buckram

(noun) a coarse cotton fabric stiffened with glue; used in bookbinding and to stiffen clothing.

(verb) stiffen with or as with buckram. Example: "Buckram the skirt."

(adj) rigidly formal. Synonyms: starchy, stiff. Examples: "A starchy manner." "The letter was stiff and formal." "His prose has a buckram quality."