Part 16
=Near-silk=—a mercerized cotton lining fabric having a slight glaze and high luster, with or without a twill or artificially imparted moire.
=Neat=—tasteful, not tawdry, clean.
=Neat=—see Wool.
=Neats-foot oil=—an o. obtained from the feet of cattle and esteemed good for keeping shoes in condition.
=Neck=—the stem made by the thread when sewing on buttons; as “the neck is too short” when too tight, or “the neck is too long” when too loose or drooping. (Tailoring term.)
=Neck hole=—tailoring term, applied to garments ready for try-on, meaning the opening to which the collar is not yet sewed on.
=Neck lock=—see Wig.
=Neck point=—the socket bone; a term in tailor’s measurements, indicating where the collar is to be adjusted to the garment.
=Neck stock=—see Stock.
=Neckband=—that part of a shirt which by going often to the laundry acquires a hardness, serration and temper prejudicial to the comfort, peace and happiness of the wearer.
=Neckcloth=—a cravat, scarf or other neckdressing.
=Neckerchief=—a square or oblong piece of silk, linen or cotton, of suitable pattern, worn as a neckcovering, principally with outing attire.
=Necktie=—correctly, a long, narrow tie fastened in a bow in front.
=Necktie silks=—see Cravating.
=Necktie sociable=—a vigilance committee’s soiree.
=Neckwear=—trade term for neckdressings of all sorts, particularly cravats, stocks, ties, etc.
=Needle=—a small, slender pointed steel instrument with an eye for carrying thread thru fabrics in sewing; of various kinds, known among tailors as silk-n., thread-n., button-n., basting-n., etc., and these again are known as sharps, blunts, betweens, etc.
=Needle-board=—a perforated board used to guide the needles in a Jacquard loom.
=Needle toe=—an extremely sharp pointed once fashionable (?) in shoes.
=Needleman=—a man who sews; a tailor, furrier, etc.
=Neglige=—easy and informal dress.
=Neglige shirt=—a s. with plain or plaited front, but not with a built-up bosom; usually of fancy materials and most worn in the summer time.
=Negro cloth=—a cheap, coarse homespun cloth (of tow?), of colonial days, worn by farm laborers.
=Netherstocks=—stockings.
=Nettle-cloth=—a varnisht thick cotton cloth used for belts, cap visors, etc., as a substitute for leather.
=Nettle fiber=—see Ramie.
=New-fangled=—anything which people may not yet be used to.
=New mown hay=—a perfume imaginativly supposed to resemble the odor of fresh cut hay.
=New York surtout=—a fashionable frock overcoat of 1851, having very short skirts cut straight off (horizontally) and with a prodigious collar rolling down to the waistline, liberally trimmed with wide fancy braid.
=Newmarket=—general term for the long, double-breasted frock overcoat (from Newmarket, Eng., a town celebrated for its racing meets), originally worn when driving or riding; a surtout.
=N. G.=—slang for “no good”.
=Nid d’abeille=—bee hive effects in weaving.
=Nifty=—excellence of style and appearance; up to the mark.
=Niggerhead=—a cloth with rough knotted or curly surface, resembling boucle and Astrakhan. See also Petersham.
=Night cap=—a sort of bonnet, of light material, for sleeping in—also something to help you sleep without one.
=Night drawers=—sleeping garments, made usually with legs and feet, commonly worn by children.
=Night gown=—in colonial days an undress garment worn at home, but not for sleeping; often quite elaborate; a dressing g. or jacket; sometimes worn away from home, as at the office.
=Night rail=—name given in colonial times to what is our present-day night robe.
=Night robe=—see N. shirt.
=Night shirt=—a long, loose gown for sleeping purposes.
=Night slip=—an infant’s night dress.
=Night stick=—a hardwood club used by policemen in riot work, but more noticeably for rapping on the corner pavement at night to keep the neighborhood from too profound slumber.
=Nightie=—sleeping wear.
=Nightingale=—a peculiar, open-sleeved bed jacket, named after the famous nurse of the Crimean war.
=Nimbus=—the disk or halo which “the old man” thinks encircles his head refulgently.
