—an absolutely impeccable individual.
=Cleveland hat=—a white or light-colored felt h., shaped like the silk top h., popular during the first Cleveland administration.
=Clip=—a season’s “crop” of wool; a shearing. See Wool c.
=Clips=—waste bits of cloth and other materials, saved and sold to converters.
=Cloak=—a loose outergarment without sleeves; a cape.
=Cloak room=—a shuffling place for umbrellas, hats, overcoats and rubbers.
=Cloaking=—any fabric suitable for men’s or women’s cloaks or overcoats, such as kersey, broadcloths, beaver, vicuna, chinchilla, etc.
=Clock=—narrow stem of silk embroidery on either side of a stocking, extending beyond the ankle and ending in a spear or crowsfoot; also a similar effect in drawn work.
=Clockmutch=—a night cap, from the Dutch clapmuts; a form of headdress which, tho still worn in Holland, is rarely seen in America.
=Clodhopper=—an awkward, clumsy fellow.
=Clodhoppers=—(1)extra large, ill-fitting shoes; (2) big feet.
=Clog=—(1) a dancing shoe; (2) an overshoe.
=Clogs=—wooden soles, usually iron shod, with leather straps for fastening.
=Close edge=—see Scotch e.
=Close-fitting=—said of a coat or other garment made tight or snug fitting, or shaped closely to the body.
=Close-roll=—trade term for umbrellas constructed on metal rods and covered with fine silk or other material that will roll closely into small compass. See Tight r.
=Closed front=—see Meeting folder.
=Closed gauntlet=—a mailed protectiv covering for the hand and wrist with immovable fingers, with the exception of one joint, so that in the shock of meeting an adversary, the weapon of the wearer, held fast in the fixt fingers, might not be dropt out of the hand—a device which, in the tournaments of those days, was considered as giving an unfair advantage over one’s adversary, and was usually proscribed.
=Closed shop=—a s. where a workman who refuses to join a labor union cannot find employment.
=Closed trousers=—tailors’ term for t. made for customers who stand with their legs close together, the inseam being shorter than is required for open t., which see.
=Closers=—in ready-to-wear clothing manufacture, operators who put together the sides, back and front seams of a coat, making the outer shell only.
=Closing measure=—in tailoring a measure taken over the shoulder from front to rear of sleeve head at under-level of arm scye. Compare Scye m.
=Cloth=—in the woolens trade, a word used generally, to distinguish close-woven, fulled and milled or napt fabrics made of woolen yarn from those made of worsted yarns in various fancy weaves and not compacted but given various finishes, as “clear”, “unfinisht”, etc.
=Cloth beam=—in a loom a roller or b. on which the woven fabric is wound.
=Cloth board=—a piece of wood on which bolts of woolens, linings, shirtings, etc., are wound into bolts; also made of heavy paper pulp b., and wood-and-paper.
=Cloth brush=—name commonly given to a b. of bristles set in a wooden back, to distinguish from whisk broom, altho the latter is often so called.
=Cloth button=—a b. made on a mold and covered with cloth matching the garment.
=Cloth fair=—an English custom of the 17th century, annual exhibits and sales being held by the weavers and factors.
=Cloth knife=—a very long tapering blade for cutting many layers of material at a time, working in a groove in the cutting table.
=Cloth-lapper=—one who folds cloth in the piece, generally by means of machinery.
=Cloth of gold=—generally heavy brocaded silk textures, inwrought with gold threads. More precise information can be had with research—you might commence with Deuteronomy xxxix. 3, and work up to the present.
=Cloth of iron=—see Iron c.
=Cloth-stitch=—a close s., like the weave of cloth.
=Cloth tester=—a machine for testing, from a small sample, the tensil strength of fabrics.
=Cloth (the)=—the clergy.
=Cloth-teazeler=—a machine for raising a nop on cloth by teazeling.
=Clothes=—consult Baker’s “Dictionary of Men’s Wear”.
=Clothes hamper=—a basket for soiled clothes.
=Clothes line=—a rope on which washing is hung out to dry.
=Clothes press=—a closet for clothes; a wardrobe.
=Clothes tongs=—an implement for grappling cloths or garments and removing them from a dying vat.
=Clothier=—(1) one who sells ready-to-wear clothing—distinguisht from the tailor in that he usually gets his money in advance; (2) a manufacturer of clothes.
=Clothing=—garments and apparel, considered as a whole.
