Clotheshorses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A frame or rack designed for hanging damp garments to dry or air out; a person or figure excessively focused on fashion and appearance; an object used to display clothing in a retail setting, often showcasing styles and trends
2. A structure typically made of a rod for draping wet clothes, or referring to someone deeply invested in their wardrobe choices; a display tool employed in stores to highlight apparel and entice customers; a metaphorical term for individuals prioritizing fashion over other interests
3. An apparatus for allowing laundry to dry by hanging, or metaphorically describing someone whose identity is tied to their style; a visual aid in shops helping to promote clothing lines; a colloquial term for a fashion enthusiast preoccupied with looks

Etymology: "Clotheshorses" is the plural of "clotheshorse," a compound of "clothes" and "horse." The "horse" element here is the old sense of a wooden frame or trestle, the kind a sawyer or carpenter rests timber on, and the drying rack got its name from that resemblance. The frame sense is the original one, and the drying device is the older of the two uses to appear in print. The fashion sense is a figurative extension of that drying rack. A person who spends every waking hour showing off clothes was, in effect, a frame on which garments are hung and displayed, and the metaphor became a stock insult for vain dressers. The retail-display sense follows the same logic: a rack on which clothing is hung for people to look at.