Gilet

A gilet is a sleeveless jacket resembling a waistcoat or blouse. Currently, a gilet is a sleeveless jacket or vest. They may be waist- to knee-length, and are typically straight-sided rather than fitted. However, historically, they were fitted and embroidered. In a further derivation, in 19th-century dressmaking a gilet was a dress bodice shaped like a man's waistcoat.

Today, gilets are often worn as an outer layer, for extra warmth outdoors. Fashion gilets may be made of cloth or fake fur, or knitted. Sports gilets are often windproof and/or made of fleece. High-end hiking jackets often have an integral gilet inside them, that can be zipped on and off. Racing cyclists use thin light gilets with a windproof front and mesh back. Shooting gilets are rugged and made of leather. Short, overwear gilets are called "bodywarmers" in the UK.

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References

Gilet (card game)

Gilet, also Gile, Gillet, is a 16th-century Italian gambling card game which probably antedates the game of Primero. Rabelais, in 1534, gives it pride of place in his list of games played by Gargantua, and Cardano, in 1564, describes it as Geleus, from the word Geleo, meaning "I have it".

History

Italian version

One of the Italian versions of the name is apparently Gilè. The Manuale dei Giuochi, published in Trieste in 1593 lists a series of games played in Italy at the time, and among them the game of Gilet. In John Florio's 1611 dictionary it is explained that the game of Gilet was "like our poste and paire", being "Gé" (spelled J'ai), the word for "Pair", which is one of the announcements in the French version.

French version

The name Gilet changed to Brelan in the time of Charles IX (1550–74), The Gilet of 18th century France was a three-card game of two deals, the first for a fixed stake won by the best pair or triplet, the second vied for in respect of the best-held flush-point. It first appeared in the Académie Universelle des Jeux in 1718, although its earlier references date of 1610 and 1640.

Gilet (disambiguation)

A gilet is a sleeveless jacket.

Gilet may also refer to:

See also