B

babiche. A thong, cord, or thread made of rawhide, gut, etc. The name is derived from a word in one of the many languages/ dialects spoken by Indigenous  American peoples.

baboosh or babouche. A heelless slipper of Turkish origin. 

babushka. Hood tied under the chin. 

baby. In the fur trade, the term is used to describe smaller and usually finer and softer skins of a species, not necessarily referring to the age of animals. 

baby bonnet. Dainty, lacy bonnet, usually beribboned, for infants. 

background. 1. That part of fabric, picture, or photograph that forms a setting for the design. 2. Used to describe a dress simple enough to set off decorative accessories.

backing. That which forms the back part; especially, the back structure, consisting of extra warp, weft, or both, in a fabric having more than one kind of warp and weft; also, supporting warp in pile fabric; support for a flimsy fabric.

back-stitch. Hand stitch resembling machine-stitch. 

back-stitch embroidery. Outline embroidery done with back-stitch.

backstrap. 1. Strap at back of handbag for carrying it. Sometimes used as name of bag. 2. Pull strap on shoe or boot.

badger. Coarse, long-haired, durable fur of the badger.

Bakelite. Trade name for synthetic composition. Used for buttons, buckles, household accessories; ornaments for apparel accessories.

baku or bakou. Fine, lightweight straw. 

bal. 1. Heavy, ankle-high shoe. Short for Balmoral. 2. The French word for ball or dance.

balandran or balandrana. A wide medieval wrap.

balayeuse. Ruffle sewn inside bottom of woman's skirt to protect it. Same as dust ruffle. French word meaning sweeper.

balbriggan. Cotton fabric having a fine machine-knit surface, often with fleeced back. Used for underwear, hosiery, sweaters, etc. So-called because similar to unbleached hosiery fabric made at Balbriggan, Ireland.

baldric. Belt, band, or sash worn regalia-fashion for decoration or usefulness; formerly to support sword, bugle, etc. Same as BANDOLEER.

baleine. The French word for whalebone.

balerino. Dust ruffle. See BALAYEUSE.

baline. 1. Coarse fabric of cotton or wool. Used in packing. 2. Fabric of hemp or jute. Used for stiffening in upholstery.

Balkan blouse. Blouse gathered into a hip band. 

ball dress, ball gown. An elaborate evening gown worn for formal occasions.

bandeau. 1. Narrow brassiere, uplift, or "bra." 2. Strip, usually made of covered buckram or wire, attached to the side or back of hat to adjust the size or fit or to give height. 3. Narrow band or fillet encircling head, as diadem of flowers. 

bandeau top. Slip top made as bandeau.

bandelet or bandelette. Any little band or fillet. 

bandle linen. Homemade Irish linen.

bandoleer or bandolier. Broad band, belt, or scarf worn over one shoulder and under other. Originally worn by soldiers. From the French word bandouliere, meaning shoulder-belt.

bandore. The 18th-century name for a veiled headdress worn by widows.

bandouliere. French word for bandoleer.

band-string. Ribbon, cord, etc., often finished with tassels or decorated with jewels. Used in pairs to tie 16th and 17th-century ruffs or bands.

bang. Front hair cut short and worn down over forehead or curled on top of the head. Colloquially, bangs.

barkcloth or bark cloth. A versatile material that was once common in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Barkcloth comes primarily from trees of the family Moraceae, including Broussonetia papyrifera, Artocarpus altilis, Artocarpus tamaran, and Ficus natalensis. It is made by beating sodden strips of the fibrous inner bark of these trees into sheets, which are then finished into a variety of items. Many texts that mention "paper" clothing are actually referring to barkcloth. Some modern cotton-based fabrics are also named "barkcloth" for their resemblance to these traditional fabrics.

barmskin or barmcloth. English terms for leather aprons. So-called from barm, meaning the lap.

baronduki. A common misspelling of burunduki, for burun duchy, plural of the Russian word burunduk, meaning chipmunk.

Baronette satin. The trade name for high-luster rayon fabric.

baroque. 1. Irregularly shaped; especially used in describing pearls. 2. Fantastic in style, grotesque, exaggerated; said of the over-ornate in architecture, furniture, furnishings, dress.

basané. A French word meaning sunburned, bronzed, or tanned.

Basco. Trade name for the linen-like finish given to cotton damask.

baseball shoe. A shoe worn by baseball players during a game, also known as a Baseball cleat. 

basic color. The color of a basic dress or coat or both, or a suit, which is the principal color of the costume. With it may be worn accessories of one or more colors to give accent and variety.

basic dress. A simple, classic type of dress, accessories for which can be varied. 

basin. The French word for a cotton fabric that resembles dimity.

basinet. Small, shallow, close-fitting helmet with or without visor, often pointed on top, shaped somewhat like a basin.

basket cloth. Fabric in basket weave.

basket filling-stitch. An embroidery stitch worked like darning.

basket-stitch. Embroidery stitch resembling a series of overlapping cross-stitches.

basket weave. Plain weave with two or more yarns used as one. 

basque. Bodice closely fitted by seaming from shoulder to waist, with or without a short skirt-like continuation. Typical of bodice worn by Basque peasants. French word meaning short skirt, as on bodice or jacket; originally on doublets. 

bateau neck. Boat-shaped neckline, high in front and back, pointed at shoulders. (Also known as a boat neck).