=Nitch=—see Notch.
=No collar=—self-explanatory; tailoring term used mostly in connection with waistcoat.
=No dress=—no allowance to be made; small. See Dress.
=Noils=—knots and short bits of wool taken from the long staple in combing; waste silk.
=Noose=—a sort of necktie of no great popularity.
=Norfolk jacket=—a sack coat or j., straight front and single-breasted, with or without a yoke, having box plaits down the fronts and back and a belt of same material; the adjustment and style of yoke, plaits, pockets, etc., varies with season, taste of wearer and maker; most worn for hunting and for outdoor sports.
=Normal=—hosiery and underwear term for natural undyed wool and garments thereof.
=Normal=—(clothing term.) See Regular.
=Norwegian sock=—a heavy knit wool stocking similar to golf hose; used by hunters, lumbermen, explorers, et al.
=Nose guard=—a solid rubber face disfigurer that must be chewed. (Football.)
=Nose mask=—same as N. guard.
=Nose putty=—an article of theatrical makeup.
=Nosegay=—a small bunch of fragrant flowers; broadly, a boutonniere.
=Not balanced=—said of a coat that does not hang or drape well; out of balance; shifted.
=Not ready=—a phrase that has lost tailors more customers than readymaders ever gained otherwise.
=Notch=—in garment making, a V or nick cut into the edge of the cut cloth, showing where it is to be joined to another piece with a corresponding notch.
=Notch=—(tailoring term.) See Step; also see below.
=Notcht collar=—the typical c. of all single-breasted sack coats and waistcoats. In body coats and overcoats the collar is separate from the lapel to which it is joined in such a manner as to leave a notch or “step”; in waistcoats a notcht c. is usually of one piece on each side without seam, but with a V notch cut therein. (Notched c.)
=Nouveau riche=—one who has recently become rich and who proceeds to show off, first of all by adopting flashier and costlier clothes than could previously be afforded.
=Novelties=—the transient styles of a season; fancies, not staple; the basis of all reduction sales or clearing sales.
=Nuage=—French for clouded effects (in weaving).
=Nullifier=—a name sometimes given to a sort of slipper better known as Romeo (qv).
=Nun’s cloth=—see below.
=Nun’s veiling=—a thin, semi-transparent, plain-woven, woolen fabric, used for mourning bands, office coats, etc.; a complete suit for a man would average say 32 ounces in weight.
=Nursery cloth=—general name for thick, heavy cotton cloth or blanketing, used singly or two-ply in a desperate effort to save bedding from our infant ravages; most commonly a sort of very coarse, heavy, double-faced Canton flannel, or two sheets of muslin slightly wadded and quilted, tho there are several other varieties.
=Nutria=—the fur of the Brazilian otter, largely used in hat manufacture and for fur garments.
O
=Oak tanned=—term for leather tanned with oak bark.
=Ocean pearl=—trade term distinguishing oyster p. (and articles thereof) from fresh water or mussel and clam shell p. from inland waters.
=Odd Fellow’s coat=—same as Masonic Sir Knight’s c., but with 9 buttons instead of 11.
=Off color=—trade term for goods not comparing with the standard of color by which bought. Compare Cloudy and Shaded.
=Office=—where the pay envelope comes from; otherwise useless to the average employe.
=Office coat=—usually an alpaca sack c., unlined, broadly, any old c. not fit to be seen on the street, but good enough to wipe pens on.
=Office towel=—an indurated, inelastic piece of textil fabric of dark color, used for toilet purposes.
=Officer’s facings=—(=army=) color for general officers, staff and department officers, dark blue; for officers of engineers, scarlet piped with white; signal corps, orange piped with white; ordnance, black piped with scarlet; medical corps, maroon; quartermaster’s department, buff; cavalry, yellow; artillery, scarlet; infantry, light blue.
=Oil-boiled=—trade term for colors so treated as to ensure permanence.
=Oil frock=—a waterproof slicker-coat worn by miners, fishermen, etc.
=Oil grain=—same as stuft leather.
