TextileGlossary.com

What is "Shirt" - Definition & Explanation

A shirt is a sort of top, i.e. a piece of clothing for the trunk of the body.
In the UK, it refers almost exclusively to what Americans call a dress shirt, i.e. a garment with a collar and a full vertical opening with buttons. In the US is tends to have a vaguer meaning, being applied to many types of (mainly men's) tops, leaving the word "top" generally for ladieswear.

Some common types or synonyms of shirts and tops:
T-shirt
polo shirt — a shirt with collar but only a partial vertical opening with buttons
shirt or dress shirt — a shirt with collar and full vertical opening with buttons
tank top — a sleeveless T-shirt
wife beater — a tank top worn as an outer layer
blouse — ladies shirt — the term is also used for some men's military uniform shirts.
nightshirt — for sleeping
sweater, sweatshirt — with or without hood
rugby shirt — typically a rugged long-sleeved polo shirt
Hawaiian shirt — a colourful short-sleeve dress shirt
guayabera — an embroidered dress shirt with four pockets
golf shirt — a polo shirt
baseball shirt — usually distinguished by a three quarters sleeve
first shirt — the "shirt" is a nick-name for a First Sergeant

The shirt was worn as a man's undergarment, covering the body from neck to knee. Most were made of white linen which could be very fine or very coarse. A gentleman's best shirt may have ruffles (ruffs) at the wrist and/or breast. A laborer's shirt was sometimes made of unbleached linen or small patterned checks and stripes. A plain shirt might serve as a nightshirt.

Some other terms

Some more terms:

Tussah
Sometimes called "Wild Silk' it is the product of the uncultivated silkworm-- more uneven, coarser and stronger than true or cultivated silk. Tussah takes dye poorly and is therefore often woven in...
Crimp
a) In Fibre The waviness of a fibre, i.e. the condition in which the axis of a fibre under minimum external stress departs from a straight line and follows a simple or a complex or an irregular wavy...
Ripstop
A woven fabric with corded yarns spaced at regular intervals in both the warp and filling, forming squares on the surface of the fabric. Originally intended so a tear in the fabric would not spread....
Woof
Comes from the Anglo-Saxon 'owef'. It is another name for the warp or warp yarn. Sometimes in advertising textiles, the word has been used to imply filling yarn, and made to interchange with the...
Pyjama
Trouser-like Garment, Worn On The Lower Part Of The Body Alike By Men And Women. Literally, 'leg-clothing'. The Pyjama Was Worn In Many Cuts And Shapes, Much Variation Being Seen In Respect Of Girth,...

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