LIBRARY v A Dictionary of Men's Wear Works by Mr Baker A Dictionary of Men's Wear (This present book) Cloth $2.50, Half Morocco $3.50 A Dictionary of Engraving A handy manual for those who buy or print pictures and printing plates made by the modern processes. Small, handy volume, uncut, illustrated, decorated boards, 75c A Dictionary of Advertising In preparation A Dictionary of Men's Wear Embracing all the terms (so far as could be gathered) used in the men's wear trades expressiv of raw and =; finisht products and of various stages and items of production; selling terms; trade and popular slang and cant terms; and many other things curious, pertinent and impertinent; with an appendix con- taining sundry useful tables; the uniforms of "ancient and honorable" independent military companies of the U. S.; charts of correct dress, livery, and so forth. By William Henry Baker Author of "A Dictionary of Engraving" "A good dictionary is truly very interesting reading in spite of the man who declared that such an one changed the subject too often." —S William Beck CLEVELAND WILLIAM HENRY BAKER 1908 Copyright 1908 By William Henry Baker Cleveland O LIBRARY of CONGRESS Two Copies NOV 24 I SOB Copyright tntry _ OL^SS^tfU XXc, No. Press of The Britton Printing Co Cleveland tf- ?^ Dedication Conforming to custom this unconventional book is Dedicated to those most likely to be benefitted, i. e., to The 15000 or so Retail Clothiers The 15000 or so Custom Tailors The 1200 or so Clothing Manufacturers The 5000 or so Woolen and Cotton Mills The 22000 or so Retail Shoe Dealers The 2300 or so Shoe Manufacturers and Jobbers The 19000 or so Retail Hatters The 1000 or so Hat and Cap Manufacturers and Jobbers The 12000 or so Haberdashers The 22000 or so Dry Goods and Department Stores And other allied lines of business in this country Alike to owners and employes and especially to "The Advertising Man" Who usually gets all that is coming to him and finally To every man with a library — p 1 n seven years ago the author, then connected with a SOMEclothing manufacturing concern as advertising manager, wrote a compact little "Clothes Dictionary" which was presented to the trade with the compliments of the pub- lishers. All definitions were short and to the point, many were humorous, and all were within a necessarily limited scope of in- terest. There had never been anything like it and the book "caught on" immediately, with the result that the author there- upon went to work seriously to compile a larger, fuller, more comprehensiv dictionary along similar lines. The present book is the result. Six years or more (as time permitted) have been spent in reading, listening and correspond- ence for new terms and new meanings. Naturally, as all first compilations must inevitably be, the book is, frankly, lacking many definitions, particularly of terms in popular use long ago, and doubtless, many of today. Where- fore no claim is made that the book is complete, but it is believed that it is reasonably so—or usably so. In compilation the main purpose has been to make the book comprehensiv (covering about everything of men's wear, use and interest) and, contrary to most dictionaries, encyclopedias and the like, interesting. Altho the title specifies "men's wear", the book broadly covers many items of women's wear (as many fabrics, etc., are common to both sexes), and except that items of strictly women's wear have been omitted, might have been entitled "A Dictionary of Apparel", and should, therefore, be of quite as much interest to the straight drygoods merchant as to the modern clothier. The definitions are not tiresomely long—not any of them but all are of sufficient length to cover essentials and are accurate and reliable ; and, altho the dictionary is somewhat encyclopedic, it is not intended that it shall take the place of any encyclopedia. A feature of its forerunner that may be appreciated is that many of the less important and more obvious terms are dismist quite briefly or else freely or facetiously handled—enough so to induce one to search the pages for these alone. Obviously, no hard and fast rules could be set to govern the work. Each term had to be considered in itself and explained so clearly, without waste (or skimping) of words, as to be under- standable without the aid of pictures. That there has been no necessity for illustrations and that the book has been otherwise brightened without them the author considers somewhat of an achievment. In a word, it has been the aim of the author to make simply a handy reference book, "popular" rather than learned, helping one over transient needs, leaving the wearying technical disserta- tions to text books, encyclopedias, etc. If this has been ac- complisht, there is great cause for satisfaction to William Henry Baker