| Glossary of Terms |
A I B I C I D I E I F I G I H I I I J I K I L I M I N I O I P I Q I R I S I T I U I V I W I X I Y I Z
A
Airjet yarn - cotton and
polyester garments which provide for a virtually
"pill free" look, wash after wash.
Allen Solley placket - a
one-piece placket that’s hidden after being sewn.
This process utilizes the existing fabric for the
outside placket face. This is an upscale placket
type.
Award jacket - a baseball-style jacket with contrasting striped
trim.
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B
Banded self collar - a type of
collar made of the same material as the shirt. The
two basic kinds of this collar are the simulated,
made of two pieces, or the true, made of four
pieces.
Baseball
shirt - a shirt style that features a crew
collar, white body, and three-quarter-length
raglan sleeves in a contrasting
color.
Basket
weave - a variation of the plain weave in
which two or more threads are woven side by side
to resemble a "basket" look. Fabrics have a loose
construction and loose appearance.
Besom pocket - reinforced top
seam found on the pockets of golf shirts. This
reinforced top seam keeps the pocket in shape and
more durable.
Binding - a strip of material
sewn or attached over or along the edge of
something for protection, reinforcement or
ornamentation.
Blanks - undecorated items or
apparel; also refers to "blank"
goods.
Breeze knit - garment-washed cool knit. By garment washing,
the cool knit gets a softer hand and reduced
shrinkage.
Brim -
a sun screen that goes all the way around a hat.
An example would be a tennis hat.
Broadcloth - a close
plain-weave fabric made of cotton, rayon or a
blend of cotton or rayon with
polyester.
Buckram
backing - stiff fabric used to give shape
and form to items like caps, belts, etc. Also used
to stabilize embroidery edges.
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C
Calendaring - essentially an
ironing process that adds sheen to the fabric by
the use of heavy rollers (or calendars), pressure
and steam heat.
Chambray - a plain weave
fabric, usually of cotton or rayon, or a blend of
these.
Clean-finished
placket - typically the interfacings of
plackets are raw or edged, which means they can
look ragged or uneven, particularly on
light-colored shirts. By cutting the interfacing
in a rectangle, turning the edges under and fusing
them in place, there is a straight placket with no
raw edges. All that shows inside the shirt is the
smooth edge.
Coach's
jacket - style of jacket, comparable to a
basic windbreaker, with fold-over collar and slash
pockets.
Color
blocking - merchandising and/or cutting
term whereby a certain type or block of colors
ends up in the same place every time on the
finished garment.
Combed
cotton - cotton yarn that has been combed
to remove short fibers and to straighten or
arrange longer fibers in parallel
order.
Combing - a
secondary cleansing process performed to remove
additional impurities from the staple fibers after
carding. This is a better, more refined cotton
than carding.
Compacting - process that
compacts the space between fabric fiber pockets.
This will prevent cotton shrinkage. Comprehension
straps - straps which securely hold the inner
contents of a bag.
Constructed - a constructed cap
has buckram backing.
Cool
knit - a variation of pique that results in
a different texture and surface appearance. It
resembles a "waffle" pattern.
Cotton sheeting - plain-weave
cotton fabric, usually prelaundered, used for
fashion sportswear. It's wrinkled to create
crinkle cotton.
Crew
collar - a rounded, ribbed collar cut loose
to the neck.
Crinkle
cotton - wrinkled or puckered cotton
obtained by cloth, construction or finishing. It
is prelaundered and made from cotton
finishing.
Crop
top - a shirt style made to expose the
midriff.
Cross cut - fabric knit on a pique machine, which is altered
slightly to provide a unique stitch. The face of
the fabric is two-toned, which gives it a
dimensional, textured look and feel. The garment
stitching will have a horizontal appearance rather
than a vertical one.
Cross grain - this term is used
for heavyweight fleece fabric. The fabric is sewn
between ribs or panels on the side part of the
garment for extra thickness and
durability.
Crown - the upper-most part of the cap of a hat that is
sewn to either a hatband, brim or sweat
band.
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D
Denier - 600 vertical threads
and 600 horizontal threads that help make a
garment more durable and stronger.
Denim - a basic or cotton or
blended fabric with right- or left-hand twill
constructions. The wrap is usually dyed blue with
a white filing.
Double-needle - a double row of
stitching at the seam.
Draw cord - a cord or ribbon
run through a hem or casing and pulled to tighten
or close an opening or drawstring.
