Julie Verbert - Master's Dissertation

UNIVERSITÉ DE LILLE 3
UFR ANGELLIER
BILINGUAL GLOSSARY OF THE FEMALE

TANGO DANCER’S COSTUME;
GLOSSAIRE BILINGUE SUR LE COSTUME DE
LA DANSEUSE DE TANGO
Mémoire de M1
Master « Langues, Culture et Interculturalité »
Spécialité : Etudes Anglophones
Spécialisation : Métier du Lexique et de la Traduction (MéLexTra)
Présenté par Julie VERBERT
Juin 2006 Sous la direction de M. le professeur Fabrice Antoine

Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude to the following people for their support
and assistance in helping me carrying out this research.
Acosta Ormaechea, Santiago

Antoine, Fabrice
Avedissian, Nathalie. Armaris Traduction (Toulon)
Ayres, Linda. Designer Collection (Dancedress.com)
Behar, Frédérique. La Casa del Tango
Blanchon, Hélène
Blandin, Noël. La République Internationale des Lettres
Daquai, Philippe. Chaussures Paul
Egger, Nathalie
Foris, Carla. Le 8 renversé
García, Yuri. Tangazos
Matho, Andrea
Melin, Virginie
Stone, Elizabeth
Turner, David. A Passion for Tango
Verdebout, Pascal.
And thanks to all my family for their patience and encouragement.
2
Table of Contents1
Table of Contents ........................................................................................ 3

Preface of the female tango costume glossary............................................... 4
Introduction ................................................................................................ 4
1. Tango in Buenos Aires............................................................................. 6
1-1 Background ...................................................................................... 6
1-2 The first female tango dancers and their costumes ............................ 8
1-3 Social environment and the female tango costume .......................... 11
2. Tango in France .................................................................................... 13
2-1 The female tango dancer ................................................................. 13
2-2 The female tango costume in France ............................................... 16
2-3 The role of women in society as expressed in tango ......................... 19
3. Tango returns to Buenos Aires .............................................................. 21
3-1 Further evolution of tango ............................................................... 21
3-2 The modern female tango costume and shoes.................................. 22
Conclusions .............................................................................................. 26
Research report ......................................................................................... 28
Codes and abbreviations table ................................................................... 33
English-French bilingual glossary.............................................................. 34
French - English Index .............................................................................. 93
Bibliography.............................................................................................. 97
Webliography .......................................................................................... 101
Tables des Matières ................................................................................. 106
Appendix................................................................................................. 107
1 A French Table of Contents will be available following the Webliography.
3
Preface of the female tango costume glossary
Introduction
What is tango? Following the definitions of several dictionaries,

tango is a dance, music and song style. A question that immediately follows
is, where and when was tango born? Although the lack of historical evidence
prevents researchers from asserting the exact date of birth of tango as a
dance - the only aspect to be considered in this essay - it assuredly
developed during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A similar
absence of clear evidence prevents researchers from claiming where tango
first developed. However, for the purposes of the present essay, I shall
consider that tango's native place is, if there is any, Buenos Aires, capital of
Argentina.
An interesting issue related to this particular dance is the

expanding notoriety that it had, and still has, in Europe and in France
especially. Moreover, on this aspect, the following questions can be
formulated: how did tango develop in Argentina and then arrive in France?
Have tango costumes played an important role in its evolution? In particular,
what role has the female tango costume had on its development?
Throughout this essay, we will propose and discuss possible answers to
these subtle questions.
The first part of the paper will deal with the very beginning of
tango as a dance in Buenos Aires. The historical reasons that made people
from diverse countries encounter and mix in Buenos Aires in the late
nineteenth century will be examined. This essay will focus on the rejection of
tango in Argentina and the image of the female tango dancer along with her
costume. It will eventually reveal the influence of the image of women in
society on the female tango costume.
4
With respect to the chronology of tango, the second part of this
essay will study the French female tango dancers and their costumes,
putting forward the polemics brought to Europe, and in particular, to
France, by tango at the beginning of the twentieth century. Following the
structure of the first part, an interpretation will be provided regarding the
link between the evolution of the female tango costume and the modification
of the female status, corresponding to the social events that took place at
that period.
Over the decades, the mores have changed, both in Europe and
in Argentina, and so has tango. The third section will concentrate on the
evolution of tango back to its native city, Buenos Aires, and the impact of
modernity over the female tango costume. In addition, special attention will
be paid to the female tango shoes, a key element of the female tango
costume.
Throughout this essay, three conclusions have been raised.

First, pictures and texts infer that there was no typical costume to dance
tango, either for men or women, which was confirmed by oral evidence
(tango teachers I met for this research). As a consequence, the centre of this
essay will not be the typical female tango costume but the style female tango
dancers followed to dress up. Second, it was interesting to note that the
evolution of the social condition of women highly influenced the female tango
costume. Indeed, as women fought for emancipation, either in France or in
Argentina, they gained freedom both in the social environment and on the
tango dance floor. Third, it turned out to be necessary to pay attention to the
female tango shoes, as they constitute a key element of the female tango
costume. Female tango shoes are practically the only recurring items in the
female tango costume.
5
1. Tango in Buenos Aires
1-1 Background
Numerous researchers have been speculating about the origins

of tango, studying its etymology for instance, but have been unable to reach
an agreement. Most of them presume that it stems from Africa, but the
debate is still open and it may be quite dangerous to strike up the
conversation with a tanguero2 to find out, for example, whether tango was
born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, or in Montevideo, Uruguay (Aguiar 2001,
4).
What seems to be certain though, in conformity with Ferrer and

Del Priore (1999), for instance, is that tango became famous at the end of the
nineteenth century but was not so popular as it is today. Like many cultural
innovations, tango faced criticism. It was regarded as a vulgar and odious
dance (Salas 1989, 128), and had to accept a few changes before it was
tolerated by the majority.
In the late nineteenth century, Buenos Aires was not so

populated as it is today – only 663,854 inhabitants in 1895 compared to
1,575,814 inhabitants in 1914 and 2,776,138 inhabitants in 2001 (last
national census to date) - and it appeared to many foreigners as another
promised land where anyone would have the opportunity to start a new life
with land and a home of their own.
From the analysis by Bourdé (1974), it is possible to see that

Argentina was then starting to open its market to the world. As a result,
foreign trade became one of the main focuses of the government’s foreign
policy (Bourdé op. cit, 2). Argentina required a skilled workforce to build its
2According to the Lunfardo Online Dictionary, a tanguero is a person who dances tango.
Following the Larousse Dictionary of Spanish, lunfardo is the slang language of Buenos
Aires, often used in tango songs.
6
economy. In order to make the country more attractive, it was judged
necessary to advertise its natural resource: plenty of virgin land (Bourdé op.
cit, 150).
In 1853, the Argentinean political class had already drafted a

constitution that clearly encouraged immigration: “We, the representatives of
the people of the Argentine Nation, gathered (…) in order to form a national
union, guarantee justice, secure domestic peace, provide for the common
defence, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves, to our posterity, and to all men of the world who wish to dwell on
Argentine soil”3.
Throughout the nineteenth century, the Argentinean

government had been stressing its advantages to appeal to newcomers, and
was now offering land, for example4, to achieve this. The strategy turned out
to be so effective that hundreds of people rushed from all over the world to
Argentina and eventually settled there (Bourdé op. cit, 150).
However, the number of these immigrants increased markedly

and the land promised by the official propaganda turned out to be already
distributed to a few wealthy Argentinean owners (Salas 1989, 40). How could
the newcomers survive in this environment? More than half of them went
back home. The alternative for those remaining in the country was to work
for industry.
Industry was booming – the first railroad was set up in 1857

(Bourdé 1974, 39) – and so was the production of local goods - such as
leather, dry meat, wool and cereals (Bourdé op. cit, 44). Due to the high
labour requirements in the industrial sector, immigrants turned to the cities
3 See the official text of the Constitution of Argentina (www.biblioteca.jus.gov.ar/Argentina-

Constitution.pdf).
4 For more examples, see Bourdé 1974, 151.
7
rather than to the countryside. They needed housing near their working
places. Therefore, accommodations were built around the industrial areas.
As in many big cities that developed so quickly, with immigrants

coming from diverse cultures, a gap appeared between people from different
communities - in particular between those living in the city and those living
in the suburbs of Buenos Aires.
Many people felt excluded from society; among them were

Africans, former gauchos5 and payadores6, and others. They often gathered
in so-called sleazy dark places, hid to play music, dance and sing together
after their long working days. There, they could voice the nostalgia of their
lost freedom. That was tango – a blend of universal despair. As Discépolo7
wrote, “El tango es un pensamiento triste que se baila”8.
1-2 The first female tango dancers and their costumes
As stated earlier, tango started to be danced in official places at

the end of the nineteenth century9. According to Deluy and Yurkievich
(1988, 17), academias were public dance halls where people practiced tango.
There, girls were paid for one dance, or more, and for the amusement of
men, regardless of their social condition.
Indeed, the customers came from various backgrounds (Lenoble

2001, 4-5). As Salas (1989, 93) pointed out, these academias were seen as
places of debauchery, attracting shameful and poor individuals. Still,
5 According to www.wikipedia.org, a gaucho is a South American cattle herder.

6 In conformity with the Larousse Dictionary of Spanish and the Diccionario de la Real
Academia Española, a payador is an itinerant singer who improvises stories with a guitar.
7 According to Ferrer and Del Priore's work (1999), Enrique Santos Discépolo (1901-1951)
was a theatrical performer, director and author.

8 "Tango is a sad thought that you can dance".
9 According to Salas (1989, 85), the first academias opened in the 1870’s.
8
tangueros used to be very elegant, whatever class they belonged to, and if
there was no typical costume, at least there was an undeniable tango style.
Although the aim of this dissertation is to present the female

costume only, it seems necessary to describe briefly the male tango costume,
in order for the reader to have a proper representation of the tango dancing
couple.
According to many pictures and drawings10, and taking for

example the description from Deluy and Yurkievich (1988, 18-19), a typical
tanguero was characterised by the following costume: “pantalon moulant à
rayures, large ceinture noire, veste très courte fendue dans le dos, foulard
blanc, fleur à l’oreille (œillet ou géranium) et chapeau à large bord retroussé
(…)” [striped slinky trousers, a large black belt, a short jacket with slit back,
a white scarf, a flower over the ear (carnation or geranium) and a tango hat].
Many of the words used to describe the male tango dancer’s

costume are very specific and likely to be in lunfardo. As a consequence, this
justifies the restriction of the subject to the female tango costume, as the
corresponding glossary ought to be made of English and French words only.
As for women, “Elles portaient une jupe courte par-dessus des

jupons à volants amidonnés ; c’étaient les seules jupes courtes admises à
l’époque, le travail exigeant que les danseuses soient ainsi vêtues car il leur
eût été impossible d’exécuter une flexion avec une robe descendant
jusqu’aux chevilles. (Salas 1989, 84)” [They used to wear short skirts over
starched flounced underskirts, which were the only short skirts tolerated at
the time, as it was necessary for the dancers to dress up like this; otherwise,
it was impossible for them to perform any flexion with the common ankle-
long gown.]
10 Ferrer and Del Priore (1999) among others.
9
Let us keep in mind that tango ended up in brothels because it
was not accepted in public places. Thus, the first women to dance tango in
Buenos Aires were not common ladies but dancers in brothels - not
obviously prostitutes, although they were said to be easy girls (Hess 1999,
13). The aim of the dance was to entertain men and make them forget the
hard reality of the outside world. Dancers were not asked to be pretty but to
dance perfectly (Salas 1989, 85).
As far as the results of this research are concerned, the female

tango costume does not seem to be a central issue in tango. Therefore, it was
hard to find written references on this subject. In this regard, an interesting
source for the subject can be obtained through visual references. One of the
most helpful examples for this research was the tango scene in the film
Moulin Rouge (Luhrmann 2001).
In Moulin Rouge, the tango scene is said to represent a brothel in

Buenos Aires. The main female dancer is wearing a black transparent and
short dress, of which the edge seems to have been ripped. The top of the
dress is a corset, very close-fitting, with a large V-shaped décolleté. There are
no sleeves, only thin straps, which gives the impression of even more nudity.
She is also wearing black stockings with refined patterns. Her shoes are
designed like typical tango shoes: black with high heels, a strap on the upper
part of the shoe and the toe box halfway between rounded and spiky.
As for the other female dancers of this tango scene, they can be
seen to be almost all wearing very short dresses too, quite similar to
underskirts, mostly beige – only some are black or dark red. The top of their
costume is also a corset, very close-fitting and rigid in appearance. Either
they wear it like underwear or they put it above a chemise, a kind of
nightgown French ladies used to wear in the beginning of the twentieth
century (Simon 1998, 108-109). It seems to be made of fine lace, very
10
delicate. They also wear beige stockings with a suspended belt and laced
seam on the top, and their shoes are also typical tango ones.
In summary, the female tango dancer’s costume is mostly

defined as being erotic and sensual, very close to lingerie items. Mainly
black, their dresses tend to be short or reveal most of their body. Dancers
show their legs off by wearing top stockings and their shoes are elegant high
heels.
1-3 Social environment and the female tango costume
An interesting aspect of the female tango costume is related to

the social environment in which tango developed in the Buenos Aires of the
late nineteenth century, as well as the place that women had in society in
this period. It would not seem possible to properly understand why women
had such a costume to dance tango without taking into account the social
environment in which they evolved.
At the time, the female tango dancer was not seen as a "femme
fatale", or sexy woman, as she may be nowadays. She was merely
appreciated for her ability to follow her partner and to perform figures. She
was the absolute representation of the exemplary woman, faithful and
devoted to the male figure, executing any movement he would make her
achieve, as long as she was paid for her performance (Schneider 1998, 17).
The fact that female tango dancers used to wear sensuous

clothes may not have only been aimed at showing their "female assets", but
also to emphasise their vulnerability. Therefore, we may assume that the
female tango costume also represented the social situation of women at the
time.
11
The style of the female tango costume also had a very tragic
flavour, expressing sensuality through abandonment. It may also have
reflected the sacrifice of these young girls who had to deny their body and
personality to earn a living. It may have presented the female body as a
sexual object, a violent image contrasting with the innocence of youth, as
many of these girls would end up selling themselves. Brothels could be
thought of as places where desperate souls were melting together - men who
could not find love and women who sold it (Hatem 2001, 6-7).
If tango was said to be provocative and very sexually directed, it

may be mainly because it was quite shocking at the time to see men and
women dancing so closely and sensually, and even more to see women
putting forward their body and playing with their legs in such a way against
the body of a stranger - and what is more, in public.
Moreover, the Argentinean society was mostly governed by rules

imbued by Catholic standards (Spaniards being the main ones who
conquered South America) and the image of women conveyed by tango was
even more controversial. Indeed, following Savigliano11's arguments (1994,
quoted in Archetti 1996, 105), Argentina was profoundly male-dominated
and the main figures of tango were men (Piazzolla, Gardel, Discépolo, among
others).
According to Hess (1999, 16-21), the waltz had already

destabilised the social order in dancing by introducing equal steps for men
and women. Dancing in symmetry and turning together, men and women
were in harmony. Tango was now distinguishing both individuals, allowing
one to perform figures while the other was stopped, and giving total freedom
for improvisation. The male choreography is very different from the female's.
Although the male tango dancer still has the lead, most of the steps are
11 Marta E. Savigliano is the author of Tango and the Political Economy of Passion (1994),
reviewed by Archetti in The Passion of Tango (1996).
12
putting the female dancer forward and she is supposed to embellish them
and may add her own variation according to the space she is given.
Tango brought new moral standards that jeopardised the

authority of men over women as established by the Catholic Church. It gave
women confidence and enabled them to assert themselves as sexually
independent persons, questioning the role of women as being mere
reproductive instruments.
However, Argentineans were not ready yet for such a strong

social reversal. Therefore, tango and its revolutionary ideas were rejected and
sailed to Europe. One of the main focuses of this essay being to follow the
evolution of tango, it seemed necessary to contrast the Argentinean female
tango costume with the French one, as Paris had a great influence over the
female tango costume. Consequently, the following section will concentrate
on the evolution of tango in France.
2. Tango in France
2-1 The female tango dancer
There is no clear agreement on how tango reached France.