=Clothing wool=—fine fleece 2 to 4 inches long, intended for woolen or carded yarn, usually graded as picklock, XXX, XX, X, No. 1 and No. 2, the first being the finest, the last the coarsest; the name of locality where obtained is also prefixt. See Wool. Compare Combing w.
=Clouded yarn=—weft y., characterized by alternate thick and thin places thruout its length.
=Cloudy=—trade term for goods not perfectly dyed and uneven in color. Compare “Off color” and “Shaded”.
=Club=—a place for the idle rich to sit in the windows for the inspection of pretty girls passing by.
=Club=—see Wig.
=Club check=—small quiet checks.
=Club coat=—see Dinner jacket.
=Club tie=—see Graduated t.
=Coaching hat=—a felt h. similar to a derby, but with a flat or square top.
=Coachman’s box overcoat=—a double-breasted top coat, of covert, kersey or whipcord, for wear with stable suit or undress livery.
=Coachman’s collar=—a standing shirt c. usually on a band and having well rounded corners.
=Coachman’s frock coat=—a single-breasted skirted c. closing with six buttons, usually matching the metalwork of the harness, large pocket flaps at waistline without pockets, four buttons on skirt.
=Coachman’s hat=—(1) a tall felt h. having a bell crown with a flat top; (2) a variety of Derby h. with a flattish top.
=Coachman’s livery=—Dress: body coat, breeches and boots, silk hat, greatcoat in winter. Undress: cutaway coat, breeches, square-crown derby or bell-crown hat, leggins, selby or top coat in winter; jacket and trousers often substituted for the skirted coat and breeches.
=Coachman’s overcoat=—a double-breasted frock o., buttoning close to the neck with a double row of six buttons, Prussian collar, large pocket flaps at waistline, the skirt folds showing turned back revers or side edges (qv).
=Coachmen’s proof=—an extra heavy waterproofing process, as applied to raincoatings, etc., intended for severe wear.
=Coat=—an outergarment for the upper part of the body as body c. (sack, cutaway, frock, dress, etc.), and overcoat (top coat, Chesterfield, Newmarket, paletot, raincoat, Inverness, ulster, etc.)
=Coat case=—see Portmanteau, Suit c., etc.
=Coat front=—trade term for a built-up stiffening or shape-retaining interlining for the fronts of coats, made of stitcht layers of haircloth, felt and canvas.
=Coat label=—(1) a l. of cotton or linen, usually sewed within the inside breast pocket, containing besides the tailor’s name the name of the customer, date and number of order; (2) a woven silk l. bearing the name and address of the maker, usually sewed inside at back of neck.
=Coat link=—a pair of buttons linkt together, or a button and a loop, used for closing or fastening a coat, as a dress coat.
=Coat maker=—a journeyman tailor who makes coats his specialty.
=Coat money=—a tax levied by Charles I. ostensibly for clothing the army.
=Coat of mail=—defensiv armor worn by those afraid to die.
=Coat pad=—general term for any made-up padding or wadding, as shoulder-pads, coat fronts, etc.
=Coat shirt=—a s. open all the way down the front and put on like a c., whence name.
=Coat sweater=—a knitted jacket or sweater (qv) opening all the way down the front and closing with buttons; with sleeves, but usually without collar, much like a cardigan jacket.
=Coat-tail pocket=—see Skirt p.
=Coat-tails=—the skirts of a frock c.
=Coatee=—(1) a very short coat of 1757; (2) a cadet’s uniform coat.
=Coating=—tailoring term for all fine woolen and worsted cloths especially suitable for dress coats, such as broadcloth, crepe, unfinisht worsted, vicuna, refines, etc.; also applied to overcoatings.
=Coatlet=—a dummy sample showing how a coat will look when made up; a means of showing piece goods by swatches cut and finisht much like a coat front, the effect being enhanced by displaying a number of such dummies in an overlapping row. (Name and system proprietary.)
=Cobble=—to patch or repair boots or shoes; used in the sense of rough or clumsy work.
=Cobbler=—(1) a mender of boots and shoes; (2) a clumsy or indifferent workman.
=Cobweb=—unusually thin, sheer and transparent, as c. hosiery.
=Cochineal=—bug juice; a red dye.
=Cockade=—a roset or knot of ribbon, leather, bullion, etc., worn on the hat as a badge of service, military, diplomatic or (improperly) domestic, etc.
