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Jacket
A garment that usually falls to the waist or hip that closes in front and is meant to be worn over clothing either indoors or outdoors. The derivation of the word jacket is said to have come from jacker, a short coat of chain mail worn in medieval England. Today the jacket comes in many forms and has both fashionable and utilitarian uses.
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Jacquard
A fabric with a design woven into it. The word jacquard comes from the nineteenth-century French inventor of the special loom this elaborate fabric is woven on, Joseph Marie Jacquard. Today this decorative weave is used in everything from evening wear to upholstery.
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Jean
A term used interchangeably to describe a sturdy cotton twill fabric typically woven with an indigo blue yarn and gray or mottled white yarn, and a trouser made from this fabric.
Although the history of the word jean is vague, it is most commonly believed that it originally referred to a cotton, linen and wool blend twill fabric from Genoa, Italy, that local fishermen used for work pants. The fabric came via England to America, where, during the eighteenth century, textile mills produced all-cotton jean as a more refined and less durable fabric alternative to denim.
Jean and denim were distinct terms until San Francisco dry goods merchant Levi Strauss came along and forever changed the history of the two fabrics and, more significantly, American clothing. Among Strauss’s customers was a Nevada-based tailor who came up with the idea of reinforcing the points of wear on trousers by placing metal rivets on them. Seeking a business partner to promote his idea, the tailor approached Strauss. In 1873 Strauss invented the first riveted denim “waist overalls.” The invention was a huge success among miners and other laborers who visited the Strauss store. It wasn’t until the 1950s, however, when Levi Strauss & Co. began marketing their denim apparel nationally that “waist overalls” began to be called jeans.
At this time, American gangs adopted the look, distancing it from its workman roots and establishing it as the garb of rebellion. When Marlon Brando in 1953’s The Wild One and James Dean in 1955’s Rebel without a Cause wore denims, the stage was set for jeans’ success among US youth; key to this revolution was the nature of jeans to permanently crease and fade to create a personalized look for the individual wearer. Jeans continued to represent a youthful look of rebellion into the 1960s, when the hippie generation further personalized denim pants by adding embellishments, changing the cuts and painting on or otherwise vandalizing them.
But jeans did not remain a purely rebellious look for much longer. Offering many dressing options, the denim trouser quickly became a casual wear staple, and today jeans are part of our national consciousness—they’re as iconic as apple pie and ice cream. See also denim.
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Jewel neckline
A high, round neckline with a clean finish, so called because it is the best background for the display of jewels.
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Jodhpurs
A style of trouser that fits loosely about the hips and tightly about the calves. Taking their name from a former Indian city, jodhpurs became popular riding breeches after WWI and continue to reflect the ultimate in equestrian style.
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Jumper
A women’s or girls’ sleeveless dress that is worn over a sweater or blouse.
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Jumpsuit
A one-piece garment that combines a shirt and trousers and usually closes up the front. Originally worn by aviators and parachute troopers during WWI and WWII, jumpsuits became popular during the 1960s, especially for use while skiing.
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