Although stories and facts seem to have been mixed, according to Zalko
(2001, 13) for instance, sailors are thought to be the ones who brought tango
across the ocean and spread it in Europe by distributing music sheets in
harbours, Marseille apparently being the first. Salas (1989, 122) also offers
the opinion of other authors who claim, in contrast, that crew members
spread it secretly. Apprill (1998, 55) asserts that singers came to record their
songs in Paris because there were no studio in Buenos Aires. In any case, by
the very end of the nineteenth century, tango did manage to reach France.
13
Paris was “the fashion place” and had long been an example that
people from Buenos Aires liked to follow (Salas 1989, 121). According to
Manigat (1991, 35), Argentina had been greatly influenced by Europe for
decades, and more especially, by "the Paris of France" as Mansilla, author of
Una escursión a los indios ranqueles (1877), said in jest, inferring the
similarities of Buenos Aires with Paris (quoted in Salas 1989, 121).
The French culture was inspiration for Argentina; its language

and literature, as well as its political, social and philosophical ideas, were
well known by the elite of Buenos Aires. France seemed to be the archetypal
model of elevated culture. According to Zalko (2001, 7), tango only
concretised the secret bond that linked Buenos Aires to Paris and reinforced
the mysterious complicity between the two cities that had existed for
generations.
Paris was a cultural centre where international exhibitions were

organised, as in 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was built to celebrate the
anniversary of the French Revolution, or in 1900, when the Parisian
métropolitain was inaugurated (Bloch and Delort 1980, 81-107).
As already mentioned, tango was severely criticised before it

became popular among people from the upper class. Likewise, it seems that
it was the polemic environment in which tango was developing that actually
made it so stylish among them.
Indeed, there was a huge competition among French magazines

to get the latest scoop or to publish the hottest debate on tango’s
controversies. The main issue was to know whether tango should be
accepted or not. It tended to become a scapegoat: should you face a problem
in your family or witness a fight in the streets - it was tango's fault; some
also claimed that the First World War was tango's fault (Salas 1989, 126).
14
It was even ill-considered by many Argentineans, who denied
that it belonged to the national culture of their country and associated it
with brothels and sordid places only (Savigliano 1994, quoted in Archetti
1996, 107). As quoted in Salas (1989, 130), Ibarguren12 endeavoured to deny
tango the very least Argentinean character, claiming it was only the result of
a foreign mixture.
Nevertheless, some people did fight to introduce tango in France

as a dance, despite all the controversies it had brought with it, and set up
practice schools in Paris to make it available to everyone. In order to achieve
this, however, the figures were changed and so was the female costume.
There was nothing provocative or shocking anymore, and little or nothing
remained from what was said to be the traditional Argentinean tango.
The steps were codified and handbooks were written to teach

how to dance the "French" tango. Most of the figures were taken off and
some other dances' steps were introduced (Hess 1999, 40-45). Even with
these transformations, common people still kept thinking of tango as
something “forbidden”. Its mere taboo aura was enough to seduce the crowd,
mostly people from the upper and middle classes.
Following Savigliano (1994) and Zalko (2001)'s arguments, the

exotic flavour that the French saw in tango played an important role in its
dissemination. Exoticism evoked pampas and gauchos that Argentina had
made its symbol, as an attempt to create its own identity. Tango suggested
the intensity of emotions: desire and passion. Savigliano (1994) explained
that this exotic flavour seduced the economically dominant members of the
society and tango spread because it entered the capitalist system. According
to her interpretation, it became a commercial product that Europeans used
to colonise the "uncivilised" Argentina.
12 Carlos Ibarguren was one of the candidates for the presidential elections of 1916 and was
defeated by Hipólito Yrigoyen.
15
In this context, it became very trendy to dance tango in France,
with Paris as the cornerstone. Tango made its first appearance in a film in
1900 (Hess 1999, 35), it was then dealt with in newspapers and was finally
recognised by Giraudet, who was a respectable dance teacher in Paris.
According to Hess (op. cit, 34-39), tango developed quickly because of the
quest for exoticism which Parisians were fond of, and their need to
constantly experience new things.
According to Zalko (2001), once accepted in public places,

everything was "tangoed": tango became chocolate, dinner, breakfast, lunch,
champagne, and tango clothes also sprang up very quickly. Tight skirts with
side slit or culottes, for example, became popular, because of the necessity to
lift the legs to dance, and bright orange was chosen to represent the "colour
of tango" (Zalko op. cit, 81 or Deluy and Yurkievich 1988, 20).
2-2 The female tango costume in France
It seems that tango was introduced in France in the right time to

spread. Indeed, its influence over clothes was possible because fashion was
continually changing. Additionally, as mentioned previously, women were in
a mood for change, and tango, among other phenomena of exoticism, can be
said to have contributed to the transformation of their clothes.
Indeed, at the end of the nineteenth century, French women

ordinarily wore long gowns made of refined fabrics (lace, silk or velvet, for
instance), with puff sleeves and high necks. Low or even plunging necks and
halters were popular, but mostly for evening dresses, which usually had no
sleeves. It was important to have a very thin waist, which was obtained
through laced up bodices that also emphasised their breasts and the curve
of their back (Rowland-Warne 1992, 49).
16
According to pictures collected for this research, female tango
dancers also adopted these tight-fitting bodices, and they seem to have
remained prevalent. Corsets may have turned out to be useful for female
tango dancers as leaning forward is important to be close to the partner.
This way, the female tango dancer can feel where her partner's feet are
heading and accompany them without any hesitation.
The aim of this position, as most beginners are taught, is to find

a balance between one's own body and one's partner's. As tango dancing
steps follow a special movement of the feet, in accordance with the music, it
is essential to feel one's partner's body and movements.
It can be noticed that the corset of the French female tango

dancers is merely underwear, to sustain the shape of the woman, while she
was wearing a dress above. On the contrary, in Argentineans brothels, this
more or less same corset was their only top.
More and more, women started to practice sport and their

dresses had to adapt themselves to their new activities. Moreover, a great
number of women was now working and had to find more practical clothes to
wear. This is why skirts started to open on the front first and then on the
side, bringing slits in, to allow their legs to move more easily. However, the
legs were still well-hidden thanks to the length of the dresses and the
additional petticoats where the skirt was open (Fernoli & Spiess 1996, 261).
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the line of dresses was

changing, putting the waist higher. As a consequence, lingerie was modified
to match the new features of the dresses and also became more refined with
the introduction of camisoles, night gowns, and so on (Fernoli & Spiess op.
cit, 261).
17
The general tendency for exoticism launched flowing fabrics and
shapes, and shortened the length of the dresses to the ankles. To dance
tango, lightweight fabrics were perfect to accentuate the sensuality of the
movements, but fairly loose due to the modesty of the time, according to the
pictures collected for this research.
Evening sheath gowns became very fashionable and they were

not meant to be worn with corsets, which was revolutionary (Fernoli &
Spiess op. cit, 262). However, they did not become very popular to dance
tango because the narrowness of the skirt substantially reduced the
movements of the legs.
After the First World War, the length of skirts was markedly
shortened. Calves were the first to be uncovered, then the knees in the end
of the 1920's, even for the evening dresses (Fernoli & Spiess op. cit, 276). In
the 1930's, dance was everywhere, from jazz to tango, and more flexible
clothes spread. Straights skirts with deep slits developed, as well as full
skirts with square or boat necklines' bodices. Low backs were trendy and
embroidery heavily covered evening gowns (Fernoli & Spiess op. cit, 288).
Asymmetrical edges also spread widely, and the sporty style brought in the
V-neck bodices and pleated skirts (Fernoli & Spiess op. cit, 290).
In the middle of the 1930's, low backs were replaced by plunging

ones, almost disclosing the top of the bottom. Evening dresses came back to
ankle length and flounces became very common. Synthetic fabrics competed
with silk and others. Then with the Second World War, because of economic
restrictions, women saved old fabrics to make new clothes and cut their
skirts for practical reasons (Fernoli & Spiess op. cit, 307).
The post-war years restored skirts to calf-length and thin waists

came back into fashion. Stilettos became very trendy. In the 1960's, the
famous mini-skirt was brought in and the synthetic fabrics formerly
18
introduced were now mixed with velvet and embroidered ones. Americanism
highly influenced the mentalities and fashion of the time, and trousers
became indispensable. They even entered evening clothing, depending on the
fabric (Fernoli & Spiess op. cit, 312).
In other words, the female tango costume in France was

completely different from what was commonly seen in Buenos Aires at the
beginning of tango as a dance. This can be accounted for both by its
evolution in time and by the changes in mentalities. During the early
twentieth century, the 1920's especially - that is to say, the main period
during which tango spread in France13 - there was a general mood for
transformation and women took advantage of the situation to gain
independence. This can be noticed in the change in the female tango
costume, which transformed long dresses into opened skirts.
2-3 The role of women in society as expressed in tango
It is interesting to observe that the nudity of tango dancers in

Buenos Aires implied tragic vulnerability, whereas in France, the more
women dared to wear a revealing costume, the more they were seen as
emancipated and independent, and thus dangerous for men. The idea of the
heartbreaker "femme fatale", often said to abandon her partner for another,
leaving him in extreme misery, emerged during this period. This can be
ascertained by the lyrics of Gardel14's melancholic songs - among other
singers (Savigliano 1994, quoted in Archetti 1996, 105).
Celia Esplugas's analysis of Savigliano's arguments15 states that

"Although in most tango lyrics the virile "compadrito" (the lower class, macho
13 Deluy and Yurkievich (1988, 25-26).

14 In conformity with Ferrer and Del Priore's work (1999, 39), Gardel was the absolute
creator of tango as a song (from 1917).
15 Article available online: www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3709/is_199610/ai_n8740718
19
male) controls "la milonguita" (the woman of the tango environment), the
female can also be portrayed as a rebellious figure who trespasses bourgeois
gendered boundaries to move up the social ladder. The "milonguitas" are
portrayed by Savigliano as feminist role models whose "insurgency" drew
female attention at the turn of the century."
Indeed, as much as in France, social unrest was increasing in

Argentina and revolutionary ideas were circulating among women there as
well. Leisure was not reserved to men anymore; women could go out and
enjoy themselves too. According to accounts of the time, drugs like opium
were popular among the bourgeoisie, and women were said to hide some
cocaine in their cosmetic compact (Bernand, 1997, 252). This could be
thought of as proof that women were more autonomous and that their
constraints had been broken down.
The questioning of the role of women can also be observed in

tango, as dancing tango is felt to be an original way to discover your own
personality and sexuality, as well as the partner's. For the time of a dance,
two people attempt to understand each other with the language of their
bodies. Even though tango French created is not so erotic as it may have
been in Buenos Aires, it is possible to compare tango dancing to a seduction
game, whose strength lies in restraint. It seems to symbolise the emotions
that a couple may go through in a relationship as well as determine an
aesthetic ideal where each individual has his or her own role16.
In the next subsection we will see how all these changes affected
tango as it once again crossed the Atlantic, this time in the direction of
Argentina.
16 Apprill (1998, 156)
20
3. Tango returns to Buenos Aires
3-1 Further evolution of tango
After its trip to France, tango was considerably altered. From

1917 onward, because of Gardel, as mentioned before, tango was no longer
music and dance only, but it also turned into poetics (Archetti 1996, 105).
Although an analysis of tango lyrics would deviate from this dissertation’s
topic, it does seem relevant to mention its importance, as this aspect is the
most essential cause of tango transformation and acceptance in Argentina.
Following our previous acknowledgement, reinforced by

Savigliano's arguments (quoted in Archetti op. cit, 106), the Argentinean
tango had been received in Paris as something both scandalous and
fascinating. While modifying it, the French eventually adopted it. However,
tango was much more than music or dance.
The Argentinean culture and identity, wounded by economic,

political and social instabilities, became a major issue among tango
anthropologists (Cruse 194817 or Taylor 1998, for instance). Out of a gamut
of instability came the complex relationships between men and women.
France's final approval of tango may have implied the very recognition of
Argentina as having her own identity and character, although Europeans
may not have accepted tango for these reasons. Nevertheless, this might be
why tango was welcomed back in Argentina after this consequential
transition.
The erotic taste of tango had been somewhat smoothed - if not

completely removed - and this also helped Argentineans to greet it. Tango
was not reserved to brothels anymore: it was now allowed to enter the high
ranks of society, and quickly became popular among “decent people” and
17 Roberto Puertas Cruse, Psychpathologie du tango, mentioned in Hess 1999.
21
artists (Bernand 1997, 251). It was danced in the rich salons of Buenos Aires
and won public places back, where it had been severely rejected. Elegance
and delicacy were now what characterised tango (Bernand op. cit, 252).
Here is an example of how female tango dancers were dressed in

Buenos Aires, given by Bernand (op. cit, 224), describing a photograph
published in Caras y Caretas18 in 1905, taken in front of the Victoria
theatre19: “Les femmes, habillées avec recherche, portent des robes
jusqu’aux pieds et de grands chapeaux qui cachent leurs cheveux. Il est
certain que c’est une danse plus sage, sans les enjambées qui la rendront
célèbre". [“Women seem to be concerned with their appearance and wear
foot-long dresses with large hats to hide their hair. This tango is
undoubtedly more discrete and deprived from the footwork that made it a
famous dance"].
The image of tango evolved from a vulgar and lascivious dance to

a refined and elegant one thanks to the talent of Gardel and his lyrics writer,
Valentino, who extracted it from brothels and made it correspond to
everyday tales. The disdainful thug exchanged his place with the miserable
ordinary man forsaken by his mistress. Tango became a personal and
common tragedy that most Argentineans identified with, and was finally
accepted as the national symbol of Argentina (Bernand op. cit, 252).
3-2 The modern female tango costume and shoes
The colours red and black have remained the symbol of tango
but nowadays, the female tango costume and shoes can be found in all sorts
of colours20. Indeed, by wandering about tango dress or shoe makers’ and
sellers’ websites, one can easily find blue, pink, brown and many other
18 Caras y Caretas is an Argentinean magazine of the beginning of the twentieth century.

