Clothing has its own vocabulary, which often makes reading and translating old texts challenging for the uninitiated.

The glossary below is extracted from a longer list on the Refashioning the Renaissance project website.

References to “Florio” are to John (or Giovanni) Florio, Queen Anne’s New World of Words or Dictionarie of the Italian and English tongues, 1611.

The image above is the Sartore Ducale by Giovanni Grevembroch.

Glossary

• Abito — A generic term for a dress or a gown. 
• Accia — A natural fibre derived from flax, cotton, or hemp; spun into a yarn to be woven. 
• Ad ago — Needlework. 
• Agucchiato/guchiato — Knitted.  
• Ambra — Amber. 
• Aquamare — Aquamarine blue
• Arancio — Shade of golden yellow, or orange tawny, darker than dorato. Similar to the colour of saffron, or zafrano.
• Argentino — Silver colour, light grey, deriving from berettino.
• Argento — Silver. 
• Attrecciolatoio — A braid ornament. 
• Avorio — Ivory. 
• Avvinato — A shade of dark red, or wine colour, that became newly popular in the second half of the 1500s century.
• Azzurro — Common term for blue, usually of darkish colour. The term was considered old-fashioned by the mid-1600s. 
• Baietta — Thick wool, sometimes referred to as baize, often used for linings. 
• Balzana — Some sort of trimming or decoration adorning a gown’s hemline. 
• Bambagia — Bombast; cotton wool or cotton, or occasionally linen, used for padding or lining. 
• Banda — A band or narrow guard fastened to a garment’s hem. 
• Baracane — Coarse mixed cloth with a pile; might have been originally of goat pile. 
• Bassetta — Lambskin. 
• Bavella — A catch-all term for waste-silk thread. Florio defines it as ‘all manner of rawe silke’. 
• Bavero — A collar, or a cape around the neck. 
• Becca — A wide ribbon, commonly used as a garter for stockings. 
• Beretino — Grey or ash-colour, or a middle-grey, with shades of blue. A dark berettino verging heavily towards pavonazzo was called berettin purpureo or violato, while beretino chiaro (light) for a very light grey was used to create dove-tinted grey. A silver colour, or argentine, was also a light version of berettino.
• Berretta — A beret. Florio defines the term as “a little cap or bonet.” 
• Biado — A light, faded shade of blue.  
• Bigio — A shade of grey, verging on black.
• Bisso — A fine, silky linen, commonly used for embroidered fabrics. 
• Bocassino — A type of cotton or linen fabric. According to Florio, “boccasino,” was defined as “properly, such stuffe as we call buckram.” Could also refer to  a single garment for a woman. 
• Bombasina — A cheap cotton or linen, similar to fustian. 
• Borchia — Studs. 
• Bordo/bordato — A strong, smooth cloth of cotton, frequently striped. Florio describes it as “a kinde of silke stuffe woven”. Bordo could also refer to an edging or a border. 
• Borsa — A purse or bag, that usually hung from a belt. 
• Bottana — A type of low-cost linen or cotton cloth, similar to fustian.  
• Bottone — Buttons. 
• Brachette — Trunk hose or breeches for boys. 
• Braghesse/Calze — Trunk hose or breeches for men, unless otherwise stated. It could also be referred to as calzoni. 
• Braghetta — Codpiece, which served as a fly for the opening of the trunk-hose.  
• Brazzali — A small scarf or kerchief. 
• Brocado — Brocade, generally a raised pattern on a silk textile sewn in silver or gold. 
• Brocatello — A type of mixed fabric comprised of some combination of silk warp and weft of waste-silk, linen, flax, and/or cotton.  
• Buratto — Transparent mixed cloth often decorated, or a gauze-weave fabric, with a silk warp and wool weft. 
• Busto/imbusto — Bodice for women or a doublet without sleeves worn by men. 
• Caftano — Florio defines the term (caffettàno) as “a cassocke, a gabardine, a cloke or such like garment.” 
• Calcagnette — Chopines, very tall plateau sandals or slippers, often worn by Venetian women.
• Calissi — A type of wool fabric, or occasionally of silk. 
• Calze/Calzette/Calzini — Stockings or socks. 
