Ladies clothes - a guide please

by David Foster
3rd March 2013

No, not for me to wear - but just to correctly describe.

Clearly I'm a male so there will never, ever be any real hope of my getting it right... But - I am just wondering if there is a good, basic guide somewhere so that I can identify the difference between all the different tops, skirts, dresses, suites and - and -and...

HELP!

It would be nice to at least have some degree od accuracy...

Thanks

David

Replies

'People of Walmart' What a description! :-)

To be correct should we add that "other retail outlets are available"?

The reason that I asked was that I had just aquired two year's copies - correction - tomes - of a major catalogue. If my mind was strained before it is now.

My question should have been clearer though.

Is there some sort of technical reference to what is called/described by which words?

On the other hand (I should have thought of this before) the ladies in M&S are incredibly helpful and, in my experience shopping for my late wife, know exactly what I am trying to get once more just by a glance at the product code on an old and tatty receipt. They really were most helpful - and experienced in clever retorts to all the old jokes.

Right - just a simple example... What is a "tank top"? Is it something different on either side of the big pond?

Thanks everyone for your help.

David

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David
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David Foster
04/03/2013

A good general online clothes shop (like Asos) usually gives the names of specific styles and colours if it's modern styles you're after. As a personal plea can I plase ask that you refrain from putting an attractive woman in a red dress. It's such a cliche for male writers for some reason!

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Holly Barratt
04/03/2013

When I was in in this same dilemma, I more-or-less followed the solution that Victoria described above. A quick Google search for clothes shops, or a browse through a catalogue, or even a visit to a clothes shop is always handy. It's particularly useful in my story because I have stylish, fashion-conscious witches for whom the traditional black dress, cape and pointy hat affair is only really used for formal or ceremonial occasions. Their day-to-day outfits are generally either tailored, or simply self-customised "whatever is in fashion in the clothes shops today" items.

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