19 The Victoria theatre is an Argentinean theatre founded in 1838 (Bernand 1997, 165).
20 For examples of shoes, see Webliography, "Tango shoes pictures" section.
22
colours for dresses and shoes. Still, it seems that white, gold and beige have
been added to the traditional colours and that bright orange, or the "colour
of tango", has more or less disappeared (this is why it will not appear in the
shoes' colour section of the following glossary; similarly, beige seems to be
fashion for shoes but not for dresses).
Even today, no one design has typified the tango costume for the
female dancer of the Argentinean tango, only a style and the strict condition
that it should be convenient, according to several Argentinean tango
teachers interviewed for this research. The special dresses specially made for
tango dancers, found on many websites, seem to be made for ballroom
tango, which is completely different from the Argentinean tango as it is
exclusively competitive.
Indeed, although the style is more or less the same, these

dresses look a bit glitzier, with many pearls and sequins. They may be more
chic but too flamboyant to dance the Argentinean tango off stage. This may
be due to the need for dancers to accentuate their costumes so as to present
an extravagant and flashy show, in the same way that performers have to
emphasise their makeup for people to see it from the back of the theatre.
Nowadays, women who perform the Argentinean tango in

dancing simply wear daily trousers or may adopt the traditional style if they
want to look elegant during evening balls. In this case, they are likely to wear
slinky black or red dresses most of the time, according to the results of this
research. The top may be halter necked or boat necked, among others. The
back can also have several shapes, like a keyhole back for instance,
occasionally very low.
The most commonly used fabrics are satin, silk and lace, as well
as chiffon, velvet (crushed or not), organza, and others. Lots of dresses are
decorated with fabric ornaments such as flounces or fringes.
23
Most of the time, female tango dancers wear fishnet stockings
or, if not fishnet, stockings with very delicate patterns (as shown in the
movie Moulin Rouge). These stockings are hold ups or ‘top stockings’, usually
fastened with garter belts. They were very popular in the 1920's and
represented one of the tools women used to seduce men (Simon 1998, 94).
This image fits the new reputation of the modern female tango dancer, said
to be irresistible to men.
To complete the depiction of the female tango costume, it is now

necessary to discuss tango shoes. According to the results of this research,
tango shoes all follow the same basic conception, although some recent
designers, like Arika Nerguiz or Sylvie Geronimi, have attempted to change
their shape. The aim of the tango shoe is similar to the rest of the outfit: to
be convenient. Tango balls usually last several hours and to enjoy them, the
dancer should wear comfortable shoes.
This is why they are always made of leather, a flexible material

considered to be the best one for tango shoes, according to the designers21.
The reasons for this choice are the following: firstly, leather, made of animal
skin, gives you the feeling that your shoe is the continuation of your foot and
gives you more stability and energy. The dancer can spin easily without
slipping and master her movements perfectly. Secondly, leather is one the
best materials for the feet to breathe properly, which is even more important
for tango shoes, as dancing requires a lot of energy. Thirdly, leather is strong
enough to be durable, whether it is used for the insole or outsole. Fourthly,
leather is easy to transform and other materials can be created from its raw
state: patent and suede for example.
The shape of tango shoes is distinguishable from everyday

shoes. Most of the time, their heels are high (only a few are low heeled),
21 See Webliography for further discussion, shoes information section.
24
usually a stiletto or spike heel, but thick enough to keep one's balance. The
shape of their toe box, open or not, is rounded and narrow, halfway between
rounded and pointed. Generally, the shoe is open on the upper part of the
foot, which is referred to by some designers as a décolleté22.
Indeed, as this name suggests, the shape of the tango shoe

seems to reveal the sensuality of the wearer, as it discloses only a small
parcel of skin without showing the rest. It emphasises the curve of the foot
and this décolleté might betray the personality of the wearer. This may be a
way to put forward this very important element that is the foot for a dancer.
Already a subject of worship in literature, the foot seems to be a great
concern in dancing and in tango especially.
This shape may also account for the fact that the female dancer
has to follow her partner's feet very closely, and wearing very pointed shoes
would make the male dancer step on her feet. Similarly, the toe box needs to
be a bit narrow so as to put forward the direction of the feet. But the female
tango dancer needs to be comfortable while dancing otherwise her motions
might be altered.
For the foot to be well maintained, the tango shoe needs a firm
strap around the ankle. Even though tango is not always made up of quick
steps and violent legs movements, it is essential that the female dancer
should be able to rely on her shoes. Moreover, high heels often incline the
ankle to crush, so the strap, single or double, prevents this.
As mentioned before, shoes are the only traditional item of the

Argentinean tango, in a manner similar to men's suits, versus women's
dresses that do, nonetheless, seem always to have a style in common.
Overall, the female tango costume seems to be a blend of that described
22 Blandin, Noël (2003).
25
during both the beginning of tango and afterwards, in France as well as in
Argentina.
Conclusions
For slightly more than a century, tango has developed from

Argentina across Latin America and Europe, conquering the rest of the
world. Indeed, it was a fashionable phenomenon in Paris, but also in Spain,
Britain, Italy, Germany (Salas 1989, 126), and in Japan (Ferrer and Del
Priore 1999, preface). Since then, its popularity has not faded. In fact,
modern tango music styles are blooming - mostly coming from Argentina -,
tango magazines are still widespread, dancing festivals and workshops are
organised quite often, and there are plenty of websites about tango - as a
music, dance or song style.
Tango, however, has not always been so trendy, because of the

vulgarity it was thought to imply. Its notoriety, nevertheless, played a key
role in its circulation among different countries. Paradoxically, people who
condemned tango actually spread it. Although the original sense that
emanated from the traditional tango has been changed throughout the
years, as argued in this essay, tango as a dance has remained the symbol of
sensuality.
It may seem peculiar to study the costume of a dance to better

comprehend its signification, as has been the approach undertaken in this
essay. However, although it is shown that there is no typical tango costume,
tango dressing has reflected, somehow, the evolution of this dance
throughout the years and places.
In particular, this essay has emphasised that the female tango

costume has reflected the social condition of women throughout the years.
26
Women's fashion has closely followed tango evolution. With the broader
acceptance of tango among different social classes, nowadays, female tango
style shows more reserve than in the previous centuries, when it was mostly
associated with women dancing in brothels. Thus, the female tango costume
is an appreciable confirmation of the impact of society on tango as a dance.
However, as stated in the main text, a subtle issue appears when

considering tango shoes. In fact, they are the only frequent items of the
female tango costume that appear to preserve their original shape across
time. As a possible explanation, this preference seems to be commanded by
convenience and comfort for practicing the dance, rather than social context.
Since the original tango shoes had a shape adequately adapted to dancing,
changing them was not necessary.
Considering this argument as well as the fact that women may

be interested in authenticity helps explain why the original tango shoes, as
made in the Argentinean factories, have survived in their traditional shape.
Moreover, tango shoes perhaps represent the only trace remaining from the
so-called traditional Argentinean tango.
27
Research report
1. Evolution of the research
The aim of this research was to present the Argentinean tango

not only as a dance but also as a cultural phenomenon. This subject seemed
to be very appealing because the current emergence of Latin dances in
Europe seems to have given new life to the controversy over "provocative
dances", raised about a century ago with tango. Moreover, although tango
still seems to be fashionable in Europe, Europeans may not all be aware of
its cultural significance. This is why I chose to make the social background
of tango the core of my research, specialising in the female tango costume.
Such evolution illuminates the female role in society and matches my own
concerns. Therefore, my own awareness, coupled with my research, has
helped me to understand tango's development. Indeed, I have attempted to
show throughout this essay that the evolution of the female tango costume
was linked to the social atmosphere in which tango evolved.
In order to prepare this research, I gathered diverse works about

tango in general and then about tango costume. However, although there
were several works about tango easily available at the beginning, many of
them turned out to be impossible to obtain. Moreover, half of them were
written in Spanish and were not translated. This was due to the fact that
most of the writers who did any research on tango were from Argentina.
Consequently, their work was published in Buenos Aires and seldom
reached France. Fortunately, national and local libraries as well as
bookshops did offer a choice of books, although restricted. All in all, general
material for this research was not easy to find, but I did manage to benefit
from valuable sources.
28
As for specialised works about the female tango costume, the
lack of material was particularly marked. Indeed, it seemed that the female
tango costume did not attract many researchers, which was not surprising,
as we saw that there was no typical tango costume for men or women.
Nevertheless, the absence of material gave me an extra motivation to pursue
this research. Moreover, having in mind that there is no typical tango
costume, I do think it is important to define the tango style as it is relevant
in order to clearly understand tango as a whole.
As discussed previously, however, since tango shoes are the only

common item of all female tango costume, it seemed fair to expect broader
information about them. However, apart from sellers' websites, it appeared
that only a few people were interested in their history. In addition, most of
the traditional tango shoes factories never answered my emails, and their
location - Buenos Aires - prevented me from making any further inquiry.
Fortunately, several “normal” shoemakers – who make everyday shoes –
advertise their company online and sometimes offer a general glossary of
shoes, which was extremely helpful to check the translations I had collected
in general dictionaries. Likewise, some students who made research on
general shoe terms also made their work available online and their studies
were very clarifying.
As a consequence, the main validation that could be obtained for

my headwords was through websites, and I am thus aware that some terms
might be missing. However, I think this glossary mostly covers the topic and
should be complete enough to help other researchers.
In summary, the main difficulty encountered for this research

was in collecting the information, either due to the unavailability of the
original sources or to the lack of interest in the female tango costume among
researchers. However, the latter shows that such research may be useful to
29
people interested in costume as a whole and in tango, as it has brought forth
some original ideas.
2. Field definition
In conformity with the conceptual tree I created to order this

research, this glossary does not cover the vocabulary of the whole female
tango costume, but has focused on the tango dress and the tango shoes.
Indeed, these are only two of the four subsections - namely tango dress,
tango shoes, tango accessories and tango hairstyle - found to best define the
tango costume. I chose to concentrate on these two because they seemed to
be more significant examples of the influence of time over the female tango
costume. As a matter of fact, tango accessories and hairstyle may not be
substantially different from other dances
Following the organisation of the conceptual tree, each of these

two subsections is divided into several branches, which are: part, type,
colour, material and shape for the dress; and part, colour, material and
shape for the shoes. There is no "type" section for the tango shoes because
they are, according to the arguments previously brought in this essay, more
or less similar. These choices have been made according to the frequency of
the terms collected for this research. Branches may not always be well-
balanced as the main objective of this glossary was to deal with words
specific to the tango dress and shoes mostly, and some sections happened to
be richer than others.
This glossary is mostly made up of nouns - and some adjectives -

as I chose to concentrate on the description of the female tango costume and
its significance. I avoided dealing with the technical terms, like the different
methods used for the sewing (i.e. welt or sole sewing) or the name of the
machines or tools (i.e. lasting pliers), etc. Each term can obviously be used
for general shoes but I only selected the words applicable to tango shoes. For
30
instance, tongue or arch support will not appear in this glossary as they are
not used specifically to make a tango shoe.
3. How to use this dictionary
For the reasons detailed above, this glossary may not be as

complete as it should be. However, it constitutes a useful tool to help the
reader understand the specific words used for the making of the female
tango costume. It covers the vocabulary of the tango dress and shoes. Its
configuration aims at giving as much information as possible about each
word, following the layout of a classic bilingual dictionary. It should be
accessible to any reader, from the ill-informed one to the specialist.
For this glossary to be helpful, each entry word is numbered and

classified according to alphabetical order. Each headword consists of: a
French definition, to give a proper representation to the reader; the English
quotation where the word was found, to show how the word is used in
context; the translation of this quotation; possible comments and cross-
references. The field label is also specified so as to show the reader where the
word is located in the conceptual tree - included in the appendix. The field
label will start from the level either dress or shoes. This is to avoid repeating
the root of the conceptual tree: tango, dance, costumes, women. The terms
dress, shoe and gown are the only one that the root of the conceptual tree
indicates. I chose not to indicate the phonetics because most of the words
are easy to pronounce and may not need any help.
Representative symbols of tango were chosen as icons of the

different subsections present in each entry. A tanguero hat represents the
definition of the word (being the head of the costume); Argentina's flag
stands for the source or quotation of the word (as Argentina is the native
country of the Argentinean tango); a rose corresponds to the translation of
this quotation (because it represents tango’s passion); a musical note
31
symbolises the comment; a yellow sun corresponds to the illustration; the
arrow corresponds to the cross-reference; the tango shoe is the separation
between the entry words.
Typefaces are used as follows: italics are used for syntactic

indicators; boldface is used for headwords and their translation, and
highlights the headword within the quotation and the translation of the
quotation; underlined words are used for cross-references; commas (,)
separate synonymous translations of the headword; semicolons (;) isolate the
diverse translations of the headword; an asterisk (*) is used to indicate
technical words; square brackets ([ ]) are used for the field label and also
indicate an additional translation within the translation of the quotation;
underscores (_) separate the different levels within the field label
(corresponding to the conceptual tree); vertical lines (|) designate potential
syntactic details; slashes (/) refer to the validation sources in French, which
are numbered and can be found in the bibliography; backslashes (\)
separate similar levels inside the field label section; parenthesis (()) are used
for the validation source of the quotation in English. Read the following table
for other codes and abbreviations.
32
Codes and abbreviations table
Personal abbreviations
General abbreviations
and codes
adj adjective ; adjectif definition ; définition

f feminine ; féminin
inv invariable ; invariable source ; source
in compound dans un nom composé
la locution adjectivale translation ; traduction
lp locution prépositionnelle
m masculine ; masculin comment ; commentaire
n noun ; nom
N proper noun ; nom propre illustration ; illustration
nf feminine noun ; nom féminin
nfpl plural feminine noun ; headword separation ;
nom féminin pluriel séparation entre les
nm masculine noun ; nom entrées
masculin
cross-reference ; renvoi
npl plural noun ; nom pluriel
pl plural ; pluriel
® registered trademark ;
marque déposée
Tex textile ; textile
U uncountable ; indénombrable
33
English-French bilingual glossary
1. ankle in compound (strap) autour lp de la cheville

[shoe_part_upper_front_ /aucune/
quarter_strap_double]
Qui s'attache autour de la cheville pour maintenir la chaussure*.
Ladies 2 ½ inch or 3 inch flexible high heeled, open sided character

shoes with single ankle strap and additional “Y” asymmetrical cross strap to
front toe box. (Duca Shoes, La)
Chaussures à haut talon flexible (hauteur de 2 pouces et demi ou 3

pouces [environ 6 cm et 8 cm), ouvertes sur le côté avec lanière simple
autour de la cheville et une lanière croisée additionnelle en forme de "Y" sur
l'avant du bout de la chaussure.
cross, double, shoe, single, strap
2. asymmetrical adj (neckline, edge) asymétrique adj

[dress_shape_neck] /1. WordReference.com
2. Harrap's unabridged/
Qui n'est pas droit, en biais.
The asymmetrical bodice has one off-shoulder sleeve. (DanceSport

Ballgowns Gallery)
L'une des manches du corsage asymétrique laisse une épaule libre.
34
boat neck, bodice, low neck, neck, plunging neck, scoop neck, square
neck, V-neck
3. beige adj (colour) beige adj

[shoe_colour] /1. Zapatos Finos
De la couleur du sable, proche du brun très clair.
Women's tango shoes in a beige. (Guaranteed Fit, Authentic Tango

Shoes from Argentina))
Chaussures de tango pour femmes en beige.
La couleur beige est devenue l'une des couleurs traditionnelles du tango,

avec le rouge et le noir, fréquemment utilisée pour les chaussures.
black, gold, red, shoe, white
4. black adj (colour) noir adj

[dress\shoe_colour] /1. République Internationale des Lettres, La
Qui est de la couleur la plus sombre.
Clothing in tango is mostly black, combined with serious faces and the
sad organ-like sound of the bandoneon does make the atmosphere a bit
religious. (Groupe MSN, tango argentino)
Les vêtements de tango sont principalement noirs, cela accompagné de

visages graves et de sons tristes du bandonéon, proches de l'orgue, rend
l'atmosphère presque religieuse.
35
Le noir est l'une des couleurs traditionnelles du tango, fréquemment
utilisée pour les chaussures et la robe.
beige, bright orange, dress, gold, red, shoe, white
5. blouse n corsage nm
[dress_part_bodice] /1. Trouver Objet Caché
Type de vêtement féminin qui recouvre le buste et s'étend des épaules à

la taille.
This elaborate Latin dress was created for a special showcase

performance, and was inspired by the movie "Moulin Rouge." It features a
lace-up black corset over an off-shoulder pink blouse with split sleeves.
(DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
Cette robe raffinée du style latino a été créée pour une présentation de
vitrine unique, et a été inspirée par le film "Moulin Rouge". Elle est faite d'un
corset noir à lanières porté au dessus d'un corsage rose dont les épaules
sont dégagées et les manches fendues.
bodice, bustier
6. boat neck n encolure nf bateau

