Chapter C

=Caba=—a small traveling bag or valise; nearly obsolete.

=Cabasset=—a light morion or iron cap with a wide drooping brim, worn by French infantry of 16th century.

=Cabin bag=—a hand b. or valise with straight boxy sides, opening not from a center point, but from the sides at the roof angles, the two top parts coming together and clamping to form a cover.

=Cable seam=—see Round s.

=Cable silk webbing=—trade term for elastic w. woven with a roundish twill, an effect helpt by a twisted instead of flat silk thread.

=Cable yarn=—y. twisted coarsely, like a rope.

=Cachemire=—in textil designing, signifying Persian or other Oriental patterns.

=Cachi=—a small, felt cap, in red, brown or white, surmounted with a tassel in a contrasting color, worn by Arabs—sometimes one on top of another or several others. See also Haik.

=Cacks=—our first baby shoes.

=Cadet=—(1) glove trade term for long fingers; (2) a shade of gray; (3) a student at a military school; (4) something worse.

=Cadet cloth=—the standard blue-gray woolen uniform c. prescribed by the U. S. Military and Naval Academies and by various schools and institutions of similar character for cadet dress; the color effect is usually a combination of indigo blue and white yarns.

=Cadet collar=—a highhanded Prussian c.: also called stand-and-fall c.

=Cadet overcoat=—an outercoat that appeared during the winter of 1907–08; both single and double-breasted, buttoning to the throat, with a high Prussian collar. Also known as West Point o., army o., automobile o.

=Cadet uniforms=—(=Annapolis=) for Dress—a jacket resembling that of Special full dress (qv) of commissioned officers of the navy, except that it is cut Eton shape, without tails, with narrow braid on collar; dress trousers, dress cap and white gloves. Service dress—blouse resembling that of commissioned officers, waistcoat (optional), service trousers and dress cap. The trousers, both dress and undress, in general the same as for commissioned officers, but cut higher in the waist and without pockets. Working dress for drill—canvas jumper and trousers, white hat or knit cap, as ordered, black silk neckerchief, jersey or sweater, all, in general, corresponding to similar articles worn by enlisted men.

=Cadet uniforms=—(=revenue cutter service=) for Full dress—a single-breasted fly-front sack coat of dark blue cloth reaching to top of inseam of trousers, having a standing collar, the collar edges and side seams in back trimmed with lustrous black mohair braid, and with grade marks, devices, etc., as prescribed. For Service dress—a similar coat, omitting the sleeve ornaments and some of the braiding. Trousers of dark blue cloth, cut full in the legs without bottom spring, two hip pockets only; blue cloth waistcoat; blue cloth cap; blue cloth overcoat, with hood; also the white u. and other garments as prescribed.

=Cadet uniforms=—(=West Point=) for Dress—a gray cloth coatee, conforming closely to the shape of the wearer, single-breasted, with three rows of 8 gilt ball buttons in front and 12 on the skirts in rows of 3; standing collar with a ball button on each side, ball buttons on cuffs, the garment trimmed and decorated with black braid. For Undress or Fatigue—a single-breasted blouse with standing collar, fly front, trimmed with black braid; insignia, etc., as per regulations. Trousers, in winter, gray cloth with a black stripe 1 in. wide down the sides; in summer, white duck; for riding, gray kersey riding trousers with brown canvas leggings. Overcoat, gray kersey, double-breasted, with stand-and-fall collar, 6 gilt buttons down each breast, 2 at hips and 1 on back plaits; cape of same material. Badges, stripes, insignia, etc., as per regulations.

=Cady=—a hat.

=Caftan=—(1) a black garment almost identical with the Anglican cassock, worn by the Mohammedan priesthood; (2) an undercoat having long sleeves and girdled with a sash, worn in Turkey, Arabia, Egypt, etc.

=Calendering=—a mechanical process in cotton and linen finishing, imparting a smooth, even surface or gloss.

=Calfskin=—a fine, durable shoe leather; often shortened to calf.

=Calico=—a coarse printed cotton cloth; used in the cheapest grade of shirts, etc.

=Callimanco=—a glossy, woolen stuff, both plain and ribbed, very fashionable and much used up to Revolutionary times.

=Camblet=—see Camlet.

=Cambric=—(1) a fine, white linen fabric used for handkerchiefs, etc.; (2) a fine cotton fabric in imitation of linen; (3) also a heavier glazed cotton lining material.

=Cambric=—see Ramie.

=Camelshair=—the fine, wooly hair from the neck and back of the camel.

=Camelshair cloth=—a thick, soft, shaggy material, usually woven like cheviot, having long hairs intersperst over its surface.

=Camisol=—(1) a kind of jacket or under-waistcoat without sleeves; (2) a kind of straight-jacket (qv) with long sleeves which may be tied behind the sufferer’s back.

=Camlet=—a stiff, closely woven fabric having a wavy surface, nearly waterproof, originally worn of camels-hair (whence name) but now mostly of Angora wool, silk and wool, or wool-and-cotton or linen; once largely used for cloaks; best known in 17th and 18th centuries.

=Camlet yarn=—a y. made in Turkey from the long, silky hair of the Angora goat; also called Turkish y.

=Camleteen=—a worsted camlet; an imitation camlet.

=Camletto=—see Camleteen.

=Campaign wig=—supposed to be a simplification of the pompous peruke (which had become exceedingly arrogant in the time of William and Mary) yet really quite a pretentious affair, tho worn for traveling and for undress.

=Campbell stitcht=—refers to one of many processes in modern mechanical shoemaking.

=Camphor=—bad for moths.

=Camping shoe=—see Moccasin s.

=Cancellations=—the negativing or voiding of orders given; a matter of diplomatic difference between mills and manufacturers, et al.

=Cane=—a walking stick.

=Cannon pocket=—oh, murderous hip p.!

=Canoe carrier=—a pneumatic cushion somewhat like a life preserver to prevent canoes shifting and chafing whilst en portage.

=Canonical inch=—the inch or so of hair, continuing down in front of the ears, affected as whiskers by Anglican clergymen.

=Canonicals=—clergymen’s officiating clothing as prescribed by canon.

=Cantab=—a variety of thin leather used for suspender ends.

=Canteen=—a drinking flask, usually worn slung by a strap from a shoulder.

=Canton flannel=—a stout twilled cotton cloth with a dense nap on one side, largely used for underwear. Also made with a nap on both sides.

=Cantsloper=—a sort of mackintosh or weather-coat of Colonial days.

=Canvas=—(1) a coarse, plain-woven fabric of linen or cotton, used both bleacht and unbleacht, for tropical clothing, yachting wear, shoes, etc., etc.; (2) also a stiffening material, usually unbleacht, used in tailoring. See Elastic c.

=Canvasers=—in ready-to-wear clothing manufacture workmen who baste canvas interlinings, padding, etc., into place in the shells (of coats) as received from the closers (qv).

=Cap=—a covering for the head, of various shapes and materials, less formal than a hat.

=Cap=—in shoemaking, the same as tip (qv).

=Cap-a-pie=—thoroly equipt from head to foot.

=Cap device=—an insignia of rank, etc., worn in uniform caps.

=Cap-of-maintenance=—an ornamental and ceremonial c. of scarlet velvet and ermine borne before kings of England at their coronation; also before the mayors of some British cities on similar occasions.

=Cape=—(1) a circular covering for the shoulders; (2) the inside yoke of a coat, formed of the lining.

=Cape Ann hat=—same as Squam h., except the crown is soft instead of stiff.

=Cape Ann suit=—a s. of oiled or painted waterproof material worn by fishermen, sailors, et al., consisting of a coat buttoning or clasping close to the throat with a laid over fly, overalls and a sou’wester hat of same material.

=Cape cap=—a c. commonly of rubber, with visor and deep apron covering head, neck and shoulders.

=Cape coat=—an overcoat with a cape and with or without sleeves. See also Inverness.

=Capeskin=—trade name for cape goatskin, used for gloves.

=Capote=—a hooded coat or cloak; a military overcoat.

=Captain’s uniform=—(=army=) see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Service Dress, Evening dress, Mess dress, Undress; (=marine corps=) Special full dress, Full dress, Mess dress, Undress, Field dress; (=revenue cutter service=) Full dress, Dress, Service dress, Social full dress. See also variations thereof.

=Capuchin=—see next.

=Capuchon=—a hood attacht to an overcoat or ulster.

=Caracul=—Astrakhan fur (qv).

=Carat=—(1) a twenty-fourth part, used to express the fineness of alloyed gold, as 18 c. is ¹⁸⁄₂₄ (or ¾) pure gold; 24 c. pure or unalloyed; (2) a unit of weight for precious stones; the international c. is 3.168 grains or 205 milligrams.

=Carbonized wool=—see below.

