English for fashion designers and textile professionals
Fashion & Textiles Vocabulary: 100 Key English Terms
Fashion and textiles is one of the most international industries in the world: a garment may be designed in London, made from fabric woven in Bursa and sewn in Istanbul, then sold in shops across Europe. Tech packs, fit comments, lab dip approvals and buyer emails are almost always written in English. This glossary explains the core vocabulary of fibres and fabrics, textile production, garment parts, sewing and pattern making, colours and prints, collections, sourcing, retail, sizes and fit in plain English and Turkish, for designers, pattern makers, merchandisers, quality controllers, students and everyone who works with them.
100 terms
10 topics
55 core terms
201 example sentences
Read, understand, keep going
No account needed. Read the meaning, see where the term is used, then study the examples. Click any word in the lesson for help. You can also select a word and press Alt + Enter.
Fibres & Fabrics
fabric
noun
Meaning
Cloth made by weaving, knitting or bonding fibres or yarns together, used to make clothes, home textiles and many other products.
Where you use it
The most basic word in the industry. Designers source, choose and test fabrics; buyers ask about fabric composition, weight and price per metre. Typical adjectives are woven, knitted, stretch, lightweight, heavyweight, sustainable and recycled.
Examples
The mill can send us three fabric options for the summer dresses by Friday.
This fabric creases too easily; can we try a version with some polyester in it?
Please confirm the fabric price per metre before we finalise the costing.
Usage note
False friend: fabric means kumaş, not fabrika. A factory is a factory, or a mill when it makes yarn or fabric.
A very thin, long strand of natural or man-made material that is spun into yarn to make fabric, such as cotton, wool, polyester or viscose.
Where you use it
Fibres are grouped as natural (cotton, linen, wool, silk), synthetic (polyester, nylon, elastane) and man-made cellulosic (viscose, lyocell, modal). The word appears in fibre content, fibre blend and fibre composition on labels and spec sheets.
Examples
Natural fibres like linen breathe well but crease easily.
The label must show the fibre content in descending order.
Usage note
Fibre is the British spelling; American English writes fiber. In Turkish factories, elyaf usually refers to raw fibre bought in bales, while lif is the general and academic word.
A soft natural fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, and the yarn or fabric made from it; the most widely used natural fibre in clothing.
Where you use it
Used everywhere from T-shirts to denim and shirting. Buyers specify the type, such as organic cotton, combed cotton, Pima or Egyptian cotton, and blends like cotton-polyester or cotton-elastane. As an adjective, people say a cotton shirt.
Examples
The T-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton, certified to GOTS.
We switched to a combed cotton yarn to get a smoother surface.
Usage note
In Turkish, penye usually means a cotton knitted fabric made from combed yarn. In English, combed describes the yarn; the fabric is called combed cotton jersey.
A strong synthetic fibre made from oil-based chemicals; it dries quickly, resists creasing and is the most produced textile fibre in the world.
Where you use it
Common in sportswear, linings, outerwear and blends with cotton or viscose. Recycled polyester, often made from PET bottles, is a frequent topic in sustainability discussions. Its weak points are pilling, static and lower breathability.
Examples
The lining is 100% recycled polyester made from plastic bottles.
Adding 35% polyester to the cotton will reduce shrinkage and creasing.
Usage note
In product names the short forms poly and polycotton are very common: a poly lining, a polycotton shirt.
Made by crossing two sets of yarns at right angles on a loom, which usually gives a firm fabric with little natural stretch, like denim or poplin.
Where you use it
One of the two main fabric families, together with knits. Companies often have separate woven and knit departments, and people say wovens as a noun for woven garments: shirts, trousers, jackets. Woven labels are also a common trim.
Examples
This style needs a woven fabric with at least 2% elastane for comfort.
She moved from the knit team to the wovens team last spring.
Usage note
Woven is the past participle of weave: weave, wove, woven.
Made from yarn formed into rows of connected loops, which makes the fabric naturally stretchy, as in T-shirts, sweatshirts and jumpers.
Where you use it
Knit and knitted are both used: knit fabric, a knitted dress. As a noun, knits means knitted garments, and knitwear usually means sweaters and cardigans. In Turkey, örme means cut-and-sew jersey products, while triko means knitwear made on flat knitting machines.
Examples
Knit fabrics need a stretch stitch, or the seams will crack when you pull them.
Our knitted tops sell better than the woven blouses this season.