[dress_shape] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
2. Harrap's unabridged. 3. Ferloni & Spiess/
Encolure* qui a une forme arrondie et qui découvre une partie des épaules.
The boat neck bodice with long sleeves and hip sash with mauve silk rose
flares out to yards of chiffon petal panels. (Tango Dance Costume Collection)
36
Le corsage en encolure bateau à longues manches et avec ceinture de
hanche, garni d'une rose de soie mauve, est gonflé de plusieurs épaisseurs de
mousseline de soie.
Peut aussi s'écrire en un seul mot, soit boatneck, mais semble moins
fréquent, d'après les sources consultées.
asymmetrical, bodice, low neck, neck, plunging neck, scoop neck, square
neck, V-neck
7. bodice n (of dress) corsage nm

[dress_part] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
Partie supérieure de la robe*, qui s'étend des épaules à la taille, en

opposition à la jupe*.
In 1913 the "Tango-Visite" was introduced, which was a dress style for
dancing with a transparent bodice and a mid-calf skirt length.
(StreetSwing's Dance History Archives)
En 1913, la "Tango-Visite" fit son apparition. C'était un style de robe de

danse, dont le corsage était transparent et la jupe à hauteur des mollets.
Les adjectifs qui sont souvent employés avec bodice sont : gathered,
empire, halter. Le mot bodice peut aussi signifier corset, mais n'apparaît que
dans peu d'ouvrages.
blouse, bustier, dress, skirt
37
8. border n bord nm
[dress_part_finishing] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
Extrémité décorative de la robe*.
edge, fringe, hem, hemline
9. bright orange adj (colour) orange vif adj,
"couleur tango" adj

[dress_colour] /1. Zalko, Nardo
Orange très vif, assez foncé.
The shorty skirt is gathered at the left front hip and anchored with
bright orange lace motifs. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
La jupe courte est froncée au niveau de la hanche gauche, sur le devant,

et fixée à l'aide de motifs en dentelle couleur tango.
La "couleur tango" était très à la mode pendant les années folles,

notamment à partir de 1913. Aujourd'hui, elle est tombée en désuétude, du
moins du côté vestimentaire. On pourrait dire que le rouge, couleur chaude
également, l'a plus ou moins remplacé.
black, dress, gold, red, white
38
10. buckle n (of shoe) boucle nf
[shoe_part_upper_front_quarter] /1. Wordreference.com
Rectangle métallique muni d'une pointe, qui sert à attacher ensemble

les deux lanières* d'une chaussure*.
Ladies 2 ½ inch flexible high heeled, open sided character shoe with
double cross straps and a single buckle. (Duca Shoes, La)
Chaussure à talon flexible (hauteur de deux pouces et demi [environ 6

cm), ouverte sur le côté avec lanières croisées et boucle simple.
quarter, shoe, strap
11. bustier n bustier nm

[dress_part_bodice] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. Simon, Marie/
Corsage* avec ou sans bretelle*, qui soutient le buste.
Strapless bustier with sweetheart neckline, lace and sheer detail. (Tango
dance dresses)
Bustier sans bretelle avec encolure en forme de coeur, dentelle et

finesse.
Autrefois, le bustier était un vêtement qui se portait au dessus du corset,

alors que celui si n'était qu'un sous-vêtement. Aujourd'hui, ils se portent
tout deux en soirée ou de jour, indépendamment. La différence principale
entre les deux est que le bustier est moins rigide et assez confortable, il se
39
ferme facilement ; alors que le corset s'attache par derrière à l'aide de
lanières, et doit être serré. Il met la poitrine en valeur. Le bustier est
généralement plus court que le corset.
bodice, blouse
12. camisole n (undergarment) corsage nm

[dress_part_undergarment] /1. Wordreference.com/
Type de sous-vêtement féminin sans manche.
Camisole (Petticoat Bodice): A loose bodice worn over the corset (to
protect it from soiling). (Corset Terms Dictionary)
Corsage (Corsage Jupon) : Corsage ample porté au-dessus du corset

(pour éviter de le salir).
corset
13. chiffon n Tex mousseline nf de soie

[dress_material] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. Le petit Robert/
Tissu* fait à partir de soie*, fréquemment utilisé pour la robe*.
Dress with sweetheart neckline has softly gathered chiffon straps and a
removable organza flower pin corsage. (Tango Dress and Fashion by
Tangoleva)
40
Robe avec encolure en forme de coeur et bretelles de mousseline de soie
finement froncées, ainsi qu'une broche fleur détachable en organza sur le
corsage.
crepe, organza, satin, velvet
14. circle in compound (skirt) circulaire la

[dress_skirt_shape] /aucune/
Qui a une forme de demi-cercle.
The full-circle skirt is one layer of shimmering chiffon over a layer of

turquoise silk charmeuse. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
La jupe évasée circulaire est faite d'une épaisseur de mousseline de soie

chatoyante sur un pan de charmeuse turquoise en soie.
full, skirt, straight
15. close(d) adj (shoe) fermé adj

[shoe_shape_toe box] /1. Chaussures Paul
2. Wikipédia/
Dont le bout* est totalement recouvert.
Our catalogue: 2005 collection; low heel; high heel; platform, open toe;
closed toe; sandals. (Tara Tango Shoes)
41
Notre catalogue : collection 2005 ; chaussures à talon plat ; chaussures
à haut talon ; chaussures à semelle compensée ; chaussures ouvertes ;
chaussures fermées ; sandales.
En Français, on parle de "chaussure ouverte" ou "chaussure fermée" et

non de "bout ouvert" ou "bout fermé".
open, shoe, toe or toe box, toe puff
16. cork n (sole) liège nm

[shoe_material_sole] /1. Allen Edmonds
Matière légère et flexible, d'origine végétale, fréquemment utilisée pour

la semelle compensée* de la chaussure* de tango.
There's nothing more comfortable than a flexible, cork platform sole.

(Tara Tango Shoes)
Rien de plus confortable qu'une souple semelle compensée en liège.
leather, platform
17. corset n corset nm

[dress_part_undergarment] /1. Express Livres
Sous-vêtement féminin en tissu*, baleiné et lacé, qui servait à serrer la

taille.
The 'Tango' corset, for example, was made for dancing in. It would have
been worn over the hips freeing the waist from the restriction of a tightly
laced corset. (Secret History of corset and crinoline, The)
42
Le corset "Tango", par exemple, était fait pour qu'on puisse danser avec.
Il recouvrait les hanches et laissait la taille libre, contrairement au corset
étroitement serré.
A la fin du 19ème siècle, le corset était un sous-vêtement qui servait à

soutenir le dos et s'arrêtait souvent sous la poitrine ou sous les bras. Il
pouvait être porté pour des raisons esthétiques comme médicales. Serré à
l'aide de lanières, il compressait la taille, et mettait en valeur les hanches et
la poitrine. Les plus longs atteignaient le haut des hanches. Les armatures
étaient alors faites d'acier, ce qui le rendait inconfortable et empêchait de
respirer correctement lorsqu'il était très serré. Pourtant, il est resté à la
mode un moment, jusqu'à ce que les mentalités changent au cours de la
Première Guerre Mondiale. L'émancipation des femmes s'est traduite, parmi
d'autres aspects, par la libération du corps et le rejet du corset. Aujourd'hui,
la forme du corset est redevenue à la mode, mais il n'y a pas toujours
d'armature, et quand ils en ont, elles sont en plastique. Ils sont simplement
fermés par une fermeture éclair ou par des agrafes, et le laçage, quand il y
en a, est souvent décoratif uniquement.
bustier, camisole, eyelet, hook and eye, lacing
18. counter n (of shoe) contrefort nm

[shoe_part_upper_front] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
2. Documentations, publications CTC/
Pièce de cuir* située à l'intérieur de l'empeigne*, qui sert à renforcer la

chaussure*.
Counter: The stiffening material between the lining and the outside of
the shoe upper around the back of the shoe. (Allen Edmonds)
43
Contrefort : Matériau de renforcement situé entre la doublure et
l'extérieur de l'empeigne autour de l'arrière de la chaussure.
En Français, on utilise le même mot pour le contrefort arrière ou avant.

Par contre, en Anglais, stiffener est ce qui renforce l'arrière du cuir au niveau
de la doublure, pour maintenir le pied en place, alors que counter est un
renfort entre le dessus et la doublure de la chaussure. Celui-ci maintient
également le pied, mais il soutient aussi la tige.
quarter, shoe, stiffener, toe or toe box, toe puff, vamp
19. crepe n Tex crêpe nm

[dress_material_main] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
2. WordReference.com/
Tissu* fait à partir de soie*, fréquemment utilisé pour la robe*.
The asymmetrical double skirt has a layer of hand-painted pink Venice

lace lined with nude lycra, topped by a layer of black stretch crepe with a
flouncy ruffle. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
La jupe double asymétrique présente une fine couche de dentelle de

Venise rose peinte à la main avec du lycra transparent, recouverte d'une
couche de crêpe noir extensible et d'un volant en dentelle.
chiffon, organza, satin, velvet
20. cross in compound (strap) croisé la

[shoe_part_upper_front_quarter_ /1. Lingerie tv > Chaussures
strap_double] 2. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique/
Qui a la forme d'une croix.
44

pouces [environ 6 cm ou 8 cm), ouvertes sur le côté avec lanière simple
La traduction la plus proche de cross semble être diagonale. Néanmoins,

j'ai choisi d'utiliser croisé dans ce contexte car il me semble beaucoup plus
courant, d'après les sources consultées. Si mot utilisé en Anglais était
crossed, ou s'il s'agissait d'un mot composé, cross- j'aurais pu justifier croisé
sans problème, mais ici, seul la fréquence de croisé plutôt que diagonale
justifie mon choix.
ankle, double, shoe, single, strap
21. crushed velvet n Tex velours nm frappé

[dress_material_additional] /1. Wikipédia
Tissu* fait de deux épaisseurs, qui est fréquemment utilisé pour les
décorations de la robe*.
Another classy design of stretch crushed velvet with low back and
sculptured nude inset in front. (Tango Dance Costume Collection)
Un autre modèle élégant en velours frappé extensible avec décolleté

dans le dos et incrustation de dentelle transparente devant.
glitter, lace, lamé, mesh, velvet
45
22. culottes npl jupe-culotte nf
[dress_type] /1. Zalko, Nardo
|toujours au pluriel|
Vêtement féminin qui ressemble à une jupe*, mais qui est en fait coupé
comme un short.
Culottes were the order of the day. By the twenties everyone was
familiar with the flapper girls. The new dances also demanded free flowing
dresses. Could you tango in whale-bone? (More on corsets and kitchens)
La jupe-culotte était à l’ordre du jour. Dans les années vingt, tout le

monde connaissait les jeunes filles dans le vent. Les nouvelles danses
imposaient également des robes qui pouvaient tourner librement. On ne peut
pas danser le tango avec des baleines !
La jupe-culotte est devenue à la mode autour de 1913, à Paris, et s'est

répandue partout dans les années 1930.
jumpsuit, sheath
23. décolleté n décolleté nm

[dress_part_bodice_neck] /1. République Internationale des Lettres, La
Encolure* qui laisse voir le cou et une partie de la gorge ou du dos.
Décolletage/Décolleté: A low-cut revealing neckline. (eDressMe

Glossary of Terms)
46
Décolleté : Encolure échancrée.
Les mots anglais décolletage et décolleté ont la même traduction en

Français.
asymmetrical, boat neck, low neck, halter, neck, plunging neck, scoop
neck, square neck, V-neck
24. double adj (strap) double adj

[shoe_part_upper_ /1. WordReference.com
front_quarter_strap] 2. Harrap's unabridged/
Qui se compose de deux lanières.
Ladies 2 ½ inch flexible high heeled, open sided character shoe with
double cross straps and a single buckle.
Chaussures à haut talon flexible (hauteur de deux pouces et demi

[environ 6 cm), ouvertes sur le côté avec doubles lanières croisées et boucle
simple.
ankle, cross, shoe, single, strap
25. dress n robe nf

[tango_dance_costumes_women] /1. République Internationale des
Lettres, La
Vêtement féminin composé d'un corsage* et d'une jupe*.
Dramatic, yet simple, this dress is a modern tango classic. (Tango

Dresses and Fashion by Tangoleva)
47
Grandiose et pourtant simple, cette robe est un classique du tango
moderne.
La longueur de la robe que portent la plupart des danseuses de tango

varie en fonction des modes et des goûts, mais la forme reste plus ou moins
la même. La seule restriction est quelle soit confortable et pratique. La
plupart du temps, il s'agit de robes sans bretelle, sauf pour les robes de
compétition, où les manches, par leur forme, ajoutent un charme
supplémentaire. En général, les corsages sont serrés et les jupes sont
évasées. Les couleurs et matières dépendent du goût de celle qui les porte.
bodice, gown, sheath, skirt, shoe
26. edge n bord nm

[dress_part_decoration] /1. Harrap’s unabridged
Extrémité d'un tissu*.
The one black sleeve has a chiffon flounce at hem edge. (Tango Dance
Costume Collection)
La manche noire porte un volant sur le bord de l'ourlet.
Lorsqu'il est employé seul, edge désigne une extrémité non travaillée, en
opposition à un ourlet. Par contre, il peut être suivi ou précédé de mots
comme hem, ou hemline, et ne précise pas, dans ce cas, si l'extrémité est
cousue ou non. Il indique simplement un endroit.
border, fringe, hem, hemline
48
27. eyelet n trou nm de laçage
[dress_part_decoration_ornament] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique/
Petit anneau de métal ou de tissu* dans lequel on fait passer un cordon

dans le but de rassembler deux pans de tissu*.
Grommet: A metal reinforced eyelet hole used for lacing up corsets.

First used in the late 1820's on corsets and then in common use for the
Victorian era. (Secret history of corset and crinoline, The)
Œillet : trou de laçage renforcé en métal utilisé pour lacer les corsets.
D'abord utilisé à la fin des années 1820 sur les corsets et devenu ensuite
populaire durant l'époque Victorienne.
Le trou de laçage peut se situer dans le dos ou sur le devant du corsage

de la robe. Il est habituellement fixé sur un bord du corsage et son ouverture
permet de faire passer un cordon, pour attacher les deux bords du corsage
ensemble. Autrefois, cette technique servait à serrer le corset autour de la
taille, il est maintenant davantage utilisé comme ornement. Le mot grommet
semble correspondre à des anneaux plus larges, qui sont peut-être moins
utilisés en tango, mais le manque d'information m'empêche d'être certaine.
corset, hook and eye, lacing
49
28. fabric n tissu nm
[dress\shoe_material] /1. WordReference.com
Matériau créé à partir de plusieurs fibres* textiles (la soie* par exemple)
naturelles ou synthétiques.
The three fine fabrics that make up this dress appear to reveal more
than just a nude lining. (Dancedress.com)
Les trois différents tissus de la robe semblent révéler bien plus qu'une
doublure transparente.
Souvent, fabric est utilisé derrière le nom d'un tissu (lycra par exemple).
Dans ce cas, la traduction française remplace les deux mots par un seul et
ne garde ainsi que le mot du tissu. Par exemple, "This dress is made of lycra
fabric" deviendra "Cette robe est en lycra."
chiffon, crepe, crushed velvet, lace, lamé, lycra, mesh, organza, rayon,
satin, spandex, velvet
29. fibre n fibre nf

[dress\shoe_material] /1. WordReference.com
Elément filamenteux qui permet de créer un tissu*.
rayon, silk, spandex
50
30. flounce n volant nm
[dress_part_decoration_strip] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. International Poster Gallery Online /
Bande de tissu* froncé, ou plissé, qui sert de décoration.
The one black sleeve has a chiffon flounce at hem edge. (Tango Dance
Costume Collection)
La manche noire porte un volant au niveau de l'ourlet.
ruffle
31. fringe n frange nf

