[Fashion Tips] The Puzzling Fashion Terms... What Do 'SS' and 'FW' Mean?

Many Local Expressions Make Fashion Terms Difficult
SS and FW Distinguish Seasons... Pre-order Means 'Seonjumun'

Terms related to fashion often feel difficult to understand. While those who are usually interested in fashion may be familiar with them, many people do not know the exact meaning of terms they frequently encounter in daily life. This is especially true because industry-specific terms are often not simplified into Korean.

Among the fashion terms that are hard to grasp, there are those related to seasons. Representative examples include 'SS', 'FW', and 'AW'. These terms all categorize product groups according to the season: 'SS' stands for 'Spring·Summer', and 'FW' means 'Fall·Winter'. They are abbreviations using the first letters of each season, so the '2023 SS season' refers to new items released in the spring and summer of this year. Usually, season collections are released one season earlier than the actual season.

In addition, terms like 'Pre-Fall' collection and 'AW' are also related to seasons. Pre-Fall is a collection introduced ahead of the FW season, mainly featuring transitional season items. AW is derived from the British English spelling of autumn, 'Autumn', taking the first letter and having the same meaning as FW.

A collection is a showcase of new products presented by multiple designers' fashion shows or a brand's fashion show, tailored to the season. The week when such collections are presented twice a year is called 'Fashion Week'. It is mainly held between January and March and between August and October in various countries, with the fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris considered the four major fashion weeks. In Korea, the Seoul Fashion Week held in March and October is well-known.

Since Paris, France is regarded as the birthplace of fashion, many fashion terms are used in French as they are. The term ‘Avant-garde’, widely known in Korea through the late designer Andre Kim, is also French. It means avant-garde art, referring to an artistic trend that pursues novelty and innovation. In the fashion industry, the adjective ‘avant-garde’ is often used to describe fashion that breaks away from existing trends or flows.

The term is also frequently used when describing representative designers of deconstructivist fashion such as Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, and Alexander McQueen. Additionally, ‘haute couture’, which means custom-made designs featuring a brand’s unique and artistic designs, and ‘Pret-a-porter’, meaning high-end ready-to-wear clothing, are also French terms.

Although not strictly fashion terms, some expressions are frequently used. The recently spotlighted ordering method called 'Pre-order' literally means a system where orders are taken for a certain period and production is based only on the order quantity. It takes relatively longer but has the advantage of lower prices. This system is used not only in fashion but also across the distribution industry.