=Carbonizing=—a chemical process of removing (by charring) all foreign vegetable substances, as burs, from wool fleece, preparatory to the initial spinning processes. Compare Burring.

=Card=—short for loom-c.

=Card case=—a small leather wallet or metal c. for visiting cards.

=Card-clothing=—sheets of rubber or leather with wire bristles or teeth used for covering the cylinders in wool-carding machinery.

=Cardigan jacket=—a close-fitting, knit ribbed woolen or worsted body-j., with or without sleeves; a sort of collarless sweater with a buttoned front.

=Carding=—the process of opening up the fibers of wool, flax, hemp, silk, etc., for the purpose of cleaning them of foreign matter and rendering the material fine and soft, preparatory to spinning into yarn.

=Carding wool=—fine fleece 2 to 4 inches long. See Clothing w.

=Carmelite=—a fine woolen stuff, usually undyed or natural color, used mostly for women’s wear.

=Carpet bag=—an old-fashioned hand b. or valise for traveling; reminiscent of Lincoln’s time.

=Carpet slippers=—Christmas gifts.

=Carr’s=—trade diminutiv for the fine melton cloths made by Carr, Son & Co., London.

=Carreau=—in weaving, a small check, square or diamond-shaped effect.

=Carrot-top=—red haired.

=Carroting=—one of the initial processes in preparing hat furs for felting—a treatment of nitric acid and quicksilver while the fur is still on the skin.

=Carry-all=—a hunter’s pack bag.

=Carsey=—old name for kersey.

=Carton=—a pasteboard box.

=Caruso pocket=—see Raincoat p.

=Cash=—an imperativ diminutive for cash-boy or cash-girl.

=Cash=—an alleged vulgar and disreputable word for money.

=Cash-boy=—a young imp who feels that you would rather flirt with the saleslady than catch the 5:14 train and so delays bringing back your parcel and change.

=Cashier=—a dispenser of pay envelopes and receiver of customer’s cash.

=Cashmere=—a fine grade of wool; properly from the c. goat; used largely for underwear.

=Cashmere=—(1) a fine twilled, soft finisht woolen fabric; used for vestings and suitings; (2) a knitted underwear fabric, properly of c. wool, tho as often (or oftener) of other similar wools.

=Cashmere glove=—a fabric g. of fine worsted yarn with a nap inside.

=Cashmerette=—an old-time material for fancy waistcoats.

=Casket cloth=—a light-weight c. resembling cheap grades of melton, of wool, wool waste, cotton, etc., and used for our final overcoating.

=Casque=—a sort of helmet.

=Cassimere=—general term for a large class of woolen cloths for men’s wear, coarse and fine, both plain and twill woven, having the pattern produced in the loom, and usually appearing in distinct checks, plaids and stripes; the cloth is never napt; sometimes made with worsted warp and woolen weft. Name a variant of Cashmere.

=Cassinette=—an inferior coarse fabric, similar to union cassimere (qv), used in the cheaper grades of men’s clothing.

=Cassock=—(1) a plain, close-fitting garment, reaching to the feet, the distinctiv dress of clerics indoors and out, worn with and without vestments, often with a sash; the color is black for priests, purple for bishops, red for cardinals, the pope alone wears white; (2) a similar garment worn by Anglican clergy when officiating; (3) a short, loose jacket worn under the Geneva gown by Presbyterian ministers; (4) a military cloak; (5) a name some times given to the single-breasted clerical frock coat with closed-throat military collar.

=Cassock bands=—see Bands (2).

=Cassock vest=—a clerical waistcoat without opening in front, closing on the side, and with a short military collar.

=Cast knitting=—a variety of k. in which the needles are thrust from the inside while the yarn is held on the outside of the fabric or article that is being made.

=Cast-off=—wornout or discarded clothes we don’t want.

=Cast-off buckle=—a suspender b. that permits a separation of the end strap from the webbing as a toilet convenience for lazy persons.

=Castor=—see C. beaver.

=Castor=—a shade of gray.

=Castor=—(1) a general term for light-weight gloves of any leather from which the grain is removed, commonly gray or drab in color; (2) one of several terms for ooze kid.

=Castor beaver=—a heavy milled, face finisht, all-wool cloth, a little lighter in weight than ordinary beaver (qv); used for overcoats, etc.

=Castor Francaise=—a long-haired felt used by hatters; and hats of same.

=Cat=—a night prowling animal whose hide, after its ninth death, becomes sealskin, etc.

=Cat o’ nine tails=—a multi-thonged whip or scourge sometimes worn out on bad boys, et al.

=Catalog=—a book or pamphlet listing wares of sale; in widest use as a publication for the special benefit of mail order customers.

=Catcher’s mask=—a guard for the face; constructed of wire and leather, worn as a protection against pitched and foul balls, the batter’s bat, etc.

=Catcher’s mitten=—a very large, heavily padded leather glove or pillow on which the pitcht balls are received by the catcher, so contrived as to hold the ball and save a home run.

=Catching mitt=—see Catcher’s gloves and C. mitten.

=Cats-and-dogs=—trade term for a miscellaneous collection of merchandise of more or less doubtful value.

=Cathedral beard=—a broad, spreading, square cut b., “so called because men of the church did wear it”.

=Cavalier cape=—familiar term for evening dress cloak and by extension for the Inverness overcoat.

=Cavalry uniform=—see Full dress, Dress u., Service u., Fatigue u., et var.

=Cellular cloth=—broadly, any c. more or less loosely woven, characterized by cell-like meshes or openness.

=Celluloid=—a chemical substance consisting largely of cellulose and camphor, manufactured in imitation of linen, amber, shell, ivory, etc.

=Celluloid collars=—c. that need never go to a laundry and should never go near to a fire; c. cuffs ditto; worn largely by workingmen who could just as well do without them.

=Cemented seam=—trade term used in reference to s. fastened together by a strip of rubber tissue or cement or other adhesiv, usually lapt, and commonly stitcht, tho the stitching is sometimes omitted. Mostly used on old-style mackintoshes.

=Cerement=—a garment, covering or wrapping for the dead; grave clothes.

=Ceremonial=—formal (as dress).

=Cerevis=—a small cylindrical cap, usually with a society, or corps monogram, worn by students in German universities.

=C. G.=—trade diminutiv for the balbriggan and lisle thread hosiery and underwear manufactured by C. & G. Bonbon et Cie., Troyes, France.

=Chain=—warp.

=Chain hole=—a vertical buttonhole in a waistcoat, from which the watchchain is suspended.

=Chain stitch=—an ornamental s. formed by carrying the thread thru repeated slip loops, easily pulled out by pulling the underthread; sometimes used for basting.

=Chain-weave serge=—trade term for s., so woven as to resemble chains laying close together diagonally, clear finisht and piece dyed (qv); also called double corkscrew.

=Chain-weave worsted=—see C.-w. serge.

=Chalk=—loosely, any substance used by tailors for drafting patterns and marking cloth.

=Chalk stripes=—trade term for fabrics having white stripes on a dark ground, as serges, unfinishts, etc.

=Chambray=—a fine quality of gingham, plain colored, woven of very fine count cotton yarns, the warp and weft usually of different colors, with a linen finish.

=Chamois=—a soft, pliable leather, originally prepared from the skin of the c. goat, used for gloves, garment interlining, chest protectors, pockets, window cleaning, etc.

=Chamois fiber=—name given to a stout crinkled paper fabric used as an interlining, for chest protectors, etc.

=Chamois pocket=—a p. in trousers, waistcoat or other garment, chamois lined.

=Championship belt=—usually a most gorgeous affair competed for by pugilists.

=Change pocket=—a small p. for small change, usually placed on the right side of coats, either above or within the regular p. on that side, and occasionally, in overcoats, on the inside facing of the left side; also called ticket p.

=Changeant=—changeable; an effect in weaving obtained by employing both warp and weft, composed of two strands of different colors, the changeable colors being an effect of light-play, according as viewed.

=Changey-for-changey=—(nautical) an expression used in relation to a “swap”, denoting that each party is satisfied with his bargain.

=Channel=—in shoemaking, the groove or gutter along the edges of the sole wherein are the stitches holding sole and other parts together.

=Chap money=—English provincialism for a rebate allowed by a dealer for spot cash payment.

=Chaparejos=—strong leather breeches or overalls to protect the legs from trees and brush while riding; worn by cowboys on the plains and by them commonly abbreviated to “chaps”.

=Chaparro=—see Chaparejos.

=Chape=—(1) the metal tip of a scabbard; (2) a catch or loop.

=Chapeau=—a hat; especially, a plumed or military hat.