[dress_part_decoration_finishing] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. CostumeTHL.com
Bande de tissu* de laquelle pendent des fils ou autres bandes de tissu*,

qui sert de décoration.
The asymmetrical skirt is edged with two rows of black rayon fringe to
enhance your movements. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
La jupe asymétrique se termine par deux rangées de franges en rayonne

afin de mettre vos mouvements en valeur.
border, edge, hem, hemline
51
32. full adj (skirt) évasé adj
[dress_shape_skirt_main] /1. Ferloni & Spiess/
Qui a la forme d'un A, étroite à la taille et large au bord*.
Single rows of brown ostrich feathers trim the three-quarter sleeves and
the full skirt, and a design in brown rhinestones drifts diagonally down the
front and back. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
Des rangées simples de plumes d'autruche marrons terminent les

manches trois-quarts et la jupe évasée, et un décor de diamants fantaisie
glissent en diagonale devant et derrière.
Le mot full skirt est un nom composé courant en Anglais, auquel il ne

semble pas y avoir d'équivalent en Français.
circle, skirt, straight
33. glitter n (decoration) paillettes nfpl

[dress_material_additional] /1. Harrap's unabridged/
Pièce de métal brillant qui peut se coudre sur le robe* pour décorer.
Made entirely of metallic glitter slinky, this white star-shaped gown

sparkles without the aid of rhinestones. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
Entièrement faite de paillettes métalliques, moulante, cette robe en

forme d'étoile blanche scintille sans diamants fantaisie.
Les mots spangle et sequin semblent plus courants pour désigner les
52
paillettes décoratives, d'après les dictionnaires Robert & Collins, Grand
Dictionnaire Terminologique, WordReference.com, parmi d'autres.
Néanmoins, seul le mot glitter semble être utilisé dans les sources que j'ai
consultées.
crushed velvet, lace, lamé, mesh
34. gold adj (colour) doré adj

[dress\shoe_colour] /1. WordReference.com
Qui a la couleur jaune cuivré de l'or.
This classic Latin dress is made of a very stretchy Lycra material, which
has a swirly design in shades of dark brown, tan and rust, with gold metallic
threads knitted into the fabric. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
Cette robe classique style latino est en lycra très extensible, les motifs
sont en forme de tourbillons dans des tons marron, brun et couleur rouille,
avec des fils métalliques dorés cousus dans le tissu.
Cette couleur est devenue à la mode en tango récemment, notamment

pour les chaussures.
beige, black, bright orange, dress, red, shoe, white
53
35. gown n robe nf
[tango_dance_costume_women] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Vêtement féminin composé d'un corsage* et d'une jupe*.
This alluring low-waisted gown has a bodice made of stretch "Cracked

Ice" lace, and a full skirt of soft charmeuse satin. (DanceSport Ballgowns
Gallery)
Cette ravissante robe taille basse a le corsage fait de dentelle extensible

"cristaux de glace", et une jupe évasée de douce charmeuse en soie.
Il semble que gown soit différent de dress en ce qu'il réfère plutôt à une
robe de soirée.
dress
36. halter n corsage nm dos nu

[dress_shape_bodice_neck] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. Centre de danse BOST/
Corsage décolleté dans le dos dont les bretelles* de devant entourent le

cou et s'attachent derrière.
Sexy halter dress with long ties behind the neck. (Tango Dresses and
Fashion by Tangoleva)
Robe dos nu sexy avec longs rubans derrière le cou.
L'encolure du dos nu peut varier et suivre presque les mêmes formes que
celle d'un corsage décolleté commun. Entre d'autres termes, le col peut être
dégagé, en V, décolleté plongeant ou asymétrique. halter peut aussi désigner
54
la robe qui a cette encolure. Une autre traduction pour halter serait bain de
soleil (deuxième sens dans le Harrap's unabridged, et premier et unique sens
dans le Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique), mais il semble que dos nu soit
plus répandu en général, d'après les sources consultées.
bodice, décolleté, low neck, neck, scoop neck, square neck, plunging
neck, V-neck
37. heel n (of shoe) talon nm

[shoe_part_sole_outsole] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Pièce de cuir* située à l'arrière de la chaussure*, sur la semelle

d'usure*, qui change de taille et de forme en fonction des modes et des
goûts.
High heels can offer two advantages for the lady. First, high heels
challenge the lady by adding some technical difficulty to her dancing.
Second, high heels make the lady appear slimmer. High heels also make
bigger legs appear thinner and better looking. (Tango Dancing Shoes with
High Heels)
Les hauts talons ont deux avantages pour la danseuse. D'abord, les
hauts talons mettent la danseuse au défi car il est alors plus difficile
d'effectuer les pas techniques. Ensuite, en hauts talons, la danseuse
semblent plus mince. Grâce aux hauts talons, les grosses jambes semblent
plus fines et plus jolies.
Les danseuses de tango portent plus facilement des hauts talons que des
talons plats, pour les raisons exposées dans la citation, et souvent il s'agit de
55
talons aiguille.
high heel, leather, low heel, outsole, platform, shoe, sole, spike heel,
stiletto, top-piece
38. hem n ourlet nm

Pièce de tissu* replié et cousu, qui sert à terminer un bord*.
Skirt wraps to the opposite direction with an uneven hem.

(Tango Dresses and Fashion by Tangoleva)
La jupe s'enroule dans l'autre sens avec un ourlet irrégulier.
border, edge, fringe, hemline
39. hemline n (bas nm de l') ourlet nm

Pièce de tissu* replié et cousu, qui sert à terminer un bord*, ou son

extrémité.
Gently curved hemline is longer in back to accentuate legs beautifully

on the dance floor. (Dancedress.com)
Bas de l'ourlet délicatement galbé et plus long derrière pour mettre la

beauté des jambes en valeur sur la piste de danse.
border, edge, fringe, hem
56
40. high heel n (of shoe) haut talon nm
[shoe_shape_heel] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. République Internationale des Lettres, La/
Talon* de hauteur supérieure à 2 pouces (plus de 5 cm).
There are many different styles of dancing. Only in a few are high heels
ever worn by the ladies, namely disco and tango dancing.
Il existe différents styles de danse. Les danseuses ne portent des hauts

talons que pour quelques unes, notamment le disco ou le tango.
La plupart des sites vendent des chaussures entre 1.5 et 3 pouces de

hauteur (environ entre 4 cm et 8 cm). On peut trouver des chaussures à 4
pouces de hauteur (environ 10 cm), mais les pas techniques deviennent alors
de plus en plus durs à effectuer.
heel, low heel, shoe, spike heel, stiletto
41. hook and eye n agrafe nf

[dress_part_decoration_ornament] /1. coudre-broder-tricoter.com
Petite pièce de métal qui sert à attacher ensemble les deux bords* d'un
corset*.
Lingerie in a stretch satin and black lace waist cinching corset with a
hook & eye front, lace up back, removable and adjustable garters. (Lingerie
Satin & Lace Corset)
Lingerie corset en dentelle noire et satin extensible avec fermeture à

agrafes en avant, dos à laçage, jarretières ajustables et détachables.
57
L'attache d'un corset est en deux parties : l'une est courbée qui se coud
sur le corset et l'autre est ouverte et permet à la première de s'y accrocher.
Le mot hook and eye, en Anglais, désigne ces deux parties. Il n'y aurait pas
de traduction pour cette deuxième partie en Français. Le mot agrafe
regrouperait l'ensemble.
corset, eyelet, lacing
42. insole n (of shoe) (1)semelle nf première,
(2)semelle nf intérieure
[shoe_part_sole] /(1) et (2) 1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
Pièce de cuir* ou de liège* située à l'intérieur de la chaussure*.
Padded leather insoles add extra cushioning. (Guaranteed Fit,

Authentic Tango shoes from Argentina)
Les semelles premières rembourrées en cuir apportent un confort

supplémentaire.
Synonyme de innersole ou inner sole, qui semble moins fréquent, d'après

les sources consultées.
outsole, shank, shoe, sole, welt
58
43. jumpsuit n combinaison-pantalon nf
[dress_type] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Vêtement féminin fait d'un corsage* et d'un pantalon attachés

ensemble, qui couvre le corps des épaules à la taille.
Jumpsuit with gaucho bottom has the feminity of a dress, the comfort
of a pant. (Tango Dresses and Fashion by Tangoleva)
La combinaison-pantalon avec le bas style gaucho garde la féminité

d'une robe et le confort d'un pantalon.
culottes, sheath
44. keyhole back n ouverture nf dans le dos

[dress_shape_bodice_neck_back] /aucune/
Décolleté* dans le dos de la robe* dont le milieu est ouvert.
This figure flattering style also has a keyhole back. (Tango Dance
Costume Collection)
Ce style met la silhouette en valeur et offre une ouverture dans le dos.
La traduction donnée est une suggestion, je n'ai trouvé aucun document

en Français qui puisse m'aider.
59
bodice, neck, low back
45. lace n [U] Tex dentelle nf

[dress_material_additional] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
Tissu* fréquemment utilisé pour les décorations de la robe*.
Black stretch lace overlays your color choice of lining. (Tango Dresses
and Fashion by Tangoleva)
De la dentelle noire extensible recouvre la doublure de la couleur de

votre choix.
Ouvrage de fils, puis objet de parure, réservé aux femmes (selon Le

Robert, Dictionnaire historique de la langue française). La dentelle a
aujourd'hui une connotation assez sensuelle et est très utilisée pour la
lingerie. Ceci explique peut-être qu'on trouve beaucoup de dentelle sur les
robes des danseuses de tango.
crushed velvet, glitter, lamé, mesh
46. lacing n laçage nm

[dress_part_decoration_ornament] /1. Wordreference.com
Cordon qui passe à travers le trou de laçage* pour attacher les deux
bords* du corset*.
60
Lacing (Lace): Twisted or woven cord used to secure the corset, usually
in the rear. (Corset Terms Dictionary)
Laçage : cordon torsadé ou tissé utilisé pour attacher le corset, à l'arrière

le plus souvent.
Dans ce cas, lacing et lace sont synonymes en Anglais.
corset, eyelet, hook and eye
47. lamé n Tex lamé nm

[dress_material_additional] /1. WordReference.com
[shoe_material_upper] 2. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique/
Tissu* composé de fils métalliques, qui sert de décoration pour la robe*

ou pour recouvrir les chaussures*.
Lamé is a type of fabric woven or knit with metallic yarns. It is usually

gold or silver in color . (Wikipedia)
Le lamé est un tissu en laine ou tricot avec des fils métalliques. La

plupart du temps, il est de couleur dorée ou argentée.
Peut s'écrire avec ou sans accent en Anglais, mais semble plus courant
avec.
(dress) crushed velvet, glitter, lace, mesh
(shoe) leather, patent, suede
61
48. leather n Tex cuir nm
[shoe_material_upper\sole] /1. Zapatos Finos
2. Tangazos/
Peau d'animal traitée, utilisée pour les chaussures*.
Dancers have known about Tara Tango Shoes for 5 years. They know
our shoes are all leather, handmade, comfortable, stable, well designed and
best of all, beautiful. (Tara Tango Shoes)
Les danseurs connaissent Tara Tango Shoes depuis 5 ans. Ils savent que
nos chaussures sont toutes faites de cuir, à la main, confortables, stables,
bien conçues, et, bien sûr, ravissantes.
cork, lamé, patent, suede
49. lining n (of dress, shoe) doublure nf

[shoe_part_upper] /1. Eurodicautom
[dress_part_covering] 2. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique /
Pièce de tissu* située à l'intérieur de la robe* ou de la tige* de la

chaussure*.
(dress) Silk, bias-cut, halter dress in a beautifully painted, floral Devore

chiffon/velvet. This combined with a softly contrasting, colored lining for an
extra shimmer of allure. (Dancedress.com)
Robe dos nu en soie, coupée en diagonale, avec motif à fleurs Devore en

mousseline de soie/velours. Ceci, accompagné d'une doublure colorée, dans
les mêmes tons, laisse miroiter un charme supplémentaire.
(shoe) In quality shoes the quarters and vamps are lined to enhance
comfort and durability. (Shoe Making)
62
Pour les chaussures de qualité, les quartiers et les empeignes sont
doublés pour améliorer le confort et la résistance.
En Anglais comme en Français, lining et doublure sont des termes

génériques qui s'emploient indifféremment pour les chaussures et la robe.
counter, shoe, toe or toe box, toe puff (pas de renvoi pour la doublure de la robe)
50. low back n dos nu nm décolleté ou

décolleté nm dans le dos
[dress_shape_bodice_neck_back] /aucune/
Décolleté dans le dos* de la robe* qui descend jusqu'à la moitié du dos.
Another classy design of stretch crushed velvet with low back and
sculptured nude inset in front. (Tango Dance Costume Collection)
Un autre modèle élégant en velours frappé extensible avec décolleté

dans le dos et incrustation de dentelle transparente devant.
Le dos nu décolleté peut être en forme de V ou dégagé, avec ou sans

bretelle, plus ou moins échancré. La traduction donnée est une suggestion,
je n'ai trouvé aucun document en Français qui puisse m'aider.
bodice, keyhole back, neck, plunging neck, scoop neck, V-neck
63
51. low heel n (of shoe) talon nm plat
[shoe_shape_heel] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Talon* de hauteur inférieure à 2 pouces (environ 6 cm).
If you want to wear a comfortable, low heel shoe and still show your
flirtatious side, these may be the perfect fit for you. (Tara Tango Shoes)
Si vous cherchez une chaussure à talon plat, confortable, tout en

montrant votre côté charmeur, celles-ci devraient vous convenir
parfaitement.
La plupart des sites vendent des chaussures entre 1.5 et 3 pouces de

hauteur (environ entre 4 cm et 8 cm).
heel, high heel, shoe
52. low neck n décolleté nm

[dress_shape_bodice_neck_front] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
Encolure* échancrée sur le devant du corsage*.
Tank top: a tight-fitting sleeveless shirt with wide shoulder straps and
low neck and no front opening; often worn over a shirt or blouse.
(WordReference.com)
Débardeur : chemise étroite sans manche avec bretelles larges et

décolleté, sans ouverture devant, souvent porté au-dessus d'une chemise
ou d'un corsage.
asymmetrical, boat neck, bodice, neck, plunging neck, scoop neck,
64
square neck, V-neck
53. lycra n Tex lycra nm

[dress_material_main_spandex] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. Eurodicautom/
Tissu* synthétique issu de la fibre spandex*.
The gown is made entirely of Lycra stretch fabric printed with big purple
flowers against a white background. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
La robe est entièrement faite de lycra extensible sur lequel sont

imprimées de grosses fleurs violettes sur fond blanc.
En Anglais, lycra peut s'écrire avec ou sans majuscule. En Français,

néanmoins, il semble que lycra l'ait totalement perdue. Le lycra est utilisé
pour la robe pour ses propriétés élastiques.
spandex
54. mesh n Tex maille nf

[dress_material_additional] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
Tissu* tricoté.
The dress is made of very stretchy embroidered mesh, with black lace
bordering the neck and hem. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
Cette robe est en maille brodée très extensible, l'encolure et l'ourlet sont
entourés de dentelle noire.
crushed velvet, glitter, lace, lamé
65
55. neck n or neckline n col nm, encolure nf
[dress_shape_bodice] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Ouverture du corsage* par où on passe la tête.
Asymmetrical neckline, shirred bodice detail. Spaghetti straps. (Tango

Encolure asymétrique, détail du corsage froncé. Bretelles fines.
Les mots neck et neckline en Anglais sont synonymes et signifient tous les
deux col ou encolure. Dans ce glossaire, neck sera le terme utilisé lorsqu'il
s'agira de col ou d'encolure, pour une question pratique uniquement.
asymmetrical, boat neck, bodice, décolleté, dress, halter, keyhole back,

low back, low neck, plunging neck, scoop neck, square neck, V-neck
56. open adj (shoe) ouvert adj

[shoe_shape_toe box] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Dont le bout* est n'est pas recouvert.
Our catalogue: 2005 collection; low heel; high heel; platform, open toe;
closed toe; sandals. (Tara Tango Shoes)
Notre catalogue : collection 2005 ; chaussures à talon plat ; chaussures

