Glossary

Italian for small boat, it’s a type of pocket design that originated in Italy. The pocket curves up at an angle (like the bow of a boat) opposed to being cut straight across. All Beckett & Robb breast pockets are cut using the barchetta style.

Flapless pockets set into the jacket or trouser.

A construction in which the upper, insole and sole are stitched together in a single seam through the bottom of the shoe. It makes for a slimmer, more flexible shoe than a Goodyear welt, at the cost of being less weatherproof and harder to resole.

Refers to how much of the bottom of the trousers fold where they meet the shoes. A full break is a lot of folding, no break is no folding at all.

The perforated patterns punched into the leather of a shoe as decoration. They began as drainage holes on Irish and Scottish country shoes; today they are purely ornamental, and the more of them a shoe has, the less formal it reads.

A shoe with a separate panel of leather stitched across the toe. Left plain it is about as formal as a shoe gets; add brogueing and it dresses down considerably.

Very fine goat hair that originated from the region surrounding Kashmir.

An ankle boot with two or three pairs of eyelets and a plain toe. It works with flannels and with denim, which is why most men end up owning a pair.

Leather made from the hindquarter of a horse rather than from the outer layer of a hide. It is dense and close to waterproof, it ripples rather than creases, and it lasts for decades. Expensive, for good reason.

The standard leather for shoemaking. Different parts of the hide suit different parts of the shoe — the back is the strongest and goes where the wear is, while softer sections are used for linings.

A lace-up shoe whose eyelet panels sit on top of the vamp, open at the bottom. That open lacing gives more room across the instep than an oxford, which makes it the better choice for a high or wide foot. Also called a blucher.

Originating in Donegal county, Ireland, this type of tweed is characterized by bright flecks of color (sometimes called "slubs") that are randomly woven throughout a cloth.

When two threads of yarn are twisted together, effectively doubling its density. Typically referred to as "2-ply" or "double twist."

The holes the laces pass through. A classic dress shoe has five pairs; fewer reads more casual.

The last stage of making a shoe, once it has been built: cleaning, creaming and polishing the upper, then dressing and burnishing the edges of the sole and heel. It is the difference between a finished shoe and an assembled one.

Besom pockets covered by a flap.

The most common tie knot, it can be worn with any collar style. It gives a clean and simple look, with its slight asymmetry handsomely offsetting the balanced lines of the shirt and suit.

Covers almost the whole top of the shoe and leaves a deep horizontal crease at the front of the pant leg.

A shoe with a winged toe cap and brogueing along every seam. The most decorated and least formal of the brogues. Also called a wingtip.

The gold standard of jacket construction in which an interlining of canvas, made up of wool and horsehair, is sewn in between the inner suit lining and outer fabric and extends the full length of the jacket. A full canvas adds structure and padding through the chest, creating a clean drape that subtly takes the shape of the chest of the wearer over time.

A large, symmetrical knot created by wrapping both sides of the necktie.

A method for constructing a suit jacket using glues and adhesives. A non-woven paper or plastic product saturated with glue bonds the cloth you see to the interlining you don’t see. It gives the cloth more rigidity and form, but does not mold to the body due to its stiffness. Fusing is the most common method used today for lower-end ready-to-wear and “custom” suits.

A checked pattern. Visually it appears as a combination of a prince-of-wales and windowpane.

A construction in which the upper and insole are stitched to a welt, and the welt is then stitched to the sole. Nothing passes through the insole itself, so the shoe keeps water out and can be resoled again and again. It is the reason a well-made pair can be worn for decades.

A woven pattern for ties, made up of a repeating, open-weave construction.

A form of jacket construction in which the canvas extends through the chest and lapels to about the top of the rib cage, and the lower half of the jacket is fused. It keeps canvas where it does the most visible work — the chest and the roll of the lapel — while costing less than a full canvas, and sits between full canvas and fused construction.

Not as large as the full-windsor and a touch more formal than the four-in-hand, its goes well with any occasion.

