Fashion

[Andreatoo]

To me blouses are woven and are primarily button down/collared shirts but I also referred to the woven high necked/sleeveless I'm wearing today as a blouse.

What distinguishes a blouse from a top to you?

[blueroses47]

I'm not exactly sure, but when I think blouse, I think of something with more structure than  just a "top".  Something with sleeves, a collar, dressier than just a top, although a "shirt" could be considered a blouse too, I guess.

Now I'm going to have to go look up "blouse" and see how it's actually defined.

[Pearlee]

I think a blouse buttons up and down the front of it.  As opposed to a top which doesn't.

[cherry]

Darts

[Kachina624]

Funny, I  think of a blouse as being a soft, dressy usually woven fabric thats relatively unstructured.  A shirt is more structured with an interfaced, stiff collar, often long sleeved with cuffs and buttoned down front opening.  A top is knit material, perhaps with some decorative embellishment, pull over the head; a fancy tee type of shirt.

These are my personal definations.  I've never seen these formally defined anywhere.

[JYWilliams]

Blouse has buttons top doesn't.

[Caligurll]

Buttons.

[PhilaLady1]

To me, blouse = woven.

[Still Raining]

Woven with buttons does it for me.

[SeaMaiden]

A blouse to me is just more dressy...  maybe with buttons....more fitted...more  feminine than "a top"