Usage note
The k is silent: knit sounds like nit.
Common phrases
knit fabric · knitted dress · knit top · cut-and-sew knits · fine knit
The fibres a fabric or garment is made of and their percentages, for example 60% cotton, 40% polyester.
Where you use it
Composition appears on care labels, fabric spec sheets, product pages and customs documents. In the EU, fibre composition labelling is required by law, and the fibres are listed from the highest percentage to the lowest. Also called fibre content.
Examples
The composition on the label says 95% cotton, 5% elastane, but the test report shows 3% elastane.
Please send the exact composition and weight for each fabric.
Grams per square metre: the standard measure of how heavy a fabric is, for example a 180 gsm T-shirt jersey.
Where you use it
Written in lowercase as gsm or as g/m² in specs. Light T-shirt jersey is often around 140–160 gsm and heavy sweatshirt fleece above 300 gsm. Denim weight is usually given in ounces per square yard instead; 1 oz is about 34 gsm.
Examples
The customer wants a heavier feel, so let's go from 160 to 200 GSM.
Please confirm the GSM after washing, not before.
Usage note
Say each letter: G-S-M. Some suppliers write gr/m2; the meaning is the same.
Common phrases
fabric GSM · high GSM · 160 gsm jersey · GSM tolerance
A strong cotton twill fabric, traditionally with indigo-dyed warp yarns and white weft yarns, used mainly for jeans and jackets.
Where you use it
Denim is described by weight in ounces, stretch, colour (rinse, mid blue, light blue, black) and finish. Raw denim is unwashed; selvedge denim is woven on traditional shuttle looms. Washing and laundry processes give jeans their final look.
Examples
We're using a 12 oz rigid denim for the straight-leg jeans.
The denim mill can offer a version with 20% recycled cotton.
Usage note
Kot is the Turkish everyday word for jeans and denim; in English, denim is the fabric and jeans are the trousers.
A soft, stretchy knitted fabric with a smooth face and a looped back, used for T-shirts, dresses and many casual garments.
Where you use it
Single jersey is the basic T-shirt fabric, known in Turkey as süprem; double jersey fabrics include interlock and rib. Jersey is described by composition, gsm and width. In sport, jersey also means a team shirt.
Examples
The basic tee is made in a 160 gsm single jersey.
Jersey dresses are easy to wear, but the hem can curl if it isn't finished properly.
Usage note
In British English a jersey can also be a wool jumper. In fabric specs it always means the knitted fabric.
Common phrases
single jersey · cotton jersey · jersey dress · slub jersey · jersey top
A synthetic fibre that can stretch to several times its length and spring back, added in small amounts to fabrics to give stretch and recovery.
Where you use it
Usually 1–5% in jeans, shirts and T-shirts, and much more in swimwear, leggings and shapewear. Buyers talk about stretch and recovery: a fabric should stretch comfortably and return to shape without bagging at the knees.
Examples
With 2% elastane, the chinos are much more comfortable to sit in.
Elastane can be damaged by high heat, so keep the dryer temperature low.
Usage note
American English uses spandex. Lycra is a brand name, although many people in Turkey and elsewhere say likra or Lycra for any elastane.
A soft, smooth fibre made from wood pulp that is chemically dissolved and regenerated, known for its fluid drape and silky feel.
Where you use it
Common in blouses, dresses, linings and summer trousers. Viscose belongs to the man-made cellulosic family with modal and lyocell. It can shrink and lose strength when wet, so care labels often ask for a cool wash.
Examples
The printed viscose dress has a beautiful drape but shrank 5% in the wash test.
Can we get FSC-certified viscose for the next order?
Usage note
American English often calls viscose rayon. In Turkish the usual trade word is viskon.
A natural fibre and fabric made from the stems of the flax plant, cool and strong but creasing easily, popular for summer clothing.
Where you use it
Linen shirts, trousers and dresses are summer staples, and linen is often blended with cotton or viscose to reduce creasing and cost. Customers accept some wrinkles as part of the natural linen look.
Examples
Our bestseller is a relaxed linen shirt in five colours.
A linen-cotton blend creases less and costs less than pure linen.
Usage note
Linen also means household textiles such as bed linen and table linen, even when they are cotton.
The natural fibre from the coat of sheep, and the yarn or fabric made from it, valued for warmth, elasticity and comfort.