=Chapeau=—(=navy=) a rigid cockt hat of black silk beaver, 16 to 18 in. from peak to peak, 5–5½ in. high on left fan, 4–4½ in. high on right fan. For the admiral of the navy, to have in the fold at each end a tassel of 5 gold bullions underlaid by 5 blue bullions; a strip of 2 in. gold lace laid on flat around the outer rims of the fans, passing under the peaks; on the right fan a 3¾ in. black silk cockade with a loop of 1½ in. gold lace over it, fastened with a large size navy button, the ends of the loop being carried over the rim; for rear admirals, the same but with a 1½ in. strip of gold lace around the outer rims; for other commissioned officers except chaplains, chief boatswains, chief gunners, chief carpenters and chief sailmakers, the same, but with a strip of black silk 2½ in. wide around the rims, in lieu of gold lace, laid on half-and-half; (=Army=) similar, according to pattern in offices of quartermaster general; to be worn with the peak front turned slightly to the left, showing the gilt ornaments upon the right side; (=Marine corps=) of black silk plush, curved pattern, same as prescribed for general officers of the army, except that both sides shall be 5 in. high, with an embroidered gold lace ornament on the right side surmounted with a marine corps cap ornament and a large marine corps button, a gold wire tassel in front and rear peak, and a plume of canary colored cock feathers for major general commandant; for all staff officers (optional) the same, except that the plume is of red cock feathers. This chapeau may be worn with special full dress and full dress in place of cap for indoor occasions when desired; never to be worn when mounted. (=Revenue cutter service=) a rigid or folding chapeau of black silk beaver, of same dimensions as prescribed for the navy, the rims bound with black silk lace 2½ in. wide, showing half-and-half; on the right fan a black silk cockade 3¾ in., over which is a strip of gold lace fastened with a revenue service button, a tassel of 3 gold and 3 blue bullions in each peak.

=Chapeau bras=—a soft, three-cornered dress hat that can be folded and carried under the arm, worn commonly in the 18th century and still by officers in the U. S. navy.

=Chapeau de poil=—a beaver or felt hat.

=Chapka=—(Bohemian) a sort of mortarboard hat, part of the Lanciers uniform.

=Chaplain’s evening dress coat=—(=navy=) see Evening d. c.

=Chaplain’s evening dress waistcoat=—(=navy=) see Evening d. w.

=Chaplain’s full dress coat=—(=army=) a single-breasted frock c. of black cloth with standing collar, fastening with 9 black silk buttons; no ornaments.

=Chaplain’s frock coat=—(=navy=) a single-breasted f. c. of dark blue cloth, buttoning to the neck, with one row of 7 flat black silk buttons and plain standing collar on which is embroidered in silver a Latin cross, and on the sleeves rows of black braid according to rank.

=Chaplain’s hat=—(=army=) with full dress and dress uniforms, a black felt h., similar to the service h. (qv) with a cord of gold bullion and black silk intermixt.

=Chaplain’s mess jacket=—(=navy=) see Mess j.

=Chaplain’s undress waistcoat=—(=navy=) see Undress w.

=Chaplain’s vestments=—(=army and navy=) while conducting services the chaplain may wear the v. of the church to which he belongs.

=Chaplain’s white service coat=—(=navy=) same as w. s. c. (qv), but with white buttons.

=Chaplet=—a wreath or garland for the head—worn only in pictures from mythology; perhaps, by certain of the illuminati of the very ancient past; and by the near-actors in certain frivolous and unclassifiable theatrical productions of latter times.

=Chapman=—a peddler of trifles or cheap small wares.

=Chappau=—a sort of coat or tunic of silk or woolen cloth worn by the Uzbek Tartars, beneath an overgarment of woolen cloth.

=Chaps=—see Chaparejos.

=Character wig=—(theatrical) any w. designed to help delinat the character portrayed.

=Charge account=—a soft snap for papa’s boy.

=Charges prepaid=—supposed to be an inducement for orders; but analysis of inventory statements shows that the buyer always stands it.

=Chasuble=—a sleeveless mantle falling low in front and behind, with a cross on the back; worn by Latin, Greek and Anglican priests; the principal vestment regarded as strictly sacerdotal or sacrificial.

=Chauffeur’s livery=—see Appendix.

=Chauffeur’s sack coat=—same as Norfolk jacket, but with turned down collar and military closed neck.

=Chauffeur’s suit=—any s. designed for service wear of the automobile operator.

=Chausse=—the early name for drawers.

=Cheap tailor=—one who makes, or claims to make, clothes to order at prices as low as and often much lower than readymade garments may be obtained for. Garments made by such tailors are usually made under practically the same conditions as readymade—by machinery and by operators instead of by journeymen tailors and hand work; the main difference being that each order is cut separately instead of several garments being cut at one time as in readymade. Unless the “cheap tailor” has facilities for obtaining his cloths and other materials direct from the mills, as have readymaders, and has a large business to take care of such necessarily large purchases, there are no other advantages, as he must then buy thru jobbers, in small lots at higher prices. Because of much fraud and deceit in connection with cheap tailoring in the past, the “cheap tailor” is not always highly regarded, tho there are many inexpensiv tailors enjoying the requisit facilities, who have built-up large businesses by fair and square dealing.

=Check—in= weaving a design produced by different colors crossing at right angles forming small squares.

=Check kersey=—one of the old names for k.

=Cheeks=—an old sobriquet for a marine, derived from a rough pun on his uniform in the olden days.

=Cheese=—familiar term for c. press block (qv).

=Cheese cloth=—a thin, sleezy, loosely woven, unbleacht or bleacht cotton fabric, used chiefly (in men’s wear) as a covering for padding and garment interlining; also, shellackt, to give body to silk hats and the like.

=Cheese press block=—a half circular segment of seasoned hardwood, about 3 × 12 × 18 inches, used by tailors for pressing seams, lapels, edges, etc.

=Chest=—the part of the body enclosed by the ribs and the breastbone.

=Chest=—a wooden box for holding clothes and other personal property.

=Chest measure=—a standard of sizing by which readymade clothes, shirts, etc., are bought and sold.

=Chest protector=—an undergarment of felt, wool, chamois or paper fiber, worn under the dress shirt for extra protection in cold weather; vulgarly “liver pad”.

=Chester=—colloquial English for top coat; abbreviation of Chesterfield (?).

=Chester jacket=—a single-breasted sack coat similar to a Norfolk.

=Chesterfield=—(1) a single-breasted, fly-front overcoat, of medium length, having a plain back with or without a center seam; (2) also a single-breasted cutaway frock coat for stout men, usually made with 4 buttons, the top one only used.

=Chesty=—full chested; pigeon breasted.

=Cheval glass=—a long mirror, revealing the entire person, much employed by those who think themselves good to look upon.

=Cheviot=—originally a rough, twill woven, slightly fulled fabric, with shaggy nap, woven from the coarse strong wool of the c. sheep, whence name; more generally any rough-finisht, twill woven fabric of strong, coarse wool, thoroly fulled, either with rough (or open) or close finish (long or short nap), used as suiting and overcoating.

=Cheviot shirting=—a heavy, plain or twilled, soft finisht cotton fabric, woven of single-thread warp and weft sufficiently coarse to produce weight, usually with loom-produced patterns such as small checks and stripes.

=Chevreau=—(glove term) real kid, fed only by the mother, never having browsed. Compare Chevrette.

=Chevrette=—(glove term) kid older than chevreau (qv), having eaten other foods, as grass, etc., the skins being consequently harder and tougher.

=Chevron=—in weaving, a pattern characterized by zigzag lines or stripes; herringbone.

=Chevron=—(1) a device, consisting of two or more bars meeting at an angle, worn on the sleeve by non-commissioned officers to indicate rank; (2) an heraldic device.

=Chicken skin=—a material once actually used for gloves and fans, but now quite unused for such purposes—not, indeed, that the creatures have been cultivated into any greater tenderness nowadays.

=Chimere=—a gown worn by Anglican bishops.

=Chimneypot=—a tall or top hat, usually applied to those of felt.

=Chin clout=—a muffler.

=Chin latch=—a small cloth strap to fasten together the turned-up collar of an overcoat or ulster; fastened by means of buttons and buttonholes.

=Chin lines=—whiskers.

=Chin stay=—see C. strap.

=Chin strap=—a band passing under the chin for holding on a cap or hat; an extendible s. attacht to uniform caps, usually worn closed on the upper side of visor, or in the case of shakos, falling loosely in front of, but not under the chin.

=Chin tuft=—a wee beard; a goatee or imperial.

=China silk=—a light, thin, plain woven silk fabric; pongee.

=Chinchilla=—general term for heavy, double-woven woolen fabrics, having a long-napt surface of wooly lobs (or tufted nap) of various forms and effects, but not in imitation of chinchilla fur, as is generally supposed. See Petersham.