Cleveland, 1908 Mem Please don't be provoked by the use of "simplified spelling.'' It helpt me cram much more in the compass of this book than could have been done with the use of some of our superannuated forms. Besides, sim- plification is the order of the day, and we might as well get used to it, every one of us. And, again, only the less jarring and those surest of early adop- tion have been used: there's a concession to conservatism and "the conven- tions". Neither permit the abbreviation of repetitions of index-words to the initial letters thereof to confuse you. The eye catches the sense and simplicity of the scheme quickly enough (the brain should be no less nimble) —and the eye must not be offended. Besides, this has saved me more space than "simplified spelling". Please notice, further, that this is not a pronouncing dictionary. Most people in the trade don't need this feature, thru daily familiarity with the terms, even tho they may not thoroly understand them—which is nothing unusual. And so, to keep as many "high-browed" features out of the way as was possible, and to make this just a handy look-into book for everyday folks (such a book as I have longed for for my own use) pronunciation, grammar-classing, and such like devices of the weary big-books were deemed superfluous and dropt. You will have to go to them, anyway, on some sub- jects which this book treats briefly—why tire you beforehand?—W. H. B. Authorities Consulted New International Encyclopedia Standard Dictionary- Cole's "Encyclopedia of Dry Goods" Giles' "History of Cutting in England" Planche's "History of Costume" Mrs. Earle's "Two Centuries of Costume in America", "Cos- tume of Colonial Days", etc. Mrs. Aria's "Costume : Fanciful, Historical and Theatrical" Mitchell's "New Standard Coat System" Croonborg's "Supreme System for Men's Garments" Baker's "Clothes Dictionary" Beck's "Gloves : Their Annals and Associations" Boutell's "Arms and Armour" Rimmel's "The Book of Perfumes" Edwards' "History and Poetry of Finger Rings" Hamersly's "Naval Encyclopedia" "Clothes and the Man" by the "Major" of Today "The Complete Bachelor" by the author of the "As Seen by Him" papers Johnston's "Clans and Their Tartans" Farmer's "Americanisms, Old and New" U. S. War Dept. General Orders No. 169, Aug. 14, 1907, et seq. (Uniform Regulations) U. S. Navy Dept. Uniform Regulations, 1905 U. S. Marine Corps Uniform Regulations, 1908 U. S. Interior Dept. Bureau of Forestry Uniform Regulations U. S. Treasury Dept., Circular No. 3, Customs Officer's Uni- forms, Jan. 3, 1905 U. S. Treasury Dept. Revised Regulations, Uniforms U. S. Revenue Cutter Service, 1900, et seq. U. S. State Dept. Report on Silk and Silk Manufactures (Cowdin) New York City Police Dept. Manual, 1905 New York City Fire Dept. Regulations, 1905 Chicago Police Dept. Uniform Regulations Chicago Fire Dept. Uniform Regulations 'Sartorial Art Journal" 'American Tailor and Cutter" 'American Gentleman" 'Daily Trade Record" 'Apparel Gazette" 'The Haberdasher" : "Clothier and Furnisher" "American Hatter" "American Silk Trade Journal" "Dry Goods Economist" "Jeweler's Circular" "Boot and Shoe Recorder" "Fibre and Fabric" and other trade journals Many reference books and other books not specially con- sulted for this purpose Various Government reports not separately credited Numerous trade catalogs, brochures, etc. Personal Acknowledgments In recognition of interest and assistance rendered in the mat- ter of definitions, etc. S. S. Paupst, ex-secretary International Custom Cutters' Association of America, Cleveland John A. Carlstrom, ex-president International Custom Cut- ters' Association of America, author of "Proportions of the Human Form" and other works on tailoring, New York Samuel Dreyer, of Alschuler, Dreyer & Co., clothing manu- facturers, Chicago Globe Woolen Co., New York Schnabel Bros., woolens, New York Regal Shoe Co., East Whitman, Mass. J. Harry Selz, of Selz, Schwab & Co., shoemakers, Chicago The Crofut & Knapp Co., hat manufacturers, New York Spear & Co., cap manufacturers, New York Members of various independent military companies (in most instances, the commanding officer) for matter in appendix T W hile particular and grateful acknowledgment is due to fellow workers in the clothing and dry goods trades, from whom the argot and lingo of the trade emanates and becomes, finally, "good English" Diction A A i — (i) of first quality; (2) entitled to unlimited credit. A la mode—in style; according to the vogue. Aba— (1) a very primitiv garment worn in Northern Africa, consisting of a square of heavy woolen cloth, folded, with open- ings for head and arms and worn after the manner of a coat or tunic ; (2) a sort of overcoat of rough brown material open in front, with wide sleeves terminating at the elbow, worn in Persia.