à haut talon ; chaussures à semelle compensée ; chaussures ouvertes ;
chaussures fermées ; sandales.
En Français, on parle de "chaussure ouverte" ou "chaussure fermée" et
66
non de "bout ouvert" ou "bout fermé".
close(d), shoe, toe or toe box, toe puff
57. organza n Tex organza nm

[dress_material_main_silk] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Etoffe fabriquée à partir de la fibre* de soie*.
Dress with sweetheart neckline has softly gathered chiffon straps and a
removable organza flower pin corsage. (Tango Dress and Fashion by
Tangoleva)
Robe avec encolure en forme de coeur et bretelles de mousseline de soie

finement froncées, ainsi qu'une broche fleur détachable en organza sur le
corsage.
chiffon, crepe, satin, velvet
58. outsole n (of shoe) semelle nf d’usure

[shoe_part_sole] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
2. Terminalf/
Pièce de cuir* ou de liège* située à l'extérieur de la chaussure*, en

contact avec le sol.
The material of the outsole varies depending on the function,

dressiness, and quality of the shoe, but is generally very durable material,
since it experiences the most stress. (Wikipedia)
Le matériau de la semelle d'usure varie en fonction de l'usage, de

l'élégance, et de la qualité de la chaussure, mais elle est généralement faite
67
de matériau durable, car c'est surtout sur elle que s'exerce la pression.
Plusieurs traductions étaient possibles pour outsole en Français, mais j'ai

choisi semelle d'usure comme étant le résultat de plusieurs validations, ce
terme étant le seul commun à la plupart des dictionnaires consultés où
outsole figurait.
heel, insole, platform, shoe, sole, welt
59. patent n (Tex) cuir nm vernis

[shoe_material_upper_leather] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
2. Zapatos Finos/
Cuir* couvert de substance résineuse qui sert à le protéger et le décorer.
Beige leather with black patent leather cushioned insole. (Zapatos

Finos)
Cuir beige et cuir verni noir intérieur cousiné (from the website).
lamé, leather, suede
60. peaked adj (sleeve) pointu adj

[dress_shape_bodice_shoulder_sleeve] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Dont l'extrémité à la forme d'un losange.
It has a keyhole back, cutouts on shoulder of peaked sleeves. (Tango

Dance Costume Collection)
[La Robe] présente une ouverture dans le dos et sur les épaules, avec des
manches pointues.
68
puff, sleeve
61. platform n (of shoe) semelle nf compensée

[shoe_part_sole_outsole] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
Pièce de cuir* ou de liège* située entre la semelle d'usure* et la semelle

première* qui rehausse la chaussure*.
Her flexible cork platform makes her a true all day shoe. (Tara Tango
Shoes)
La semelle compensée flexible de cette chaussure lui permet d'être

portée toute la journée.
La semelle compensée ajoute quelques centimètres à la chaussure, mais

elle apporte également un confort supplémentaire.
cork, heel, outsole, shoe
62. plunging neck n décolleté nm plongeant

[dress_shape_bodice_neck] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Encolure* très échancrée sur le devant ou dans le dos du corsage*.
The closest thing to frilly here is the heavily stoned swirl of lace around
the plunging neckline. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
Ce qui s'approche le plus du froufrou ici est le tourbillon de dentelle
69
chargé de pierres qui borde le décolleté plongeant.
asymmetrical, boat neck, bodice, low back, low neck, neck, scoop neck,
square neck, V-neck
63. puff in compound (sleeve) bouffant la

[dress_shape_bodice_ /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
shoulder_sleeve] 2. Harrap's unabridged/
Dont les deux extrémités sont serrées autour du bras et le reste évasé.
Blue satin matador-style blouse with elbow length puff sleeves is worn
over blue and gold print ribbon-banded blouson skirt. (Findarticles.com)
Corsage bleu en satin style matador, avec manches trois-quarts

bouffantes, porté au-dessus d'une jupe blouson avec ceinture en ruban dont
les imprimés sont bleus et or.
Peut aussi s'écrire pouf, mais semble moins courant, selon les sources
consultées.
peaked, sleeve
64. quarter n (of shoe) quartier nm

[shoe_part_upper_front] /1. Documentations, publications CTC
Pièce de cuir* qui recouvre le talon* et le haut de la tige* de la

chaussure*.
70
In quality shoes the quarters and vamps are lined to enhance comfort
and durability. (Shoe Making)
Pour les chaussures de qualité, les quartiers et les empeignes sont

doublés pour améliorer le confort et la résistance.
buckle, counter, shoe, strap, toe or toe box, toe puff, vamp
65. rayon n Tex rayonne nf

2. Eurodicautom/
Fibre* textile artificielle.
The asymmetrical skirt is edged with two rows of black rayon fringe to
enhance your movements (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
La jupe asymétrique se termine par deux rangées de franges en rayonne

noire pour mettre vos mouvements en valeur.
leather, silk, spandex
66. red adj (colour) rouge adj

[shoe\dress_colour] /1. Harrap's unabridged
De la couleur du sang.
In tango, red is much preferred by women and in bull fighting, red has
a psychological effect too. (Groupe MSN)
Au tango, les femmes préfèrent le rouge, à la corrida, le rouge a aussi un

effet psychologique.
71
Le rouge est une des couleurs traditionnelles du tango. Les chaussures et
robes sont souvent de cette couleur.
beige, black, bright orange, dress, gold, shoe, white
67. ruffle n volant nm

[dress_part_decoration_strip] /aucune/
Bande de tissu* froncé ou plissé, qui sert de décoration pour la robe*.
The asymmetrical double skirt has a layer of hand-painted pink Venice

lace lined with nude lycra, topped by a layer of black stretch crepe with a
flouncy ruffle. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
La jupe double asymétrique présente une fine couche de dentelle de

Venise rose peinte à la main avec du lycra transparent, recouverte d'une
couche de crêpe noire extensible et d'un volant en dentelle.
Il m'a été difficile de trouver une traduction exacte à ruffle car les sources
consultées ne sont pas d'accord et j'ai mis du temps à comprendre de quoi il
s'agissait. D'après les différentes sources qui m'ont aidé à faire ce choix,
ruffle est proche d'un morceau de tissu froncé, froissé, délicat, en dentelle
souvent, et porte un nom différent en Français selon l'endroit où il est situé
(au poignet il s'appellera manchette en dentelle par exemple et à la gorge,
jabot plissé, selon le Harrap's unabridged). Si cette hypothèse est valable,
alors ruffle peut être synonyme de flounce.
flounce
72
68. satin n Tex satin nm
Etoffe de soie*, brillante.
Black matte spandex with red satin trim. (Tango Dresses and Fashion
by Tangoleva)
Spandex noir mat avec bords en satin rouge.
chiffon, crepe, organza, velvet
69. scoop neck n encolure nf dégagée

[dress_shape_bodice_ /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
neck_front\back_low] 2. WordReference.com/
Encolure* arrondie.
This scoop neck, slim fitting design of stretch lame features set in lace
panels in pouf sleeves and back of skirt ruffle. (Tango Dance Costume
Collection)
Cette encolure dégagée, modèle moulant en lamé extensible présente un

ensemble de pans de dentelle avec manches bouffantes et volants sur
l'arrière de la jupe.
Le dictionnaire Harrap's unabridged est l'un des seuls à donner la

traduction décolleté rond pour scoop neck.
asymmetrical, boat neck, bodice, low back, low neck, neck, plunging
neck, square neck, V-neck
73
70. shank n (of shoe) cambrion nm
[shoe_part_sole_insole] /1. Terminalf
Pièce de bois, de cuir*, de métal ou de plastique, située sous la semelle

intérieure* et qui sert à soutenir le pied.
The contour of the shank is determined by heel height. (Shoe Making)
Le contour du cambrion dépend de la hauteur du talon.
insole, leather, shoe
71. sheath n (dress) fourreau nm

[dress_type] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. WordReference.com. 3. Ferloni & Spiess/
Robe* féminine très serrée.
Slightly draped boatneck sheath, opens out to double 14" (from waist)
slits and a deep bias ruffle with an asymmetrical hem. (Tango Dresses and
Fashion by Tangoleva)
Fourreau en encolure bateau légèrement arrangée, ouverte sur fentes

doubles de 14 pouces [environ 36 cm] (à partir de la taille) et longue
diagonale de volants avec bord asymétrique.
culottes, dress, gown, jumpsuit
74
72. shoe n chaussure nf
[tango_dance_costumes_women] /1. Zapatos Finos
Objet fait de cuir* principalement, qui sert à protéger le pied.
Tara Tango Shoes are made with hard leather soles, not the "chrome" or
"split suede" soles of a typical ballroom shoe. (Tara Tango Shoes)
Les chaussures de tango de Tara sont faites de semelles dures en cuir, et

non de semelles en "chrome" ou "croûte velours" de la chaussure typique de
danse de salon.
dress, sole, upper
73. silk n Tex soie nf

[dress_material_main] /1. Tango de Soie
Fibre* naturelle issue du ver à soie, utilisée comme matière textile.
The boat neck bodice with long sleeves and hip sash with mauve silk
rose flares out to yards of chiffon petal panels. (Tango Dance Costume
Collection)
Le corsage en encolure bateau à longues manches et avec ceinture de

hanche, garni d'une rose de soie mauve, est gonflé de plusieurs épaisseurs
de mousseline de soie.
La soie est la fibre à partir de laquelle sont fabriqués plusieurs tissus, le

satin ou le velours par exemple. C'est un matériau très doux et brillant qui
est très apprécié dans la lingerie ainsi que pour les robes de soirées, ce qui
explique peut-être sa popularité dans les bals de tango.
75
chiffon, crepe, leather, organza, rayon, satin, spandex, velvet
74. single adj (strap) simple adj

[shoe_part_upper_front_quarter_strap] /1. WordReference.com
Qui ne se compose que d'une lanière*.


ankle, cross, double, shoe, strap
75. skirt n jupe nf

[dress_part] /1. Casa del Tango
2. BiblioMonde, Danses Latines /
Partie inférieure de la robe*, en opposition au corsage*.
Deceivingly simple straight skirt has opposite asymmetrical cut hems in

the front and back creating interesting movement when dancing. (Tango
Cette jupe droite n'est pas si simple qu'elle en a l'air : les bords opposés
asymétriques devant et derrière s'agitent de façon ravissante pendant la
danse.
76
La jupe peut avoir plusieurs formes, elle peut être évasée, circulaire ou
droite par exemple.
bodice, circle, culottes, dress, full, slit, straight
76. sleeve n manche nf

[dress_shape_bodice_shoulder] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Partie du corsage* de la robe* qui recouvre les bras.
This elaborate Latin dress was created for a special showcase

performance, and was inspired by the movie "Moulin Rouge." It features a
lace-up black corset over an off-shoulder pink blouse with split sleeves.
Cette robe raffinée du style latino a été créée pour une présentation de
vitrine unique, et a été inspirée par le film "Moulin Rouge". Elle est faite d'un
corset noir à lanières porté au dessus d'un corsage rose dont les épaules
sont dégagées et les manches fendues.
La plupart des robes de tango sont sans manches, ce pour des raisons
pratiques apparemment. En effet, il semble que les manches soient plus
fréquentes sur les robes de compétition, où chaque détail est soigné et tout
est accentué pour être plus visible sur la piste de danse. La forme la plus
courante des manches est bouffante ou très étroite. Quelquefois, elles se
terminent en pointe.
bodice, dress, peaked, puff, strap, strapless
77
77. slit n fente nf
[dress_shape_skirt_details_opening] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. Eurodicautom/
Ouverture sur la jupe* de la robe*, perpendiculaire au bord*.
Elasticized back with deeply-cut, side slits allow you to move with
confidence! (Dancedress.com)
Dos élastique avec fentes de côté très échancrées qui vous permettent de
danser avec confiance !
La fente est souvent située sur le côté de la jupe, ou sur le haut de la

cuisse. Ainsi, elle peut être plus prononcée, sans pour autant dévoiler les
sous-vêtements de la danseuse, et permet à celle-ci plus de liberté au niveau
des jambes. Cette fente est très utile pour la jupe droite, car elle la rend un
peu plus confortable.
skirt
78. sole n (of shoe) semelle nf

[shoe_part] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
2. Zapatos Finos/
Pièce qui constitue la partie inférieure de la chaussure*.
We have discovered that a hard leather sole gives dancers the speed
necessary for the successful execution of pivots and ochos in Argentine
Tango while also offering sufficient grip on the floor necessary at times in
ballroom dance. (Tara Tango Shoes)
Nous avons découvert qu'une semelle dure en cuir donne aux danseurs
la vitesse nécessaire à l'exécution avec succès de pivots et ochos du Tango
Argentin, et permet également d'avoir une prise suffisante sur le sol lorsque
cela est nécessaire sur la piste.
insole, outsole, shoe, upper, welt
79. spaghetti in compound (strap) fin la

[dress_shape_bodice_shoulders_strap] /aucune/
Qui a une forme allongée et étroite.
Asymmetrical neckline, shirred bodice detail. Spaghetti straps. (Tango

Encolure asymétrique, détail du corsage froncé. Bretelles fines.
Bien que spaghetti puisse se trouver en Français pour désigner des

bretelles également, ce mot ne semble pas être fréquent sur les sites français
de tango.
cross, strap
79
80. spandex n Tex spandex nm
2. Eurodicautom/
Fibre* synthétique à partir de laquelle est fabriqué le lycra*.
Black matte spandex with red satin trim. (Tango Dresses and Fashion
by Tangoleva)
Spandex noir mat avec bords en satin rouge.
leather, lycra, rayon, silk
81. spike heel n (of shoe) talon nm aiguille

[shoe_shape_heel_high] /1. République Internationale des Lettres, La
Talon* très fin et droit, dont la hauteur dépasse 2 pouces (environ 5

cm).
If followers want to do a super high boleo or gancho in 6 inch spike

heels they must wake up enough not to spear a shin or even more sensitive
part of another dreamer's anatomy. (Tango Vita, Argentine Tango Association
of Victoria)
Si ceux qui suivent ont envie de faire un super boleo ou gancho avec des
talons aiguille de 6 pouces de hauteur [environ 15 cm], alors ils doivent être
assez éveillés pour ne pas trancher un tibia ou même la partie du corps plus
sensible d'un autre rêveur.
La caractéristique des talons aiguille est leur finesse. Ils apportent donc
une difficulté supplémentaire pour les danseuses car elles peuvent perdre
l'équilibre facilement. Ils ne sont donc pas très courants, mais ils restent le
80
symbole de la sensualité du tango. Synonyme de stiletto.
heel, high heel, stiletto
82. square neck n encolure nf carrée

[dress_shape_bodice_neck_décolleté\halter] /1. WordReference.com
2. Ferloni & Spiess/
Encolure* du corsage* de la robe* qui garde une ligne droite d'une

épaule à l'autre.
Square-neck corset laces in back with purchased and handmade

eyelets. (Folkwear Clothing Pattern)
Corset avec encolure carrée et laçage derrière avec trous de laçage

fournis et faits à la main.
asymmetrical, boat neck, bodice, low neck, neck, plunging neck, scoop
neck, V-neck
83. stiffener n (of shoe) contrefort nm

[shoe_part_upper_back] /1. Harrap's unabridged
Pièce de cuir* qui renforce l'arrière de la chaussure*.
The heel section of the quarter is frequently reinforced with a stiffener.