Where you use it
Used in suits, coats, knitwear and socks. Buyers specify the type and quality: merino wool, lambswool, recycled wool, and the fibre diameter in microns. Worsted wool is smooth and used for suiting; woollen fabric is softer and hairier.
Examples
The coat is 70% wool and 30% polyamide for extra durability.
Fine merino wool can be worn next to the skin without itching.
Usage note
Pronounced /wʊl/ like full with a w, not like cool. The adjective is woollen in British English and woolen in American English.
A fine, strong natural fibre produced by silkworms when they make their cocoons, and the smooth, shiny fabric woven from it.
Where you use it
Used for luxury blouses, scarves, ties, eveningwear and lingerie. Silk fabrics include satin, crêpe de Chine, chiffon and habotai, and silk weight is often given in momme (mm). Bursa has a long history of silk production.
Examples
The scarves are printed on 16 momme silk twill.
Silk marks easily, so the care label says dry clean only.
A continuous thread made by twisting fibres together, which is then woven or knitted into fabric.
Where you use it
Spinning mills produce yarn; weavers and knitters buy it. Yarn is described by fibre, count (such as Ne 30/1 for cotton or dtex for filaments), twist and spinning method: ring-spun, open-end, combed or carded. Thread usually means sewing thread.
Examples
We use a 30/1 combed ring-spun yarn for the premium T-shirts.
Yarn prices went up after a poor cotton harvest.
Usage note
Yarn is used for making fabric; thread is used for sewing. A Turkish iplik can be either, so choose the right English word.
The pattern in which the lengthwise warp yarns and crosswise weft yarns are interlaced in a woven fabric, such as plain, twill or satin.
Where you use it
The three basic weaves are plain weave (bezayağı), twill (dimi) and satin (saten); others include herringbone, dobby and jacquard. As a verb, mills weave fabric on looms. Fabric specs list the weave next to composition and weight.
Examples
A twill weave will hide creases better than a plain weave.
The mill can weave a narrower width if we need less waste.
Usage note
The two yarn directions are warp (çözgü, lengthwise) and weft (atkı, crosswise); American English also says filling for weft.
The process of making fabric or garments by forming yarn into connected loops, by hand or on circular, flat or warp knitting machines.
Where you use it
Circular knitting produces jersey, rib and interlock fabric for T-shirts and sweatshirts; flat knitting produces sweaters and cardigans; warp knitting is used for lingerie, sportswear and mesh. Knitting machines are described by gauge (GG), the number of needles per inch.
Examples
Our knitting department runs 40 circular machines in three shifts.
For a chunky look, the sweater needs 5GG knitting, not 12GG.
The process of adding colour to fibre, yarn, fabric or finished garments by treating them with dyes, usually in water and with heat.
Where you use it
Dyeing can happen at different stages: fibre, yarn, piece (fabric) or garment dyeing. Dyehouses choose dye types for each fibre, for example reactive dyes for cotton and disperse dyes for polyester. Each production batch is called a dye lot.
Examples
Garment dyeing gives a softer, slightly washed look.
There's a shade difference between the two dyeing lots, so please don't mix them in one order.
Usage note
Keep the e in dyeing (boyama). Dying, without the e, means ölmek.
Treatments given to fabric after weaving, knitting or dyeing to improve its look, feel or performance, such as softening, brushing or anti-shrink processes.
Where you use it
Finishes can be mechanical (brushing, peaching, sanforising, compacting) or chemical (softeners, water repellents, anti-pilling). In garment factories, finishing also means the last stage before packing: trimming threads, pressing and checking.
Examples
A peach finishing will give the fabric a soft, suede-like touch.
The garments are in finishing now and will be packed by Thursday.
Usage note
The word for the treatment itself is finish: a matt finish, an anti-crease finish.
Common phrases
fabric finishing · chemical finishing · soft finish · water-repellent finish · finishing department
The amount a fabric or garment gets smaller, usually after washing or steaming, given as a percentage of its length and width.
Where you use it
Labs test shrinkage (also called dimensional stability) after a set number of washes. Buyers usually set a maximum, for example 3% in length and width. Pattern makers may add a shrinkage allowance to patterns for fabrics or garments that will be washed after sewing.
Examples
The test report shows 6% shrinkage in length, which is above our limit.
We added the shrinkage allowance to the pattern because the jeans are washed after sewing.
Usage note
In retail, shrinkage also means stock lost through theft, damage or errors. The context makes the meaning clear.
