Fashion Glossary

Hourglass Body Shape

Your hips and shoulders are balanced or in-line with one another, you also have a lovely defined, nipped in waist. Also known as 'figure of eight', 'neat hourglass' or 'full hourglass'. Often classified as the ideal body shape for a lady to possess. You can have fuller and smaller versions of an hourglass.

Inverted Triangle Body Shape

As a wedge body shape you will have broad back and shoulders whilst having slimmer hips. Wedges can be full busted and often very lucky with having slender legs. Also known as 'inverted triangle' or 'apple shape'. There are both fuller and smaller versions of this body shape.

Pear Body Shape

As a pear shape your shoulders will be narrower in relation to your hips and lower body. You will normally take a smaller dress size on your top half than your bottom half, and your bottom and hip area will appear curvier in relation to the top half of your body. Also known as 'key hole' or 'triangle'. iStylista will help you discover the best fashion for pear shaped bodies in no time at all. There are both fuller and smaller versions of this body shape.

Rectangle Body Shape

As a rectangle body shape you will have a straight up and down figure with little or very few visible curves and no defined waist. Also known as 'straight up and down' or a 'lean column'. There are both fuller and smaller versions of this body shape.

Apple Body Shape

As an oval body shape you will have a fuller upper body including a prominent waist, wide hipline and more than likely a large bust. Also known as 'round or oval body shape'. There are both fuller and smaller versions of this body shape.

Oval Face Shape

With an oval face shape your face will be noticeably longer than it is wide and your forehead will be considerably wider than your chin.

Round Face Shape

With a round face shape your cheekbones will be wider than your forehead and jaw line.

Oblong Face Shape

With an oblong face shape your forehead, cheekbones and jaw line will be almost the same width.

Square Face Shape

With a square face shape your forehead, cheekbones and jaw line will be almost the same width.

Heart Face Shape

With a heart face shape your forehead and cheekbones will be wider than your jaw line, effectively creating a prominent ‘V’ shaped chin.

Diamond Face Shape

With a diamond face shape your cheekbones will be wider than your forehead and jaw line. Your jaw line will be angular and pointed and equally your forehead will be angular too but won’t normally be as much as your jaw line.

Neutral Colour Palette

Building blocks of colour for the basic clothing items such as trousers, skirts and jackets. There are four seasons of colour, Spring Colour, Summer Colour, Autumn Colour and Winter Colour and these change dependent upon your natural colouring.

Additional Colour Palette

Additional colours to include in your wardrobe building on your suggested neutral colours. You should look to purchase secondary items of clothing (tops, accessories etc) in your suggested additional colour palette.

What is Personal Colour Analysis?

The analysis of looking at skin tone, hair colour and eye colour to decipher what your neutral and additional colour palette should be. A persons colour is placed in one of four seasonal colour palettes; Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter.

Image Breakers

Applying negative styling theory that does not work with your genetic makeup and limits how good you look to others.

What is a Capsule Wardrobe

Your ideal wardrobe made up of a number of different items of clothing and suitable for mix and matching. Ideally it should alter every season.

What is an Image Consultant

An image consultant is simply another word for personal stylist. So what does an image consultant do? A professional image consultant will relate effective styling theory to your lifestyle and your genetic makeup and be able to advise you as to an image that works for you.

What is Wardrobe Styling

wardrobe styling is a term used by personal stylists and involves reviewing your wardrobe picking out the items that truly suit you rather than those who don’t. Also know as 'wardrobe cleansing' or 'wardrobe makeover'. Not to be confused with 'Wardrobe Stylist' or 'stylist' whose job it is to pick out clothes for photo shoots - but in a similar way to a personal stylist they select specific items of clothing to create a 'look'.

Silhouette Description

Profile of an ensemble seen in flat two-dimensional perspective, as it would appear in a shadow behind a lighted screen. A few common examples include A-line, bustle, hourglass, maxi, midi, and mini.

What is a Personal Shopper

A personal shopper is someone who has the capability of advising you on what to wear based on the requirements that you give them (e.g. "I want a little black dress").

What is a Fishtail Dress or Skirt

Is a skirt or dress that hugs the thighs and upper legs and can flare slightly at the base.

What is a Straight Skirt

Is a skirt that hangs straight from the hips and is fitted from the waist to the hips by means of darts or a yoke; may have a kick-pleat for ease of walking.

What is a Pleated Skirt

Is a skirt that has fullness reduced to fit the waist by means of regular pleats ('plaits') or folds, which can be stitched flat to hip-level or free-hanging.