Drop seam - a seam that is cut
and lays below the shoulder of the
garment.
Drop tail - a design feature found in upscale products where
the back of the garment is longer than the front,
sometimes referred to as an "elongated"
back.
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E
End on end - a weave in which
the warp yarn (the yarn running lengthwise)
alternates between two colors.
Enzyme wash - washing process
that uses a cellulose-based solution to obtain
garments that appear to have been stonewashed or
acid washed. The solution physically degrades the
surface of the cotton fiber. The appearance and
hand of the garment are identical to stonewashed
and acid washed garments. However, the fabric
surface is not damaged to the extent of a
stonewashed or acid washed garment.
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F
Fabric memory - a term used for
cotton fabric. When washing instructions are
followed, it will always come back looking as if
it were brand new.
Face
yarn - the exterior yarn of a fleece
garment.
50/50 -
50 percent cotton/50 percent polyester fabric;
also referred to as "polycotton".
Fleece - a fabric with a pile
or napped surface, sometimes of a unit
construction; commonly used in
sweats.
Football
jersey - a jersey shirt with a slight
v-neck, stitched yoke and one-half-length to
three-quarter-length sleeves.
Fused lining - a lining that is
fused to the two outer plies with solvent, heat
and pressure. It's used to stabilize or stiffen
parts of a garment, such as a pocket or collar.
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G
Garment wash - process of
industrially washing garments after they have been
manufactured to remove sizing; it also softens and
pre-shrinks.
Grommet - an eyelet of firm
material to strengthen or protect an
opening.
Gusset -
triangular inserts in sleeve seams to widen and
strengthen.
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H
Hand - quality or
characteristic of fabrics perceived by sense of
touch, e.g. softness, firmness, drapeability,
fineness (i.e. its tactile
qualities).
Heavyweight - fabric heavier
than 10 ounces per linear yard, equal to 1.60
yield. Standard weight in the industry is 8 ounces
(2.0 yield) or lighter.
Henley style - shirt featuring
a banded neck and button placket; may be
ribbed.
Herringbone - a decorative
pattern of rows of slanted parallel lines
alternating direction row by row.
High cotton - type of cotton
fabric that results in a soft hand. Therefore, it
has little or no lint and a tighter knit, which
makes for ideal screen printing.
High profile - determines the
look of a cap. A high-profile cap's arch begins at
3 inches.
Honeycomb
pique - a knit fabric that is characterized
by a wider waffle-like appearance, which actually
allows the wearer more comfort.
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I
Indigo dyeing - indigo dye is a
substance taken from the indigo plant. There are
many chemical imitation indigo dyes. Indigo dye
color can only be achieved through a process of
dyeing where yarn is dipped into a dye bath and is
then allowed to oxidize. The number of dips
determines the depth of the indigo color-the more
dips, the darker the color.
Interlock - a fine-gauge knit
fabric produced by interlocking or interlocking
stitches on a circular knit machine. Similar to a
jersey, except both front and back of fabric look
identical. Interlock is a variation of rib knit
construction. The fabric is extremely soft, firm
and absorbent.
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J
Jacquard knit - dyed yarn knit
on sophisticated equipment to produce a desired
pattern and/or texture.
Jaspe pique - two color yarns
create subtle tone variations on the surface of
the fabric. This will allow exceptional embroidery
surfaces.
Jersey -
a type of fabric with a flat appearance, knit on a
circular, single-knit machine; its principal
distinction is that it is not a fabric with a
distinct rib.
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K
Kasha-lining - a lining
principally for jackets featuring cotton flannel,
napped face and imitation chambray back.
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L
Lap shirt - an infant's shirt
where the back panel or body parts overlap the
front panel at the neckline where the set-in
sleeves start.
Lisle - high-quality cotton
yarn made by plying yarns spun from long, combed
staple.
Locker
loop - a self-fabric loop sewn into the
center of the back yoke seam for a functional
styling detail.
Logo - an artistic
interpretation of a company's sign or symbol.
These figures can be copyrighted or trademarked.
Permission is needed for duplication.
Low profile - determines the
look of a cap. A low-profile cap's arch begins at
2 to 3 inches.
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M
Marbled - a texture that
involves a body color with contrasting highlight
flecks on the surface. These flecks give the
garment a heather-like appearance.
Mercerization - a process that
eliminates all of the small "hairs" of yarn, which
adds to its luster. This yarn is then additionally
run through a caustic solution, which further
smoothes and adds gloss to the yarn surface by
burning off additional fabric hairs.