=Cocking=—tailor’s term for critical inspection of finisht garments for discovery of mistakes—derived doubtless from an affected manner of squinting or “cocking the eye” on the part of the zealous examiner.
=Cockle=—see below.
=Cockling=—trade term for a wrinkled, puckered or shriveled effect or apparent defect in cloths, usually the result of lack of uniformity in warp and filling yarns, or uneven twist of either or both, or imperfect crabbing (qv), etc., chiefly encountered in light-weight fabrics and especially in such styles as loom-checks, mixt warp suitings, etc.
=Cockt hat=—a h. of various shapes, sometimes turned up in front only, with one button, and also with three laps, often richly trimmed with metal cords, buttons, laces, ribbons, etc.; see Kevenhuller. See also Chapeau. (=Cocked= h.)
=Cocoon=—the covering or chrysalis envelop spun by the silk worm, from which the filaments entering into the manufacture of silk are obtained.
=C. O. D.=—collect on delivery—otherwise you could have a charge account.
=Codfish=—the airs, frills and pretensions of the new rich; affected stylishness.
=Codfish aristocracy=—the “smart set” that furnishes the market for readymade ties, “pants,” “vests,” and outre “fashions” generally.
=Codpiece=—a medieval ornamental article of apparel. Consult Rabelais, Boccaccio, et al.
=Coffin cloth=—see Casket c.
=Coif=—a close undercap—centuries out of date.
=Coin case=—a sort of purse for odd change.
=Coin purse=—a small p. for “loose change.”
=Coin toe=—one of many varieties of shoe toes, rounded, and according to width, known as half dollar t., dime t., etc.
=Cokers=—iron reinforcements for the sole and heels of the woodsoled clogs worn by European peasants; also known as “irons”.
=Cold storage=—recommended for furs; for processes, etc., consult scientific works.
=Coldwater shrinking=—a process of sponging or shrinking woolens by dipping them in cold water and then suspending them on rods or lines in the open air to dry; the London process; the opposite of steam shrunk (qv).
=Colichemarde=—a peculiar duelling sword of the period of Louis XIV.
=Collar=—in tailoring that part of a coat or waistcoat that is folded back around the neck. All collars are either straight (put on in a straight line) or horseshoe (hollowed and curved), the former being the better fitting but more difficult to make. As to shape collars are known as notched c., shawl c., ulster c., clerical c., Prussian c., military c., rolling c., etc., while as to material they are designated self c., velvet c., laid on velvet c., inlaid c., etc. All of which see
=Collar=—a detacht or attacht linen neckpiece. See Shirt c.
=Collar-ascot=—a neglige c. and cravat combined, but separable. (Proprietary term.)
=Collar bag=—a b. of cloth or leather, with a draw-string, for carrying collars when traveling.
=Collar box=—a container for collars, usually of leather.
=Collar break=—tailoring term for the creased line of a lapel.
=Collar button=—an indispensable instrument of iniquitous proclivities.
=Collar city (the)=—Troy, N. Y.
=Collar insignia=—(=army=) see Insignia of rank.
=Collar spring=—a steel s. device worn under coat collars for the purpose of keeping the coat front together without buttoning and for the further purposes of spoiling the coat and to display the wearer’s vulgarity.
=Collar stand=—tailoring term for that part of a coat c. where sewed to the coat proper and extending to the crease or turnover point; usually 1⅛ to 1¾ inches in height.
=Collar velvet=—a very fine and expensive grade of silk v. made especially for the tailoring trade.
=Collarette=—see Vestlet.
=Collars-and-cuffs=—nickname for the late Duke of Clarence, son of King Edward VII., arising from his penchant for extremely high collars and protrusive cuffs.
=College cap=—an adhesive diminutive c. of about the size of a small saucer.
=College colors=—flamboyance. See Appendix.
=College hat=—a flat topt soft felt h. of the telescope variety, usually with band in college colors, commonly worn with brim blazed up or banged down in front.
=Collet=—a shoulder cape or collar.
=Collet=—the neck or stem of a button.
=Collet point=—the sharp point or base of a brilliant cut diamond.
=Cologne=—see Eau de c.
=Colonel’s uniform=—(=army=) see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u.; (=marine corps=) Special full dress, Full dress, Mess dress, Undress, Field dress. Also variations.
=Color=—briefly, any hue, as distinguisht from white. See Encyclopedia.
