A Gentleman's Glossary: The Language of Classic Menswear
Classic menswear has a language all its own. From the construction of a well-made tie to the weave of a favorite fabric, the details behind a gentleman’s wardrobe come with terminology worth knowing.
Understanding that vocabulary makes it easier to recognize quality, appreciate craftsmanship, and dress with greater confidence. Organized by subject for easy reference, this glossary covers neckwear and accessories, construction techniques, fabrics and weaves, classic patterns, tailoring terms, dress codes, and enduring style traditions.
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Along the way, you’ll find links to deeper articles throughout the R. Hanauer blog, The Gentleman's Guide, for a closer look at many of the fabrics, garments, accessories, and conventions that have shaped classic menswear.
In this glossary
1. Neckwear & Fine Accessories
Ascot
An ascot is a wide neck piece worn beneath an open collar or with traditional morning dress. It offers a refined, less structured alternative to a necktie.
Bow Tie
A bow tie is a shaped piece of neckwear tied into a symmetrical bow at the collar. Available in different styles, shapes, and sizes, bow ties can be worn with everything from casual shirts and suits to formal tuxedos.
Dive deeper:
Self Tie Bow Ties Vs. Pre Tied Vs. Clip On
Behind the Seams: The Anatomy of an R. Hanauer Bow Tie
Cufflinks
Cufflinks are decorative fasteners used to secure French cuffs and other shirts without button closures. Available in materials and designs ranging from understated to ornate, they offer a subtle opportunity to personalize formal and business attire.
Cummerbund
A cummerbund is a pleated sash worn around the waist with a tuxedo as part of traditional black-tie attire. Originally inspired by formal dress in British India, it creates a clean transition between the shirt and trousers while covering the waistband.
Explore more:
A Cummerbund Style FAQ: Can You Mix & Match Your Bow Tie & Cummerbund Patterns?
Behind the Seams: The Anatomy of an R. Hanauer Cummerbund
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of fabric worn around the neck and knotted at the collar to the correct length, typically with a dress shirt. Its fabric, width, length, knot, and pattern all influence how formal or expressive it appears.
Master the essentials:
What Is The Proper Tie Length?
Pocket Square
A pocket square is a decorative piece of fabric worn in the breast pocket of a jacket. Available in silk, linen, cotton, and other materials, it can introduce color, texture, or pattern while complementing – rather than exactly matching – a necktie or bow tie.
Put it into practice:
How To Pair a Bow Tie and Pocket Square
Is the Handkerchief Dead? Exploring the Practicality and Style of a Timeless Accessory
Tie Clip
A tie clip is a functional accessory that secures a necktie to the shirt placket, helping keep it in place while adding a polished detail. Traditionally worn between the third and fourth shirt buttons, it should not extend beyond the width of the tie.
2. Neckwear Construction & Craftsmanship
Bias Cut
Fabric cut diagonally across the grain is described as bias cut. This technique gives neckties and bow ties greater flexibility, helping them knot smoothly and return to shape after wear.
Blind Stitch
A blind stitch is sewn so that little or no thread is visible from the outside. It is commonly used to create a clean, refined finish on tailored garments and accessories.
Hand-Rolled Edge
A hand-rolled edge is a finishing technique in which the edge of a pocket square or handkerchief is carefully rolled and stitched by hand. The resulting rounded edge is a traditional hallmark of fine craftsmanship.
^ R. Hanauer Henna Whipstitch Border Pocket Square
Keeper Loop
A keeper loop is the fabric loop on the back of a necktie designed to hold the narrow blade in place after the tie is knotted. Also known as a backstay, it may be made from the tie fabric itself or incorporated into the maker’s label.
Interlining
Interlining is the material placed between the outer layers of a necktie or bow tie to provide structure, weight, and shape. Its composition and thickness influence how a tie knots, drapes, and recovers after wear, making it an important but largely unseen component of quality neckwear.
Slip Stitch
A slip stitch is the long, flexible stitch that runs along the interior seam of a traditionally constructed necktie. It holds the tie together while allowing the fabric to flex during tying and recover its shape after wear.
Tipping
Tipping is the fabric used to finish the underside of a necktie’s blade. A tie may be self-tipped with its exterior fabric, tipped with a contrasting material, or left untipped to showcase its construction and create a lighter finish.
3. Fabrics, Weaves & Textiles
Broadcloth
Broadcloth is a smooth, tightly woven fabric commonly used for dress shirts. Its crisp appearance and minimal texture make it especially suitable for business and formal attire.
Cashmere
Cashmere is an exceptionally soft, lightweight wool obtained from the undercoat of cashmere goats. Prized for its warmth and luxurious feel, it is commonly used in sweaters, scarves, overcoats, and other cold-weather accessories.