A method for attaching cloth to the interlining using temporary stitches that will be removed after the parts of the garment are sewn together. This method uses canvas and other materials that can be molded to the shape of a person’s body. Basting is the traditional method and is more time consuming.

A heel is built from stacked leather lifts with a hard-wearing top piece at the bottom. When that top piece wears down it gets replaced, which is routine maintenance rather than the end of the shoe.

A pattern consisting of parallel lines that slant in opposite directions forming V shapes.

A rough-surfaced, loosely-woven clothing fabric. Commonly used in summer-weight suits, especially unlined ones.

A repeating duotone pattern characterized by small (sometimes large for jackets), abstract four-pointed shapes.

The layer of leather the whole shoe is built on, sitting directly beneath your foot. In a well-made shoe it slowly molds to the shape of that foot.

The wooden or plastic form a shoe is built around. It governs shape and fit more than anything else, which is why two shoes of the same size from different makers can fit nothing alike.

The inside of the jacket. Usually linings coordinate subtly with the color of the jacket, or sometimes are bold colors and patterns. The best linings are made from cupro, oft times seen under the brand name Bemberg.

The most popular option, this break stops at the highest point of the instep of the shoe.

A silk like hair that comes from the Angora Goat and is notable for its high luster and sheen. A wiry fiber that is virtually wrinkle resistant and is often blended with other fibers, such as wool and silk, to soften its springiness.

A shoe closed with a buckle instead of laces, either one strap or two. Less formal than an oxford and more interesting than either, and the single strap in particular has earned its place as a staple.

Lapels with a triangle "notch" cut out of the upper edge near the collar bone. They are the most conservative choice and are less formal than a peaked or shawl lapel.

Traditionally was reserved for tuxedos, in recent years the one button jacket has become more popular in less formal wear. It looks great in peaked lapel suits and with a modern silhouette.

A lace-up shoe whose eyelet panels are stitched underneath the vamp, so the lacing closes flat and tight. The most formal lace-up, and the right shoe to wear with a suit.

Lapels with little "peaks" that point upward. A slightly less conservative choice that is considered more formal than a notched lapel. Peaked lapels are usually found on double breasted jackets, though in recent years it has become common to find them on single breasted jackets. A peaked lapel is also a common choice for a tuxedo lapel.

Visible stitches around the lapels and edge of the jacket. Pick stitching conveys craftsmanship and touch of old-fashioned tailoring.

The sawtooth edge cut along the seams and panels of a shoe. Decorative, and it keeps the leather from fraying.

A shoe with no cap or perforation across the toe. Quiet and versatile, and usually the first pair we would suggest.

A small piece of fabric worn in the jacket pocket. Oft times nothing more than a handkerchief folded neatly into straight lines, a pocket square can also be much more colorful and decorative. It’s a great finishing touch that needn’t be overdone to lend distinction, modernity, and luxury to your look. The pocket square should not match your tie.

A twill weave of broken checks in a large pattern form. Very similar to glen plaid but without the intersecting windowpane pattern.

The panels wrapping the sides and back of the shoe, meeting at the heel. On a boot they run higher, up past the ankle.

Refers to the length of the crotch to the waistband. The rise on a pair of suit trousers should fit as high and close as possible, as it makes moving easier and decreases the stress on the fabric.

A shoe with a plain toe cap, brogueing along the cap seam and usually a small medallion on the toe. It falls between a plain cap toe and a full brogue in formality, and it is the most useful of the three. Also called a half-brogue.

A rigid strip, usually steel, set into the waist of the sole between the heel and the ball of the foot. It carries your weight and stops the shoe collapsing in the middle.

A smooth worsted fabric, used for suits, with a soft texture and a two-toned woven appearance.

A continuous lapel without a notch or a peak breaking the outer line. It is a simple, elegant choice and is rarely seen on anything other than a tuxedo.

Covers just the top quarter inch of the shoe. Currently a fashion-forward choice, it can give the appearance of the pants being a bit too short.

Cuff buttons that don’t have any functionality, they are just for show. See "Working Buttons" below.