Bath coating. The English name for a lightweight, long-napped woolen fabric. Originally used as coating; now used for infants' blankets, petticoats, etc. Named for Bath, England.

bathing cap. Rubber or waterproof cap.

bazaar. Market place; group of shops or stalls, also fair, where goods are assembled for sale; especially fancy wares, odd knickknacks, etc.

beach sandal. A sandal for beach wear.

beachwear. All clothes or accessor­ies designed for wear on beach or in water.

bead. Perforated ball or cylinder or another shape, in any size or material, strung on thread or wire, or attached to fabric as a decoration; also, to apply beads, and beading.

beading. 1. Lace-like edging made in loops; also, open-work trim through which ribbon may be pulled. 2. Beads applied as trimming in a pattern or design. Seam Beading: Narrow insertion used to join seams or finish edges. Also called veining and entre-deux.

beading needle. The needle used for beading.

bead work. Beads that are sewn in a design to fabric or leather; the art of sewing beads into a design.

beam. 1. Part of loom consisting of wooden cylinder used for winding warp before weaving. Also, a cylinder for rolling cloth as woven. 2. In the leather trade, a frame or sloping board used for working skins in tanning. Also, to stretch cloth over; to wind yarn on; to dress hides on.

bear. Fur, or pelt, of various types of bear.

bearer. Roll of padding worn to distend skirt (a form of hoop). 

bearskin. 1. Tall, black fur cap. 2. Pelt of a bear. 3. Heavy, shaggy woolen cloth. Used for overcoats.

beau monde. French phrase for the fashionable world; society. Silks Beau Monde was a brand name for a line of silk fabric manufactured by Marshall Field and Co. Also the name of the spice blend that makes my mother-in-law's egg gravy so darn delicious.

Beauvais embroidery. Multicolored embroidery.

beaver. 1. Soft, brown, durable fur of beaver. 2. Man's tall hat. 3. One of various fabrics. 4. Piece of medieval armor attached to helmet or breastplate, protecting lower part of face.

beaver cloth. 1. Soft-finished, thick-napped woolen fabric. Originally made in England to resemble beaver fur.

Used for overcoats and uniforms. 2. Pile fabric similar to hatter's plush. Used for millinery. 3. Heavy, napped cotton cloth. Used for work clothes, athletic clothes.

beaver-dyed cony. Processed rabbit fur.

beaverette. Beaver-dyed cony or rabbit fur.

beaverkin. Small beaver hat.

beaverteen. 1. Twilled cotton cloth with uncut, looped warp threads forming pile. 2. Variety of fustian of coarse twilled cotton, having nap, first dyed, then shorn.

beaver top. Shoe with soft upper.

beck. Pendant tip or lappet on medieval headdress, falling like a beak over the center of the forehead. Worn during the 15th century.

Bedford cord. Sturdy fabric in ribweave, with raised lengthwise cords. May be all wool, silk, cotton, rayon, or a combination of these. Similar in appearance to plain pique, except that pique is usually cotton. First made in America at New Bedford, Massachusetts. Used for dresses, suits, skirts, riding habits, and children's coats.

bedizen. To overdress or dress up in gaudy finery.

belaced. Edged or decorated with lace.

belcher. Scarf or necktie of garish color. Originally, a blue neckcloth marked with white spots having blue centers. Named for Jim Belcher, the English pugilist.

Belgian lace. An encompassing term for Antwerp, Brussels, Michlin, and Valenciennes laces.

Belgian blue. A shade of blue that was popular in the 1910s, and in 1915 in particular.

bell-bottom.  A style of pants or jeans that flare out from the bottom of the calf and has slightly curved hems. Early versions in the 1960s had a hem circumference of 18 inches (46 cm) at the bottom of each leg opening. In the early 19th century, before standardized uniforms existed in the U.S. Navy, some sailors adopted a style of wide trousers ending in bell-shaped cuffs. This style was also common among European carpenters for centuries, as the shape of the leg prevented sawdust from falling into one's shoes. 

bell-boy or bell-hop cap. Pillbox cap.

bell-boy or bell-hop jacket. Short, fitted jacket.

Bellmanizing. Trade name of the process for treating cotton fabrics to give them a permanent crisp finish without starch or other temporary dressing.

bellows tongue. The wide, folding tongue of blucher or various work shoes and boots, stitched in place at each side to keep the boot or shoe watertight.

bell-shaped hoop. Hoops of graduated sizes fastened one above the other, with the largest at the bottom and the smallest at the top.

bell skirt. Circular-cut, lined skirt.