=Oil test=—(linen vs. cotton); a sample of cloth is boiled in water or alkali solution to remove the finishing matter, then laid on a glass plate and saturated with a heavy oil. A smaller glass plate is then placed over the sample to protect it from the air. After removing the surplus oil from the edges, the sample is examined with the light falling on it, and then with the light passing thru it. The linen fiber, owing to its thick cells with their greater resistance to light, appears transparent and resembles a slop of grease on paper. When the light passes thru it, it appears bright; and when the light falls upon it, it is dark. The reverse is the case with cotton. The air in the interior of the cotton fiber, as well as between the fibers themselves, is not displaced by the oil, and makes the cotton appear opaque; consequently when the light falls on the fiber it is bright, and when the light passes thru it it is dark.
=Oilcloth=—a painted and varnisht cotton fabric, largely employed, among other uses, for cap visors, belt linings, etc.
=Oiled silk=—a thin, plain-woven silk fabric impregnated with boiled oil and dried, becoming translucent and waterproof, used for perspiration guards, money belts, etc.
=Oilers=—vernacular for oilskins (qv).
=Oilskin=—a heavy, cotton cloth impregnated with oil and gum to render it waterproof; used for sailor’s coats, slickers, etc.; the name is also applied to such garments.
=Oilskins=—“slickers” (qv). Also see above.
=O. K.=—all right; all correct. The most popular idea of the derivation is that told of General Jackson, better known in American history as Old Hickory, who was not much at home in the art of spelling, and that he employed the letters O. K. as an endorsement of applications for office and other papers, intending them to stand for “all (orl) correct (korrect)”.
=Ol clo’s man=—a stoop-shouldered individual in a long frock coat, low billycock hat, wearing luxuriant whiskers and unclean fingernails.
=Old beau=—a fastidious old fellow of the “old school”, fond of women’s society.
=Old fashioned=—not of today.
=Old gold=—a dull, brassy, yellow color.
=Old man=—the head of the house who raises or reduces salaries, but who otherwise is not generally reckoned as having any special value to the business.
=Old-man’s frock=—a one-button cutaway f. coat, cut rather full in front.
=Old silver=—s. made to appear old by chemical treatment.
=Old thirds=—an obsolete English system of tailor’s measurements, invented by a German tailor in the early part of the 19th century.
=Olive=—a barrel-shaped fastening device used in connection with loops; a portion of a frog (qv); usually mohair or silk covered; worn principally on uniform overcoats.
=Olivauto cloth=—proprietary name for a clear-finisht worsted, 14 oz. cloth, made especially with reference to the needs of motorists; is dust proof and waterproof and of a brownish olive-drab shade.
=Ombre=—weaving term for blended stripes, shading off or into one another, effected by adjustment of warp and filling threads; usually applied to silks.
=Omophorion=—a sort of broad pallium (qv) worn by the Greek and Russian ministry.
=On one’s uppers=—shabby genteel.
=Once-over=—see Ascot, Puff, Waterfall, etc.; a method of tying same.
=One-button cutaway=—see Fat man’s frock.
=One-button sack=—see Fat man’s s.
=One-way plait=—prest flat from either side of the stitching; the reverse of box p.
=Ongrowing collar=—tailors’ term for waistcoat collars that are continued around the neck like coat collars instead of being sewed down at the shoulder and continuing merely as a band around the back of the neck. O. collars, therefore, are formed of the facing and forepart and top and undercollar parts and may have any kind of peakt or notcht lapel or rever, but are seldom made with the no-seam notch characteristic of ordinary single-breasted waistcoat collars.
=O O=—“own order”; in tailoring, a memorandum made by cutters who dislike a customer’s insistence upon certain details.
=Ooze=—suede leather.
=Open-face vest=—vernacular for evening dress waistcoat.
=Open fly=—not closed or boxt. See Fly.
=Open front=—a term usually applied to shirt bosoms made in two parts and joined by buttons or studs.
=Open front fold=—trade term for folded shirt collars where the standing band is cut away in V shape and the fold rather more so.
=Open lap seam=—same as Open welt s.