Pockets set diagonally instead of horizontally. Also known as "hacking" pockets in England.

A shoe with neither laces nor buckle — a loafer. The penny loafer takes its name from the slot in the strap across the top, where students once kept a coin.

The bottom of the shoe. A single sole is sleeker and better indoors; a double sole is heavier, warmer and better suited to bad weather.

Meaning "shirt shoulder" in Italian, this type of Italian shoulder construction is crafted without padding as to create a soft and natural transition from shoulder to arm.

Leather buffed on the flesh side to raise a soft nap. More forgiving than it looks — brushed regularly and protected, suede cleans up well and can be brought back close to new.

Treating raw hide so that it becomes leather instead of rotting. Two methods matter:

Vegetable tanning uses plant extracts and takes months. It produces a firm leather that develops a patina with age, usually reserved for soles and the lower parts of a shoe.

Chrome tanning uses mineral salts and takes weeks. It gives a softer, more supple leather, which is what most uppers are made from.

A classic look that has fallen out of favor for the past decade or so, the lapel is pressed so that all 3 buttons on the front are visible.

Also called a three-two or a false three. A hybrid of a two-button and a three-button jacket. A three-rolls-two has three buttons, but the lapel is shaped to roll above the second button but below the third button, which hides the top (third) button under the roll. A classic choice preferred by many suit aficionados for both sport jackets and suits, the third button is not used.

A narrow, single pocket set above a flap pocket on the right side of the jacket. Uncommon on ready-to-wear suits, the ticket pocket has been around for many decades and continues to be a good choice both for slanted or straight pockets.

The panel across the toe of a shoe. There are two of them, and only one is visible:

External: the piece of leather stitched across the front, cut straight on a cap toe and pointed on a wingtip.

Internal: a stiffener inside the toe that holds its shape as the shoe is worn.

The flap of leather beneath the laces. It keeps the lacing from pressing into your foot, and it keeps water and dirt out.

A rough woolen fabric made usually in twill weaves, commonly associated with Ireland and Scotland.

A pattern that is made in a way as to produce a sequence of diagonal lines. The diagonal direction, unlike the way clothing is stressed when worn, makes twill very strong and durable.

The most common jacket, it’s timeless and flattering on most body types because its V points the eye to the slimmest point of a man’s waist (the area near the top button).

Everything above the sole — toe cap, vamp, tongue and quarters together. It is the part you see, and the part that has to be cut from good leather.

The best layer of the hide, used for the visible parts of the shoe. It is thin, supple and takes polish well, which is why a good upper improves with wear where a poor one simply cracks.

The front section of the upper, covering the toes and the top of the foot. Its length and shape set a shoe's character more than any amount of decoration.

A vent allows for both a tailored fit and easy movement. A center vent is traditional; two side vents are more modern and give the jacket a more fitted silhouette.

A very expensive and exotic wool material harvested from a rare llama-like animal only found in a small area of the Andes mountains in Peru, South America. Due to the protected status of the animal and the limited number of them, vicuña is extremely rare. As a result, vicuña is the most expensive cloth on earth. The lustrous wool is prized for its ability to trap air inside itself which makes the cloth extremely warm.

The sequence of threading yarn over and under vertically on a loom.

The sequence of threading yarn horizontally through the warp while on the loom.

The narrow strip of leather running around the edge of the sole, stitched to both the upper and the sole. It is what makes a shoe resoleable, and the first thing to look at when judging how a shoe was made.

The stitching that joins the welt to the upper and insole. On a Goodyear-welted shoe you can see it running around the edge of the sole.

A large square or rectangular pattern that resembles the pattern of panes on a window.

A toe cap that comes to a point in the middle and sweeps back along both sides of the shoe, roughly the shape of a bird in flight. Almost always brogued. The same thing as a full brogue.

Also called “Surgeon’s Cuffs”, working buttons are functional and can be unbuttoned to allow the sleeves to be rolled up. Working buttons on a suit are indicative of a custom-made suit.