Style Dictionary

Below is a short style dictionary. Here you can learn terms for different hairstyles, clothes, and makeup types.

All definitions are in English, as is the rest of this website.

Please suggest a term for inclusion.

---

A

A-Line (noun) A silhouette, usually of a dress or one-piece garment, flaring gently at the waist or hips, thus resembling the letter A. Originally designed by Christian Dior in the 1950s.

Androgynous (adjective) 1. Partly male and partly female in appearance; of unknown sex. 2. Having the characteristics of a hermaphrodite.

Anime (noun) 1. A Japanese animated film or tv show, though the word occasionally refers to other East-Asian animation (e.g. "Korean anime"); Neon Genesis Evangelion is a sophisticated, philosophical example of anime. 2. Any animated film or tv show (how the word is used in Japan).

B

Bob (noun) a short, androgynous haircut where the hair is cut straight around the head, usually at chin or shoulder-length, often with bangs at the front. Popularized by 1920s film stars like Louise Brooks, the look has faded out of fashion lately. See: Bob Hairstyle pictures.

Black (noun) The color of objects that do not emit any light in the visible spectrum. Black pigments are created by combining multiple pigments which, when combined, absorb all or most light but emit little or none back. See Also: Black Lipstick

Blue (noun) A primary color, evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. The color the sky and the ocean.

Braid 1. (also plait) A pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material, such as hair or rope, with each crossing over the others. 2. A hairstyle where three or more strands of hair overlap each other in a braid-like pattern.

Buzz Cut (noun) a haircut where all of the hair on the head is shorn to the same length, either to the root or a centimeter off the head.

C

Ceteris paribus (adverb) all else remaining equal; all other conditions staying the same: Larger bracelets will, ceteris paribus, draw attention to your wrists.

Chanel, Coco (person) (1883-1971) a French fashion designer, best known for co-inventing the Little Black Dress and inventing much of women's modern dress. See: Coco Chanel quotes, Little Black Dress

Crew Cut (noun) a haircut where the hair on all the head is cut relatively short, with the longest hair (up to about an inch lenght) in the front of the head and/or on top of the scalp. First popularized by the Yale Rowing Crew in the 1890s, from where the name originates.

D

Dark (adjective) 1. Reflecting little light. 2. tragic, miserable, or unhappy: A dark time in my life. 3. gloomy: Her dark outlook is reflected in her dress.

Dior, Christian (person) (1905-57) a French fashion designer, best known for inventing the "New Look" of the late 40s and 1950s, and creating the A-line style. See: Christian Dior Quotes

E

Eclectic (adjective) deriving ideas from a diverse range of sources: Westwood's eclectic collection mixes 17th-century patterns with punk rock and pirate wear.

Elegant (adjective) 1. Graceful and stylish in manner and/or appearance. 2. Pleasingly ingenious and simple: an elegant solution to a complex problem.

F

Fashion (noun) A popular trend, especially in style of dress or ornament. 2. A way of doing something. See: What Is Style?

G

Geek (noun) 1. A person with a powerful, even obsessive, interest in something; an anime geek. 2. A socially awkward person. See note at nerd. 3. A carnival performer.

Goth (noun) 1. A subculture, derived from the punk and New Romantic movements of the 1980s. The goth aesthetic favors dark clothing, lipstick and eye-makeup, contrasted with pale skin, as well as an emphasis on melancholia and despair. A preference for industrial, heavy metal, or techno music is a usual, though not essential, componet. 2. A member of said subculture.See Also: Goth, Black Lipstick

Gothic (adjective) 1. (archaic) barbaric; related to the Dark Ages. 2. related to the a style of medeival European architecture, characterized by flying buttresses, pointed arches, and rib vaults, together with elaborate details and stained-glass windows. 3. dark; gloomy; related to the goth subculture. See also: Gothic Photographs

Green (noun) The color between primary colors yellow and blue, typically the color of phosphorescent plant leaves, as well as some currencies (e.g. the American dollar).

H

Hat (noun) 1. A head covering, generally consisting of a crown, peak, brim and hatband.

Heel (noun) 1. the back part of the foot. 2. the projection at the back of a shoe which rests below the heel bone, used to improve or impede balance and comfort.

Helmet (noun) A hard or protected hat, worn by soldiers, construction workers, bicyclists, motorcyclists and athletes, for safety and protection.

Hijab (noun) 1. traditional Muslim female dress, emphasizing modesty and submission. 2. a head covering or headscarf, worn by some Muslim women.

Hipster (noun) 1. anyone who follows the latest trends and fashions, esp. if they follow them slavishly. 2. A subculture, starting in the 1990s and continuing into the present, of middle- and upper-middle-class young adults interested in mildly alternative fashion and music. See: All Hipster Articles, Kornelia interview

H-Line (noun) a silhouette, usually of a one-piece women's garment, going straight from shoulder to hip, and crossed at the waist with a belt, cuff or other accent, thus resembling the letter 'H.' Invented by Christian Dior in the 1950s. Compare with A-Line.

I

J

Jewel (noun) a gem or precious stone, usually cut or polished to be more lustrous and attractive.

Jewelry (also Jewellery) (noun) Personal ornaments, made of metal and/or semiprecious stones, worn around the neck or the arms.