• Calzoni — Breeches for men. Often laced to doublets to keep them in place. 
• Cambrese — Cambric, a type of fine linen cloth originating from Chambray. 
• Camicia — Shirt or smock worn by both men, women, and children. 
• Camiciola — Garment meant to cover the trunk of the body, with or without sleeves. It could be worn for bed or over a shirt. Often made from wool and knitted for extra warmth.  
• Camoscio — Chamois, a type of leather. 
• Cambellotto — Camlet, which was once fashioned from camel or goat’s hair. In our period, it was likely crafted from wool or silk cloth. The term could also refer to any sort of expensive mixed fabric or to the colour of camel hair. Also spelled ciambellotto.  
• Canevaccio — Canvas, a coarse linen cloth or a mixed cloth combining silk, silk waste, and flax.   
• Cannoni — Canions; upper hose that extended from the trunk-hose to the knees. 
• Capicciola — A type of waste silk, produced from defected cocoons. 
• Cappa — Cloak for outdoor use, including horse-back riding. It could also be fashioned with a hood. 
• Cappello — A hat.
• Cappotto — Short cloak or cape with sleeves, sometimes called the Dutch cloak. Often made from lush materials for use in winter.  
• Cappuccio — A hood. 
• Carisea — Probably a type of silk fabric. 
• Carpetta — A Venetian term for a skirt worn by women and children. 
• Casacca — Long or short-sleeved cassock that covered the torso and had a skirt. Derived from the cioppettella. 
• Casso — Venetian term for a bodice or bustier, without sleeves. Florio defines the term as “also a bodie from the necke to the thigh, the stomack.” 
• Cataluffa — A type of heavy silk, or plush, often used for linings. Florio defines the term as “a kind of thicke and shaggy plush to line garments with.”  
• Cavezzi — A sort of a collar, often of lace. 
• Celeste — Sky blue or a medium blue; a very light version of turchino, achieved by  a light wad-base (later even lighter bath of indigo). 
• Cendalo/zendalo — Cendal, a light fine cloth of raw silk or cotton, typically decorated with stripes. 
• Centiglio — Medallion.  
• Ciambellotto — A scarf or handkerchief made from the fabric called ciambellotto (camlet). Also see cambellotto. 
• Cintura — A belt or girdle, worn by men and women.  
• Cintura da spada — Sword belt. 
• Cioppa — An over-garment, often with long, hanging sleeves.  
• Coda — Short or long train of a woman’s dress. 
• Collare — A collar.  
• Colletto — A jerkin, which is a sleeveless upper garment. Colletti di dante were jerkins made from the fallow deer skin. 
• Colombino — A ‘dove colour’. Beautiful shade of grey with a hint of white, red and blue.
• Comesso — Probably an  “under-bodice”, like sottobusto. 
• Conciere — A hair ornament, or any dressing ornament. 
• Copertura — Covering for fabric. 
• Corallo — Coral. 
• Cordone/Cordella — Cords, usually made of gold and silk. These could be used as laces, ribbons, and/or added to garments as finishings. 
• Cordone/cordella da cappello — Ornamental cords found on headwear. 
• Cordovano — Cordovan, a type of leather made from treated goatskin. 
• Corona — Rosary beads. 
• Corpetto — A male doublet. See giubbone. 
• Correggia da spada — A strap or belt for a sword. Also see cintura da spada. Florio defines “correggia” as “a girt, a cingle, a stirrup leather, a strap, a scourge.” 
• Cosciali — Trunk hose, breeches, or the upper stocks of long hose. 
• Cotonato — Teased wool that creates a raised pile or little nubs on the surface.  
• Cotone — Cotton or linen. Also see bambagia. 
• Cotta — A gown for women, which could have been worn under over-gown. 
• Cravatta — An accessory that adorns the neck. It was generally an ornament of the neck, or a long towel worn around the collar. 
• Cremesino/cremesile — Light or ‘small’ crimson. The hues could vary from purplish cherry red to orange like poppy.
• Cremisi — High-quality red, verging towards purple, dyed with crimson insect dye (cremisi, later cochineal). Cremisi was particularly shiny and wear-resistant. Together with reds that were dyed with grain, such as scarlatto, this red was the most precious colour of red available.  