Faille
Faille is a woven fabric distinguished by its horizontal ribs and structured appearance. Closely related to grosgrain, the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in menswear, though grosgrain typically has a more pronounced ribbed texture. Often made from silk, faille is used for bow ties, cummerbunds, lapel facings, and other formal accessories where subtle texture offers an elegant alternative to the smoother sheen of satin.
Linen
Linen is a natural fabric made from fibers of the flax plant. Valued for its breathability, strength, and distinctive texture, it has been used for thousands of years and remains a favorite for warm-weather clothing and accessories.
Silk
Silk is a natural fiber prized for its softness, strength, luster, and ability to hold rich color. It can be woven into a variety of fabrics and finishes, including satin, twill, grosgrain, and other textured constructions commonly used in neckties, bow ties, pocket squares, and formal accessories.
Satin
Satin is a weaving technique that creates a smooth surface and pronounced sheen by allowing more thread to float across the face of the fabric. While satin is often made from silk in fine menswear, it can also be produced from other fibers and is commonly used for bow ties, neckties, cummerbunds, and tuxedo details.
Seersucker
Seersucker is a lightweight fabric distinguished by alternating smooth and puckered stripes. Its textured construction helps hold portions of the fabric away from the body, making it especially well suited to warm-weather clothing and accessories.
Tweed
Tweed is a durable woolen fabric known for its substantial texture and rich variety of weaves and patterns. With roots in Scotland and Ireland, it has long been associated with country clothing, sport coats, outerwear, and cool-weather dressing.
Twill
Twill is a weave recognized by its diagonal pattern, created by passing threads over and under one another in a repeating sequence. Used in fabrics ranging from wool suiting to silk neckwear, twill is valued for its durability, drape, and subtle texture.
Velvet
Velvet is a woven fabric distinguished by its short, dense pile, which creates a soft texture and rich depth of color. In menswear, it is particularly associated with evening jackets, smoking jackets, and bow ties, making it a natural choice for festive and formal occasions.
Weave
Weave describes the way warp and weft threads are interlaced to create fabric. Different structures can produce dramatically different results from the same fiber – such as smooth satin, diagonal twill, or textured herringbone – making weave an important part of how a fabric looks, feels, and performs.
4. Patterns & Motifs
Chalk Stripe
A chalk stripe is a soft, slightly blurred vertical stripe commonly found on wool suits. Traditionally associated with British tailoring, it offers a bolder alternative to the crisp lines of a pinstripe.
Foulard
In menswear, foulard refers to the small repeating motifs commonly seen on neckties and bow ties. The classic pattern lends visual interest while remaining refined enough for business and dressier occasions.
Glen Plaid
Glen plaid is a woven check pattern formed by intersecting groups of light and dark stripes. A longtime staple of classic tailoring, it is commonly seen on suits, sport coats, and trousers and may incorporate a contrasting overcheck.
^ R. Hanauer Black/White Glen Plain Bow Tie
Herringbone
Herringbone is a distinctive V-shaped weaving pattern created by alternating the direction of a twill weave. Named for its resemblance to a fish skeleton, it appears frequently in suits, sport coats, overcoats, and accessories.
Madras
Madras is a lightweight cotton fabric known for colorful plaid and check patterns. Traditionally associated with warm-weather dressing, it is commonly used for shirts, jackets, trousers, bow ties, and pocket squares.
Paisley
Paisley is a decorative pattern built around a curved, teardrop-shaped motif with roots in Persian and South Asian textile traditions. In menswear, it remains especially popular on ties, bow ties, pocket squares, and other accessories.
Pinstripe
Pinstripes are thin, evenly spaced vertical stripes most commonly associated with suits and tailored trousers. Traditionally a hallmark of business attire, the pattern creates a crisp, refined appearance and is subtler than the broader, softer lines of a chalk stripe.
See it in action:
From Plaid to Pinstripes: How to Pick the Perfect Suit Pattern for Your Style
Polka Dot
Polka dots are a pattern of evenly spaced circles that have been a mainstay of menswear for generations. Found on neckties, bow ties, pocket squares, and shirts, the pattern can range from subtle pin dots to larger, more playful designs.
Tartan
Tartan is a woven pattern of intersecting horizontal and vertical stripes traditionally associated with Scottish clans, regions, and institutions.
5. Shirts, Tailoring & Garment Construction
Armscye
Pronounced arm-sigh, the armscye is the armhole where a sleeve joins the body of a jacket or shirt. A higher, well-fitted armscye can improve both mobility and the garment’s overall shape.