=Chinchilla=—an animal of the weazel family, found in Peru and Bolivia, prized for its soft, gray, silky fur.

=Chinchilla machine=—a machine for forming the peculiar knobby nap of chinchilla cloth.

=Chine=—an effect in weaving produced by employing warp threads that have been printed and groupt in such manner as to form more or less distinct patterns when woven; most frequently seen in silks, such as taffetas.

=Chinese grass=—see Ramie.

=Chink=—the slant-eyed dopefiend who declares your shirts are not ready because you didn’t call for them yesterday.

=Chinkers=—cant for handcuffs united by a chain.

=Chip=—trade term for tiny diamond specks used in cheap jewelry. See Rose cutting.

=Chipping Norton=—see Bliss tweeds.

=Chirothecae=—a form of glove worn by the ancient Romans, fingerless and resembling the modern mitten. See Digitalia.

=Chiton=—a sort of short, sleeveless tunic, worn by the ancient Greeks.

=Chlamys=—a variety of himation (qv).

=Chlorine=—Cl_{2}; one of the most activ bleaching agents.

=Chloroform=—CHCl_(3); a good agent for the removal of grease spots from clothing.

=Choice=—see Wool.

=Choiling=—cutlery term for the operation of filing the little nick in a blade just between the cutting edge and the tang.

=Choir vestments=—see Cassock, Cotta, Surplice, etc.

=Choked bellows=—an underlaying accordion plait around a pocket (usually of the patcht variety) for purposes of increast capacity. See Bellows pocket.

=Choker=—any tall (and uncomfortable) shirt collar, especially a plain standing collar.

=Chopper=—in tailoring establishments a man who lays the paper patterns made by the “cutter” on to the cloth, marks same, and “chops” or cuts the cloth. Compare Cutter.

=Chopper=—a heavy leather working glove or mitten.

=Chorus shirt=—see Ballet s.

=Chrome kid=—goat skins tanned and finisht by the salts of aluminum or chromic acid method. See Vici k.

=Chuddah=—(1) a fine wool shawl made in India; (2) also the wool of which it is made.

=Church-of-England hat=—a low, round-crowned, felt h. with plain, flat brim, sometimes (erroneously) called shovel h. (qv).

=Cigar case=—a leather or metal pocket c. for cigars.

=Cigar magazine=—(1) same as c. case; also (2) a humidor.

=Cigaret case=—a metal pocket c. for coffin nails.

=Cimeter=—see Scimitar.

=Cinch=—a belt.

=Cincture=—a clerical girdle of serge or other stuff with silk fringed ends.

=Circular cape=—any c. the outer edges of which, spread flat, conform to the shape of a circle, and generally understood to mean without shaping at the shoulders.

=Civet=—the glandular secretion of the civet cat, most repulsiv and disgusting in its original state, but, properly compounded, practically indispensable in the imitation of certain floral perfumes.

=Civilian dress=—distinguishes our everydayness from army and navy magnificence.

=Clad=—clothed.

=Clan tartan=—any and all of the plaids of the various highland clans of Scotland.

=Claque=—a sort of semi-circle of felt, which it was the fashion in France, in the early part of the last century, to carry under the arm instead of wearing it on the head.

=Clasp=—a ball-and-socket glove fastener. See Snaps.

=Class chevron=—(=navy=) angled stripes of scarlet cloth forming part of the rating badge (qv) indicating rank of the wearer.

=Classy=—a term often used by misfit shops and cheap “gents’ furnishers” as implying some aristocratic distinction.

=Clatty=—dishevelled; untidy.

=Claudent=—a readymade scarf or plastron tied like an ascot or puff, but without fullness and flat as a pancake.

=Clawhammer=—see Evening dress.

=Clay=—a name given to serges, worsteds and diagonals woven after the process of J. & B. Clay, of Huddersfield, England.

=Clay worsted=—see above and Worsted.

=Clean=—well made; of good quality, texture, lines, styles, workmanship, etc.

=Clear finish=—trade term for worsted cloths from which all nap or fuzz has been removed, as serge, “hard finish” worsteds, etc.

=Clearing sale=—the effort made by one merchant to show how much cheaper he is than the other fellow.

=Clerical cape overcoat=—similar to an Inverness o., the cape buttoning in front.

=Clerical collar=—(1) a coat and waistcoat c., straight standing, not turned over, similar to that known as military c. (qv); on the waistcoat, however, the clerical c. buttons behind and has a continuous front; (2) a separable linen shirt c. closed in front and buttoning behind, the Anglican c. being single and the Roman double or folded.

=Clerical frock coat=—a single-breasted frock c. with straight skirts (not cutaway), buttoned from waist line to throat, usually with 7 buttons, with military collar.

=Clerical full dress=—as worn by Anglican clergymen, consists of a sort of single-breasted cutaway frock coat without revers, buttoning to the throat, with a military collar; a cassock waistcoat and plain trousers.

=Clerical girdle=—a sort of cincture of black or white worsted or silk rope with tasseled ends.

=Clerical sack coat=—a square-cornered single-breasted s. c., without revers, usually with 6 buttons, closing to the throat, with military collar.

=Clerical shirt=—a plain white linen s. without a made bosom, but with a simple placket.

=Clerical shirt collar=—see Clerical c. (2).

=Clericals=—short, close-cropt side whiskers.

=Clerk=—an absolutely impeccable individual.

=Cleveland hat=—a white or light-colored felt h., shaped like the silk top h., popular during the first Cleveland administration.

=Clip=—a season’s “crop” of wool; a shearing. See Wool c.

=Clips=—waste bits of cloth and other materials, saved and sold to converters.

=Cloak=—a loose outergarment without sleeves; a cape.

=Cloak room=—a shuffling place for umbrellas, hats, overcoats and rubbers.

=Cloaking=—any fabric suitable for men’s or women’s cloaks or overcoats, such as kersey, broadcloths, beaver, vicuna, chinchilla, etc.

=Clock=—narrow stem of silk embroidery on either side of a stocking, extending beyond the ankle and ending in a spear or crowsfoot; also a similar effect in drawn work.

=Clockmutch=—a night cap, from the Dutch clapmuts; a form of headdress which, tho still worn in Holland, is rarely seen in America.

=Clodhopper=—an awkward, clumsy fellow.

=Clodhoppers=—(1)extra large, ill-fitting shoes; (2) big feet.

=Clog=—(1) a dancing shoe; (2) an overshoe.

=Clogs=—wooden soles, usually iron shod, with leather straps for fastening.

=Close edge=—see Scotch e.

=Close-fitting=—said of a coat or other garment made tight or snug fitting, or shaped closely to the body.

=Close-roll=—trade term for umbrellas constructed on metal rods and covered with fine silk or other material that will roll closely into small compass. See Tight r.

=Closed front=—see Meeting folder.

=Closed gauntlet=—a mailed protectiv covering for the hand and wrist with immovable fingers, with the exception of one joint, so that in the shock of meeting an adversary, the weapon of the wearer, held fast in the fixt fingers, might not be dropt out of the hand—a device which, in the tournaments of those days, was considered as giving an unfair advantage over one’s adversary, and was usually proscribed.

=Closed shop=—a s. where a workman who refuses to join a labor union cannot find employment.

=Closed trousers=—tailors’ term for t. made for customers who stand with their legs close together, the inseam being shorter than is required for open t., which see.

=Closers=—in ready-to-wear clothing manufacture, operators who put together the sides, back and front seams of a coat, making the outer shell only.

=Closing measure=—in tailoring a measure taken over the shoulder from front to rear of sleeve head at under-level of arm scye. Compare Scye m.

=Cloth=—in the woolens trade, a word used generally, to distinguish close-woven, fulled and milled or napt fabrics made of woolen yarn from those made of worsted yarns in various fancy weaves and not compacted but given various finishes, as “clear”, “unfinisht”, etc.

=Cloth beam=—in a loom a roller or b. on which the woven fabric is wound.

=Cloth board=—a piece of wood on which bolts of woolens, linings, shirtings, etc., are wound into bolts; also made of heavy paper pulp b., and wood-and-paper.

=Cloth brush=—name commonly given to a b. of bristles set in a wooden back, to distinguish from whisk broom, altho the latter is often so called.

=Cloth button=—a b. made on a mold and covered with cloth matching the garment.

=Cloth fair=—an English custom of the 17th century, annual exhibits and sales being held by the weavers and factors.

=Cloth knife=—a very long tapering blade for cutting many layers of material at a time, working in a groove in the cutting table.

=Cloth-lapper=—one who folds cloth in the piece, generally by means of machinery.

=Cloth of gold=—generally heavy brocaded silk textures, inwrought with gold threads. More precise information can be had with research—you might commence with Deuteronomy xxxix. 3, and work up to the present.

=Cloth of iron=—see Iron c.

=Cloth-stitch=—a close s., like the weave of cloth.

=Cloth tester=—a machine for testing, from a small sample, the tensil strength of fabrics.

=Cloth (the)=—the clergy.

=Cloth-teazeler=—a machine for raising a nop on cloth by teazeling.

=Clothes=—consult Baker’s “Dictionary of Men’s Wear”.

=Clothes hamper=—a basket for soiled clothes.

=Clothes line=—a rope on which washing is hung out to dry.

=Clothes press=—a closet for clothes; a wardrobe.

=Clothes tongs=—an implement for grappling cloths or garments and removing them from a dying vat.

=Clothier=—(1) one who sells ready-to-wear clothing—distinguisht from the tailor in that he usually gets his money in advance; (2) a manufacturer of clothes.

=Clothing=—garments and apparel, considered as a whole.

=Clothing wool=—fine fleece 2 to 4 inches long, intended for woolen or carded yarn, usually graded as picklock, XXX, XX, X, No. 1 and No. 2, the first being the finest, the last the coarsest; the name of locality where obtained is also prefixt. See Wool. Compare Combing w.

=Clouded yarn=—weft y., characterized by alternate thick and thin places thruout its length.

=Cloudy=—trade term for goods not perfectly dyed and uneven in color. Compare “Off color” and “Shaded”.

=Club=—a place for the idle rich to sit in the windows for the inspection of pretty girls passing by.

=Club=—see Wig.

=Club check=—small quiet checks.

=Club coat=—see Dinner jacket.

=Club tie=—see Graduated t.

=Coaching hat=—a felt h. similar to a derby, but with a flat or square top.

=Coachman’s box overcoat=—a double-breasted top coat, of covert, kersey or whipcord, for wear with stable suit or undress livery.

=Coachman’s collar=—a standing shirt c. usually on a band and having well rounded corners.

=Coachman’s frock coat=—a single-breasted skirted c. closing with six buttons, usually matching the metalwork of the harness, large pocket flaps at waistline without pockets, four buttons on skirt.

=Coachman’s hat=—(1) a tall felt h. having a bell crown with a flat top; (2) a variety of Derby h. with a flattish top.

=Coachman’s livery=—Dress: body coat, breeches and boots, silk hat, greatcoat in winter. Undress: cutaway coat, breeches, square-crown derby or bell-crown hat, leggins, selby or top coat in winter; jacket and trousers often substituted for the skirted coat and breeches.

=Coachman’s overcoat=—a double-breasted frock o., buttoning close to the neck with a double row of six buttons, Prussian collar, large pocket flaps at waistline, the skirt folds showing turned back revers or side edges (qv).

=Coachmen’s proof=—an extra heavy waterproofing process, as applied to raincoatings, etc., intended for severe wear.

=Coat=—an outergarment for the upper part of the body as body c. (sack, cutaway, frock, dress, etc.), and overcoat (top coat, Chesterfield, Newmarket, paletot, raincoat, Inverness, ulster, etc.)

=Coat case=—see Portmanteau, Suit c., etc.

=Coat front=—trade term for a built-up stiffening or shape-retaining interlining for the fronts of coats, made of stitcht layers of haircloth, felt and canvas.

=Coat label=—(1) a l. of cotton or linen, usually sewed within the inside breast pocket, containing besides the tailor’s name the name of the customer, date and number of order; (2) a woven silk l. bearing the name and address of the maker, usually sewed inside at back of neck.

=Coat link=—a pair of buttons linkt together, or a button and a loop, used for closing or fastening a coat, as a dress coat.

=Coat maker=—a journeyman tailor who makes coats his specialty.

=Coat money=—a tax levied by Charles I. ostensibly for clothing the army.

=Coat of mail=—defensiv armor worn by those afraid to die.

=Coat pad=—general term for any made-up padding or wadding, as shoulder-pads, coat fronts, etc.

=Coat shirt=—a s. open all the way down the front and put on like a c., whence name.

=Coat sweater=—a knitted jacket or sweater (qv) opening all the way down the front and closing with buttons; with sleeves, but usually without collar, much like a cardigan jacket.

=Coat-tail pocket=—see Skirt p.

=Coat-tails=—the skirts of a frock c.

=Coatee=—(1) a very short coat of 1757; (2) a cadet’s uniform coat.

=Coating=—tailoring term for all fine woolen and worsted cloths especially suitable for dress coats, such as broadcloth, crepe, unfinisht worsted, vicuna, refines, etc.; also applied to overcoatings.

=Coatlet=—a dummy sample showing how a coat will look when made up; a means of showing piece goods by swatches cut and finisht much like a coat front, the effect being enhanced by displaying a number of such dummies in an overlapping row. (Name and system proprietary.)

=Cobble=—to patch or repair boots or shoes; used in the sense of rough or clumsy work.

=Cobbler=—(1) a mender of boots and shoes; (2) a clumsy or indifferent workman.

=Cobweb=—unusually thin, sheer and transparent, as c. hosiery.

=Cochineal=—bug juice; a red dye.

=Cockade=—a roset or knot of ribbon, leather, bullion, etc., worn on the hat as a badge of service, military, diplomatic or (improperly) domestic, etc.

=Cocking=—tailor’s term for critical inspection of finisht garments for discovery of mistakes—derived doubtless from an affected manner of squinting or “cocking the eye” on the part of the zealous examiner.

=Cockle=—see below.

=Cockling=—trade term for a wrinkled, puckered or shriveled effect or apparent defect in cloths, usually the result of lack of uniformity in warp and filling yarns, or uneven twist of either or both, or imperfect crabbing (qv), etc., chiefly encountered in light-weight fabrics and especially in such styles as loom-checks, mixt warp suitings, etc.

=Cockt hat=—a h. of various shapes, sometimes turned up in front only, with one button, and also with three laps, often richly trimmed with metal cords, buttons, laces, ribbons, etc.; see Kevenhuller. See also Chapeau. (=Cocked= h.)

=Cocoon=—the covering or chrysalis envelop spun by the silk worm, from which the filaments entering into the manufacture of silk are obtained.

=C. O. D.=—collect on delivery—otherwise you could have a charge account.

=Codfish=—the airs, frills and pretensions of the new rich; affected stylishness.

=Codfish aristocracy=—the “smart set” that furnishes the market for readymade ties, “pants,” “vests,” and outre “fashions” generally.

=Codpiece=—a medieval ornamental article of apparel. Consult Rabelais, Boccaccio, et al.

=Coffin cloth=—see Casket c.

=Coif=—a close undercap—centuries out of date.

=Coin case=—a sort of purse for odd change.

=Coin purse=—a small p. for “loose change.”

=Coin toe=—one of many varieties of shoe toes, rounded, and according to width, known as half dollar t., dime t., etc.

=Cokers=—iron reinforcements for the sole and heels of the woodsoled clogs worn by European peasants; also known as “irons”.

=Cold storage=—recommended for furs; for processes, etc., consult scientific works.

=Coldwater shrinking=—a process of sponging or shrinking woolens by dipping them in cold water and then suspending them on rods or lines in the open air to dry; the London process; the opposite of steam shrunk (qv).

=Colichemarde=—a peculiar duelling sword of the period of Louis XIV.

=Collar=—in tailoring that part of a coat or waistcoat that is folded back around the neck. All collars are either straight (put on in a straight line) or horseshoe (hollowed and curved), the former being the better fitting but more difficult to make. As to shape collars are known as notched c., shawl c., ulster c., clerical c., Prussian c., military c., rolling c., etc., while as to material they are designated self c., velvet c., laid on velvet c., inlaid c., etc. All of which see

=Collar=—a detacht or attacht linen neckpiece. See Shirt c.

=Collar-ascot=—a neglige c. and cravat combined, but separable. (Proprietary term.)

=Collar bag=—a b. of cloth or leather, with a draw-string, for carrying collars when traveling.

=Collar box=—a container for collars, usually of leather.

=Collar break=—tailoring term for the creased line of a lapel.

=Collar button=—an indispensable instrument of iniquitous proclivities.

=Collar city (the)=—Troy, N. Y.

=Collar insignia=—(=army=) see Insignia of rank.

=Collar spring=—a steel s. device worn under coat collars for the purpose of keeping the coat front together without buttoning and for the further purposes of spoiling the coat and to display the wearer’s vulgarity.

=Collar stand=—tailoring term for that part of a coat c. where sewed to the coat proper and extending to the crease or turnover point; usually 1⅛ to 1¾ inches in height.

=Collar velvet=—a very fine and expensive grade of silk v. made especially for the tailoring trade.

=Collarette=—see Vestlet.

=Collars-and-cuffs=—nickname for the late Duke of Clarence, son of King Edward VII., arising from his penchant for extremely high collars and protrusive cuffs.