• Cuffia — An ornamental hairnet, a coif or a snood worn over the hair. 
• Cuoio — Leather. 
• Cupo — Brown colour that verged to black, similar to dark tanè.
• Da bruno — In mourning; often associated with a garment. Bruno written without the article could also refer to the colour brown. 
• Damasco — Damask, typically a single-colour fabric of silk with a pattern woven into it. 
• Dante — Fallow-deer skin. 
• Dimitto — Florio defines it as “a kinde of course cotton or flanell.” 
• Dobreto — Thick cloth fashioned from linen and cotton, often with a raised stripe. Could also refer to a type of garment. 
• Doppia/Doppiolo — The padding or an inner layering of fabrics in a garment. 
• Dore/dorato/doretto — Golden yellow colour, charged colour ‘similar to gold’. A darker shade of dorato was called (a)rancio.  
• Drappo/Drappetto — Silk cloth. 
• Duliman — A heavy coat or long gown fashioned in the Ottoman style popular in Venice. 
• Durante — A sturdy and durable woollen fabric. 
• Erbazzo — A type of fabric fashioned from natural fibres used in Venice. 
• Ermisino/ormesino — A light weight silk taffeta, called sarcenet. 
• Falda — A skirt. It could be attached to a bodice, doublet, or paired with a separate upper garment. Also see gonna. 
• Faldiglia — A full skirt with wood or metal inserted to create a fuller silhouette. Also called a farthingale. 
• Fascia — Swaddling bands for babies or bands for children. 
• Fascia da citti — Swaddling bands for babies. Also see fascia.  
• Fazzoletto — A handkerchief, or a piece of square-shaped fabric for various purposes. In Venetian also fazuol.
• Felpa — Plush, silk velvet with a long pile. 
• Ferraiolo — Round, semicircular, three-quarter length cloak without sleeves or a hood worn by men, women, and children. 
• Ferrandina — A light fabric fashioned from low-grade quality silk and wool. 
• Festechino — Light shade of green, like verde herba.
• Fetta — Ribbon. Also see nastro. 
• Fibbia — Buckle or clasp. 
• Filaticcio — Spun silk. 
• Filetto — A decorative trim or edging. 
• Filo — Thread or yarn. 
• Filusello — A type of coarse silk fabric or thread made of waste silk. 
• Finimento — General term for a decorative finishing or a trimming. 
• Fiochi — Tassels or bows, often came in pairs. 
• Fiore — A fabric made of natural fibre derived from flax, cotton, or hemp. 
• Fodera — A lining. 
• Forcina — A hair ornament, or a pin. 
• Fornitura — Trimming or edging. Florio defines items that were described “fornito” as “furnished, adorned, beautified, decked…”  
• Frangia — Fringe. 
• Fratesco — A modest shade of grey. A friar’s grey, or colour of humiliation, ‘worn by penitents’.
• Frisetto — Frisè, a heavy woollen cloth with a nap, similar to baietta, or coarse linen cloth, popular in Venice. 
• Friso/frisetto — Fringe, edging or guards. Florio states that a “friso” is the same as a “fregio,” which he defines as “a fringe, a garde, a lace, a border, a welt, embroidery, ornament or garnishment about any garment.” 
• Frontale — An  elaborate head ornament. Florio defines the term as “a forhead peece, or headband… a square as women weare on their heads, a frontlet.” 
• Fuina — A type of stone marten fur popular in Venice. 
• Fustagno — Fustian, a linen and cotton fabric that could range from light-to-medium in weight, similar to guarnello. 
• Gabbana/o — A sleeved cloak meant for outdoor use. Often used for riding or in bad weather. 
• Gallone — Woven or braided trim, often featuring gold or silver thread. 
• Gamurra — Closed, simple gown with sleeves worn by women. It does not require a petticoat underneath, and is typically worn over the camicia. A gamurrino was a smaller version made for children. 
• Ghelero — Possibly a type of overgarment or vest. 
• Ghirlanda — A head ornament resembling a garland. Also used to secure a hair net. 
