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Décolletage
From the French word meaning “to bare shoulders,” a very low-cut neckline, often used in women’s evening wear.
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D-ring
A metal loop with a distinctive D shape that is often paired to provide a pull-through closure for belts.
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Damask
A type of jacquard fabric with a rich pattern that is distinguished from a brocade because it is flat and reversible. Originally a silk fabric from Damascus, damask now often comes in both silk and man-made fibers, sometimes with the addition of gold and silver thread, and is used in evening wear and fine beddings, window dressings furniture coverings.
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Dart
A sewing term for V-shaped tucks used to make a garment fit to the body.
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Deerskin
A supple leather with a rugged, outdoorsy appearance: every skin has different markings. From hunted deer, this leather tends to be very expensive, as the bullet holes in the skin result in much waste. Deerskin is generally used for men’s outerwear.
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Demi-bra
A bra in which the cup is abbreviated, exposing the upper part of the breast. Demi-bras offer a great foundation for low necklines. It is also referred to as a half-bra.
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Denim
A sturdy cotton twill most commonly woven with an indigo blue yarn and gray or mottled white yarn.
Although there is some debate about denim’s origin, it is typically believed that denim was invented in Nîmes, France, where hundreds of years ago it was known as serge de Nîmes. It was first brought to America over 500 years ago as the sails of Columbus' Santa Maria. During the eighteenth century, American textile mills produced the sturdy fabric for clothes worn by manual laborers. However, it was not until the 1850s, when a San Francisco dry goods store owner Levi Strauss invented the denim riveted “waist overall” that denim fabric began to become a staple American cloth.
Denim’s place in American culture was secured in the 1950s when Levi Strauss & Co. began selling their wide range of denim products nationally. Against parental concern that the donning of denim promoted rebellious behavior, teenagers took to wearing denim jeans to school, and by the 1960s the young consumers had created a lasting fashion trend. Today, denim is constantly being reinvented in new washes, many of which seek to mimic their workman’s roots. See also jean.
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Dinner jacket
See tuxedo.
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Dip-dye
To color the ends of a fabric or garment by partially immersing it in a solution for a gradated effect.
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Disco
In fashion, a term used to describe clothing and accessories inspired by the late-’70s trend of bright, glowing colors styled in unrestrained fabrics. From the French term discothèque or “record library,” disco style continues to evoke evening glamour and contemporary youth.
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Dobby fabric
A fabric featuring small geometrical woven designs in a repetitive fashion. Dobby is named after the attachment used on the loom to create the geometric design and offers a charming style for curtains, women’s dresses and blouses and men’s shirts.
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Doeskin
For leather, see buckskin. Doeskin is also a dense fabric with an extremely soft nap that is made to imitate doeskin leather. Typically made in cotton, doeskin offers an excellent fabric choice for pants, blazers and outerwear.
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Dolman sleeve
A sleeve style in which the armhole is cut very deep and tapers to a fitted wrist. The dolman sleeve was originally borrowed from the Turkish dolman cape and continues to provide ease of movement about the armholes; it has been adapted to everything from couture evening wear to sporty outerwear.
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Donegal
A knit or tweed with coarse multicolored yarns with nubs that are combined with single-colored yarns to produce a mottled, pebbly effect. Dating back to the 1800s, this classic was named after its birthplace, Donegal County, Ireland, and continues to evoke the spirit of the Emerald Isle.
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Double-forward pleats
See forward pleats.
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Double-needled topstitching
A method of finishing a seam in which a row of stitches appears on either side of it.
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Down
The dainty, light and extremely warm feathers used as soft and luxurious stuffing for clothing and pillows. Genuine down comes from the small, fluffy fibers under the feathers of waterfowl. The down feathers of the eider duck are considered among the softest feathers in the world.
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Drape
In fashion, a term used to describe the way fabric hangs or folds. Drape often influences the fit and look of a garment and can vary based on the fabric’s weight and hand as well as the design, cut and construction of the garment.
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Drawstring
A cord laced through a hem or casing, usually added to a waistline, cuff or hood, that tightens or loosens the opening when pulled or released. Originally a feature only of activewear, drawstrings are now commonly used in all types of sportswear.
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Drill
A durable cotton fabric woven in a twill. Similar to denim, drill is used for casual clothes, sport shoes and accessories.
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Droptail hem
A method of finishing the bottom of a garment in which the back falls lower than the front. Most typically used in men’s shirts, droptail hems enable a top to stay more securely tucked in.
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Duffle coat
A knee-length wool coat with a hood, square shoulder yoke, large patch pockets, rope frogging and wooden toggle closures. Originally worn by Belgian fishermen, the duffle coat was adopted by the Royal Navy in WWI and WWII, and then in the 1940s French students snapped up this item and many other military styles inexpensively at surplus sales. Filmmaker Jean Cocteau saw the look in the Latin Quarter cafés and began wearing it about town, including to opera premieres. Eventually the duffle coat became a classic overcoat, adopted for rainwear and cold-weather dressing where its utilitarian nature comes in handy.
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Duopioni
A silk yarn gathered from cocoons nesting together that results in occasional bumps or slubs and gives duopioni fabric its unique beautiful texture. Duopioni yarns are now often imitated in man-made fibers. Pongee and shantung are both duopioni fabrics.
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