What is a Maxiskirt

Is a term used for an ankle length-skirt.

What is a Midiskirt

Is a term used for a mid-calf length skirt.

What is a Miniskirt

Is a term used for a thigh-length skirt, and micromini, an extremely short version.

What is a Tiered Skirt

Is a term used for a skirt made of several horizontal layers, each wider than the one above, and divided by stitching. Layers may look identical in solid-colored garments, or may differ when made of printed fabrics.

What is an A-Line Skirt or Dress

Is a skirt or dress that creates an 'A-Line' silhouette replicated the letter 'A' by flaring out from the top, like a funnel, narrow and fitted at the neck and shoulders, skimming the hips and widening toward the bottom, with little or no shaping or seaming at the waist. Any dress, coat or skirt that has a slender, funnel shape.

What is a Mandarin Dress

Is a style of dress adopted originally by the Chinese in the 17th Century. Distinct features of the dress include the tall collar, Mandarin buttons and oriental styles of pattern. They are normally figure hugging.

What is a V-Neckline

Is a term used for tops and the neckline formed by two diagonal lines from the shoulder that meet on the chest. These necklines can be demure or plunging, depending on the depth of the V.

What is a Jewel Neckline

Is the term used for tops that pass around the base of the neck on all sides. Also called the T-shirt neckline.

What is a Scoop Neckline

Is the term used for tops that have a curved U shape, where the arms of the U pass over the shoulders. Scoop necklines can be demure or plunging, depending on the depth of the U.

What is a Boat Neckline

Is the term used for tops that have a neckline with a broad opening, but which pass nearly horizontally across the figure near the collarbones. Also called bateau necklines or Sabrina necklines.

What is an Off-The-Shoulder Neckline

Is similar to the boat neckline in that they generally cut across the figure nearly horizontally, but significantly lower, below the shoulders and collar bone. Such neckline usually pass over the arms but, in the strapless neckline, may pass under the arms. These necklines accentuate the shoulders and neck of the wearer.

What is a One-Shoulder Neckline

Is the term used for tops that have an asymmetrical linear neckline that cuts across the torso diagonally, usually from one shoulder to under the other arm.

What is a Halter Neckline (or Halterneck)

Is the term used for tops that feature a high neck with deep, raglan-type armholes or else two straps from the bodice that meet at the back of the neck. In both cases, they form diagonal lines that converge inwards to the neck from the sides. Although such necklines reveal a lot of shoulder, their convergence makes the shoulders seem smaller. Halter necklines can have a horizontal bottom edge, or their two side edges can meet in a V.

What is a Square Neckline

Is the term used for tops that are characterized by three linear edges, the bottom edge meeting the side edges at right angles. The bottom edge cuts across the figure horizontally and the side edges pass over the shoulders.

What is a Sweetheart Neckline

Is the term used for tops that have a curved bottom edge that concave down and usually doubly scalloped to resemble the top half of a heart. The side edges often converge on the neck, similar to halter necklines. Sweetheart necklines are good for accentuating the bosom.

What is a Peter Pan Neckline

Is the term used for a neckline or collar drawn together with strings.

What is a Batwing Sleeve

Is a term used for a sleeve that has a long sleeve with a very deep armhole, tapering towards the wrist. Also known as a "magyar" sleeve.

What is a Bell Sleeve

Is a term used for a sleeve that has a long sleeve that is fitted from the shoulder to wrist and gently flared from wrist onward. The bell sleeve is very similar to the poet sleeve, but has a "cleaner look," often without ruffles.

What is a Cap Sleeve

Is a term used for a sleeve that has a very short sleeve not extending below armpit level.

What is a Dolman Sleeve

Is a term used for a long sleeve that is very wide at the top and narrow at the wrist.

What is a Gigot Sleeve or Leg of Mutton Sleeve

Is a term used for a sleeve that is extremely wide over the upper arm and narrow from the elbow to the wrist.

What is a Juliette Sleeve

Is a term used for a sleeve that is long, tight and with a puff at the top.

What is a Puffed or Puff Sleeve

Is a term used for a sleeve that is a short, full sleeve gathered at the top and bottom, now most often seen on wedding and children's clothing.

What is a Raglan Sleeve

Is a term used for a sleeve that extends to the neckline.

What is a 3/4 Length Sleeve

Is a term used for a sleeve which extends from the shoulder to a length mid-way between the elbow and the wrist.

What is Couture

The term “couture” is used generically to refer to high designer fashion.