• Giacco — Florio defines it as “a jacke of maile made like a corset, a jacket or shirt of maile.” The giacco could also be fashioned in fabric and then reinforced with mail armour. Both versions were typically worn under clothing. Also called zacho in Venice. 
• Giallo — General term for yellow. A lighter but bright shade of yellow, was called colour limoncino. 
• Giglietto — Lace with a lily-shaped border. 
• Ginocchiello/i — Canions, or decorative bands worn around the knee to join the garments worn on the upper and lower leg. 
• Giovanella — A type of gown. 
• Giubbone — A doublet worn by men, women, and children. 
• Giuggiolino/zuzzolino — A brilliant and charged yellow colour with a reddish tone, bric-colour, or amberish brown, which derived from tanè. Lighter than leonato.  
• Gonna/Gonella — Skirt. Also called falda. 
• Gorgiera — A partlet, which is a garment that is worn on the neck and shoulders. Could also have a ruff or a collar. 
• Grembiule — Florio describes it as “an apron, a savegard, a halfe kirtle.” 
• Grossagrana — Grosgrain, a heavy, strong fabric commonly adorned with a raised stripe and fashioned from silk or wool. 
• Guaina — A lightweight case for carrying a bladed weapon. Florio defines a “guaina” or a “giuagina” as “a sheathe or a scabbard.”  
• Guanti — Gloves, commonly lined with fur. 
• Guardacuore — Bodice or doublet worn by men and women. Florio calls it “a kind of a stomacher.” 
• Guarnello — A cotton and/or linen fabric, as well as a loose-fitting dress worn by women. 
• Guarnello — A kind of thin linen and/or cotton fabric, commonly used for fashioning linings, undergarments, and very basic gowns. 
• Guarnizione — General term for decoration or trimming 
• Imbottitura — Padding. 
• Incarnato/incarnadino — Pale pink, flesh colour or ‘fleshy rose’, with shades of red and white in right balance. The colour was assimilated to a young person’s cheeks. Incaranto was close to the common colour rosa.  
• Intrecciatura — A plait, usually made of three or more strands, each consisting of two or three threads. It could be made of gold and applied in rows to cover, e.g. the doublet.  
• Lana — Wool. 
• Lancia — A lance. 
• Latado/latesin — Milky white
• Lattugha — Ruffs, material gathered at the neck and cuffs. 
• Lavorazione — Embroidery. 
• Lenzuolo da testa/mano — Veil or kerchief worn on the head and/or around the arms. 
• Leonato — Tawny brown, reddish yellow or rust colour, deriving from tanè.  Florio calls this “the color of a lion”.
• Lino — Flax or linen. 
• Lista — A strip of cloth used for adornment. 
• Lontra — Otter skin, fur or leather. 
• Lucchesina — Fine wool twill. 
• Lucco — Traditional full-length over-gown that was worn in Florence. 
• Maglia — Knitted. 
• Maglia di ferro — Mail armour shirt. 
• Maneghetto — Cuffs. 
• Maniche — Sleeves, often detachable, which can appear in various styles. Usually long sleeves, unless otherwise noted. 
• Manichino — A muff, worn to keep hands warm. Also see manicotto. 
• Manicotto — Another term for a muff, worn to keep the hands warm. Also see manichino. 
• Mantello — Mantle worn over clothes for warmth and protection of clothing. 
• Mantile — A handkerchief (could also refer to ordinary narrow table cloths or  napkins). 
• Margaritine — Small coloured glass beads, typically sewn onto fabric. Florio defines them as “seede pearls”. 
• Marocchino — A soft leather goatskin commonly used to make shoes. 
• Maschera — Fabric mask, could also be worn while travelling. 
• Medaglia da cappello — Medals, brooches, and/or cameos that adorn hats. 
• Merletto — Needle or bobbin lace. 
• Mezzalana — A low-quality mixed wool. 
• Mocaiardo/camoiardo — Mixed fabric often of wool and linen, or “mock velvet”, imitating the effect of velvet. 
• Monachino — A type of brownish red wool, used frequently for linings and mourning gowns.  
• Mostra — A lining or facing, typically fashioned in a different colour so that it stands out. 
• Mussolo — A light cotton and/or wool cloth of muslin-like texture. 
• Muta — A Venetian term for a gown. 
• Mutande — Drawers, underpants. 
• Naranzato — Orange. ‘Naranzato’ means made in the colour of the fruit of orange. 
• Nastro — Ribbon.  
• Nero — Black, which could come in many shades and qualities. ‘True’, high-quality black, traditionally dyed with woad and madder, was one of the most difficult colours to dye, and it was associated with nobility and wealth. Black was also the colour of high fashion by the 1550s. But in the sixteenth century, many new methods and materials were available to dye cheaper vivid blacks, making it broadly available for social classes. 
• Ninfa — A Venetian term for shirt collars.  
• Noce/nociato — A shade of brown
• Occhiali — Glasses. 
• Ombrello/parasole — Umbrella or parasol. 
• Ongaresca — A type of Venetian gown. 
• Orlo — Hem, hemline. 
• Oro — Gold. 
• Orologio — Clock. 
• Ostea — Type of cloth, used in Venice. 
• Paglia — Very light shade of yellow. This was similar to ‘fior di ginestra’, a colour considered beautiful.
• Paiado/paiadino — Straw colour, a b. The former referred to ‘fresh’ and the latter to ‘dry’ straw colour. 
• Palandrana — A full-length cloak worn by men, often when travelling. Thought to have originated in Eastern Europe. 
• Panciera — According to Florio, “a peece of armour to arme the bellie, a bellie peece.”  
• Panno — A generic term for wool cloth. 
• Panno da collo — A type of scarf or kerchief? 
• Panno mistio — Mixed woollen cloth. 
• Panno romagniolo — A coarse woollen cloth, originating from Romagna. Could be used for lining garments. 
• Pannolino — Linen cloth. 
• Pappafico — According to Florio, pappafico was “a kind of frock or gabardine to ride in.” 
• Passamano — Braid or ribbon used to hide seams or decorate hems. 
• Pavonazzo — Deep bluish purple tending towards violet, or vivid, iridescent purple. The colour was described as similar to that of peacock neck, not morello. A lighter shade of pavonazzo was called violato or purpureo, a shade between turchino and pavonazzo. 
• Pelliccia — Fur. Florio defines the word as “any kinde of furre or furred garment.” The term could also refer to the lining of the garment.  
• Pendente — A pendant. 
• Penna — A feather, usually used to decorate hats. Most of the feathers were black, grey, and white. 
• Perla — A pearl. 
• Perpetuana — A woollen fabric with a shiny surface, considered one of the new fabrics introduced in the 1500s. 
• Perpignano — A widespread, affordable woollen cloth that originated from Perpignan in France. 
• Pettinatoio — A combing cloth, often decorated. 
• Pezza — A scarf that  could be worn in various ways. 
• Pianelle — Slippers, often made of cloth with leather soles. They had open backs, similar to mules. Could also sometimes be worn over shoes. 
• Polana — Florio defines the term as “a kinde of course woollen colth.” 
• Posta — A pocket or a bag. 
• Pretina — Probably a kind of cassock popular in Venice 
• Punte — Points or aglets. 
• Punto aria — A type of needle lace. 
• Rascia — A strong woollen fabric called rash.  
• Raso — Satin, which is a type of basic weave fashioned with silk yarns. 
• Refe/rese — Linen thread. Rese could also refer to a durable type of linen.  
• Rensa/renso — High-quality fine linen cloth, often embroidered. 
• Resecurato — A fabric or thread made from natural fibres. 
• Rete — A decorative net or network used by women, for example, as hairnets or in partlets. 
• Rete — Mesh or any sort of net-work. 
• Reticella — An early form of lace, or c
• utwork, fashioned with needle embroidery. Reticella was made of threads at were pulled from linen fabric to make a “grid” on which the pattern was stitched. 
• Retino — A mesh or gauze type fabric, used as an alternative to high-priced lace. 
• Ricamatura — Embroidery, typically adorning bands or sewn directly on fabric. 
• Rimbusta — A bodice, like imbusto. 
• Riscontri — Frogging, which was a type of fastening with rod-like buttons and loops. 
• Rivercio — A type of wool. 
• Rivetti — Narrow strips or bands of decorations, or rivets, applied for decorative purposes. 
• Roan — A russet colour, shade of brown. According to Florio, a ‘colour of a horse’. 
• Romana — A long, unisex gown popular in Venice. It was open at the front and used at home or for modest ceremonial occasions. 
• Romanetta — A type of decorative band, or a small metal decoration. 
• Rosado/rosato — Costly red, or rose colour, or murray, dyed with madder or grain, but this was a less costly dye than cremisi. 
• Rosasecca — Dusty pink. “Dry-rose” crimson colour, or murray-colour. The colour was close to avinato but the two were clearly two distinct hues.
• Rosetta — A hair ornament with rosettes, or a rose shaped type of adornment attached to, for example, shoes. 
• Rosso — Red.   Red was seen as a cheerful colour that brings a degree of joy and happiness to those who wear it. The colour was also associated with high status and bringing ‘prestige to cardinals’.   
• Rovescio — Simple wool cloth, with one side of pile likely teased. 
• Ruggine — Rust colour, a lighter version of tanè, similar to giuggiolino.
• Saia (clothes) — A generic term for a female gown. Also see cotta. Also refers to a type of wool twill. 
• Saia (material) — Twill woollen cloth. 
• Saia lucchesina — Fine wool twill. See lucchesina. 
• Saietta — Fine twill cloth fashioned from wool rash. Florio defines it as “a kinde of fine serge or cloth for coates, is is also rash” 
• Saio — A tunic that extended to the mid-thighs and had sleeves, often worn by men. 
• Santambarco — A male garment that was open at the sides and typically worn over a doublet. Originally worn by peasants, but became popular with the upper-classes as well. 
• Sarza — Serge, a loosely woven woollen fabric that had many different varieties. The warp was usually worsted, the weft was wool. It could be mixed with linen or silk. 
• Sbernia/bernia — A rectangular mantle or a large cloak originating from Spain, worn by women as a covering over the head and shoulders. The garment enveloped the whole figure, from head to foot, and it might have been worn wrapped under one arm and knotted at the opposite shoulder. 
• Scarlatto — Scarlet red, dyed with kermes or ‘grain’. Scarlet, a deep vermilion red, which was rich in colour, and it was considered beautiful and fine. Reds dyed with grain verged slightly towards orange. 
• Scarlatto (Venice) — Scarlet woollen cloth. Scarlet was an expensive red, dyed on wool with the costly insect dye known as kermes or ‘grain’. 
• Scarpe — Shoes, often made from leather.  
• Schiavonetto — A light-weight over-gown or tunic for women. 
• Sciamito — Samite, a fine quality silk cloth, commonly adorned with gold and silver threads. According to Florio, it could also be of half silk, half wool, similar to buratto.   
• Sciolta — A sort of shawl, or a walking dress, most typically worn by women. 
• Sciugatoio — A cloth that might be worn on the head or neck. Also, could be a towel. 
• Scollato — A collar, band or partlet decorating the neckline. 
• Scotto — Florio defines the term as “a kinde of course woollen stuffe.” 
• Sessa — Possibly a type of mixed fabric.  
• Seta — Silk fabric or silk yarn. 
• Setino — Florio defines the term as “a kind of thin silke stuffe like burato or mokado, silken, made or wrought of silke.” 
• Sguardo — A shade of red, similar to vinado. 
• Si e no — Seems to refer to a type of woollen fabric. 
• Soppano — A lining, often made of linen for practical (not decorative) purposes. 
• Sopracalze — Upper hose. Florio defines “sopra calcie” as “upper hosen, boothosen, drawing slops.” 
• Sottana — A petticoat or a simple gown with sleeves. 
• Spada — A sword. 
• Spalagrembo — A type of apron that could be secured via shoulders. 
• Speroni — Spurs. 
• Spilli — Pins for fastening. 
• Spinetta — A type of ribbon or cord, plaited in a herringbone pattern. This was characteristic of the decoration of clothing in Florence during the late 1500s. 
• Stame/stametto — A high-grade wool, often used for knitted garments, such as stockings and sleeves. 
• Stampato — Stamped. 
• Stivali — Boots. 
• Stoppa — A lower-quality linen or hemp.
