Glossary S Textile and Clothing Definitions

sable black; dark brown color of the fur of the sable; a grayish yellowish brown.

sabot a European wooden shoe; a shoe having a sabot strap, namely a strap across the instep in a sandal type shoe

sack a woman's loose-fitting dress; a short usually loose-fitting coat for women and children

sackcloth a garment of sackcloth, namely a coarse cloth of camel's hair or cotton, worn as a sign of mourning or penitence. A coarse cloth of goat or camel's hair or of flax, hemp, or cotton.

saddle shoe an oxford-style shoe having a saddle of contrasting color or leather [Also called, saddle oxford]

safety cloths fireproof

saffron moderate orange to orange yellow. Black clothing worn in mourning [Usually used in plural]

sailcloth cotton, linen, nylon. Plain weave, some made with a crosswise rib. A strong canvas or duck. The weights vary, but most often the count is around 148 x 60. Able to withstand the elements (rain, wind and snow). Sailcloth for clothing is sold frequently and is much lighter weight than used for sails.

sailor collar a broad collar having a square flap across the back and tapering to a V in the front

salmon the variable color of salmon's flesh averaging a strong yellowish pink.

salwar wide loose pants with a reinforced cuff and a drawstring usually worn with a long tunic.

Additional Definition of Salwar donated by www.Salwar.com
The Salwar was first worn by the desert women as a cover to shield their legs from the blistering heat. It was made from coarse cotton and had no aesthetic value whatsoever. It was only during the reign of the Moguls that the concept of anything like a Salwar came about. It was a time to be lavish and clothing became a symbol of social status. The fabric employed to tailor clothes ranged from the finest silks, velvets, chiffons and muslins and it was at this time that lehenga, the sherara and the churidar also took birth. The Salwar came to India with the invasion of the Aryans. They settled in Punjab and the locals adapted the salwar as their traditional dress. It was in Punjab that the concept of the Salwar as we know it today really came about. One only has to look at portraits of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a fearless Sikh chieftain, to see that the Salwar was popular in the Punjab district. Hence today when you think of the Salwar you automatically think about Punjab and Punjabi culture. As symbols of Punjabi culture the Salwar is only second to bhangra. It is the staple dress of Punjabi women and is worn throughout the year in various fashions from the simple day to day styles to the more elaborate styles reserved for celebrations such as weddings and especially Vasakhi.

salvage Salvaged merchandise refers to products that can no longer be sold "as new". There is a large percentage of merchandise that is damaged while in transit to retail stores. For instance, a pallet of toys may have packaging damage. The retailer cannot sell the toys as new because the individual boxes show wear or tear. This merchandise gets set to the side and labeled "Salvage". Salvage can also refer to merchandise that has been returned to the store for any number of reasons. Salvage can also include 2nd quality merchandise produced at the factory level. (definition provided by Robert Cyr at RLC Trading.)

sam browne a leather belt for a dress uniform supported by a light strap passing over the right shoulder

sample sale a sample sale is a special event providing clothing companies a method to sell off the samples from their showrooms. This provides the public with designer clothes (and non designer brand clothing) directly from the designer and clothing companies at wholesale or below wholesale prices. These fabulous clearance events quite often take place in the designer's own showroom. The prices at these sample sales are typically far better than what you would find in an outlet store.

sanbenito a sackcloth, namely, a coarse cloth of camel's hair or cotton, coat worn by penitents on being reconciled to the church; a Spanish Inquisition garment resembling a scapular and being either yellow with red crosses for the penitent or black with painted devils and flames for the impenitent condemned to an auto-da-f

sandal a shoe consisting of a sole strapped to the foot; a low-cut shoe that fastens by an ankle strap; a rubber overshoe cut very low

sarcenet a soft thin silk in plain or twill weaves. A garment made of sarcenet fabric, namely a soft thin silk in plain or twill weaves

sari / saree lightweight cloth draped so that one end forms a skirt or pajama and the other a head or shoulder covering. A piece of fabric about 6 yards in width and 44" in length which worn wrapped strategically around the body over a skirt petticoat and a choli. Worn by Indian and south Asian women.

