Jacket Synonym

This section began as a result of my verifying some cloaks and mantelets for a collector and seller of museum quality antique (100 year old) English clothing for ebay auctions.

When faced with so much variety of style, it's understandable that the wide range of costume history terms that exist are often confusing to those seeking to describe vintage garments or make articles for a theatrical production.

Regular visitors know this site deals only with female costume history, and in this section I'm going to look at simplifying ways of helping site visitors understand the differences between the wide range of terms used for female cover ups as either cloaks, coats or jackets and found especially in the 19th century in the Brutish Isles until 1970.

This section began as a result of my verifying some cloaks and mantelets for a collector and seller of museum quality antique (100 year old) English clothing for ebay auctions.

When faced with so much variety of style, it's understandable that the wide range of costume history terms that exist are often confusing to those seeking to describe vintage garments or make articles for a theatrical production.

Regular visitors know this site deals only with female costume history, and in this section I'm going to look at simplifying ways of helping site visitors understand the differences between the wide range of terms used for female cover ups as either cloaks, coats or jackets and found especially in the 19th century in the Brutish Isles until 1970.

Jacket Synonym

Anyone researching costume cover ups, coats and jackets will eventually come across some of these words.  There are many more terms, but usually they relate to eras pre 1750 and include medieval terms for coats such as cote-hardie or ancient terms such as chlamys.

Afghan, anorak,

Basque, Beatle jacket, blazer, bolero, bomber, Brandenburg, Burberry, British warm, battle jacket, blouson,

canezou, cape, cloak, car coat, cardigan, carmago, casaque, capote, capuchin, caftan, capelets, cardinal, Chesterfield, cocoon, cote-hardie

dinner jacket, dolman, duster, duffle, donkey, djellabah,

Eton, Eisenhower,

fleece, frock coat, a fur,

gilet, great coat, gabardine, greatcloak

hacking,

jacket, jerkin, jigger, a leather,

Mackintosh, maxi, mantles, mantelets mantilla, mantua, Manteau, 

Nehru jacket, Norfolk,

overcoat, opera cloak, opera hood

pelerine, parka, pelisse, pardessus, paletot, poncho, pareo, paletot sac, pashmina, Palmerston, puffa,

raincoat, redingote, riding habit, reefer, raglan, Riding hood,

spencer, swagger, swaggerback, surcote, surtout, swing, stole, a suede

trenchcoat, topper, talma,

Visite, vest, waistcoat, windcheater, the Witzchoura, wrap,  wrapper

Ulster

Zouave jacket, Zhivago coat

All the above are coats, jackets and cover ups, either short, long, heavy or light, sleeved or sleeveless.  Sometimes the terms are used with freedom to describe the same item at other times there are distinct differences and these are explained further on.

In the next few pages you will find an explanation of the various coat terms, plus as time permits more and more simplified silhouette line drawing I have made or other illustrations.

For those dating vintage costume this will be especially useful.  I've always thought that nothing beats a simple line drawing for understanding the elements of a fashion style and the subtle change in line that gradually occurs.  There are also links throughout this section to glossary terms already sufficiently covered in other sections on the site