=Open shop=—the opposit of closed s. (qv); a s., factory or other establishment where workmen may be employed regardless of union or other affiliations.
=Open trousers=—tailors’ term for t. made for customers who stand with their legs spread apart or open, the inseam being longer than is required for closed t., which see.
=Open welt seam=—in tailoring, a s. resembling a plait. The two parts of the material are first sewed regularly, after which one part, which has been cut wider for the purpose, is basted over to the required size of the welt and sewed at the place of the first seam. Properly used as a finish for the side seams of trousers. See Welt s.
=Open-work=—trade term for drop stitch ribs or lace work designs in hosiery, etc.
=Opening=—tailoring term for the amount of space at throat not covered by a coat or vest, allowing display of (more or less) clean linen, betraying one’s taste in neckwear and jewelry, and, according to area, inviting bronchitis or bellyache. Compare Gorge.
=Opening=—the first step in the process of carding cotton; separating the matted fibers and removing foreign objects.
=Opening machine=—see Willowing m.
=Opera cloak=—a cape-like overgarment extending to the knees, having a narrow standing collar, and closed with cord and tassels, worn about 1850 over evening dress; also the Inverness overcoat (qv) is sometimes so called.
=Opera glass=—a binocular telescope of small size for magnifying the field of view for distant spectators; also the characteristic equipment of baldheaded front row first nighters.
=Operator=—trade term for machine workmen employed in clothing factories in contradistinction to journeymen tailors who do work by hand.
=Operette=—proprietary term for an evening dress overcoat, buttoning high at the throat, lined with white silk or satin in front and there combining some of the features of a muffler or dress shirt protector.
=Opoponax=—a perfume compounded from a gum resin obtained from a species of (Persian) parsnip, or in imitation thereof.
=Orarian=—a sort of stole worn by ministers of the Greek and Russian churches.
=Orarium=—same as Stole (qv).
=Orby=—a single-breasted walking frock coat made without a waist seam, the fore and back parts being entire; the back made without the usual sidebody parts, and having but a center seam terminating in a plain open vent at the waist. (1907.)
=Ordinary=—see Cotton classification.
=Organzine=—(1) warp silk made of two singles (qv) twisted together; thrown silk; (2) a fabric made of such silk.
=Orris root=—good thing for the linen chest, imparting to the contents thereof a delicate violet-like fragrance.
=Orthopedic=—name applied to a particular shape of last, generally broad-toed, in outline as near as possible to that of the natural foot.
=Osnaburg=—(1) coarse cotton shirtings, both plain colored and in small two-color checks, only slightly finisht after weaving, mostly produced in the southern states; (2) originally a coarse variety of linen cloth imported from Osnabruck, Prussia (whence name); used in colonial days for shirts, breeches, jackets, etc.
=Ostrich feathers=—in men’s wear used for uniform hats, regalia, etc.
=Otter=—an amphibious animal of various species, yielding a pelt valuable in the manufacture of fur garments; very like seal in texture.
=Ottoman=—a stout, lustrous silk fabric, of heavier cord than faille.
=Ounce=—in the trade the thickness or heaviness of cloths are designated by the number of ounces in one yard, as 10 oz., 16 oz., 24 oz., etc.
=Out breast=—tailor’s abbreviation for outside breast pocket.
=Out breast pocket=—see Outside b. p.
=Outside breast pocket=—trade term for the regular b. p. of coats and overcoats, customarily placed on the left side only, and so designated to distinguish from inside b. p.
=Outer leaf=—see Leaf.
=Out of date=—old-fashioned; old fogeyish.
=Out seam=—see Prix s.
=Outer garments=—broadly, any and all garments except those worn next the skin; more correctly a suit of clothes, overcoats, capes, and the like.
=Outer sole=—the s. leather in the bottom of shoe coming next to the ground.
=Outre=—not conforming to conventional usage or fashion; bizarre; extravagant; showy; freakish.
=Outing cloth=—a cotton fabric of various uses, woven similarly to gingham, but of softer, coarser yarns and well napt on both sides; also called o. flannel, tennis flannel, flannelette, domett, guinea cloth, etc.
