What is the difference between a woman's shirt and a blouse?
Why is a woman's shirt called a blouse?
Etymology. Blouse is a loanword from French to English (see Wiktionary entry blouse). Originally referring to the blue blouse worn by French workmen, the term "blouse" began to be applied to the various smocks and tunics worn by English farm labourers. In 1870, blouse was first referenced as being "for a young lady."