Microfiber - very fine fibers,
which give a unique appearance and soft hand.
Microfiber fabrics are generally lightweight,
resilient and resist wrinkling. They have a
luxurious drape and the body retains its shape and
resists pilling. They are also very strong and
durable.
Mock
turtleneck - a shortened version of the
turtleneck where the neck of the garment does not
fold over.
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N
NuBlend fleece - a three-end
fleece made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester with
an anti-pilling surface.
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O
One-ply yarn - one strand of
thread is used to form the yarn that is woven into
terry loops.
Open-end
yarn - a process that eliminates some
manufacturing steps needed for ring-spun yarn.
This cost-saving process is passed on to the
garments produced.
Ounces
per sq. yd. - a measurement of fabric
weight, a weight that customers usually ask for
when making a comparison to competitive
brands.
Oxford -
soft, somewhat porous, cotton shirting weave that
creates a soft, nubby texture.
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P
Peach finish - a soft hand
(feel) usually obtained by sanding the fabric
lightly; it can be achieved with chemical or
laundry abrasion.
Peruvian Pima Cotton - Peruvian
Pima Cotton is often referred to as the "cashmere
of cotton"- the softest, smoothest, "silkiest"
fabric you can wear. Shrinkage standard for
Peruvian Pima fabrics is a maximum of 5 x 5 if the
garment is washed following directions on the
label.
PFD -
prepare for dyeing. It indicates that the garment
has been specifically prepared for the
garment-dyeing process.
Piece dying - fabrics that are
dyed solid colors after they have been woven or
knitted, but before they are sewn into a
garment.
Pigment
dyeing - a class of dye used on cotton or
poly/cotton. Neon or fluorescent colors are done
with pigments. Dyers also do a distressed look
using pigments. Pigments have the least degree of
fastness of all the dyes, but create the brightest
colors. Pigment dyes will typically stay in the
pastel range unless it's neon. You cannot deepen
color with a pigment.
Pima cotton - high-quality yarn
made by plying yarns spun from long combed
staple.
Pinpoint
oxford - two fine yarns that are wrapped
together for a fine and luxurious
hand.
Pique - a
knit fabric that is characterized by its
waffle-like appearance.
Placket - the construction that
forms the opening in the front of the shirt,
allowing the wearer to put it on and take it off
with ease.
Plain
weave - simplest, most common of all basic
weaves. The surface provides a smooth surface for
printing.
Polar
fleece - knitted using 100% fine denier
polyester yarns. The pile is napped on the front
and back to promote a very soft hand with
exceptional loft. This is a fine denier knit that
also allows the fabric to dry
quickly.
Poplin -
a medium-to-heavyweight unbalanced plain weave. It
is a spun yarn fabric that is usually piece
dyed.
Powder
dyeing - process that allows polyester to
blend with cotton to give a garment a dyed
appearance. Powder dyed garments ensure consistent
color, wash after wash.
PrintPro - fleece fabric
construction with a two-end yarn system that
allows for an increase in the amount of stitches
per square yard.
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Q
Quarter turned - an additional
manufacturing process where the mill rotates 1/4
of a turn to put a crease on the side of the
product rather then the front of the product.
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R
Raglan - a raglan sleeve is
stitched under the arm and in two parallel lines
leading from the armpit to the neck; it makes for
ease of arm movement.
Ramie - a strong, staple fiber
of cellulose yielded by the inner bark of the
ramie plant. It's often used as a less expensive
substitute for linen or cotton, and is usually
blended with cotton, flax or silk.
Reactive dye - special dye used
on a garment which produces, when the label's wash
instructions are followed, a more set-in color
tone.
Resin
treatment - the addition of thermosetting
resins applied in the finishing process, used to
control the shrinkage of a fabric and add durable
press characteristics.
Rib - a stretchy fabric
normally used for trim. This stitch is formed by
two sets of needles at right angles to each other.
The face of the fabric appears to be the same as
the backside.
Ring-spun
yarn - yarn that is reproduced on ring
frame equipment. This yarn produces a softer hand
when knit.
Ringer
tee - a shirt, usually white bodied,
featuring ribbed crew neck and sleeve bands in a
contrasting color.
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S
Sandwich hat - a hat where
there is contrasting trim between the upper and
lower part of the visor.
Scoop neck - a rounded neck,
larger than a crewneck, but smaller than a
boatneck.