=Outing flannel=—see O. cloth.
=Outing shoe=—a canvas s. for summer wear.
=Outing suit=—a light-weight summer or vacation suit, usually of flannel.
=Outlet=—in tailoring, an allowance made in cutting up cloth (not shown on the paper pattern), for seams, vents, the try-on fitting, alterations, etc.
=Outside back=—tailoring term for the back or outer lining of the back part of a vest.
=Outside flap=—a sewed-on f. outside of and over the pocket. Compare In-and-out f.
=Outside shop=—in clothes making a shop, usually not on the manufacturer’s premises but away or “outside”, where the help is hired by the contractor, who is practically owner of the shop, altho he may contract to do no work for any but the one concern. See Inside s.
=Ovalesque=—proprietary name for a dress shirt bosom of unusually large proportion and of oval shape, claimed not to bulge or break when worn.
=Over-erect=—so straight (sic) as to incline backward.
=Over-shirt=—an outer or top s.; a working s.
=Over-shoulder measure=—in tailoring, a measure taken from front of arm scye over the shoulder to center of back at the scye depth (qv).
=Oversleeve=—a loose fitting, separate s. of almost any material, worn by bookkeepers, clerks, et al., to protect shirt or coat sleeves.
=Overalls=—loose fitting over-trousers of duck, denim, etc., for working wear.
=Overcasting=—see Serging and Whipstitch.
=Overcheck=—a term in weaving for patterns showing one check of different form or color superimposed upon another.
=Overcoat=—a coat worn over one’s other coat; a top coat; a greatcoat.
=Overcoating=—any fabric woven specially for overcoats, as covert, kersey, melton, frieze, montagnac, elysian, beaver, vicuna, whipcord, cheviot, chinchilla, Shetland, etc., (qv).
=Overedge stitch=—an overcasting or selvaging s. performed by machine.
=Overcoats=—(=army=) see Army officer’s o.; (=navy=), see Naval officer’s o. and Naval o.; (=revenue service=) see Revenue service o.; (=marine corps=) see Marine corps o.
=Overgaiter=—a close-fitting covering for ankle and leg, spreading out and embracing the instep, usually of cloth or leather; also called spatterdash and spats.
=Overgarment=—any outer garment or wrap.
=Overplaid=—a term in weaving indicating a light plaid over a heavier and smaller underplaid or check, or vice versa; an effect of color disposition.
=Oversack=—a large, loosely fitting overcoat of the sack or box variety; an ulster (qv).
=Overseam=—see Round s.
=Overshoe=—a shoe worn over other shoes, usually of rubber, of various shapes and styles. See also Arctics.
=Overworked edges=—tailoring term for edges held in too much and forced by the stay tape.
=Own goods=—cloth brought to a tailor, shirtmaker, etc., to be made up.
=Oxford=—see O. mixture, O. shirting, etc.
=Oxford bag=—an article of hand luggage of considerable capacity, usually with a rounding or sloping top.
=Oxford cap=—see Mortarboard.
=Oxford mixture=—in woolen cloth weaving an effect produced by combining two threads of black and white or gray into one yarn in the spinning process, or by blending two shades of raw wool in the carding process, the finisht effect being a cloth of black or dark steel ground, lightly sprinkled or mixt with white. In the lighter shadings frequently called “Cambridge mixture”.
=Oxford shirting=—a soft, plain-woven cotton fabric having loom-produced checks, stripes, or figures.
=Oxford tie=—a low shoe, laced and tied at the instep, and by extension any low shoe, as “buttoned oxfords”.
P
=Pack basket=—a b. of splints or rattan covered with canvas, with shoulder straps; used by hunters, prospectors, et al.
=Pack cloth=—a rectangular length of waterproof canvas useful to campers, hunters, et al.
=Pack harness=—an arrangement of leather straps for converting hunters, prospectors, et al., into beasts of burden.
=Pad=—in tailoring a flat, compact cushion or mattress-shaped implement laid upon the lap-board or any other pressing-board and used in “pressing-off” and giving form and finish to a garment. Its elasticity accommodates it to any inequalities of the garment and therefore the whole surface is reacht by the pressure of the iron and made smoother and solider than it could be without its use. See Looney.
