A is for anorak, a fur or fake fur-lined hooded coat for men or women (and the nickname given to people who spend their evenings putting their stamp collection in alphabetical order). The name comes from the Greelandic word ‘anoraq', a garment once worn by women in Greenland. Who said Eskimos hadn't contributed anything to the sartorial lexicon?
B is for brogue shoes. The word originated in 16th century Scotland and is a derivation of the Irish and Scots Gaelic ‘brg', meaning ‘leg covering'. The perforations in the shoe allowed water to drain out when the wearer crossed wet terrain such as a bog. Until the mid 20th century teaming a pair of brogues with a suit was frowned upon as they were considered to be more of a leisure shoe worn by tweed-clad country folk. These days, of course, it's a perfectly acceptable dress shoe.
C is for cravat. The word derives from the French "cravate", a corrupt French pronunciation of "Croat." In the 1630s Croatian mercenaries who tied small scarves around their neck as a mark of identity were enlisted in the French army.
D is for dungarees. Dungarees is a reference to the coarse cloth worn by Indian sailors from Dongri, in south Mumbai. These sailors were often spotted wearing a durable fabric called ‘Dongari Kapar' which was sold outside Dongri Fort.
E is for epaulette, a decorative feature commonly found attached to the shoulders of military uniforms where it is found in myriad sizes and colours. It means "little shoulder" in French.
F is for the fedora hat, whose name derives from the title of a popular 1882 French stage play, Fedora, starring iconic actress of the era, Sarah Bernhardt. A century after Bernhardt's character made the hat famous, Harrison Ford donned an olive-coloured version as archaeologist Indiana Jones.
G is for gingham, which originates from an adjective in the Malay language, ging-gang, meaning striped. When originally imported into Europe in the 17th century it was a striped fabric, though now it is distinguished by its checked pattern.
H is for houndstooth check, a popular shirt pattern that originated in Scotland and so named because it is reminiscent of the jagged back teeth of a hound.
I is for indigo. Indigo is a purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria, but you know it better as the colour of your ink-blue jeans. On average, a pair of jeans uses 3-12g of indigo dye. Indigo was first used in India in the Old World and made it to Europe thanks to the Romans and visiting Greeks.
J is for jersey, a type of knitted jumper named after the English Channel island of Jersey, which was famous for its knitting trade in medieval times. The neighbouring island of Guernsey also has a type of sweater named after it, but is made from a thicker yarn.
K is for khaki. The cotton trousers much favoured by British troops in India owes its name to the khak - Urdu for dust. During the British rule in India, mulberry juice was used to dye the fabric to give it that drab yellow shade. British and Indian troops serving in the region wore khaki uniforms, especially during the summer months.
L is for loafers. Worn traditionally by Norwegian farmers in cattle-loafing areas, these lace-less shoes were made popular by Americans who brought them back from their trips. The penny loafer was born when fashion-conscious prep school kids began inserting a penny in the front slit of their loafers.
M is for mackintosh, the now ubiquitous raincoat named after its Glaswegian inventor Charles Macintosh (the K was added later) in the early 19th century.
N is for Nehru jacket. Among the early examples of Indo-Western fusion, the Nehru jacket blends the collar of the Achkan (popular with nobility in north India) with the Western suit jacket. Hip-length, this jacket is named after Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India.
O is for Oxford shoe, an early version of which was called the Oxonian because of its popularity at Oxford University in the early 1800s. The shoe, a relatively simple and unembellished dress shoe, is known in France as the Richelieu.
P is for pea coat, the navy, thigh-length double-breasted winter coat historically popular with mariners. The name originated from the Dutch word pijjekker, in which pij referred to the type of cloth used, a rough twilled blue cloth.
Q is for quilt, a material made from a sewing method that joins two or more layers of material together to make a thicker padded material. Though the origin of the word is unknown it is thought to date back to ancient Egypt. Brands such as Burberry and Boxfresh make various jacket designs using this material.
R is for reese pocket, a flapless pocket trimmed with welting or reinforced stitching. Commonly seen as the back pockets of chinos and cotton trousers.
S is for seersucker, the thin, commonly striped or checked cotton fabric synonymous, especially in the USA, with the summer suit. The word is said to originate from the Persian words shir o shekar, meaning "milk and sugar", probably because its stripes resemble the smooth texture of milk and the rough texture of sugar.
T is for tweed, whose origin comes from a good old-fashioned misprint. The original name of the cloth was tweel, Scots for twill, it being woven in a twilled rather than a plain pattern. The story goes that in 1830, a London merchant received a letter from a firm in Hawick, Scotland, about some tweels. The London merchant misinterpreted the handwriting, understanding it to be a trade-name taken from the river Tweed that flows through the Scottish Borders textile area. The name stuck.
U is for ushanka, the archetypal Russian hat with ear-flaps and fur-lining that has been embraced by people in freezing cold countries. Ushanka derives from ushi, ears in Russian.
V is for vest, an undershirt or a kind of waistcoat, depending on whether you come from the UK or the US. The etymology of the name derives from the Latin vestis, meaning clothing.
W is for Wellington boot. Popularised by the first Duke of Wellington in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Wellington boot was first made out of calfskin and was worn by cavalry officers in battle. What people would today refer to as a Wellington boot however is a waterproof rubber version worn on rainy days and in wet or muddy areas.
X is for… OK, so we had to scrape the barrel for this one, admittedly, but we came up with x-static, a clothing fibre used in mostly medical garments that is bonded with a layer of pure silver. It's anti-microbial, which eliminates odour and bacteria, and is also thermodynamic, which means it keeps you warmer in winter and cooler in summer. And the origin of the name? It was probably coined by some scientist who couldn't think of anything better. That's why they're scientists and not copywriters.
Y is for yoke, a piece of fabric sometimes placed across the top of the shoulder section of a shirt to aid definition. The word comes from a harness once used to join a pair of oxen as they worked the land.
Z is for zoot suit, a type of loose-fitting suit popular amongst jazz aficionados in the late 1930s. It's been suggested that the word zoot comes from an erroneous pronunciation of suit. Its creation has been variously attributed to numerous tailors and retailers.