K

Kinderwhore (noun) a late-90s style of dress, combining babydoll dresses and girlish accessories with smudged makeup, torn stockings, and a brash demeanor. Popularized by Kat Bjelland, of Babes in Toyland, and Courtney Love. See: Kinderwhore, Kinderwhore makeup

L

Loincloth (noun) a cloth wrapped, draped or pinned around the hips and groin.

Loose (adjective) 1. Not fitting or hanging tightly; His loose pants obscure his almost god-like physique. 2. Relaxed; slack; carefree. 3. Careless; She plays fast and loose with 4. Sexually promiscuous. (verb) 1. To untie, unfasten; Loosen the harness! 2. To relax (oneself or someone else); Loosen up!

M

Mandarin collar (noun) an unfolded collar that starts at the neckline and rises straight up for two or three inches. Also sometimes called a Nehru collar, although the term mandarin includes more diverse styles as well.

Meme (noun) an cultural element, such as a behavior, trend, or idea, which passes from one individual to another through nongenetic means, e.g. by imitation, observation, or 4chan.

Mod (noun) A subculture originating in 1960s Britain, characterized by love of soul and ska music, as well as an almost narcissistic attention to dress. Like most early subcultures, mods focused on fashion over philosophy.

N

Nehru collar (noun) another name for a mandarin collar, an unfolded collar that starts at the neckline and rises straight up for two or three inches.

Nerd (noun) 1. a subculture or social type with intense devotion to one or more technical or intellectual pursuits. 2. An intelligent, studious but socially awkward person. NOTE: Unlike a geek, a nerd may not have one specific area of focus; they may have no geeky characteristics, only a preference for academic or scholarly subjects, such as astronomy, linguistics, and so on.

O

Orange (noun) 1. a round citrus fruit with a tough, reddish-yellow rind. 2. a reddish-yellow color, corresponding to the color of an orange fruit.

Otaku (noun) a fan of Japanese pop culture, especially manga, anime and video games.

P

Pink (noun) A color intermediate between red and white. The color of salmon, coral, the labia and some flowers.

Punk (noun) A sub/countercultural movement, marked by aggressive nonconformity and loud music, originating in New York City and London in the 1970s. See: All Punk Articles, The Encyclopedia of Punk

Purple (noun) A generic term for any of various colors between violet and red.

Q

Queer (adjective) 1. strange, eccentric, disturbing. 2. (offensive) homosexual. See: Gender Studies

Quiff (noun) a haircut combining elements of a flat-top, pompadour and sometimes a mohawk hairstyle. First seen circa the 1950s in America and Great Britain; later underwent a revival in the 1980s. See: 1950s hairstyles

R

Red (noun) a color evoked by light of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Red evokes the strongest reaction of all colors, and is thus frequently used in advertising, warnings and propaganda posters.

Romani (noun) (also Rom, Roma, Romany) An ethnic group, originally from Rajasthan in India, now predominantly living in Eastern and Central Europe. Also called gypsies although this term is now considered offensive. Traditional Romani dress has influenced European and North American fashion, especially the hippie movement of the 1960s and the gypsy punk style popularized by Gogol Bordello.

S

Sexy (adj) 1. sexually attractive. 2. aroused; turned on: You make me feel sexy. 3. exciting, appealing. See Also: Style and Sex

T

Tacky (adjective) In bad taste; cheap; ugly and low quality. That pimp hat looks really tacky on our office manager.

Teddy Boys (noun) one of the first youth cultures, originating in 1950s Britain, where young people dressed in neo-Edwardian fashions, as well as growing their hair out to a D.A. or a similar haircut. See: Teddy Girls

Teenager (noun) A person between the ages of 13 and 19.

U

Underpants (noun) (U.S.) a type of soft shorts, usually fitting snugly around the buttocks and the crotch, designed to keep outer garments from being stained by sweat, urine, feces, menstrual blood, and other genital discharges. Pants in the United Kingdom.

Underwear Any form of clothing worn under "regular" clothing, including bras, panties, long underwear, boxers, and so on. Not to be confused with a loincloth, which is typically worn with nothing else, save maybe a necklace; thus, it isn't under anything.

V

Vampire (noun) 1. in European folklore, an undead human, which drinks the blood of the living to remain conscious. 2. A person who preys on others: Serena's a real energy vampire; I feel drained every time she calls.

Velvet (noun) a type of woven fabric, usually of a combination of different materials, with a short pile.

Violet (noun) The color between blue and red. Refers to colors at the short-wavelength end of the visible color spectrum, "ultraviolet" being invisible to the human eye.

W

Westwood, Vivienne (person) (1941 - ) an English designer, best known for her role in creating punk and new wave fashions during the 1970s and 80s. See: Vivienne Westwood quotes

White (noun) a color evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.

Wing collar (noun) a small standing collar with the points pressed to stick out horizontally. Worn with men's evening dress, especially black and white tie dress; also popular among teddy boys as an aspect of Edwardian dress. Descended from the Gladstone collar.

X

Y

Yellow (noun) a color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M (long and medium wavelength) cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S (short-wavelength) cone cells. Yellow has negative connotations in the west (cowardice, yellow journalism, yellow dog Democrat, an ethnic slur against asians), though it can be worn and used to advantage.

Z

---

References:

The Oxford American Dictionary.

Wikipedia.org.

Return to Enjoy Your Style's home page.

Not what you're looking for? Find it, below: