New words – 16 January 2012

killer jeans plural noun sandblasted denim jeans. The process of sandblasting produces silica dust which can cause silicosis, a potentially deadly disease of the lungs, among the people making the jeans.

Three of Italy’s best-known fashion houses are being accused of refusing to stop selling ‘killer jeans’ that threaten the lives of workers in the poor countries where they are produced.
[The Guardian (UK broadsheet) 11 August 2011]

skort noun a skirt with integral shorts underneath

Navy blue shorts with sport logo/house colour or navy blue ‘skort’ for girls
[list of uniform requirements for UK secondary school 01 July 2011]

vanity sizing noun the deliberate under-sizing of clothes, intended to make the wearer feel flattered (and presumably more attached to the brand in question)

For any man cheered up by managing to fit into the same size trousers despite a growing waistline, there is bad news: you have fallen victim to vanity sizing.
[The Sunday Telegraph (UK broadsheet) 04 Sept 2011]

manity sizing noun the deliberate under-sizing of clothes for men, intended to make the wearer feel flattered (and presumably more attached to the brand in question)

The retailing phenomenon that began among women has spread to men, being dubbed ‘manity sizing’.
[The Sunday Telegraph (UK broadsheet) 04 Sept 11]

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