Bespoke
Bespoke clothing is made from an original pattern created specifically for one customer. Unlike made-to-measure garments, bespoke pieces involve extensive customization and multiple fittings.
Collar
A collar is the part of a shirt that frames the neck and helps shape the presentation of a necktie or bow tie. Common dress-shirt styles include point, spread, cutaway, button-down, club, tab, and wing collars, each offering a different balance of proportion, formality, and style.
Cuff
A cuff finishes the wrist of a shirt sleeve and can influence both its appearance and level of formality. Common styles include the button-fastened barrel cuff and the folded French cuff, which is secured with cufflinks.
Drape
Drape describes how fabric hangs and moves on the body. Fiber, weave, weight, and garment construction all influence drape, which can range from crisp and structured to soft and fluid.
Dress Shirt
A dress shirt is a collared, button-front shirt designed to be worn with tailored clothing. Details such as collar style, cuffs, fabric, and placket help determine its level of formality.
Gorge
The gorge is the point where a jacket’s collar meets its lapel. Its height and angle influence the proportions of the jacket and can subtly distinguish different tailoring styles and eras.
Jacket Construction
Jacket construction refers to the internal structure that gives a tailored jacket its shape, support, and drape. In a full-canvas jacket, a canvas layer is sewn between the outer fabric and lining, allowing the garment to conform more naturally to the wearer over time. In fused construction, the interlining is bonded to the outer fabric with adhesive, offering a more efficient and affordable construction method.
Lapel
The lapel is the folded section of fabric extending from a jacket’s collar down the front of the garment. The three primary styles are notch, peak, and shawl lapels, each carrying different associations and levels of formality. Lapel width and proportions can also have a significant effect on the overall appearance of a jacket.
Placket
A placket is the finished opening of a shirt where the buttons and buttonholes are located. Plackets vary in construction and appearance, from the more structured traditional front placket to the cleaner, more streamlined French placket.
6. Dress Codes & Style Traditions
Black Tie
Black tie is a formal evening dress code traditionally consisting of a tuxedo, formal shirt, black bow tie, and either a cummerbund or evening waistcoat. Its conventions are well established, making attention to details and accessories especially important.
Business Attire
Business attire refers to professional clothing appropriate for traditional workplace settings. For gentlemen, it typically includes a suit or tailored separates, dress shirt, polished shoes, and, depending on the setting, a necktie or bow tie.
Cocktail Attire
Cocktail attire occupies the space between everyday business dress and formal evening wear. For gentlemen, it generally means a well-tailored suit or jacket and trousers, dress shirt, polished shoes, and thoughtfully chosen accessories, with room for more personality than traditional formalwear.
Ivy League Style
Ivy League style is a mid-20th-century American menswear tradition rooted in Northeastern college campuses. Hallmarks include natural-shouldered jackets, button-down shirts, chinos, loafers, and traditional neckwear, all worn with an understated, collegiate sensibility.
Monochromatic Dressing
Monochromatic dressing builds an outfit around a single color or closely related shades of that color. Variation in tone, texture, pattern, and accessories adds depth while maintaining a cohesive overall appearance.
Preppy Style
Preppy style grew out of Ivy League dressing but broadened into a more casual, lifestyle-driven aesthetic. It blends polished staples such as blazers, sweaters, polos, chinos, loafers, and classic accessories with brighter colors, playful patterns, and a relaxed East Coast influence.
Sprezzatura
Sprezzatura is an Italian concept describing studied elegance that appears effortless. In menswear, it might take the form of a slightly imperfect tie knot, an unexpected accessory, or another deliberate detail that keeps a polished outfit from looking overly calculated.
Tuxedo
A tuxedo is a formal evening suit traditionally distinguished by satin or grosgrain lapel facings and matching trim on the trousers. Worn for black-tie occasions, it is typically paired with a formal shirt, bow tie, and either a cummerbund or evening waistcoat.
White Tie
White tie is the most formal traditional Western dress code, typically consisting of a black tailcoat, white waistcoat, formal white shirt, and white bow tie. Reserved for highly formal evening occasions, it follows more exacting conventions than black tie.
Keep Exploring The Gentleman’s Guide
Classic style is built on details, and understanding them is part of the pleasure of dressing well. Continue exploring The Gentleman’s Guide for deeper looks at neckwear, fabrics, formalwear, craftsmanship, and the traditions behind a well-appointed wardrobe.
Ready to put your knowledge to use? Explore R. Hanauer’s collection of bow ties, neckties, cummerbund sets, pocket squares, and fine accessories. For continued style inspiration, follow us on Instagram and Facebook.