Collars, sleeves & fits

A

— 1 terms

A-line

Silhouette that widens from narrow shoulders down in the shape of the letter A.

B

— 11 terms

Balaclava hood

Head and neck covering with face opening – ski mask style.

Balloon sleeve

Voluminous sleeve that puffs strongly between shoulder and wrist and is gathered at the bottom.

Bishop sleeve

Long sleeve, slim at the top and fuller at the bottom, gathered into a close cuff.

Bishop sleeve

Long sleeve that sets in moderately at the shoulder, gathers into a full puff towards the wrist and ends in a narrow cuff (button cuff or elastic).

Bootcut fit

Trouser fit with body-hugging thigh and slightly flared leg opening over the foot.

Box pleat

Symmetrical pleat whose fold edges point away from each other – box-shaped.

Boxy crop blazer

Box-shaped, waist-length blazer with an emphatically straight drape — a statement piece of 80s and Y2K fashion.

Boxy fit / boxy cut

Wide-straight cut with broad shoulders, short body and straight sides - a boxy streetwear silhouette.

Button-down collar

Collar with buttoned-down points – Ivy League classic with a sporty character.

Box pleat (Kellerfalte)

Two knife pleats facing outward with their inside edges meeting in the middle - popular back action pleat on shirts, jackets and skirts.

Boat neck

Neckline that runs flat from shoulder to shoulder in the shape of a boat hull.

P

— 5 terms

Pencil skirt (in detail)

Slim, body-hugging straight-line skirt with walking slit — the classic business and corporate-wear cut since the 1950s.

Peter Pan collar

Flat-lying collar with rounded corners, classic on women's and children's blouses.

Peplum

Flared frill attached at the waist of blouses, blazers or dresses — accentuates the waist and softens the hips.

Peter Pan collar (US)

Flat rounded collar, named after the 1905 Peter Pan stage costume.

Puff sleeve

Short or three-quarter sleeve, gathered into a narrow band at both top and bottom.

C

— 11 terms

Cap sleeve

Short, cap-like sleeve covering only the shoulder.

Casual fit

Comfortable, unstructured fit without tapering – for leisurewear.

Cocktail cuffs

Turnback cuff without cufflinks – casually elegant, a Bond icon.

Cocoon shape

Silhouette with soft, oval volume at shoulder and body that tapers narrow at the hem — the classic cocoon shape.

Crop-top fit

Strongly shortened top cut ending above the belly button or at the under-bust line, deliberately exposing the midriff.

Cropped fit

Deliberately shortened cut that ends above the hip or at the waist.

Cropped Hoodie

Shortened cut hooded sweatshirt ending at the waist or lower ribcage — usually in loose to oversized fit, a classic streetwear and athleisure look, often paired with high-waist bottoms.

Cutaway collar

Very widely spread collar for voluminous tie knots like the full Windsor.

Cadet collar

Upright, narrow stand collar – military-inspired, worn closed.

Crew neck

Round neckline sitting close to the neck – standard on T-shirts and sweatshirts.

Cowl neckline

Softly draping neckline with horizontal folds like a waterfall.

O

— 4 terms

Off-shoulder Carmen neckline

Off-shoulder, often elastic neckline with a flounce or gathered band.

Off-shoulder neckline

Off-the-shoulder neckline that leaves both shoulders completely bare.

Oversized fit

Deliberately over-sized fit with markedly dropped shoulders and deep armholes.

Oversized cut (detail)

Deliberately oversized cut with dropped shoulders, wide body and wide sleeves — silhouette looks boxy and rectangular rather than body-hugging.

D

— 3 terms

Dolman sleeve

Cut-on sleeve that grows directly out of the front and back bodice — deep armhole, wide at the underarm, tapering to the wrist.

Drop shoulder

Cut with the shoulder seam dropped down onto the upper arm for a relaxed, oversized look.

Dolman sleeve

Very wide sleeve that starts down at the hip and tapers narrow toward the wrist.

E

— 1 terms

Empire silhouette / empire line

Cut line with a seam sitting just below the bust — visually lengthens the legs and skims the belly.

F

— 4 terms

Fashion fit

Fashion-inspired, seasonally variable fit with emphasised design details.

Fit-and-flare silhouette

Silhouette with a fitted upper body up to the waist and a distinctly flared skirt — flattering to the hourglass shape.

Fitted cut

Strongly tapered, close-to-body cut with pronounced darts.

Flare jeans (bell-bottoms)

Trouser cut with a snug fit at the hip and thigh and a distinctly bell-shaped widening of the leg from the knee downward.

G

— 1 terms

Gigot / leg-of-mutton sleeve

Historical sleeve, extremely full at the top and tapering tightly from the elbow to the wrist — shaped like a leg of mutton.

S

— 9 terms

Shark collar

Shirt collar with a very wide spread angle for full tie knots.

Sweetheart neckline

Neckline shaped like a rounded heart, classic on evening dresses.

Sailor collar

Large collar with a square back, adopted from naval uniforms.

Square neckline

Neckline that runs in a right-angled, box-shaped line.

Shawl collar

Softly flowing collar without lapel notches – curved and elegant.

Scoop neck

Wide, deeply curved round neckline.

Set-in sleeve

Classic sleeve set into the armhole along the natural shoulder line.

Sheath cut

Straight, narrow silhouette that follows the body contour closely but — unlike the strictly waisted sheath — needs no pronounced waist seams; a classic business and cocktail cut.

Slim fit

Tight, body-hugging fit with clearly reduced width at chest, waist and sleeves.

H

— 1 terms

Henley neckline

Collarless round neckline with a short two- to four-button placket.

I

— 1 terms

Italian collar

Widely opened collar of Italian style, elegant and softly draping.

K

— 4 terms

Kent collar

Classic shirt collar with a medium spread angle and moderate point length.

Kimono cut

Cut in which the front and back panels are made together with the sleeves from a single piece — no classic shoulder seam and a wide, flowing silhouette.

Kimono sleeve

Sleeve cut in one piece with the front and back body, without an armhole seam.

Kimono collar

Flat draping collar with continuous front piece in the style of the Japanese kimono.

L

— 2 terms

Longline cut

Distinctly elongated cut for shirts, hoodies or jackets — hem reaches to mid-thigh; a signature streetwear look.

Loose fit

Deliberately wide, loosely draping fit with clearly more volume than regular fit.

M

— 7 terms

Mandarin Collar (detail)

Short upright collar that does not fold down — 2 to 5 cm high, originating from Chinese Qing court dress and today common in service, corporate and Asian-inspired fashion.

Mandarin collar

Short, upright stand collar without fold – of Asian-oriental origin.

Mermaid cut

Extremely body-hugging dress silhouette that fits closely from bust to below the knee and suddenly flares from the knee or calf into a wide flounce — typical of evening and bridal gowns.

Mitred V-neck

V-neck whose neckband is precisely mitred at the point.

Modern cut

Contemporary cut between slim and regular fit – moderately tapered.

Mummy hood

Close-fitting, high-drawn hood with narrow face opening – mountain sport standard.

Muscle-tank fit

Sleeveless, deep-cut tank shape with dropped armholes and narrow straps designed to accentuate chest, shoulder and arm muscles.