The jumpsuit is a popular garment in the 2020s – with sewing patterns popping up from indie pattern designers the world over! It’s a full body piece of clothing, traditionally with long sleeves and long legs, and also goes by the name of ‘flight suit’ or ‘boiler suit’. A black full length jumpsuit is a type of clothing worn by a women. Kilt Woven plaid or tartan fabric is used to make a kilt, which is worn like a skirt, hanging from the waist down. Traditional men’s kilts can be completely pleated or have the end sections of the fabric left unpleated, which overlap at the front of the body. Women’s kilts are less specific, with the style being influenced by seasonal trends. A traditional man's kilt made from blue and turquoise tartan fabric
Kimono The kimono is a type of robe from Japan which is often used as the basis for dressing gowns, but has frequently since the late 19th century been adopted by fashion designers as a dress trend. This orange and green floral printed kimono is a type of clothing Knickerbockers Despite being a very historical item of clothing, knickerbockers were made fashionable by fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in the late 1960s. They’re loose breeches – like trousers! – but are gathered just below the knee. Leggings Worn on the legs, leggings have been popular casual clothing for many years but have their historical roots as a cold weather underlayer from the Middle Ages! Modern day leggings are made from an elasticated fabric – usually knit – and are worn very close to the body. They come in different lengths too, from full length – waist to ankle – to low rise capri length and more!
These mint green skintight leggings are a type of clothing Legwarmers I recall being forced to wear legwarmers as a school girl during the 80s in the UK! Back then they were cyclindrical, knitted by hand and worn on the legs, between our knees and ankles. They could be hidden under our school trousers or worn with mini skirts to make a fashion statement. Cream colored knitted legwarmers Leotard An item of clothing that I hated wearing when younger, the leotard covers the body from the crotch to the shoulders. It was first worn by Jules Léotard, a French trapezist, in the 19th century and since then has become popular with disco lovers and dancers. It’s now made from a variety of fabric types for both activewear and casual wear needs.
A black with gold sparkles leotard worn by a slender woman with long brown hair. Panties Panties are an underwear worn by women on the lower body parts. Also referred to as knickers in some countries, they can be made from knitted cotton fabrics, lace, mesh and more. They’re often trimmed with folder elastic or picot trim for a decorative finish as well as to finish the raw edge of the fabric. Coral pink lace panties worn by a slender white woman. Pants / Trousers Worn on the lower body to keep the legs warm and covered, pants (or trousers as they’re also known!) are an iteration of the early 19th century knickerbockers, and have been worn by women since the 1920s.
Back then the legs of trousers and pants were baggy in style, and it wasn’t until the 1970s that it became acceptable for women to wear pants to both casual and formal occasions. Front view of Eve wearing the finished women's cargo pants sewing pattern! Petticoat The petticoat is a type of underwear garment, worn under skirts and dresses as an extra layer for warmth. They’re not as commonly worn in the 2020s as they were when I was growing up in the 1980s – I recall my gran making petticoats for herself and her sisters whenever she bought a stash of silky fabrics. Playsuits Not disimilar to a jumpsuit, a playsuit is shorter in length on the legs. Made from a variety of fabrics and cut in as many styles, a playsuit is a great contemporary piece of clothing – if you can handle taking the entire thing off to pop to the toilet!
Playsuits are often also called rompers when referring to those designed for women! A summery yellow daisy playsuit worn by a young white woman is a clothing type Poncho Ponchos originate from South America, and look a lot like big blankets with just a simple opening through which we place our head. My other half has several which he uses to keep warm in the winter months. They can be solid in color, or created with different designs when woven. Pyjamas Pyjamas are worn by women, men and children as nightwear, but are increasingly made popular as evening wear by current fashion designers. This ‘nightwear’ as ‘evening wear’ trend started a century ago back in the 1920s. Asian woman laying on a bed with a blissed expression wearing navy blue and white polka dot pyjamas
Men ClothesSarong The sarong is a traditional piece of clothing worn by the women of Bali and Tahiti but has been a popular summer garment since the 1940s! It is a long piece of fabric which can be worn either wrapped around the lower part of the body and tied at the waist to look a little like a skirt, of wrapped around the upper body and tied at the neck so that it acts a little like a dress. Shawl Another item of clothing made from a square piece of cloth, the shawl acts as a cover up. The fabric can be lightweight for evening wear shawls or cut from wool and used to keep warm. A longer version of a shawl is called a stole! Whether worn indoors or out, shawls are a handy piece to have to throw over your shoulders. Shirt A shirt is a piece of clothing worn on the upper body. It traditionally has a front placket at the centre front with a button opening, so that the shirt can be put on and buttoned up.
Shirts are worn as casual wear and evening wear by both men and women. I have a great guide to the many different types of shirts! Young woman sat in window wearing a pink sleeveless shirt beneath a cream colored cardigan. Shorts Women have worn shorts – a casual garment – since the 1920s, though they are often vamped up by fashion designers and worn as evening wear when out for a night out. Shorts are also popular as a simple summer staple with a vest top, worn with a shirt tucked into the waist or as part of a two piece pyjama set. Shorts are easy to make, and the legs can be super short hot-pant style to knee length. The pair below in the photo are the men’s drawstring shorts pattern that I made for my partner. David wear the Trigg Shorts - a men's drawstring shorts pattern! Skirt
A skirt is another type of clothes worn on the lower body. They can be made form any fabric that you can think of, come in long, midi, mini and micro lengths, as well as many different styles. Learn more about the different types of skirts and styles here! DIY wrap skirt with ties, with a bias binding finish! Skort Part skirt and part shorts, the skort is a type of clothing that looks like a skirt from the front – due to an overlapping panel of fabric – but looks like shorts from the back. A skirt is technically a pair of shorts – it has bifurcated leg pieces – but with the additional front panel, it looks like a skirt – hence ‘skort’. I’ve never worn one, but I believe they were made popular by tennis players!
Socks Of course no guide on the different types of clothes would be complete with our socks. Whether shop bought or hand knitted, socks are what keep our feet toasty warm in those winter months and sticky and sweaty throughout the summer. Made from knitted fabrics, socks can be barely-there sports socks which slip of the ankle when you’re running around, ankle length to keep the chill away on cooler evenings or even full on knee high (or thigh high!) for full on leg warmth! Hand knitted socks are types of clothes too! Sweater Sweaters are garments worn on the upper body by women, men and children. They are made from knitted fabrics, and also go by the name of ‘jumper’ in some parts of the world.
