haberdasher n : a merchant who sells men's clothing [syn: clothier]

English

Etymology

Uncertain but may derive from Anglofrench habertas small goods

Noun

1. A dealer in ribbons, buttons, thread, needles and similar sewing goods.
2. A men's outfitter, usually a men's haberdasher.
3. A member of the Haberdashers livery company.

Derived terms

• haberdashery

A haberdasher is a person who sells small, commonly used items of clothing via retail. These can include ribbons and buttons or completed accessories such as hats or gloves. A haberdasher's shop or the items sold therein are called haberdashery.

The exact definition of haberdasher depends on the locale. In the United States and Canada, it is primarily used for a person who sells men's clothing accessories. In the British Isles, this word is more commonly used to refer to someone who sells buttons, thread, ribbons, or drapery, but the term is much less common now, as fewer people make or mend their own clothing.

Today in Great Britain, Haberdashery shops are certainly a rare sight. However, KLEINS is an example of a long-established Traditional Specialist Haberdashery Business, that has been trading in London's Soho, since 1936. Also, John Lewis still offer a small selection of Haberdashery Products in some of their department stores.

Early usage of the term "haberdasher" refers to a retailer of many accessories, including swords, horns, mousetraps, and crucifixes.

The term may come from the Anglo-Norman word hapertas, meaning petty wares.

Notable haberdashers

• Robert Aske - philanthropist
• Captain James Cook, (R.N., FRS) - (18th century British navigator and explorer, apprenticed in his youth)
• John Graunt - one of the first demographers
• Saint Louis IX - King of France in 1215, the patron saint of haberdashers
• Joseph Merrick - AKA the Elephant Man worked as a haberdasher before being a freak show act
• Paavo Nurmi - legendary Finnish runner
• Harry S. Truman - former U.S. President
• Johnny Carson - of The Tonight Show
• Charles Taze Russell - the founder of the Bible Student Movement
• Wayne Knight - actor, most famous role: "Newman" from Seinfield.
• Christopher Lloyd - actor, most famous role: Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy
• George Newnes - founders of the Tit-Bits newspaper (1881) and the popular The Strand Magazine, of Sherlock Holmes fame

See also

• Draper
• Millinery
• Worshipful Company of Haberdashers

baker, bookdealer, bookseller, butcher, chandler, clothier, clothing merchant, confectioner, costumer, costumier, draper, dry goods dealer, drysalter, fishmonger, fishwife, florist, footwear merchant, fruiterer, furnisher, furrier, glover, greengrocer, grocer, groceryman, hardwareman, hosier, ironmonger, jeweler, liquor merchant, mercer, newsdealer, perfumer, poulterer, saddler, stationer, tobacconist, vintner, wine merchant