Word of the Day — April 4, 2012

Balenciaga shape — bal-EN-chi-AH-gah — in clothing design, taking the shape of a 20th century Spanish couturier costume

Example: "In the '50s, Christian Dior used the shape originally designed by Cristobal Balenciaga to reveal a definite move away from the tight-waisted New Look to a looser, semi-fitted style.'