Clothing names

Probably FarNorth. I had the horrible ski pants but not the actual skiing.

grannylyn65

I had riding breeks

Yes, DD's breeks that I called such were her riding breeks.

Me too grandmajet.

Breeks is a normal word for trousers, in Scotland.

All great words and add to the tapestry of life. Never let a single one of them jarr me. Takes too much energy!

We have tops and jumpers and pants and jeans and leggings and jeggings and trackie dacks A jacket can be a parka, blazer or a short coat. During the lockdown I wore my trackie dacks almost every day and most of us did.

In NZ we call swimming costumes Togs, the Aussies call them cossies.
We call trousers pants.
I wear frocks.
I wish I owned a Windjammer!
I think breeks are great I think I will use it from now on.
I would call a woollen top a jersey.
I remember learning that the old English word for useless is sleeveless.

In Canada you would first put on;
bra and underwear (panties is totally acceptable, in fact shown on websites)
Camisole (silky) or undershirt (cotton) to keep warm under:
a sweater or cardigan
then on bottom pants, jeans or leggings

You might put on a vest as an outer layer to keep warm, puffer vests are the rage now.
Jersey is more of a material than an item of clothing. It is a fine knit.
Bathing suit to swim.
Trousers are men's dress pants, part of a suit.

Interesting topic. And yes I also hate when people say arms instead of sleeves.

Swimming costumes are bathers in our state. Different in other parts of Australia. Of course there’s the budgie smugglers,too ! They are the short ones that Tony Abbott ex pm used to wear.

Does anyone know what liberty bodices were for? I remember lots of little rubber buttons, I remember not wanting to wear it, I think it went over my vest and under my other clothes, but what were the rubber buttons for? If it was just to keep us warm, why was it so complicated? Was it some kind of IQ test do you think? Can you put on your liberty bodice?!

I wore on as a child in late 50s. An extra layer that went on in winter. On top of the vest and under the full length petticoat.

No central heating and just a coal fire in the main livingroom.
My mum used to heat our clothes on the fire guard every morning.

I think the buttons were rubber so the garment could be put through the mangle without damage. I remember I used to try to pull it on and off without opening the buttons.

grandmajet - a jerkin is a leather waistcoat/gillet as far as I'm concerned!

grannyrebel yes. Irritating to have sleeves referred to as arms.

I wore a different kind of Liberty bodice. It was made of light wool, looked just like a vest, but had stripes of a woven material going down from each shoulder. My mother bought this type because the rubbery buttons on the other kind seemingly melted out of shape in time, and also it saved time in doing up the buttons. I think the ‘stripes’ were a throw back from the days when everything was boned, and these were a final sap towards encouraging good posture. I think they came into use in the twenties when corsets were discarded in wild abandon.

I think I stopped wearing my Liberty bodice when I was about 8 or 9 and my vest when I hit the heady days of being a teenager after a long period of tussle with my mother about wearing it. Late 50s teenagers like today’s, would rather freeze than wear something that wasn’t cool!

In the later 1960s, flares and bell bottoms were taking the fashion world by storm. My uncle was a tailor and my mum told me she had asked him to make me a pair of trousers to wear at the Christmas school "do", which took place during the afternoon of the last day at school. Lo and behold, I was presented with a pair of tartan ski pants complete with elastic to go under the feet. I think that year I spent most of that day at school in tears being mercilessly ridiculed and bullied by the fashionable set. I've always hated them since!

Oh Trisha57, how awful for you!

Dressing Gown or House Coat ?

I’m firmly in the ‘Dressing Gown’ camp and I’ve only known one or two people in my life call it a House Coat.

I’m not sure if this is regional or not.

lovebeigecardigans1955 'tuck vest inside pants' do you mean you tuck your vest in your knickers or in your trousers? ha ha

I use dressing gown for what you put on over your p.j.s or nightie.
A housecoat to me is what housewives used to wear in the fifties to do their housework in, along with a headscarf over their rollers! Hilda Ogden style.

Blimey,i haven`t heard the term frock for years.
My G/ma used that term but i knew what she meant avan though my mother used the term dress.

Everyone in my neck of the woods knows whatt I’m talking about when I say I’m going to put my Daps on !

My DF was in the rag trade and the word "frock" was forbidden in our house. Not sure if it was his personal preference or if it was the trade usage. I don't think it's a very nice word (sounds like frog) anyway, and if you're trying to sell one you probably would avoid it.

Back in the 60s his range always included a couple of cocktail dresses - remember those? And a selection of DJ's, which stood for dress and jacket. The sort of thing mother of the groom (or grandmother!) might wear.

This thread reminds me of the time my brother, who lives in Australia, told me he was wearing thongs! Apparently that is what they call flip flops - I think I needed therapy to get that picture out of my head

I’m remembering back to the 60s when my Canadian cousins came to us for a summer holiday. Several family groups were gathered in our house including a large group of local cousins. We were about to go out for a day trip together when my my Canadian cousin searched around the room before announcing “ has anyone seen my fanny pack?

After much giggling we realised it was what we’d known as a bum bag.

Surely the ugliest clothes word ever has to be ...... (drum roll)....sweatpants. Yuk!

I personally dislike a top being used of an article of clothing,

I always want to say, "Oh for heaven's sake call it what it is! Is it a jumper, shirt, shirt-blouse, blouse, cardigan, sweat-shirt or t-shirt? Or did you really mean a sun-top? Or a pyjama-top?"

A top - one word does for all. This is what I call "lazy language", convenient to the user who knows what she or he means, but conveying nothing at all to the listener, or reader.

Oh dear, I do seem to have spent too long teaching English, don't I?

Another function of the liberty bodice was that it held your stockings up, as it was equipped with suspenders, at any rate if you were ten or older and wearing long stockings to school.

My liberty bodices were of off-white flannel with a fleecy inside. They did absolutely nothing for a thirteen year old figure, as they squashed your budding bosom flat!