Do You Speak Fashion? 24 Buzzwords Only Fashion People Understand

Fashion speak - know it and they'll be crying out to give you front row seats but if Fendi and finales leave you tongue-tied, forget it, join the back of the queue. If you can walk the walk but can't talk the talk, you might wanna brush up on the latest lingo. Here’s a lesson in how to get fluent in fashion.

When the fashion industry has a whole other vernacular just for them it's hard to keep up with the lingo. So we've come up with a dictionary of terms to help fashion talk seem a little less foreign. Next time the fash pack start talking shoots, samples and statements you'll know exactly what they're talking about.

1. Frow

If there's a hybrid to be made then the fashion industry will find it. The most important one to remember is the Frow, otherwise known as: The Front Row. You'll see everyone from top magazine editors to celebrities and buyers with their bums on these seats. The rest of us? We make do with standing on our tippy toes.

2. Dress

Designers don't just put their models in clothes and send them down the runway. Nuh-uh. They dress them darling.

3. Cara

In the fashion world a VIP never needs an introduction. That goes for Cara, Karl and Anna. If you wanna sound like you know your stuff drop the surname and act like they're your BFF.

4. Edit

In the real world edit refers to preparing, modifying, correcting and wrapping up a piece of writing. In the fashion world it's really just another name for the finished collection. It just sounds better.

5. High fashion

Used when talking about anything designer and swanky and most importantly way out of our price range. Kerching.

6. Haute couture

When fashion gets French it can cause all kinds of complications but with a little practice your pronunciation will be a solid 10. Have a look at Jennifer Lawrence in action.

7. Highlights

Nope not your standard sultry blonde colour job. We're talking show highlights. The game changers, the trends to watch, the sell out pieces. Got it?

8. New face

When people start talking new faces they're referring to the latest model on the block. The ones all the big designers are snapping up for their campaigns.

9. Model of the moment

This is industry talk for all the big time supers. Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, Malaika Firth, they've all earned this title fair and square.

10. Ready-to-wear

Off the rack, pret-a-porter whatever you wanna call it. In laymen's terms it's fashion for mortals. A ready-to-wear collection means the items can be worn without alterations. No custom design necessary.

11. Walk

Let us contextualise: "OMG Kendall Jenner walked for Chanel. This is mega." It's just a profesh way of saying they were in the show.

12. Runway

No planes, no concrete, just a plain old platform for the models to walk down.

13. Killer

You know when wicked and sick suddenly meant cool, well it's the same principle here. If you wanna compliment someone just add killer. Killer heels, killer legs, killer walk. You get the idea.

14. Statement

If it's big, pretty, groundbreaking, loud, colourful or just plain hot, it's a statement.

15. The show

Nope it's not a concert, there's no surprise act, it's literally the catwalk production. Simples.

16. The trend report

When fashion journalists and bloggers return to their desks after a hectic run of fashion weeks from London to Milan it's time to get working on the trend report. What's in this season, what's out and what's hot.

17. B.O.T

This one doesn't take too much explaining to do. It means bang on trend. But nothing's worse than being screwed over by an acronym.

18. Smize

If you watch America's Next Top Model you'll know exactly what we're talking about. If you wanna be on top you gotsta learn to smize. It's Tyra-speak for smiling with your eyes.

19. Cover star

When a celeb lands a front page spot on an esteemed glossy a cover star is born.

20. Glamazon

You can use this interchangeably with fashionista for anyone who is noted for being remotely fashionable. Easy.

21. Fierce

Only the coolest of fashionistas can get away with saying fierce without sounding like an absolute loser but when it's used right. Wow. It's powerful.

22. Mainstream

Possibly the biggest insult you could throw at someone. If you're mainstream you'll do anything to fit in with the crowd and you follow the trends like a little lost puppy.

23. Try hard

On the opposite end of the scale you have the try hard. This describes a person who makes great efforts to be cool and non-conformist. Best avoided. At all costs.