=Pad=—see Hat p.
=Pad=—(1) to stuff or build up a garment with wadding; (2) to apparently increase one’s proportions.
=Padded=—given a false physique.
=Padded dress=—an obscene way of emphasizing the d. of trousers once current among certain Michigan college boys.
=Paddies=—pantalets.
=Padding=—felt, cotton or wool used for giving shape to garments; wadding.
=Padding stitches=—(tailoring) similar in appearance to zigzag or herringbone basting s.; in making, the needle may or may not go entirely thru one of the pieces of goods, according to the nature of the work in hand; also the s. may be held together in close rows or loosely spaced; properly made, these s. aid much in shaping of garments.
=Paddock=—according to the best authorities this is a single-breasted frock overcoat with sewed-on skirts, tho this form is more popularly known as the “Paletot” (qv), while the “Paddock” is usually shown as a coat with skirted back and one-piece front with a waistline cut partly into same, from which underarm V’s extend and give shapeliness. The two terms are used interchangeably by most American tailors’ journals.
=Padisway=—an old name for peau de soie.
=Page’s livery=—short, tight-fitting jacket with one or three rows of buttons, closing at the throat with military collar; trousers without side or back pockets (tho two large watch or waistband pockets are permissible), corded or piped at side seams to match trimming, if any, of coat.
=Paisley=—a town in Scotland famous for its textil manufactures and especially for a fine class of shawls resembling the finest India shawls; also a name given to the distinctiv “palm” or figure of such shawls.
=Pajamarite=—proprietary name for a combination sleeping garment resembling pajamas but made in one piece, with certain features of the union suit (undergarment) embodied.
=Pajamas=—loose cotton or silk sleeping drawers or trousers, fastened around the waist with a draw-string; by extension the term now includes the loose coat or blouse sold with the foregoing. In the East Indies p. are worn by both sexes, both as sleeping and lounging wear.
=Paletot=—popularly a single-breasted frock overcoat with skirts sewed on at the waistline, but according to the best authorities a coat with a skirted back and a one-piece front into which a waistline is partly cut, extending therefrom being one or two underarm V’s. Compare “Paddock”.
=Pall=—a large square of cloth thrown over a coffin.
=Pall-bearers=—friends complaisantly wearing crepe for a few hours prior to finally dumping us into the dirt.
=Pallium=—an ecclesiastical vestment of the Roman Catholic church worn by the pope, patriarchs and archbishops; it is a band of white woolen webbing, about 3 inches wide, embroidered with black crosses worn around the neck, and from which two narrow bands of same material depend, one falling on the breast and the other over the back.
=Palm=—that part of a glove covering the inside of the hand.
=Panache=—variegated.
=Panama hat=—a h. made from the young, unexpanded leaves of the stemless screwpine (also called jiji japa) specially treated to remove the soft part of the leaf, soaked in water until pliable, the hats then being woven by hand in exceedingly moist atmosphere, the very finest h. often requiring six months to weave.
=Pancake=—the flat cap worn by tars in the grandoldamerican navy.
=Pancake heel=—a h. of imitation sole leather composed of leather scivings and cement prest to look like sides of sole leather, called “pancake”.
=Paneled back=—tailoring term for the inside back of a coat made with broad facings of the coat material around seams and edges, and filled in with (panels of) silk or other lining.
=Panjam=—see Punjum.
=Pantalet=—a child’s underdrawer.
=Pantaloon trousers=—the same upward as pantaloons but cut straight to the instep from the calf downward; substantially the same as our modern trousers (qv); when finisht with loops or buttons at the side (bottom) they were called Wellingtons, doubtless from having been first worn by the military. (Early 1900.)
=Pantaloonery=—a little used trade term for fabrics of which pants or trousers are made. The proper term is “trouserings”.
=Pantaloons=—close-fitting nethergarments reaching midway between the calf and the ankle, with an opening therein closing with buttons, worn with gaiters, boots or over the stockings only, during the early part of the last century.