=College cap=—an adhesive diminutive c. of about the size of a small saucer.

=College colors=—flamboyance. See Appendix.

=College hat=—a flat topt soft felt h. of the telescope variety, usually with band in college colors, commonly worn with brim blazed up or banged down in front.

=Collet=—a shoulder cape or collar.

=Collet=—the neck or stem of a button.

=Collet point=—the sharp point or base of a brilliant cut diamond.

=Cologne=—see Eau de c.

=Colonel’s uniform=—(=army=) see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u.; (=marine corps=) Special full dress, Full dress, Mess dress, Undress, Field dress. Also variations.

=Color=—briefly, any hue, as distinguisht from white. See Encyclopedia.

=Color doctor=—in calico printing, a blade for wiping surplus ink from the engraved roll.

=Color of the day=—in ecclesiastical usage the vestments worn on certain days must be of certain colors, as: white, for the feasts of our Lord, of virgins who were not martyrs, and of confessors; red for feasts of Pentecost and of all martyrs; violet for advent and from Septuagesima until Easter; green for ferial or ordinary days; black on Good Friday and in services for the dead. Cloth of gold is supposed to take the place of white, red or green.

=Color-test=—general term for the various means of determining the purity or fastness of colors, which may be by means of exposure, washing, chemical processes, etc. See Acid t., Exposure t., and an encyclopedia.

=Comb=—a little rake of rubber, horn, celluloid or other substance used in dressing the hair.

=Combination suit=—undershirt and drawers constructed as one piece or garment; better known as union s.

=Combing=—the process of arranging the fibers of wool, mohair, silk, cotton, etc., into a parallel condition and of equal length, preparatory to spinning into smooth, even and regular yarn; the perfected application of the carding principle.

=Combing wool=—fleece intended for worsted yarn, the staple ranging from 4 to 10 inches long; generally classed as fine, medium, coarse and low. See Wool. Compare Carding w.

=Come again=—shopkeeper’s invitation to try it over again.

=Come-back=—a customer, not sold to the first time, who returns.

=Come-to-Jesus-collar=—irreverent term for a plain standing linen shirt c. of the lap front variety; a “choker”; a clergyman’s c.

=Comforter=—a long woolen scarf or muffler.

=Comforter=—a quilt or counterpane, especially one of cotton or wool filling between two sheets of cotton or silk, more or less fancifully stitched.

=Comfortable=—a sort of shawl worn in the first half of the last century.

=Commander’s coat=—(=masonic=) a double-breasted frock c. of black cloth, having two rows of 11 buttons each and a standing military collar and epaulets. Compare Sir Knights c. and Fatigue blouse.

=Commander’s uniform=—(=navy=) see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Service dress, Evening dress, Mess dress, Undress. See also variations.

=Comme il faut=—irreproachable.

=Commercially all-wool=—see All wool.

=Commodore’s uniform=—see Special full dress, Full dress, Dress, Service dress, Evening dress, Mess dress, Undress. See also variations.

=Common=—see Wool.

=Commonsense=—a name sometimes applied to designate a certain style of broad-toed footform shoe. See Orthopedic.

=Competition=—a good thing to take the conceit out of some merchants.

=Composition cloth=—a strong, heavy cotton duck or canvas, chemically waterproofed, used for trunk covers, bags, etc.

=Compound spectacles=—(1) s. having lenses made of two different foci or characters in one frame; (2) s. with supplementary (detachable) lenses of colored glass. Compare Bifocal s.

=Concertina pocket=—a bellows (patch) p.

=Conchas=—Silver ornaments attached to the spurs worn by cowboys and plainsmen on high days and holiday occasions.

=Conditioning=—a process in the manufacture of cotton yarns, restoring thereto, immediately after spinning, the natural moisture that was driven out. Originally the purpose was to add weight and deceive the purchaser, but experience, in comparison with yarns “hot off the reel”, has demonstrated that conditioned yarns are improved materially in strength, elasticity and appearance, with freedom from kinks and curls.

=Conductors’ uniforms=—see Railroad c. u. and Street railway c. u.

=Coner=—a workman who attends to a cone on which hat bodies are formed.

=Coney=—a species of rabbit, the fur of which is largely used in the manufacture of fur garments, and by hatters; properly the fur of the conepatus, a genus of badger-like skunks; loosely applied to all cheap furs, such as rabbit, cat, etc.

=Confessional cape=—a c. worn by Catholic priests in the confessional box; not much in present use.

=Confirm=—to ratify an order given—a practice that seems to be growing in usage.

=Conformateur=—a mechanical device for obtaining and recording or holding the shape of the head or of other parts of the body that hats or other articles of apparel may be conformed thereto.

=Congress shoe=—a s. without a buttoned or laced opening in the front of top, but with elastic gores in the sides.

=Coning=—in hat making the process of shaping the flat felt into cones.

=Connaught=—an overcoat of the same class as the present day Chesterfield, popular in England about 25 years ago.

=Continental hat=—the distinctiv h., so called, worn by the Continental Army of old, but which dates back to the time of William III. See Three cornered h.

=Contract=—(1) a binding legal agreement insisted upon by employes not confident of holding their jobs otherwise, and proffered by employers not confident of holding good men otherwise; (2) an agreement for merchandise or other services.

=Contraptions=—vulgarism applied to any new-fangled, peculiar thing or idea; e. g., an extravagant form of dress, a queer and unusual manner of speech, or anything else that is new and to which the public taste is not accustomed.

=Cope=—a long mantle of silk or brocade worn over the alb by priests or bishops on solemn or ceremonial occasions; also a state or choral vestment worn by laymen.

=Copper toed=—name given to the old-time schoolboy’s shoes with copper toe protection against scuffing.

=Cops=—the conical rolls of thread formed on the spindle of a spinning machine.

=Cor de soie=—a corded silk of the 18th century.

=Cord stitch=—a fancy s. of a chain-like nature.

=Corded edge=—in tailoring an edge finish obtained by laying a cord along the joint and fastening it thereto so as to present a hard-wearing e.; see piped e. Differing from corded welt in that the cord is not concealed but is on the outer edge or surface.

=Corded goods=—trade term for such goods as Bedford cord, whipcord, repps, ottoman, etc.

=Corded pocket=—same as jetted p. (qv), especially if the turned over piece encloses a cord.

=Corded seam=—a plain s. (qv) is first made, then instead of being presst open, the s. is turned to one side and stitcht thru again so that the face of the cloth shows a row of stitching, corresponding, usually, with the edge finish. The three thicknesses give a cord effect to the s., hence the name, altho it is also called “single-stitch s.” Also sewn with a cord or piping between so as to show same on the outside. See C. edge.

=Corded wolf’s paw=—see Wig.

=Cordington=—a heavy, close-felted variety of “niggerhead”. See also Petersham.

=Cordonnet=—inferior silk fibers used for manufacturing braids, binding, twist, etc.

=Cordovan=—horsehide shoe leather.

=Corduroy=—a heavy, pile-woven cotton fabric largely used for hunting garments, stable wear, laborer’s clothes, etc.; usually 27 inches wide. In weaving one or two sets of weft may be used (the latter for the better grades), the weft forming the pile which is thrown up in furrows of loops which are afterward cut and singed, and the cloth then dyed.

=Cordwainer=—a shoemaker.

=Cork sole=—shoemaking term for an intermediate s. of cork for warmth and protection against wet.

=Corkscrew worsted=—a twill woven suiting having a round, even twill, supposed to, but not suggesting the twists of a corkscrew, formed by the warp surrounding and imbedding the weft and appearing on both face and back of the fabric.

=Corner pocket=—same as top p.

=Coronation cloth=—a black-and-red variation of Queen’s mourning c., (qv) appearing just previous to the first time set for coronation of King Edward VII.

=Coronet=—an article of decorativ attire not popular in democratic America, tho in activ demand by heiresses of peddlers, packers, etc.

=Corporal’s uniform=—see Full dress, Dress u., White u., Service u., Fatigue u. Also variants.

=Corpulent=—trade term for a man whose waist and breast are more than normal measure; i. e., a man whose chest seems to have slipt down below his belt. See Stout.

=Corselet=—medieval armor.

=Corset=—contraption of cloth, steel and whalebone for giving shapeliness to a woman or effeminacy to a man.

=Corset vest=—a vest (waistcoat) cut snug and tight to compress the waist and strongly constructed to withstand the strain.

=Cosmetique=—same as Pomatum.

=Cossacks=—a peculiar shapeless sort of trousers reaching about to the ankle where they are drawn with a ribbon and tied, rather full below the waist where they are gathered by plaits to shape; popular in first half of 19th century. Also called Plaited trousers.

=Cost-mark=—the first thing, not comprehended in his duties, that the new employe takes an activ interest in learning.