How well a dyed or printed fabric keeps its colour without fading or staining other fabrics when it is washed, rubbed, exposed to light or sweat.
Where you use it
Labs test colourfastness to washing, rubbing (crocking), light, perspiration and water. Results are given in grades, usually from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on the grey scale. Dark colours and denim often have problems with rubbing fastness.
Examples
The navy fabric failed colourfastness to wet rubbing with a grade of 2.
Please improve the colourfastness before we approve bulk production.
Usage note
Also written colour fastness or color fastness (US). In speech people often say just fastness: wash fastness, rubbing fastness.
Common phrases
colourfastness to washing · colourfastness to rubbing · light fastness · fail colourfastness · grey scale
The forming of small balls of fibre on the surface of a fabric when it is rubbed during wear or washing.
Where you use it
A frequent customer complaint on knitwear, fleece and blends with polyester. Labs test pilling resistance and give a grade from 1 (severe pilling) to 5 (no pilling). Single balls are called pills, and the verb is pill: this fabric pills easily.
Examples
We've had a lot of returns because of pilling under the arms.
An anti-pilling finish raised the grade from 2 to 4.
A single item of clothing, such as a shirt, dress, coat or pair of trousers, especially when talking about how it is designed, made or sold.
Where you use it
A professional, slightly formal word used in factories, tech packs, care labels and trade statistics. In everyday speech people say clothes or a piece of clothing. Common combinations are garment factory, garment industry, garment dyeing and finished garment.
Examples
Each garment is checked for loose threads before it is folded and packed.
Our garment factory in Denizli specialises in knitted tops for European brands.
Usage note
Garment is countable: one garment, two garments. Clothes has no singular form, and clothing is uncountable, so say a garment or a piece of clothing, not a clothing.
Common phrases
garment factory · garment industry · finished garment · garment dyeing · garment care
The bottom edge of a garment or sleeve, folded under and sewn so that the raw edge does not fray; it can also mean the act of sewing it.
Where you use it
Common phrases are hem length, raise or drop the hem, blind hem, raw hem and curved hem. As a verb, you hem a skirt or trousers. In fit comments, hem width and hem height often need correction.
Examples
Please raise the hem by 3 cm on the midi skirt.
The jeans have a raw hem, so customers can cut them to their own length.
Common phrases
raise the hem · blind hem · raw hem · hem length · double-turned hem
The part of a garment that covers all or part of the arm, attached to the body of the garment at the armhole.
Where you use it
Sleeves are described by length (short, three-quarter, long) and shape: set-in, raglan, dropped shoulder, puff, bishop. Fit comments mention sleeve length, sleeve width and sleeve pitch, the angle at which the sleeve hangs.
Examples
The sleeves are 2 cm too long on the size M sample.
We changed the set-in sleeve to a raglan sleeve for a more relaxed look.
Usage note
Kol in Turkish is both the arm and the sleeve. In English, arm is the body part and sleeve is the part of the garment.
The band or folded piece of fabric attached around the neckline of a shirt, jacket or coat, which can stand up or fold down.
Where you use it
Common types are point collar, button-down collar, spread collar, mandarin (band) collar, Peter Pan collar, shawl collar and polo collar. A shirt collar has a collar stand and a collar fall, and it is usually stiffened with interfacing.
Examples
The collar points should be 7 cm, not 8 cm; please correct it on the next sample.
This season we are adding a mandarin collar to the linen shirt.
Usage note
Collar is the attached piece; neckline is the shape of the opening around the neck. A T-shirt has a neckline but usually no collar.
Common phrases
button-down collar · collar stand · mandarin collar · collar point · shirt collar
A layer of thin fabric sewn inside a garment to hide the seams, help it slide on easily, add warmth or give it a cleaner shape.
Where you use it
Jackets, coats, skirts and tailored trousers are often lined. A garment can be fully lined, half lined or unlined. Linings are usually polyester, viscose, acetate or cupro, and the lining is a separate line in the bill of materials.
Examples
The blazer is fully lined in a breathable viscose lining.
The lining is too short and pulls at the hem; please add 1 cm of ease.
A fastener made of two rows of metal or plastic teeth that lock together when a slider is pulled along them.
Where you use it
Types include metal zips, nylon coil zips, invisible (concealed) zips and open-ended zips for jackets. Tech packs specify the zip length, tape colour, puller and brand. As a verb, you zip up a jacket.