=Color doctor=—in calico printing, a blade for wiping surplus ink from the engraved roll.
=Color of the day=—in ecclesiastical usage the vestments worn on certain days must be of certain colors, as: white, for the feasts of our Lord, of virgins who were not martyrs, and of confessors; red for feasts of Pentecost and of all martyrs; violet for advent and from Septuagesima until Easter; green for ferial or ordinary days; black on Good Friday and in services for the dead. Cloth of gold is supposed to take the place of white, red or green.
=Color-test=—general term for the various means of determining the purity or fastness of colors, which may be by means of exposure, washing, chemical processes, etc. See Acid t., Exposure t., and an encyclopedia.
=Comb=—a little rake of rubber, horn, celluloid or other substance used in dressing the hair.
=Combination suit=—undershirt and drawers constructed as one piece or garment; better known as union s.
=Combing=—the process of arranging the fibers of wool, mohair, silk, cotton, etc., into a parallel condition and of equal length, preparatory to spinning into smooth, even and regular yarn; the perfected application of the carding principle.
=Combing wool=—fleece intended for worsted yarn, the staple ranging from 4 to 10 inches long; generally classed as fine, medium, coarse and low. See Wool. Compare Carding w.
=Come again=—shopkeeper’s invitation to try it over again.
=Come-back=—a customer, not sold to the first time, who returns.
=Come-to-Jesus-collar=—irreverent term for a plain standing linen shirt c. of the lap front variety; a “choker”; a clergyman’s c.
=Comforter=—a long woolen scarf or muffler.
=Comforter=—a quilt or counterpane, especially one of cotton or wool filling between two sheets of cotton or silk, more or less fancifully stitched.
=Comfortable=—a sort of shawl worn in the first half of the last century.
=Commander’s coat=—(=masonic=) a double-breasted frock c. of black cloth, having two rows of 11 buttons each and a standing military collar and epaulets. Compare Sir Knights c. and Fatigue blouse.
=Commander’s uniform=—(=navy=) see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Service dress, Evening dress, Mess dress, Undress. See also variations.
=Comme il faut=—irreproachable.
=Commercially all-wool=—see All wool.
=Commodore’s uniform=—see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Service dress, Evening dress, Mess dress, Undress. See also variations.
=Common=—see Wool.
=Commonsense=—a name sometimes applied to designate a certain style of broad-toed footform shoe. See Orthopedic.
=Competition=—a good thing to take the conceit out of some merchants.
=Composition cloth=—a strong, heavy cotton duck or canvas, chemically waterproofed, used for trunk covers, bags, etc.
=Compound spectacles=—(1) s. having lenses made of two different foci or characters in one frame; (2) s. with supplementary (detachable) lenses of colored glass. Compare Bifocal s.
=Concertina pocket=—a bellows (patch) p.
=Conchas=—Silver ornaments attached to the spurs worn by cowboys and plainsmen on high days and holiday occasions.
=Conditioning=—a process in the manufacture of cotton yarns, restoring thereto, immediately after spinning, the natural moisture that was driven out. Originally the purpose was to add weight and deceive the purchaser, but experience, in comparison with yarns “hot off the reel”, has demonstrated that conditioned yarns are improved materially in strength, elasticity and appearance, with freedom from kinks and curls.
=Conductors’ uniforms=—see Railroad c. u. and Street railway c. u.
=Coner=—a workman who attends to a cone on which hat bodies are formed.
=Coney=—a species of rabbit, the fur of which is largely used in the manufacture of fur garments, and by hatters; properly the fur of the conepatus, a genus of badger-like skunks; loosely applied to all cheap furs, such as rabbit, cat, etc.
=Confessional cape=—a c. worn by Catholic priests in the confessional box; not much in present use.
=Confirm=—to ratify an order given—a practice that seems to be growing in usage.
=Conformateur=—a mechanical device for obtaining and recording or holding the shape of the head or of other parts of the body that hats or other articles of apparel may be conformed thereto.
=Congress shoe=—a s. without a buttoned or laced opening in the front of top, but with elastic gores in the sides.
=Coning=—in hat making the process of shaping the flat felt into cones.
=Connaught=—an overcoat of the same class as the present day Chesterfield, popular in England about 25 years ago.
=Continental hat=—the distinctiv h., so called, worn by the Continental Army of old, but which dates back to the time of William III. See Three cornered h.