• Strascico — The train of a lady’s dress.
• Stricha — A stripe or a band.  
• Stringhe — Laces used to tie garments together. 
• Striscia — Strips of fabric used for trimming. 
• Tabarro — A loose cloak similar to a cappotto, or a sleeveless over-gown or tabard, fastened at the front.  
• Tabi — Tabby silk. A kind of medium-quality, glossy taffeta with a thick weft, could also be mixed with waste silk and/or flax. 
• Tachia — A coif or a snood, an ornamental hairnet or bag worn over the hair. Also see cuffia. 
• Taffeta — A plain and light, glossy silk. 
• Taffetta — A scarf or kerchief typically made from taffeta, a plain, woven silk. Could also refer to the fabric itself. 
• Tagliato — Slashed or pinked, or decorated with small decorative cuts. Slashing and pinking as decorative techniques were popular in the 1500s. 
• Tanè — Tawny brown, or dark beige. The lighter shade was called tanè di mezzo colore and even a lighter version was called leonato, while tanè that verged to black was called cupo. 
• Tasca — A pocket or bag, typically fixed to a garment. 
• Tela — Any sort of basic weave, usually referring to vegetable yarns, including linen, hemp, and cotton. 
• Tela bottana — A type of linen or cotton, frequently used for lining. 
• Teletta — Tabby, a sort of thick, shiny taffeta, frequently adorned with gold and silver threads. 
• Terzanello — A coarse, low-budget silk derived from flawed cocoons, similar to filusello silk, or a taffeta with warp in a different fibre from the weft. 
• Traversa — An apron, popular in Venice. 
• Treccia — Braids or cords worn as accessories or for trimming garments. 
• Trinciante — A scarf or kerchief (?) 
• Trine — Lace, often used for trimming. 
• Turca — A sleeved, long garment that likely had an opening at the front.  
• Turchino — Medium blue dyed with woad, often rich in colour. According to Corsuccio, turchino should be appropriately called fior di guado.  
• Ulivello — Very fine, high-quality linen. 
• Ungherina — Children’s gown that has buttons in the front, worn by both boys and girls. 
• Vaio — A general term for fur, especially the fur from a grey squirrel that has a white underbelly.  
• Vellutino — Florio defines this term as “fine, slender velvet.” 
• Velluto — Velvet, which is silk with a thick surface pile on one side. This costly fabric could be either plain, figured (operato), or brocaded (broccato), and it could come with a cut (tagliato) or uncut (riccio) pile, or a combination of these and/or different heights of pile (eg. riccio sopra riccio). Satin ground patterned velvet was called zetani vellutati. 
• Velo — Veil. 
• Velo — Veiling. 
• Ventaglio — A fan, typically hung from a belt. 
• Verde — Charged Green. A rich, dark good green colour, considered beautiful because it associated with nature. A darker hue was called verde oscuro or verde buio, and also verdemare, a green in the colour of sea. 
• Verdegaio/verdegiallo — Vivid shade of green that verged heavily towards yellow. According to Corsuccio, this colour, nearly yellow, was used much at the end of the 1500s.
• Verdone — Dark bluish green.
• Verga — Stripes. 
• Vesta/Vestura — A gown, or it could also be a generic term for a suit of clothes, like vestito.  
• Veste (la) — A  gown, usually for women, made up of a bodice and skirt, with narrow decorative sleeves.  
• Vestito — A gown, or a suit of men’s clothes (also see vesta/vestura), which according to Orsi Landini might include a vesta, saio or cioppetella, doublet, beret, belt and scabbard. Florio describes the term as “…any sute of apparell, rayment, ornament, trimming, or apparelling.” 
• Viletta — A scarf or kerchief. 
• Vinado — Wine red colour, dyed on redwoods.
• Volpe — Fox fur. 
• Zamberlucco — A long and voluminous gown with narrow sleeves and a large hood, thought to be popular in Turkey and Greece. 
• Zimarra — Long, loose over-gown, often sleeveless, worn by both women and men. Typically worn over a doublet, an under-gown or a gown, such as a sottana or la veste. The female garment might also include decorative hanging sleeves. 
• Zoccoli — Clogs.