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Fashion & Textiles vocabulary · Design & Collections

Silhouette

Meaning in fashion & textiles, with examples

/ˌsɪluˈet/nounCommon term

In fashion & textiles, silhouette means: The overall outline or shape of a garment or outfit on the body, such as A-line, straight, fitted or oversized.

In Turkish: siluet, form

How it is used

Designers talk about the silhouette when describing collections and trends: a relaxed silhouette, a sharp tailored silhouette, a new trouser silhouette. Silhouettes change slowly over the decades and are often the first thing seen in a trend report.

Example sentences

  1. This season the silhouette is longer and looser, with wide trousers and long coats.

  2. Keep the A-line silhouette but shorten the skirt by 5 cm.

Common collocations

  • A-line silhouette
  • relaxed silhouette
  • tailored silhouette
  • new silhouette
  • trendA style, colour, shape or idea that becomes popular for a period of time and influences what designers create and what customers buy.
  • fitThe way a garment sits on the body: how tight or loose it is and whether its shape and measurements suit the wearer.
  • oversizedDeliberately designed to be much bigger and looser than the body, as a style choice, such as an oversized blazer or T-shirt.
  • technical flatA precise black-and-white drawing of a garment laid flat, from the front and back, showing seams, stitching and details for the factory.

More terms: Design & Collections

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