(Shoe Making)
La partie du quartier où se trouve le talon est souvent renforcée par un

contrefort.
En Français, on utilise le même mot pour le contrefort arrière ou avant.
81
Par contre, en Anglais, stiffener est ce qui renforce l'arrière du cuir au niveau
de la doublure, pour maintenir le pied en place, alors que counter est un
renfort entre le dessus et la doublure de la chaussure. Celui-ci maintient
également le pied, mais il soutient aussi la tige.
counter, shoe, upper
84. stiletto n (chaussure nf à) talon nm aiguille

[shoe_shape_heel_high] /1. République Internationale de Lettres, La
|s'écrit souvent au pluriel|
Talon* très fin et droit, dont la hauteur dépasse 2 pouces (environ 5

cm).
Without any doubt, the stiletto is the most sexy and most feminine
style of high heel that has ever been made. (High Heel Observer, The)
Sans aucun doute, le talon aiguille est le style de haut talon le plus sexy
et féminin qui n'a jamais existé.
Le mot stilettos désigne le talon de la chaussure et par extension la

chaussure qui en a. La caractéristique des talons aiguille est leur finesse. Ils
apportent donc une difficulté supplémentaire pour les danseuses car elles
peuvent perdre l'équilibre facilement. Ils ne sont donc pas très courants,
mais ils restent le symbole de la sensualité du tango. Synonyme de spike
heel.
heel, high heel, spike heel
82
85. straight adj (skirt, dress) droit adj
[dress_shape_skirt_main shape] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
Qui est étroite et qui suit la même ligne de la poitrine aux chevilles.
Deceivingly simple straight skirt has opposite asymmetrical cut hems in

the front and back creating interesting movement when dancing. (Tango
Cette jupe droite n'est pas si simple qu'elle en a l'air : les bords opposés
asymétriques devant et derrière s'agitent de façon ravissante pendant la
danse.
Pour danser le tango, il est nécessaire que la jupe ou robe droite soit
fendue sur le côté de sorte que les jambes puissent bouger librement. La
jupe droite est plus sexy que confortable, et n'est donc pas très répandue
pour danser le tango. Néanmoins, comme les talons aiguille, elle reste un
symbole de sensualité.
circle, dress, full, skirt
86. strap n (1) (fastening dress) bretelle nf;
(2) (fastening shoe) lanière nf

[shoe_part_upper_front_quarter] /(1) et (2) 1. Harrap's unabridged
(1) 2. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
(2) 2. Atlas Sémantique/
(1) Bande de tissu* située sur le haut du corsage* et qui sert à maintenir
celui-ci en passant sur les épaules.
(1) Underneath it all is a backless nude bodysuit held in place by boning

and nude elastic straps. (DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery)
83
(1) Sous [la robe], une combinaison est attachée à l'aide de baleines et de
bretelles élastiques transparentes.
(2) Bande de cuir* située sur la tige* de la chaussure* et qui sert à

joindre les quartiers* ensemble.
(2) The strap goes through the vamp with elegance. (Arika Nerguiz Tango
Shoes)
(2) La lanière traverse l'empeigne avec élégance.
(dress) bodice, cross, dress, sleeve, spaghetti, strapless
(shoe) ankle, buckle, cross, double, quarter, shoe, single, t-strap, x-strap,
y-strap
87. strapless adj (dress) sans bretelle adj

[dress_shape_bodice_shoulder] /1. Harrap's unabridged
2. Robert & Collins/
Corsage* qui n'est pas maintenu par les épaules.
Strapless bandeau bodice with shirred stretch net overlay ending in a

trailing scarf on the left side. (Tango Dresses and Fashion by Tangoleva)
Le corsage bandeau sans bretelle sous un pan de filet extensible froncé

se termine par une étole qui s'étend sur le côté gauche.
Un strapless top en Anglais est un bustier en Français (Grand

Dictionnaire Terminologique et Harrap's unabridged). Pourtant, il semble,
d'après les sources consultées, qu'un bustier peut être avec bretelle.
bodice, dress, sleeve, strap
84
88. suede adj (1) (shoe) en daim adj;
(2) (leather) suédé adj

[shoe_material_upper_leather] /(1) et (2) 1. Harrap's unabridged
Cuir* dont le côté chair est à l'extérieur.
(1) Red hot metal, sensuous 'snake' skin, and scarlet suede sandals that
dazzle the eye and indulge your tootsies at the same time. (Tara Tango
Shoes)
(1) Sandales en peau de "serpent" sensuelle couleur rouge métallique

épicé, et en daim/suédé couleur rouge écarlate qui éblouissent les yeux et
régalent vos petons à la même occasion.
lamé, leather, patent
89. T-strap n lanière nf en forme de "T"

quarter_strap_double_cross]
Lanière* de la chaussure* composée d’une lanière* centrale et d’une

autre qui vient la croiser perpendiculairement sur le dessus.
Elegant black on black ankle wrap T-strap in contrasting textures of

patent and suede. (www.tangoshoes.us/catalog.php)
Chaussure noire élégante, avec lanière en forme de "T" autour de la

cheville, et faite de cuir verni et de daim.
Très proche de la lanière en forme de "Y", seule la lanière du haut marque
85
une différence.
shoe, strap, X-strap, Y-strap
90. toe n or toe box n (of shoe) bout nm

Pièce de cuir* située sur l'empeigne* de la chaussure* qui sert à

recouvrir les orteils.
The toe box is roomy and shaped to accommodate those "dancer's toes"
(bunions and all!). (Tara Tango Shoes)
Le bout est spacieux et formé de façon à loger confortablement les "pieds

de danseurs" (les cors et le reste !).
Les mots toe et toe box semblent être utilisés davantage par les vendeurs
de chaussures, tandis que toe puff est le mot qu'emploient les fabricants.
close(d), counter, open, quarter, shoe, toe puff, vamp
91. toe puff n (of shoe) bout-dur nm

2. Eurodicautom/
Pièce de cuir* située sur l'empeigne* de la chaussure* qui sert à

recouvrir les orteils.
86
This section i.e. the toe puff is reinforced which serves to give the shoe
its shape as well as protect the toes. (Shoe Making)
Cette partie, soit le bout-dur, est renforcée, ce qui sert à faire la forme de
la chaussure ainsi qu'à protéger les orteils.
Les mots toe et toe box semblent être utilisés davantage par les vendeurs
de chaussures, tandis que toe puff est le mot qu'emploient les fabricants.
close(d), counter, open, quarter, shoe, toe or toe box, vamp
92. top-piece n (of shoe) bonbout nm

[shoe_part_sole_outsole_heel] /1. Eurodicautom
Pièce de cuir* située à l'extrémité du talon*.
The ground contact section is called the top piece. (Shoe Making)
La partie en contact avec le sol s'appelle le bonbout.
Le mot top-piece semble pouvoir s'écrire avec ou sans trait d'union.
heel, outsole, shoe
93. upper n (of shoe) (1)empeigne nf, (2)tige nf

[shoe_part] /(1) 1. Harrap's unabridged. 2. WordReference.com
3. Atlas Sémantique. 4. Robert & Collins.
(2) 1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique. 2.
Eurodicautom. 3. Terminalf/
Partie supérieure de la chaussure*, en opposition à la semelle*.
The insole covers the join between the upper and the sole in most
87
methods of construction and provides attachment for the upper, toe box
linings and welting. (Shoe Making)
La semelle intérieure est le lien entre la tige/l'empeigne et la semelle

dans la plupart des méthodes de construction et fournit une attache pour la
tige, les coutures et trépointe du bout-dur.
Le mot upper semble être un mot générique qui désigne le dessus de la

chaussure sans distinguer les différentes parties qu'elle comporte. Dans
certains dictionnaires, comme WordReference.com, on trouve claque comme
traduction de upper. Néanmoins, claque désigne une partie spécifique du
dessus de la chaussure et non l'ensemble. Je pense donc qu'elle ne convient
pas. Malheureusement, je n'arrive pas à dégager une différence claire entre
empeigne et tige, et je dois dire que le désaccord entre mes sources ne m'aide
pas. Ces deux mots sont bien sur le dessus de la chaussure, mais je ne suis
pas certaine qu'ils réfèrent à upper exactement. J'ai choisi de garder les deux
traductions malgré tout, étant donné leur fréquence dans les sources
consultées. Les deux termes sont également utilisés dans le Traité de haute
cordonnerie d'Alain Maldec.
counter, lining, quarter, shoe, sole, stiffener, toe or toe box, toe puff,
vamp
94. vamp n (of shoe) (1)claque nf, (2)empeigne nf

[shoe_part_upper_front] /(1) et (2) 1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
2. Eurodicautom. 3. Zapatos Finos
(1) Documentations, publications CTC
(2) Terminalf/
Pièce de cuir* située sur le dessus de la chaussure*.
The strap goes through the vamp with elegance. (Arika Nerguiz Tango
Shoes)
88
La lanière traverse la claque avec élégance.
Il était difficile de faire une distinction entre claque, empeigne, et tige dans
la mesure où aucune de mes sources n'expliquait la différence entre les
termes. J'ai choisi claque pour traduire pour qu'on ne confonde pas avec
upper.
counter, quarter, shoe, toe or toe box, toe puff, upper
95. velvet n Tex velours nm

Tissu* fait de deux épaisseurs, qui est fréquemment utilisé pour les
décorations de la robe*.
The bodice of this irregular-hemmed dress is made of tan stretch velvet,

decorated with rose lace motifs and multiple colours of rhinestones.
Le corsage de cette robe à l'ourlet asymétrique est fait de velours

extensible brun, orné de motifs en dentelle rose et de diamants fantaisie de
multiples couleurs.
chiffon, crepe, crushed velvet, organza, satin
96. V-neck n encolure f en V

[dress_shape_bodice_neck /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
_front_décolleté\halter] 2. Harrap's unabridged/
Encolure* qui a la forme de la lettre V.
89
Drawstring, ruched sleeves with spaghetti ties. V-neck with front twist.
(Tango Dresses and Fashion by Tangoleva)
Cordons, manches à ruchés avec attaches spaghetti. Encolure en V avec

torsade sur le devant.
asymmetrical, boat neck, bodice, low back, low neck, neck, plunging
neck, scoop neck, square neck, V-neck
97. welt n (of shoe) trépointe nf

[shoe_part_sole] /1. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique
Bande de cuir* qui joint la semelle* à l'empeigne*.
In sewing a shoe by hand, a thin and narrow strip of leather, called a

welt, is first sewed to the insole and upper, and the heavy outsole is sewed
to this welt, so that the stitches come outside and do not touch the foot, the
insole being left entirely smooth. (The United Shoe Machinery Company)
Lorsqu'on coud une chaussure à la main, une bade fine et étroite de

cuir, appelée trépointe, est d'abord cousue sur la semelle première et la tige,
et la lourde semelle d'usure est cousue sur cette trépointe, de sorte que les
points ressortent et ne touchent pas le pied, et la semelle première reste
complètement lisse.
insole, outsole, shoe, sole
90
98. white adj (colour) blanc adj
[shoe_colour] /1. Harrap's unabridged
De la couleur de la neige.
Women's tango shoes in black and white leather. (Guaranteed Fit,

Authentic Tango Shoes from Argentina)
Chaussures de tango pour femmes en cuir en noir et blanc.
Le blanc est l'une des couleurs traditionnelles du tango.
beige, black, dress, gold, red, shoe
99. X-strap n lanière nf en forme de "X"

Lanière* de la chaussure* composée de deux lanières qui se croisent.
Ladies 2 ½ and 3 inch flexible high heeled, open sided character shoes
with single ankle strap and two additional crossing “X” straps to front toe
box, creating a tear drop shape. (Duca Shoes, La)

autour de la cheville et deux lanières croisées supplémentaires en forme de
"X" sur l'avant du bout de la chaussure, rappelant ainsi la forme d'une
larme.
91
shoe, strap, T-strap, Y-strap
100. Y-strap n lanière nf en forme de "Y"

Lanière* de la chaussure* composée d’une lanière centrale et d’une

autre qui vient la croiser sur le dessus en forme de V.

front toe box.

autour de la cheville et une lanière croisée supplémentaire en forme de "Y"
sur l'avant du bout de la chaussure.
Très proche de la lanière en forme de T, seule la lanière du haut marque

une différence.
shoe, strap, T-strap, X-strap
92
French - English Index
(bas de l') ourlet hemline

(chaussures à) talons aiguilles stilettos
agrafe hook and eye
ample full
arrondi rounded
asymétrique asymmetrical
beige beige
blanc white
bonbout top-piece
bord border, edge
boucle buckle
bouffant puff
bout toe, toe box
bout-dur toe puff
bretelle strap
bustier strapless top, bustier
cambrion shank
chaussure shoe
chaussure à talon aiguille stiletto
cheville ankle
claque upper, vamp
col neck, neckline
combinaison-pantalon jumpsuit
corsage blouse, bodice, camisole
corset corset, bodice
couleur tango bright orange
couture seam
crêpe crepe
93
croisé cross
cuir leather
cuir vernis patent
daim suede
décolleté décolleté, low neck
décolleté dans le dos low back
décolleté plongeant plunging neck
dentelle lace
doré gold
dos nu halter
dos nu décolleté low back
doublure lining
droit straight
empeigne upper, vamp
en ou de daim suede
en cercle ou circulaire circle
encolure neck, neckline
encolure bateau boat neck
encolure carrée square neck
encolure dégagée scoop neck
encolure en V V-neck
évasé full
fente slit
fermé close(d)
fibre fibre
fin spaghetti
fourreau sheath
frange fringe
haut talon high heel
jabot plissé ruffle
jupe skirt
jupe-culotte culottes
94
laçage lacing
lamé lame, lamé
lanière strap
lanière en forme de T T-strap
lanière en forme de X X-strap
lanière en forme de Y Y-strap
liège cork
lycra lycra
maille mesh
manche sleeve
manchette (en dentelle) ruffle
mousseline de soie chiffon
noir black
orange vif bright orange
organza organza
ourlet hem
ouvert open
ouverture dans le dos keyhole back
paillettes glitter
pointu peaked
quartier quarter
rayonne rayon
renfort counter, stiffener
robe dress, gown
rouge red
sans bretelle strapless
satin satin
semelle sole
semelle compensée platform
semelle intérieure innersole, insole
semelle première innersole, insole
simple single
95
soie silk
suédé suede
talon heel
talon aiguille stiletto, spike heel
talon plat low heel
tige upper
tissu fabric
trépointe welt
trou de laçage eyelet
velours velvet
velours frappé crush velvet
volant flounce
96
Bibliography
• Dictionaries
1. Unilingual
a. English
• Dictionary of Contemporary English. Barcelona: Longman, 2000.
b. French
• Dictionnaire historique de la langue française. Paris: Le Robert, 1992-
1998.
• Le Petit Robert. Paris: Le Robert, 1991.
c. Spanish
• Diccionario de tango. Madrid: Sociedad general de Autores y Editores
(SGAE), 2001.
• Diccionario avanzado. Barcelona: Vox, 2004.
2. Bilingual
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Robert & Collins Dictionnaire Francais-Anglais Anglais-Francais Senior.
Paris: Le Robert, 1995.
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Paris: Hachette, 2004.
• Books
a. English
• GINSBURG, Madeleine. Paris Fashion, the Art Deco Style of the 1920’s.
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• SAVIGLIANO, Marta E. Tango and the Political Economy of Passion. Boulder:
Westview Press, 1994
97
• TAYLOR, Julie. Paper tangos. Durham: Duke University Press, 1998.
b. French
• APPRILL, Christophe. Le Tango Argentin en France. Paris: Anthropos, 1998.
• ASSOCIATION FRANÇAISE POUR L’ACCROISSEMENT DE LA PRODUCTIVITE.
Chaussure, enquête en vue de l’accroissement de la productivité. Rapport

