The following terms and definitions are defined with respect to their use and with respect to latest Modeling and model agencies. All the definitions listed here are written by me, unless other credit is specified. Not everyone will agree with my definitions.

Models Glossary Terms



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  • Caddis

    worsted yarn particularly a worsted ribbon or binding formerly used for garters and girdles.

  • Cady

    precious silk fabric, faintly fulled, initially produced in the French region of Languedoc, for couture and evening gowns.

  • Caftan

    a usually cotton or silk ankle-length garment with stretched sleeves that is common throughout the Levant

  • Calpac

    a high-crowned cap worn in Turkey, Iran, and nearest countries

  • Cambric

    soft, intimately woven, light. Either bleached or piece dyed

  • Camise

    a light wobbly long-sleeved shirt, gown, or tunic

  • Camisole

    a short robe jacket for women; a short sleeveless garment for women

  • Camp shirt

    a woman's shirt having a jagged collar and often patch pockets

  • Candlewick

    a squashy cotton embroidery yarn.

  • Cap

    a head covering specially with a visor and no brim; a typical head covering emblematic of a position or office, as a cardinal's biretta; mortarboard

  • Capote

    a typically long and hooded cloak or overcoat

  • Capri pants

    close-fitting women's pants to end above the ankle [Also called capris] usually worn in warm weather climates. Leg opening starts about 3 or 4 inches above the ankle. Capri is a type of pant.

  • Cardigan

    a generally collarless sweater or jacket that opens the full length of the center front

  • Carpet

    a grave, often tufted fabric used a floor covering.

  • Cartridge belt

    a belt worn just about the waist for attaching various equipment, as a cartridge case, canteen, or compass

  • Cashmere

    a hair fiber found in Kashmir India, Tibet, Iran, Iraq, and South west China. Frequently mixed with wool or synthetics to cut costs and improve the wear. All weaves but frequently plain or twill.

  • Cassock

    a close-fitting ankle-length garment worn particularly in Roman Catholic and Anglican churches by the clergy and by laymen assisting in services

  • Casual

    A photo in which a model is dressed in casual/informal attire and is placed in a casual setting. Not necessarily exclusive of other photo types (e.g., a photo could be Casual and Commercial).

  • Catalog

    A Commercial photo intended for use in a paper or online catalog.

  • Catwalk

    See the Runway entry.

  • Cerecloth

    cloth treated with melted wax or gummy matter and formerly used particularly for wrapping a dead body.

  • Cestus

    a hand covering of leather bands often laden with lead or iron and used by boxers in ancient Rome

  • Chador

    a large cloth worn as a grouping head covering, veil, and shawl by Muslim women especially in Iran

  • Chamois cloth

    a yarn fabric. Fabric is napped, sheared, and dyed to replicate chamois leather. It is stiffer than kasha and thicker, softer and tougher than flannelette.

  • Chaplet

    a wreath to be wear on the head

  • Charmeuse

    it is a lightweight silk, cotton or man-made fiber dress fabric which is soft and drapes well and it is smooth, has a semi-lustrous satin face and dull back. Hard twist yarn is used for the distort with a crepe yarn filling

  • Chemise

    a woman's one-piece undergarment; a loose straight-hanging cloth

  • Chesterfield

    a single-breasted or double-breasted semi fitted overcoat by velvet collar

  • Chiton

    the basic garment of antique Greece worn typically knee-length by men and full-length by women

  • Choli

    a short blouse generally worn with a saree or a lengha. You can vary the collar, sleeve and length.

  • Clean-Clean

    A specification on a call-sheet that means clean hair, clean face. You should show up for the photo shoot with no make-up on and freshly washed hair. The opposite of this is "hair and make-up ready," which is pretty self-explanatory.

  • Comp Card

    This is a promotional card for a model, which shows the model's very best photos and basic statistics. A typical design would include one side that displays the model's best Headshot and name, and the reverse side showing a few more photos in different styles along with measurements, eye/hair color, etc.

  • Concealed Nude

    A photo in which a model is fully or partially nude to the photographer without showing that nudity to the camera, such as in the common "hands/arms over nipples" poses.

  • Configurations

    The number of models posed in a photograph. Some standard fashion configurations are singles, doubles, triples, and groups.

  • Contact Sheet

    Also called Proofs. A photographer's term for a sheet of film printed with small versions of all the photos taken during the photo shoot. From the contact sheet, the photographer and the client will choose which shots they want to print and enlarge.