C2 · 50 words
Bespoke tailoring in Spanish
Cut, fitting, making — what a garment is made of.
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From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
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A garment made to measure comes about in a fixed order: el patrón, la hilvanada, la prueba, and only then the final seam. The very first word of that sequence is one English has to break into pieces. El patrón is the paper shape a garment is cut from — « the pattern ». It is also the person one works for, « the boss ». It is the saint a town is named after, « the patron saint ». It is the person in charge of a small boat, « the skipper ». And it is the fixed thing everything else is measured against: el patrón oro is the gold standard. Five English words for one Spanish noun, and the same idea under all of them — something that goes first and that the rest is cut to fit.
The words
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Phrase (44)
el patrón basethe basic patternPhraseC2
El patrón base se levanta sobre las medidas del cliente.The basic pattern is built on the customer's measurements.
la toma de medidasthe taking of the measurementsPhraseC2
La toma de medidas se repite antes de cortar.The taking of the measurements is repeated before cutting.
el escalado del patrónthe grading of the patternPhraseC2
El escalado del patrón produce las demás tallas.The grading of the pattern produces the other sizes.
el margen de costurathe seam allowancePhraseC2
El margen de costura es de un centímetro y medio.The seam allowance is a centimetre and a half.
la marcada del hilothe grain line marked on the piecePhraseC2
La marcada del hilo indica cómo colocar la pieza sobre la tela.The grain line marked on the piece shows how to lay it on the cloth.
el corte al biesthe cut on the biasPhraseC2
El corte al bies hace que la tela caiga sola.The cut on the bias makes the cloth fall by itself.
la tirada de la telathe cutting layoutPhraseC2
La tirada de la tela decide cuánto material se desperdicia.The cutting layout decides how much material is wasted.
la prueba de vestuariothe fittingPhraseC2
La prueba de vestuario se hace de pie y en movimiento.The fitting is done standing and moving.
el ajuste en la pruebathe adjustment at the fittingPhraseC2
El ajuste en la prueba se marca con alfileres.The adjustment at the fitting is marked with pins.
la pinza de ajustethe dartPhraseC2
La pinza de ajuste recoge el sobrante en la cintura.The dart takes up what is left over at the waist.
el hombro caídothe sloping shoulderPhraseC2
El hombro caído obliga a rehacer el patrón.A sloping shoulder means redoing the pattern.
la cabeza de mangathe sleeve headPhraseC2
La cabeza de manga lleva un poco de embebido.The sleeve head carries a little ease.
la crin de refuerzothe horsehair canvasPhraseC2
La crin de refuerzo sostiene el pecho de la chaqueta.The horsehair canvas holds up the chest of the jacket.
el forro interiorthe liningPhraseC2
El forro interior se monta con una pequeña holgura.The lining is set in with a little slack.
el pliegue de holgura del forrothe pleat of ease in the liningPhraseC2
El pliegue de holgura del forro evita que se rompa.The pleat of ease in the lining stops it tearing.
la costura francesathe French seamPhraseC2
La costura francesa esconde el borde por completo.The French seam hides the raw edge completely.
el pespunte visiblethe visible topstitchingPhraseC2
El pespunte visible tiene que ser paralelo al borde.The visible topstitching has to run parallel to the edge.
el remate del borde cortadothe finishing of the raw edgePhraseC2
El remate del borde cortado impide que el tejido se deshilache.The finishing of the raw edge stops the cloth fraying.
la puntada invisiblethe blind stitchPhraseC2
La puntada invisible cierra el bajo sin verse.The blind stitch closes the hem without showing.
el bajo del pantalónthe trouser hemPhraseC2
El bajo del pantalón se marca con el zapato puesto.The trouser hem is marked with the shoe on.
el ojal ribeteadothe bound buttonholePhraseC2
El ojal ribeteado distingue un trabajo cuidado.The bound buttonhole marks out careful work.
la presilla de refuerzothe reinforcing bar tackPhraseC2
La presilla de refuerzo protege el final del bolsillo.The reinforcing bar tack protects the end of the pocket.
el bolsillo de vivothe piped pocketPhraseC2
El bolsillo de vivo no perdona un milímetro.The piped pocket forgives nothing, not a millimetre.
la cinta de refuerzo del hombrothe shoulder stay tapePhraseC2
La cinta de refuerzo del hombro impide que la costura ceda.The shoulder stay tape stops the seam giving way.