Seamless
collar - a collar that is knit in a circle
and is set in circular. There are no joining seams
on the collar, found in better-made
t-shirts.
Set-in
sleeve - a style of sleeve that is sewn
into the shoulder, as opposed to the
neck.
Sheared -
refers to the towel's finish. A sheared surface is
created clipping the loops on one side of the
towel. Sheared terry is often referred to as
having a velour finish. The shearing process
creates a plush and smooth finish, which is great
for printing or embroidery. The weight of the
fabric has a big impact on the overall appearance
of the shear. A heavier weight fabric enhances the
velour appearance because there is more material
to shear.
Sheeting - a plain-weave cotton fabric usually made of
carded yarns.
Side
seams - seams that join the front and back
together. This feature is not found on T-shirts
and some placket shirts.
Single-needle - a stitch,
requiring a single needle and thread,
characterized by its straight-line pathway. A
single-needle shoulder seam has been finished with
a visible row of stitching, single needle, for
additional reinforcement and fashion.
Staple - the actual length of a
cotton fiber.
Stonewash - a finishing process
that creates a distressed appearance, including a
softer texture, puckering at the seams and slight
wrinkling. Garments are tumbled together with
stones (usually pumice stones) in larger washers.
This process is usually applied to indigo-dyed
denim garments. Different sizes of stones can be
used and length of washing time can be varied to
achieve different effects.
Sublimation transfer - method
of subliming a dye pattern, through the use of
heat, onto polyester fabric from a paper
carrier.
Sueded
fleece - a very smooth and luxurious fleece
that is made with an 80/20 cotton and polyester
blend; a unique finishing process wherein the
fabric is gently "sanded," which causes the fleece
to become very soft.
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T
Taping - a design feature
whereby a piece of fabric is used to cleanly cover
a seam. The term is used when referring to
shoulder-to-shoulder taping.
Taslan - 100% nylon fabrication
with a water-resistant coating that has been woven
as a twill and washed to provide a soft
hand.
Tencel - a
fiber made from wood pulp. Tencel gives fabric a
very soft, smooth and luxurious hand.
Tubular knit - a golf shirt
style with no side seams. The bottom is rounded
all around.
Twill - characterized by a diagonal rib. Twill weaves
are used to produce a strong, durable, firm
fabric.
Two-ply
yarn - two strands of thread are used to
form the yarn that is woven into terry loops.
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U
Unconstructed - an
unconstructed cap has a relaxed fit without
backing. It fits closely to the wearer's head.
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W
Waterproofness - the ability of
fabric to withstand penetration by water.
Conventional waterproof fabrics are generally
coated with chemicals or laminated with a film
that closes the pores in fabric. (See
waterproof/breathable).
Waterproof/breathable - ability
to keep water from penetrating but permits water
vapor to pass through. There are over 200 fabrics
of this type available today, offering a varied
combination of waterproofness and water vapor
permeability.
Water
repellency - the ability to resist
penetration by water. Not as rigorous a standard
as waterproofness. Water repellent fabrics cause
water to bead up on their surfaces while allowing
insensible perspiration to pass through. Water
beads up and rolls off a water-repellent
fabric.
Water
resistant - a treatment to fabric that
actually allows water to "bead" and fall off a
garment.
Weather
resistant - a loose term referring
primarily to a fabric's wind-resistant and
water-repellent properties. Water-resistant
fabrics are those that resist the penetration of
water. The greater the force of impact as the
water hits the fabric surface, the greater the
likelihood that it will penetrate the
fabric.
Welt cuffs - cuffs on short sleeve garments formed from a
single ply of ribbed fabric with a finished edge.
Fabric for welt cuffs is knit in a bolder stitch
construction than that of standard 1 x 1
ribs.
Woven -
fabric constructed by the interlacing of two or
more sets of yarns at right angles to each
other.
Wrinkle-free - the basic
process for imparting the wrinkle free finish into
fabric involves applying a resin into the fabric,
drying and curing at extremely high temperatures
to the desired dimension, scouring to remove any
residual chemicals, and final drying. The
application and curing of wrinkle-free may occur
before or after the garments are produced.
"Precured wrinkle-free" means that the finish has
been applied to the fabric before the garment has
been manufactured. Because the "postcure
wrinkle-free" means that the finish has been
applied after the garment has been manufactured
and because the "postcure wrinkle-free" process is
set into the final, pressed garment, it is more
popular.
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Y
Yoke - contoured portion of a
garment, usually at the shoulder or hip.
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