Additional Definition of Saree donated by www.Salwar.com
Saree (sari) Nothing identifies a woman as being Indian so strongly as the sari - the quintessential Indian female garment. The 6 yard, unstitched, fluid garment over and around the body, adjusted with little tucks and pulls is one of the most graceful pictures ever. "The sari undoubtedly is the most sensuous garment ever." "And the best thing about it is that it conceals as much as it reveals." The sari is one of the most feminine outfits ever. And that's the secret behind its survival through various fashion eras like bell-bottoms, drainpipe and now low-rise jeans." The origin of this fabulous garment is a bit obscure due to lack of proper historical records in India but one thing's for sure - the sari boasts the oldest existence in the sartorial world. It is more than 5000 years old and is mentioned in the Vedas. Sari (original - Chira in Sanskrit for cloth) is of varied length. From 5 yards to 9.5 yards tied loosely, folded and pleated, it can be turned into a working dress or party wear with manual skill. For the day-to-day dressing of middle class women, a 5-6 yard is comfortable today. The material and the print on the sari can vary according to your choice and the occasion. The common materials for a sari are silks, cottons, chiffons, organzas and georgettes, and the common types of saris are Kanjeevaram (a traditional South Indian sari), Paithani (a typical peacock and parrot motif sari from Maharashtra), Banarasi, Bhagalpuri, Orissa Ikkat, Maheshwari, Chanderi, Gujrati Patola, and Jaipuri Leheriya. "I feel that a chiffon, a georgette and a nice Kanjeevaram is a must-have for every woman." The chiffon is appropriate for a kitty party, lunch or dinner at the club or at the race course, or even for shopping. The georgette can be worn for a cocktail or small party, while the Kanjeevaram can be worn at weddings or extremely formal affairs." Saris are beautiful, and it is up to the wearer to bring out the best in them. The styles of wearing a sari vary according to the region. There are about 10 to 15 types of drapes in India. So, you have the Bengali, Gujarati, Coorgi, Malayali and other styles of draping.

sarong a loose garment made of a long strip of cloth wrapped around the body and worn as a skirt or dress by men and women chiefly of the Malay archipelago and the Pacific islands. SARONG - also called a PAREO, a wraparound, pareau (Tahiti), pakome(Thailand), lava-lava (Samoa), kain (Indonesia), sulu (Fiji), canga (Brazil), malo (Tonga), lunghi, etc. - is a piece of fabric, approximately 45 X 75 inches = 120 X 190 cms. It is the traditional clothing for both women and men in Indonesia and is also worn every day on islands all over the South Pacific and in many countries of South-east Asia - especially Malaysia and Thailand. Sarongs are generally produced by the BATIK process.

sash a band worn about the waist or over one shoulder and used as an accessory or emblem of a military order

sateen cotton, some also made in rayon. Sateen, 5-harness, filling-face weave. Lustrous and smooth with the sheen in a filling direction. Carded or combed yarns are used. Better qualities are mercerized to give a higher sheen. Some are only calendared to produce the sheen but this disappears with washing and is not considered genuine sateen. May be bleached, dyed, or printed. Difficult to make good bound buttonholes on it as it has a tendency to slip at the seams.

satin silk, rayon, synthetics. Originated in China (Zaytoun, China - now Canton - a port from which satins were exported during the Middle Ages). Became known in Europe during the XIIth, and XIIIth Centuries in Italy. Became known in England by the XIVth Century. It became a favorite of all court life because of its exquisite qualities and feel. Usually has a lustrous surface and a dull back. The lustre is produced by running it between hot cylinders. Made in many colors, weights, varieties, qualities, and degrees of stiffness. A low grade silk or a cotton filling is often used in cheaper cloths.

satin weave the satin weave is made by "floating" the warp or weft yarns across several yarns to bring them to the surface. Bringing the yarns to the surface gives the fabric sheen because light is reflected off the yarn surface, not absorbed by the intersections of yarns such as in a plain weave.

scapular a long wide band of cloth worn front and back over the shoulders as part of a monastic habit

scarf a military or official sash usually indicative of rank; [Archaic] tippet; a broad band of cloth worn about the shoulders, around the neck, or over the head; a military or official sash usually indicative of rank

scrim a durable plain-woven usually cotton fabric for use in clothing, curtains, building, and industry.

sea island cotton a cotton with especially long silky fiber. The very finest and most expensive cotton, in very limited supply, with a fiber length greater than 1 1/2".

seal a dark brown.

seasonalization the merging of seasonal colors. Current practice dictates that particular color ranges are appropriate based on the season in which the garment is worn. Seasonalization contends that "all" colors should be available to consumers on a year round basis, regardless of the calendar season. The term was developed by the Apparel Search Company on October 2, 2000.

seersucker cotton, rayon, synthetics. Term derived from the Persian "shirushaker", a kind of cloth, literally "milk and sugar". Crepe-stripe effect. Colored stripes are often used. Dull surface. Comes in medium to heavy weights. The woven crinkle is produced by alternating slack and tight yarns in the warp. This is permanent. Some may be produced by pressing or chemicals, which is not likely to be permanent - called plisse. Durable, gives good service and wear. May be laundered without ironing. Can be bleached, yarn dyed, or printed. Some comes in a check effect.

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