A new column on Amayzine: the big Fashion ABC, 26 letters from A to Z. Nothing more, nothing less. At the end of the ride you’ll have a handy reference book to help you drop the biggest words, because we’re not tackling the ordinary vocab that everyone already uses, no we’re going for the words that you may not already know. Today we’re leaving the starting block with, yes, the A. Surprise!

This is a term that everyone thinks they know, but if you ask for it in a store you get the big old bambi-in-headlight eyes response with no idea what you’re talking about. An A-line dress is simply put, a dress in the shape of an A. The benefits are that it is super flattering, perfect for dinners because you can happily keep ordering without bursting out of your too tight dress. And for people like me, whose clothing size has been known to change (hello yoyo effect), it’s like a gift from heaven because it always fits.

And no not ‘albino’, as an editor to remain unnamed first thought. An Alpino is a cute typically French hat, that gets used in cartoon drawings in combo with a Breton stripe and a baguette under the arm. It characteristically has a little stem on the top. The biggest difference between a Beret and an Alpino is that the latter is mostly rounder and worn straight on the head instead of at a tilt.

Do you know those curtains that you sometimes see in cheap salons trying to be chic? A shiny fabric with a opulent flower print? That is Ausbrenner. Or let’s say something that looks like Ausbrenner, because more often than not the print is just stuck on the fabric. The dress that the lady above is wearing is a much better quality. In principle, real Ausbrenner is made through a chemical process whereby certain parts of the fabric are burned away, leaving the distinctive motif and producing a fine textured, elegant fabric with a luxurious look.