=Coster suit=—general term for anything garish and cockneyfied.

=Costume=—(1) dress and the science and history of dress; (2) the garments one may be wearing.

=Costume de rigueur=—extreme formal or evening dress; prescribed ceremonious attire.

=Costumer=—one who furnishes garments of any particular period or fashion for theatrical use, masquerades, etc.

=Costumer=—a piece of furniture upon which clothes are hung at night.

=Costumic=—of or pertaining to costume (rare).

=Cotta=—a short surplice, with and without sleeves.

=Cottes noir=—“black coats”, the nickname of a corps of mercenary German troops of the early 17th century, whose appointments were black thruout.

=Cotton=—the soft, wooly fleece or down from the seed boll of the c.-plant. How interesting are the encyclopedias! Look it up.

=Cotton-bale=—a bundle of about 500 lbs., in dimension 54 × 27 × 27 inches.

=Cotton bengaline=—silk b. with cotton warp.

=Cotton cheat=—term used by righteous factors in denunciation of mercerized woolen and worsted fabrics.

=Cotton classification=—the New York commercial classification is (1) full grades: fair, middling fair, good middling, middling, low middling, good ordinary, ordinary; (2) half grades are designated by the prefix “strict”; (3) quarter grades by the prefix “barely”, meaning a point above half grade and the next full grade above, and “fully”, meaning a point between half grade and the next full grade below. Liverpool high grades are higher and low grades lower than those of New York. Classifications for length are short staple (under 25 mm.), medium (25 to 30 mm.), long (30 to 40 mm.), and extra (40 mm. or more).

=Cotton gin=—a machine for separating the seeds from the fiber of cotton.

=Cotton test=—if silk or wool suspected of containing cotton, light a specimen by match; if adulterated will burn until consumed; the more common test for wool is by boiling in caustic soda. See Breaking t., Burning t., Oil t., Sulfuric acid t., Thru-lighting t., Untwisting t., Acid t. There are also microscopic and other tests. See an encyclopedia.

=Cotton velvet=—velveteen.

=Cotton warp=—trade term for suitings and other cloths woven with a warp of cotton and with filling of woolen or worsted.

=Cotton worsted=—stout all-cotton or part-cotton worsted-wove suitings for men’s wear in imitation of honester goods, usually of hard, slippery feel and the despair of the workman who has to “chop” it with shears. See Cottonade; also Manipulated.

=Cottonade=—stout cotton cloth woven in imitation of woolen or worsted trouserings, produced of coarse yarns, the patterns executed in the loom; usually narrow width.

=Cottonette=—an elastic knitted cotton fabric employed for bathing suits.

=Cotts=—see Cotty wool.

=Cotty wool=—the poor fleece of sheep exposed to severe weather or inadequately fed; generally hard, brittle, matted and of little value.

=Cotul=—a moss grown on the rocks in several British isles: basis of the brown dye used in coloring Harris tweeds.

=Count=—in spinning, the number given to any thread or yard (except silk) to indicate its relativ fineness, based on the number of threads required to weigh one pound. See Spinning; also see an encyclopedia.

=Counter=—a peculiarly shaped piece of sole leather used for stiffening or supporting that part of the upper of a shoe immediately around the heel.

=Counterhopper=—a too familiar term for salesclerks in retail shops.

=Counter jumper=—same thing.

=Counterpane=—a coverlet or quilt.

=Counting glass=—a magnifying glass for counting threads, twills, etc., of a fixed focus with an aperture of definit dimensions to serve as a multiple.

=Court coat=—(1) a formal dress c. in European use; resembles c. in vogue in the days of the Georges; cut somewhat like a “cutaway”, with standing collar, deep pocket flaps, braided frogs instead of buttons, braided edges; (2) a house footman’s c.

=Court dress=—(England) velvet tailcoat with steel buttons, silk waistcoat, velvet knee breeches, black silk stockings, buckled low shoes and white gloves, a cockt hat carried under the arm and a small dress sword worn at the side.

=Court livery=—c. coat, silk or satin knee breeches, plush waistcoat, silk stockings, buckled low shoes.

=Court plaster=—silk or cotton gummed with an antiseptic or healing compound, useful after a scrap; originally worn by court ladies in the shape of beauty patches (and pimple hiders?).

=Court tie=—a low shoe with short vamp; a sort of pump.

=Coutil=—a closely woven cotton fabric with a fine herringbone twill, slightly resembling jean, used for corsets. (Included herein because some men wear ’em.) (=Coutille=).

=Cover coat=—a top c.; a covert c.

=Covered button=—general term for coat, waistcoat and overcoat buttons made on a wooden or metal mold and covered with silk braid, mohair, lasting, cloth, etc., which see under those names.

=Coverlet=—an outer covering for a bed; a quilt.

=Covert cloth=—a stout twill woven woolen coating, the warp of which is of two twisted yarns of differing colors with a single weft of the same color as the dark strand of warp, producing a pepper-and-salt or mixt effect in the piece, well fulled and sheared according as a smooth or twilled surface is to result. Low grade coverts are sometimes woven with a cotton-and-wool or all-cotton warp.

=Covert coat=—a short top c., properly of covert cloth.

=Couverture pantaloons=—a cloth or rubber lap robe for motoring wear, convertible into over trousers by means of bands, hooks and buttons.

=Cow seal=—trade term for leather made from cowhides stamped in imitation of seal leather but with a large, coarse grain. Compare Pin s.

=Cow-tail=—see Tail.

=Cowboy boots=—b. of fine stout calfskin, the legs of which are decorated with fancy lines and curves stitcht into the leather, and having heels at least 2 inches high curving inwardly with a very small bottom, not as a matter of vanity or daintiness, but as a check against the foot slipping thru the stirrup and as a brace against ground-slipping when roping an animal.

=Cowhide=—(1) thick, heavy boot leather; (2) sole leather; (3) rough boots of ditto and of pleasant memory of boyhood country days; (4) a heavy flexible tapering leather whip used by teamsters and sometimes of unpleasant youthful memory.

=Cowes coat=—see Dinner jacket.

=Cowl=—(1) a monk’s hood; (2) the garment of which it is a part.

=Cowlick=—(1) a tuft of hair turned up over the forehead, as if licked by a cow; (2) a tuft of hair sticking up out of the crown of the head that can’t be brushed down.

=Coxcomb=—a pretentious, conceited dandy.

=Crabbing=—a process in cloth weaving by which yarn is uniformly moistened and stretched. See Cockling.

=Craiganputtach=—a variety of Scotch tweed from the town of that name.

=Crammer=—mentioned by Capt. Gronow: probably a choking neck stock or high cravat.

=Crank=—a fool customer who knows better than the salesman what he wants.

=Crape=—see Crepe.

=Crape-cloth=—a fine quality, light-weight, stoutly woven worsted fabric, with a surface in imitation of silk crepe, much used for dress coats.

=Crash=—(1) coarse linen toweling or suiting; (2) a light-weight “homespun” woolen suiting woven in imitation of linen toweling.

=Cravat=—a necktie or scarf, particularly of the larger, hand-tied varieties.

=Cravat pin=—see Scarf p.

=Cravatings=—silk fabrics designed for neckdressings.

=Cravenette=—a process applied to yarns before weaving, rendering the cloths made therefrom repellent to water and moisture; sometimes applied also to the woven fabric with satisfactory results; a secret process owned by The Cravenette Company and B. Priestley & Co., of Bradford, England. Frequently, the word is most erroneously misused as a name for an overcoat, tho the word strictly refers only to the proofing process, and strictly represents, therefore, neither a garment nor a fabric.

=Crease=—a prest fold.

=Crease=—a large dagger used by the Malays. (Kris.)

=Crease line=—in tailoring (1) the line along which a coat collar is folded; (2) where a lapel or rever is turned; (3) a horizontal line in the center of trousers legs, front and back; (4) any other place where a crease may be necessary or fashionable.

=Credit=—the precious privilege of obtaining goods one day and of paying for them, if you can, some other day.

=Credit clothier=—term specially applied to retail tradesmen who sell clothes on the installment plan, exacting a larger profit for their “obliging” accommodation.

=Creedmore=—a sort of brogan or blucher shoe for farmers, railroaders, etc., made of extra heavy leather, double stitcht and reinforced by rivets, and having commonly an outside sole leather counter.

=Creepers=—a baggy sort of dress for children learning to move about; usually bifurcated.

=Creole=—a stout shoe similar to a Congress gaiter, but with tops and uppers cut in one piece and without caps.