=Contract=—(1) a binding legal agreement insisted upon by employes not confident of holding their jobs otherwise, and proffered by employers not confident of holding good men otherwise; (2) an agreement for merchandise or other services.
=Contraptions=—vulgarism applied to any new-fangled, peculiar thing or idea; e. g., an extravagant form of dress, a queer and unusual manner of speech, or anything else that is new and to which the public taste is not accustomed.
=Cope=—a long mantle of silk or brocade worn over the alb by priests or bishops on solemn or ceremonial occasions; also a state or choral vestment worn by laymen.
=Copper toed=—name given to the old-time schoolboy’s shoes with copper toe protection against scuffing.
=Cops=—the conical rolls of thread formed on the spindle of a spinning machine.
=Cor de soie=—a corded silk of the 18th century.
=Cord stitch=—a fancy s. of a chain-like nature.
=Corded edge=—in tailoring an edge finish obtained by laying a cord along the joint and fastening it thereto so as to present a hard-wearing e.; see piped e. Differing from corded welt in that the cord is not concealed but is on the outer edge or surface.
=Corded goods=—trade term for such goods as Bedford cord, whipcord, repps, ottoman, etc.
=Corded pocket=—same as jetted p. (qv), especially if the turned over piece encloses a cord.
=Corded seam=—a plain s. (qv) is first made, then instead of being presst open, the s. is turned to one side and stitcht thru again so that the face of the cloth shows a row of stitching, corresponding, usually, with the edge finish. The three thicknesses give a cord effect to the s., hence the name, altho it is also called “single-stitch s.” Also sewn with a cord or piping between so as to show same on the outside. See C. edge.
=Corded wolf’s paw=—see Wig.
=Cordington=—a heavy, close-felted variety of “niggerhead”. See also Petersham.
=Cordonnet=—inferior silk fibers used for manufacturing braids, binding, twist, etc.
=Cordovan=—horsehide shoe leather.
=Corduroy=—a heavy, pile-woven cotton fabric largely used for hunting garments, stable wear, laborer’s clothes, etc.; usually 27 inches wide. In weaving one or two sets of weft may be used (the latter for the better grades), the weft forming the pile which is thrown up in furrows of loops which are afterward cut and singed, and the cloth then dyed.
=Cordwainer=—a shoemaker.
=Cork sole=—shoemaking term for an intermediate s. of cork for warmth and protection against wet.
=Corkscrew worsted=—a twill woven suiting having a round, even twill, supposed to, but not suggesting the twists of a corkscrew, formed by the warp surrounding and imbedding the weft and appearing on both face and back of the fabric.
=Corner pocket=—same as top p.
=Coronation cloth=—a black-and-red variation of Queen’s mourning c., (qv) appearing just previous to the first time set for coronation of King Edward VII.
=Coronet=—an article of decorativ attire not popular in democratic America, tho in activ demand by heiresses of peddlers, packers, etc.
=Corporal’s uniform=—see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u., Fatigue u. Also variants.
=Corpulent=—trade term for a man whose waist and breast are more than normal measure; i. e., a man whose chest seems to have slipt down below his belt. See Stout.
=Corselet=—medieval armor.
=Corset=—contraption of cloth, steel and whalebone for giving shapeliness to a woman or effeminacy to a man.
=Corset vest=—a vest (waistcoat) cut snug and tight to compress the waist and strongly constructed to withstand the strain.
=Cosmetique=—same as Pomatum.
=Cossacks=—a peculiar shapeless sort of trousers reaching about to the ankle where they are drawn with a ribbon and tied, rather full below the waist where they are gathered by plaits to shape; popular in first half of 19th century. Also called Plaited trousers.
=Cost-mark=—the first thing, not comprehended in his duties, that the new employe takes an activ interest in learning.
=Coster suit=—general term for anything garish and cockneyfied.
=Costume=—(1) dress and the science and history of dress; (2) the garments one may be wearing.
=Costume de rigueur=—extreme formal or evening dress; prescribed ceremonious attire.
=Costumer=—one who furnishes garments of any particular period or fashion for theatrical use, masquerades, etc.
=Costumer=—a piece of furniture upon which clothes are hung at night.
=Costumic=—of or pertaining to costume (rare).
=Cotta=—a short surplice, with and without sleeves.
=Cottes noir=—“black coats”, the nickname of a corps of mercenary German troops of the early 17th century, whose appointments were black thruout.