el planchado intermediothe pressing between stagesPhraseC2
El planchado intermedio es la mitad del resultado.The pressing between stages is half the result.
el vapor sin pesothe steam applied without weightPhraseC2
El vapor sin peso da forma sin aplastar la fibra.Steam applied without weight shapes without crushing the fibre.
el moldeado con la planchathe shaping with the ironPhraseC2
El moldeado con la plancha curva la solapa.The shaping with the iron curves the lapel.
el cuello de camisa entreteladothe interlined shirt collarPhraseC2
El cuello de camisa entretelado se mantiene recto todo el día.The interlined shirt collar stays straight all day.
la caída de la prendathe way the garment hangsPhraseC2
La caída de la prenda depende del corte y del peso del tejido.The way the garment hangs depends on the cut and the weight of the cloth.
la tela que se arrugathe cloth that creasesPhraseC2
La tela que se arruga se descarta para viajar.Cloth that creases is ruled out for travelling.
la encogida al lavarthe shrinkage in the washPhraseC2
La encogida al lavar se prevé mojando la tela antes de cortar.The shrinkage in the wash is allowed for by wetting the cloth before cutting.
la resistencia del tinte al lavadothe fastness of the dye to washingPhraseC2
La resistencia del tinte al lavado se ensaya con un trozo de prueba.The fastness of the dye to washing is tested on a sample.
el orillo del tejidothe selvedge of the clothPhraseC2
El orillo del tejido marca la dirección del hilo.The selvedge of the cloth shows the direction of the grain.
el género elásticothe stretch fabricPhraseC2
El género elástico se cose con puntada que estira.Stretch fabric is sewn with a stitch that gives.
la prenda a medidathe fully bespoke garmentPhraseC2
La prenda a medida exige tres pruebas.A fully bespoke garment requires three fittings.
la prenda semimedidathe made-to-measure garmentPhraseC2
La prenda semimedida parte de un patrón existente.A made-to-measure garment starts from an existing pattern.
el arreglo posteriorthe later alterationPhraseC2
El arreglo posterior es más caro que hacerlo bien.A later alteration costs more than doing it right.
el margen para futuras reformasthe allowance left for future alterationsPhraseC2
El margen para futuras reformas se deja en la cintura.The allowance left for future alterations is at the waist.
el maniquí de sastrethe tailor's dummyPhraseC2
El maniquí de sastre se rellena hasta las medidas del cliente.The tailor's dummy is padded out to the customer's measurements.
el moulage sobre maniquíthe draping on the dummyPhraseC2
El moulage sobre maniquí sustituye al patrón plano.Draping on the dummy takes the place of the flat pattern.
el obrador de costurathe sewing workshopPhraseC2
El obrador de costura trabaja por piezas y por horas.The sewing workshop works by the piece and by the hour.
el catálogo de telas de temporadathe seasonal book of clothsPhraseC2
El catálogo de telas de temporada llega en enero.The seasonal book of cloths arrives in January.
el registro de medidas del clientethe record of the customer's measurementsPhraseC2
El registro de medidas del cliente se conserva durante años.The record of the customer's measurements is kept for years.
el acabado a manothe hand finishingPhraseC2
El acabado a mano es lo que se paga de verdad.The hand finishing is what is really being paid for.
Noun (f) (5)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
la hilvanadathe tacking stitchNoun (f)C2
La hilvanada se quita después de la prueba.The tacking stitch is taken out after the fitting.
la sisathe armholeNoun (f)C2
La sisa demasiado baja limita el movimiento del brazo.An armhole cut too low limits the movement of the arm.
la entretelathe interliningNoun (f)C2
La entretela da cuerpo al cuello.The interlining gives the collar its body.
la hombrerathe shoulder padNoun (f)C2
La hombrera corrige una asimetría sin que se note.The shoulder pad corrects an asymmetry without showing.
la solapathe lapelNoun (f)C2
La solapa se quiebra en un punto exacto.The lapel breaks at one exact point.
Noun (m) (1)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
el embebidothe ease worked into the seamNoun (m)C2
El embebido se reparte sin formar pliegues.The ease worked into the seam is spread without making folds.
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This list belongs to Art and culture — 29 lists and 1 450 words that can also be practised as a whole.