du voyage d’étude effectué aux Etats-Unis par une mission britannique de
productivité. Publié en anglais à Londres ; traduction éditée sous l’égide
de l’association française pour l’accroissement de la productivité, 1953.
• BERNAND, Carmen. Histoire de Buenos Aires. Paris: Fayard, 1997.
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Paris: Fayard, 1980.
• BOURDÉ, Guy. Urbanisation et immigration en Amérique latine, Buenos
Aires. Paris: Aubier, 1974.
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Lille: Université de Lille 3, 2001.
• DELUY, Henri & YURKIEVICH, Saúl. Tango, une anthologie. Paris: P.O.L.,
1988.
• FERLONI, Michel & SPIESS Dominique. Histoire du costume. Edita S.A.:
Milan, 1996.
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• HULIN, Jean-Paul & ANTOINE, Fabrice. L'anglais des médias. Paris:
Éditions Presses universitaires de France, 1996.
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Seuil, 1991.
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• REUNION TECHNIQUE TRIPARTITE POUR L’INDUSTRIE DU CUIR ET DE LA CHAUSSURE.
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Internationale du Travail éd. Genève, Bureau International du Travail,
1992.
98
• ROWLAND-WARNE, L. Le costume et la mode. Paris: Gallimard, 1992.
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Annie Morvan. Arles: Actes sud, 1989.
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Chêne, 1998.
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• ZALKO, Nardo. Tango, passion du corps et de l'esprit. Toulouse: Milan,
2001
c. Spanish
• FERRER, Horacio & Del PRIORE, Oscar. Inventario del Tango. Buenos Aires:
Fondo Nacional de las Artes, 1999.
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Catálogos, 2003.
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Tierra, 2001.
• VARELA, Gustavo. Mal de Tango, historia y genealogía moral de la música
ciudadana. Buenos Aires: Paidós diagonales, 2005.
• ZALKO, Nardo. Paris - Buenos Aires. Un siglo de tango. Buenos Aires:
Corregidor, 2001.
• Periodicals
• AGUIAR, Carmen. “Montevideo et le tango”. La Salida No. 23 (Avril-Mai
2001). Accessible sur www.lasalida.info/
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Perspectives, Issue 91, Vol. 23 No. 4 (Fall 1996): 104-131. Accessible sur
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99
• BLANDIN, Noël. "Chaussure, sexe et talons aiguille". La République
internationale des Lettres (10 juin 2003). Accessible sur www.tango-
argentin.net/chaussures-sexe-talons-aiguille.php
• BLANDIN, Noël. "Noir, le Code couleur du Tango". La République
internationale des Lettres (12 mars 2002). Accessible sur www.tango-
argentin.net/noir-code-couleur-tango.php
• GIFT, Virginia. “L’amour dans le tango : en avoir ou pas ? ” La Salida No.
22 (Février–Mars 2001). Accessible sur www.lasalida.info/
• HATEM, Fabrice. “Pourquoi les tangueros sont-ils toujours malheureux en
amour ?” La Salida No. 22 (Février–Mars 2001). Accessible sur
www.lasalida.info/
• LENOBLE, Patrick. “Tango et amour vénal: de la cohabitation à la rupture.”
La Salida No. 22 (Février – Mars 2001). Accessible sur www.lasalida.info/
• ROE, Richard. "The United Shoe Machinery Company". The Journal of
Political Economy. Vol. 21 No 10: 939. The University of Chicago Press,
1913. Accessible sur www.jstor.org.
• SCHNEIDER, Arnd. “Tales of Terror and Tango”. Anthropology Today. Vol.
14 No 6 (December 1998): 16-17. Accessible sur www.jstor.org.
• DEVIENNE, Gérard. “El ultimo tango à Paris”. Les Archives intégrales de
l’Humanité. (23 octobre 1998). Accessible sur www.humanite.presse.fr/
• Films
• BERTOLUCCI, Bernardo. Last tango in Paris. 1972.
• CHELSOM, Peter. Shall we dance? 2003.
• DUVAL, Robert. Assassination Tango. 2002.
• LUHRMANN, Baz. Moulin Rouge. 2001.
• POTTER, Sally. The Tango Lesson. 1997.
• SAURA, Carlos. Tango. 1998.
100
Webliography
• Tango general information

• Americas, un nouveau monde,
www.americas-fr.com/musique/tango.html
• BiblioMonde, Danses Latines,
www.bibliomonde.com/pages/fiche-
livre.php3?id_ouvrage=3231&texte_aff=table
• Casa del Tango (La),
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/lacasadeltango/initiation-tango.htm
• Collège Swing de Strasbourg, www.c-swing.com/DANSES/451ta_hi.htm
• FindArticles,
www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3709/is_199610/ai_n8740718
• Groupe MSN, tango argentino,
http://groups.msn.com/argentijnsetangoargentino/jouwwebpagina4.msnw
• Offjazz, dance world, www.offjazz.com/ds-tang.htm
• Passion for Tango (A), www.apassionfortango.com/site/
• République Internationale des Lettres (La), www.tango-argentin.net/
• StreetSwing's Dance History Archives,
www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3tango1.htm
• Tango de Soie, www.tangodesoie.net/
• Tango Topia, www.knet.co.za/tangotopia/modern_tango.htm
• Tango Vita, Argentine Tango Association of Victoria,
www.tangovita.com/page.php?page=14
• Temps du Tango (Le), www.letempsdutango.com/
• Online tango magazines

• Farolito (El), www.paristangomag.com/
• Salida (La), www.lasalida.info/
101
• Argentina and Buenos Aires information
• Biblioteca Digital Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos,
www.biblioteca.jus.gov.ar/Argentina-Constitution.pdf
• Fact Monster, www.factmonster.com/ce6/world/A0857060.html
• Formarte en línea, capacitación e información,
www.formartenlinea.com.ar/articulo_ver.php?IdArticulo=107
• Guide touristique de Buenos Aires, www.argentine-news.com/
• Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos de la Republica Argentina,
www.indec.gov.ar/principal.asp?id_tema=50
• Tango dresses pictures and information

• Centre de danse BOST, www.dansebost.com/annonces.php
• Corset Shop, www.feelingusa.com/products.cfm?cat=56
• CostumeTHL.com, www.costumethl.com
• coudre-broder-tricoter.com,
www.coudre-broder-tricoter.com/mercerie/agrafe/agrafe.asp
• Dancedress.com, www.dancedress.com/index.html
• DanceSport Ballgowns Gallery,
www.dancesportballgowns.com/samples.html
• Express Livres (L'),
http://livres.lexpress.fr/dossiers.asp?idC=7142&idR=4
• FindArticles,
www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_8_59/ai_n6047914
• Folkwear Clothing Pattern, http://birchstreet-folkwear.com/retro.html
• International Poster Gallery Online,
www.internationalposter.com/adetail.cfm?ArtistNumber=719728082
• Jileyes Lingerie, Ensemble Tango,
www.jileyes.com/lingerie_product_info-lot-3330-name-Ensemble_Tango.html
• Lingerie Satin & Lace Corset, www.victorinelingerie.com/linsatlaccor.html
• More on corsets and kitchens,
www.garfnet.org.uk/new_mill/winter96/sk_cors2.htm
• Secret history of corset and crinoline (The),
102
www.fathom.com/course/21701726/session4.html
• Tango Dance Costume Collection,
www.crystalscreations.com/DanceFashions/tango/index.htm
• Tango dance dresses, www.edressme.com/tango.html
• Tango Dress, www.shop.store.yahoo.com/tropi-ties/tangodress.html
• Tango Dresses and Fashion by Tangoleva,
www.tangoleva.com/dress.html
• TheTangoShop, www.thetangoshop.com
• Trouver Objet Caché, www.tentacules.net/toc/misc/article.php?id=159
• Zanaboni Tango Clothing Design, www.zanabonidesign.com
• Shoes pictures and information

• Apple Dance Shoes: Ballroom Dance Shoes and Dancewear,
www.appledanceshoes.com/index.php?cPath=3_10
• Allen Edmonds,
www.allenedmonds.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/AllenEdmonds/about/
Allen-Edmonds_PressKit_2005_Francais.pdf
• Arika Nerguiz Tango Shoes, www.antangoshoes.com/main.php?Lang=en
• Chaussures Paul, www.chaussurespaul.com/glossaire_manuel.php3
• Documentations, publications CTC,
www.ctc.fr/documentation/lexique_chaussure.php3
• Duca Shoes (La), www.laducashoes.com/store/store.htm
• FreePatentsOnline, www.freepatentsonline.com/4782605.html
• Guaranteed Fit, Authentic Tango shoes from Argentina,
www.guaranteedfittangoshoes.com/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=17
• High Heel Observer (The), www.2heels.com/observer.html
• Lingerie tv > Chaussures,
www.123lingerie.tv/boutique/categories/30/chaussures.html
• Neo Tango and Madreselva Shoes,
www.close-embrace.com/neomadreselva/index.htm
• Nocturna Customized Tango Shoes,
www.tejastango.com/tango_shoes.html
103
• Petit traité de haute cordonnerie (Le), www.alainmadec.com/?p=extrait_b
• Shoe Making, http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/shoo.html
• Stephanie's PhotoImpact Tutorials, www.eastofthesun.com/pi7/shoe.htm
• Tangazos, www.tangazos.com
• Tango Dancing Shoes with High Heels, www.2heels.com/dancing.html
• Tango mi amor, http://tangomiamor.com/chaussures1.htm
• Tango Shoes, www.tangoshoes.us/catalog.php
• Tango Shoes from Argentina by Feliz Primavera, www.primavera.com.hk
• Tara Tango Shoes, www.22tangoshoes.com/index.php?cPath=21
• Zapatos Finos, www.zapatos-finos.com
• Online glossaries
• Corset Terms Dictionary, www.staylace.com/resourcelist/diction.htm
• Dolcevita Lingerie Dictionary,
www.dolcevitagroup.com/lingerie/dictionary.htm
• eDressMe Glossary of Terms, www.edressme.com/dressesglossary.html
• Inchant.com, www.inchant.com/Definitions.html
• Shoe Glossary, www.shoes.com/shop.asp?ShopID=GLOSSARY
• Shoes Vocab, Glossary, www.chass.utoronto.ca/~ebernhar/shoevoc.html
• Terminalf,
www.terminalf.net/cfm/fich_home.cfm?numtable=121&NomBase=chaussur
e_mesure1.mdb (1)
www.terminalf.net/cfm/fich_home.cfm?numtable=181 (2)
• United Nations System of Organizations,
www.unsystem.org/interpretation/Reference%20Mat/Glossaries/Misc/Leat
her/Leather_EF.htm
• Shoes International Glossary, www.shoesinternational.co.uk/glossary.cfm
• Online databases, dictionaries and encyclopaedias

1. Unilingual
a. English
• Atlas Sémantique, http://dico.isc.cnrs.fr/
104
• Dictionary.com, http://dictionary.reference.com
• Dictionary of occupational Titles, Boot and Shoe Industry,
www.occupationalinfo.org/indset1_4550.html
• Encyclopedia.com, www.encyclopedia.com
• JSTOR, Scholarly Journal Archive, www.jstor.org
• Oxford University Press,
www.oup.com/elt/select?url=/eltnew/catalogue/teachersites/oald7/
• Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org
b. French
• Dictionnaire en ligne, langues, LEXILOGOS, www.lexilogos.com
c. Spanish
• Terra, Diccionario de la Real Academia Española,
http://diccionario.terra.com.pe/cgi-bin/b.pl
• Todo Tango,
www.todotango.com/spanish/biblioteca/lexicon/lexicon.html
2. Bilingual
• EuroDicAutom, www.europa.eu.int/eurodicautom/login.jsp
• Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique,
www.granddictionnaire.com/btml/fra/r_motclef/index1024_1.asp
• Wordreference.com, www.wordreference.com
105
Tables des Matières
Table des matières en Anglais......................................................................3

Préface du glossaire bilingue sur le costume de la danseuse de tango...........4
Introduction.................................................................................................4
1. Le tango à Buenos Aires...........................................................................6
1-1 Historique..........................................................................................6
1-2 Les premières danseuses de tango et leur costume............................8
1-3 Environnement social et costume de la danseuse de tango...............11
2. Le tango en France.................................................................................13
2-1 La danseuse de tango......................................................................13
2-2 Le costume de la danseuse de tango en France................................16
2-3 Rôle de la femme au sein de la société exprimé dans le tango...........19
3. Le tango de retour à Buenos Aires..........................................................21
3-1 Evolution du tango..........................................................................21
3-2 Le costume et les chaussures modernes de la danseuse de tango.....22
Conclusions...............................................................................................26
Rapport de recherche.................................................................................28
Tableaux de Codes et d’abréviations...........................................................33
Lexique Bilingue Anglais-Français..............................................................34
Index Français – Anglais............................................................................92
Bibliographie..............................................................................................96
Webliographie..........................................................................................100
Tables des Matières..................................................................................105
Annexes...................................................................................................106
106
Appendix
Available on www.tangosite.com
Daniel Losques, Max Linder.
Available on www.art.com
Available on www.torito.nl
Available on www.fashion-era.com
107

Julie Verbert - Master's Dissertation

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Julie Verbert - Master's Dissertation

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UNIVERSITÉ DE LILLE 3

BILINGUAL GLOSSARY OF THE FEMALE

Présenté par Julie VERBERT

Juin 2006 Sous la direction de M. le professeur Fabrice Antoine

Acosta Ormaechea, Santiago

And thanks to all my family for their patience and encouragement.

Table of Contents ........................................................................................ 3

1 A French Table of Contents will be available following the Webliography.

What is tango? Following the definitions of several dictionaries,

An interesting issue related to this particular dance is the

Throughout this essay, three conclusions have been raised.

Numerous researchers have been speculating about the origins

What seems to be certain though, in conformity with Ferrer and

In the late nineteenth century, Buenos Aires was not so

From the analysis by Bourdé (1974), it is possible to see that

In 1853, the Argentinean political class had already drafted a

Throughout the nineteenth century, the Argentinean

However, the number of these immigrants increased markedly

Industry was booming – the first railroad was set up in 1857

3 See the official text of the Constitution of Argentina (www.biblioteca.jus.gov.ar/Argentina-

As in many big cities that developed so quickly, with immigrants

Many people felt excluded from society; among them were

1-2 The first female tango dancers and their costumes

As stated earlier, tango started to be danced in official places at

Indeed, the customers came from various backgrounds (Lenoble

5 According to www.wikipedia.org, a gaucho is a South American cattle herder.

was a theatrical performer, director and author.

Although the aim of this dissertation is to present the female

According to many pictures and drawings10, and taking for

Many of the words used to describe the male tango dancer’s

As for women, “Elles portaient une jupe courte par-dessus des

10 Ferrer and Del Priore (1999) among others.

As far as the results of this research are concerned, the female

In Moulin Rouge, the tango scene is said to represent a brothel in

In summary, the female tango dancer’s costume is mostly

1-3 Social environment and the female tango costume

An interesting aspect of the female tango costume is related to

The fact that female tango dancers used to wear sensuous

If tango was said to be provocative and very sexually directed, it

Moreover, the Argentinean society was mostly governed by rules

According to Hess (1999, 16-21), the waltz had already

reviewed by Archetti in The Passion of Tango (1996).

Tango brought new moral standards that jeopardised the

However, Argentineans were not ready yet for such a strong

2-1 The female tango dancer

There is no clear agreement on how tango reached France.

The French culture was inspiration for Argentina; its language

Paris was a cultural centre where international exhibitions were

As already mentioned, tango was severely criticised before it

Indeed, there was a huge competition among French magazines

Nevertheless, some people did fight to introduce tango in France

The steps were codified and handbooks were written to teach

Following Savigliano (1994) and Zalko (2001)'s arguments, the

defeated by Hipólito Yrigoyen.

According to Zalko (2001), once accepted in public places,

2-2 The female tango costume in France

It seems that tango was introduced in France in the right time to

Indeed, at the end of the nineteenth century, French women

The aim of this position, as most beginners are taught, is to find

It can be noticed that the corset of the French female tango

More and more, women started to practice sport and their

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the line of dresses was

Evening sheath gowns became very fashionable and they were