=Crepe=—generic name for semi-transparent fabrics of silk, wool or cotton, or combinations thereof, having a weave effect characterized by a crinkly surface of minute irregular ridges or sometimes of small twisted knots or puckers, usually produced by making the weft or warp (or both) of hard twisted threads, each alternate group twisted reversely, which by loom spacing and tension, relax and untwist when the fabric is taken from the loom, resulting in the peculiarity described. Black silk c. is used almost entirely for mourning.

=Crepe=—a species of thrown silk. See Throwing.

=Crepe cloth=—see Crape c.

=Crepe de Chine=—a fine, soft, thin silk fabric slightly crinkled; used for neckwear, mufflers, etc.

=Crepe de sante=—a light-weight cotton or linen fabric, resembling momie in weave, used for undergarments, pajamas, etc.

=Crepele=—French word meaning crepe-effect.

=Crib=—a small bed; a berth or bunk.

=Cricket=—a small footstool.

=Cricketing=—general name for fine twilled flannel suitings (from popular British use).

=Crispin=—a shoemaker. See St. Crispin.

=Crispin cloak=—see Houppelande.

=Croat=—a cravat; such as was worn by the Croatians in the French army in 1636.

=Crocheted tie=—a slimsy thing on a level with colored shoe laces; usually a souvenir of a misguided sweetheart.

=Crock=—to blacken, or stain, or lose color, as a dye that is not fast.

=Crocus finish=—a superior glaze or polish given to knife blades, etc.

=Crofter=—a peasant worker in (British) woolen or linen mills; a linen bleacher; a worker at crude hand looms.

=Crofting=—the bleaching of linen or cotton fabrics on grass or bleaching grounds.

=Croise=—weaving term indicating that the warp threads cross each other on the back of the fabric, as velvet, broadcloth, etc., forming a sort of twill.

=Crop=—a short wooden riding or hunting whip with a leather loop instead of a lash at one end and usually a handle at the other.

=Crop=—a growth of hair or beard; a wig.

=Cropping=—technical term for nap-shearing.

=Cross dyed=—trade term for fabrics in which, in weaving, a skein-dyed decorativ thread of a dark color, usually black, is woven into the fabric in the gray, and the whole piece afterward dyed a lighter color, permitting the dark decoration to show thru. Also called resist dyed (qv).

=Cross-gartered=—see Malvolio in “Twelfth Night”.

=Cross-legged=—the manner in which journeymen tailors work, whence their inclination to parenthesis of the legs.

=Cross pockets=—regular p. (qv).

=Cross stitches=—threads crossing one another, either singly (in the middle) or doubly (in the ends), something like a snake fence; used for staying the edges of velvet on collars, but often used for ornament only.

=Cross stripes=—in weaving, s. running across the width instead of along the length; horizontally.

=Crossbred=—the best sheep for mutton tho producing coarse wool.

=Crossbreed=—wool classification term. See Wool.

=Crotch=—juncture of the two halves of a trouser.

=Crotch piece=—a triangular piece of goods sewed onto the inner legs of trousers at the crotch when cut from goods not wide enough to permit of unspliced chopping.

=Crotch seam=—the fork s. See Stride.

=Crown=—(1) the upper part of a hat, particularly the flat or table part thereof; (2) the top piece of a flat crowned cap.

=Crown=—a decorativ circlet or covering for the head, worn, carried or displayed as a mark of kingly or sovereign power; unknown in U. S.

=Crown=—the upper pyramid of a diamond. See Brilliant cutting.

=Crown-piece=—see Crown.

=Crow’s-foot tack stitch=—in tailoring, an ornamental tack for ends of pockets, vents or inverted plaits. The tack is first laid out in a triangle and the threads laid in from base to apex-sides, alternately from one side and then the other, until the threads meet at the base. This is the most common form; there are variations, not differing greatly in effect or method.

=Crow’s-foot=—a three-pointed embroidery stitch sometimes used in finishing pockets. See above.

=Crow’s-toe=—same as Crow’s-foot.

=Cruiser=—a waterproof moccasin boot with a sewed-on sole and a medium heel, both studded with small hob nails.

=Crush hat=—the collapsible opera h.

=Crush opera=—same as O. hat.

=Crusher=—a soft felt hat, not hurt if stuft into a bag; much loved of travelers.

=Crutch=—the crotch or fork; (properly crotch).

=Crutch=—a walking prop for cripples and invalids.

=Ct.=—abbreviation for carat.

=Cue=—see Queue.

=Cuff box=—a receptacle for cuffs; usually of leather.

=Cuff button=—wrist jewelry.

=Cuff links=—cuff buttons. See Links.

=Cuffs=—(=1=) ornamental finishing to coat sleeves; (=2=) separate or attacht bands as a finishing for shirt sleeves.

=Cuirass=—defensiv armor covering the entire upper part of the body.

=Culet=—see Collet point.

=Cummerbund=—a broad, soft sash.

=Cup button=—bowl shape.

=Curl=—a cute little kink.

=Curled yarn=—weft y. commonly composed of two or three threads of contrasting colors, characterized by loops or curls at intervals, variously effected.

=Curling=—a process in hat manufacture whereby brims are shaped to conform exactly to a model.

=Curling iron=—a machine that had better be left altogether to women, who have hair to burn.

=Currier=—one who curries or dresses leather.

=Curtain=—the waist lining of trousers.

=Custom made=—made in the mode; to order and to measure.

=Custom tailor=—one who makes clothes to order only. Compare Merchant t.

=Customer=—an individual highly prized by the proprietor and patronized by the salesperson; sometimes called an “Indian”.

=Customer’s labels=—in the readymade clothing trade (wholesale) a name given to woven silk labels, bearing retailer’s names, sewed into neck of coats.

=Customs inspector’s uniform=—coat, vest, trousers and cap of dark blue cloth, the coat 4-button double-breasted in winter with 2 lower pockets with flaps, 1 outside welted breast and 1 inside breast pocket; in summer to be 4 buttons, single-breasted, square cut. Inspectors of passenger’s baggage wear red cap instead of blue. Insignia indicating rank worn on front of cap. All coat and vest buttons of flat bone, to be covered with shells when on duty.

=Cut=—a coil of two hanks of yarn.

=Cut goods=—trade term for hosiery knitted on a round knitting machine, the tubular, unshaped product being cut into required lengths, then footed, shaped, etc., by cutting out and adding other pieces as needed; the cheapest process of manufacture.

=Cut mark=—a mark fixt on the warp during dressing or beaming, to indicate a certain length and serve as a point for separating two adjoining pieces of cloth when woven.

=Cut-off cuff=—a sewed on or special c.

=Cut-off vamp=—same as Short v.

=Cut pile=—having a pile made by cutting the loops of the warp or floats of the filling on certain fabrics, as velvet, plush, etc.

=Cut velvet=—see Velvet.

=Cut wig=—see Wig.

=Cutaway frock coat=—a single-breasted f. c. with the skirts cut in a slanting line from a point near the waist. See Frock c. Occasionally—and whimsically—this c. is made double-breasted, but such an order is the despair of the tailor because of the difficulty of obtaining a smart appearance.

=Cutlas=—a heavy, curved short sword with one cutting edge and a bowl-shaped guard, used mostly in hand-to-hand naval engagements; latterly being discontinued.

=Cutler=—a dealer in knives, scissors, razors, table cutlery, surgical instruments, etc.; a manufacturer or repairer of same.

=Cutlery=—cutting instruments collectivly.

=Cuts=—trade term for less than a bolt or full piece of goods; short lengths.

=Cutter=—(1) in tailoring, the man who takes the measurements and drafts and cuts the paper patterns, which, in the larger establishment are turned over to “choppers” (qv) who “make the lay” on the cloth and cut the cloth; (2) in ready-to-wear clothing manufacturing the “cutter” is the man who lays out the pattern on the cloth and cuts the cloth, either by shears, electric cutting machine or long knife—corresponding to the “chopper” of the merchant tailor; (3) in shoe manufacturing, one who lays the patterns on the leather and cuts therefrom the vamps or other parts of a shoe.

=Cutters-up=—manufacturers of various articles of apparel. See Cutting-up trade.

=Cutting knife=—a long, tapering k. (24 to 30 in. blade) working in a groove or slot, used for cutting cloth, linings, etc., in large shops. As many as 75 layers of cloth may be cut at one stroke.

=Cutting machine=—an electrically operated m. for cutting several thicknesses of cloth at one operation, moved about by hand and controlled at will of the operator. There are two principal styles (1) a straight knife 5 to 6 in. long, and (2) a circular or wheel knife 3½ to 4½ in. in diameter, which will cut thru about 30 layers of heavy cloth and about 45 of light cloth; the straight knife will cut several more layers.

=Cutting-up trade=—indicativ of the trades that buy yard goods for purposes of manufacturing, as clothiers, tailors, shirt makers, etc., as distinguished from the jobbing trade.

=Cutty=—a short-stemmed pipe.