Examples
Please use an invisible zip in the side seam of the dress.
The zip broke during the pull test, so the shipment is on hold.
Usage note
British English says zip; American English says zipper. A fly is the zip opening at the front of trousers.
Common phrases
invisible zip · metal zip · open-ended zip · zip puller · zip length
All the materials used on a garment apart from the main fabric, such as buttons, zips, labels, thread, elastic, tape and hangtags.
Where you use it
Trims are listed in the bill of materials and often have their own suppliers and lead times. Turkish factories usually call them aksesuar. Late trims are a common reason for production delays, so merchandisers chase trim approvals early.
Examples
All trims are approved except the woven label, which needs a new colour.
Trims arrive on Monday, so sewing can start on Tuesday.
Usage note
In English, accessories usually means bags, belts, jewellery and similar items sold to customers; use trims for the materials sewn onto a garment.
Common phrases
trims and accessories · trim card · trim approval · trim supplier · branded trims
The band of fabric sewn around the top of trousers, a skirt or shorts, which holds the garment at the waist.
Where you use it
Waistbands can be fixed, elasticated, drawstring or partly elasticated at the back. Fit comments refer to waistband measurements relaxed and extended, and to gaping at the back waist. Belt loops are attached to the waistband.
Examples
The elasticated waistband should measure 34 cm relaxed on size S.
Add a back elastic to the waistband to stop it gaping.
A small bag of fabric sewn onto or into a garment to carry things, or for decoration, such as the front pockets of jeans.
Where you use it
Common types are patch pockets (sewn on top), welt pockets (set into a slit), slanted side pockets, flap pockets and the small coin pocket on jeans. Tech packs give the pocket position, size and pocket bag fabric.
Examples
Move the chest pocket 1 cm towards the centre front.
The pocket bags are made from a recycled polyester-cotton blend.
Common phrases
patch pocket · welt pocket · pocket bag · pocket position · flap pocket
The band at the end of a sleeve that finishes it at the wrist, often fastened with a button; in American English also the turned-up hem of trousers.
Where you use it
Shirts have barrel cuffs or double (French) cuffs worn with cufflinks; sweatshirts have rib cuffs. Fit comments mention cuff width, cuff opening and cuff height. As a verb, people cuff their jeans when they roll up the hem.
Examples
The rib cuffs lose their shape after washing; can we add more elastane?
Please make the cuff 1 cm narrower so it fits under a watch.
Usage note
British English calls the folded trouser hem a turn-up, while American English calls it a cuff.
The edge and shape of a garment around the neck, such as a crew neck, V-neck or boat neck.
Where you use it
Necklines are named by shape: crew neck, V-neck, scoop neck, boat neck, square neck, turtleneck. Fit comments mention neck width and front neck drop. On T-shirts the neckline is finished with a rib or binding.
Examples
The neckline is too wide and shows the bra straps; please reduce it by 2 cm.
We're offering the basic tee with a crew neckline and a V neckline.
Common phrases
crew neck · V-neck · front neck drop · neck width · neckline rib
A strip of fabric that finishes an opening in a garment, usually holding the buttons or buttonholes, as on a polo shirt or shirt sleeve.
Where you use it
Shirts have a front placket and sleeve plackets; polo shirts have a short placket with two or three buttons. A hidden placket covers the buttons for a clean look. Tech packs give the placket length, width and number of buttons.
Examples
The polo placket should be 14 cm long with two buttons.
The placket is twisting; please check the interfacing.
Common phrases
front placket · sleeve placket · hidden placket · placket length · polo placket
A layer of material placed between the outer fabric and the facing, often ironed on, to make parts like collars, cuffs and plackets firmer.
Where you use it
Interfacing can be fusible (iron-on) or sew-in, woven, knitted or non-woven. In factories it is often called interlining, and it is fused with a fusing press at a set temperature, time and pressure. Bubbling after washing is a typical fusing problem.
Examples
The collar needs a firmer interfacing; it collapses after one wash.
Please send us the fusing settings for this interfacing.
Usage note
Interfacing is common in home sewing and design schools; interlining is the usual word in ready-to-wear production. Both mean tela.
The line where two or more pieces of fabric are joined together, usually by sewing, such as the side seam or shoulder seam of a garment.
Where you use it
Every garment description mentions seams: side seam, shoulder seam, centre back seam, inside leg seam. Seams are sewn, pressed, finished, opened and sometimes taped. Quality reports mention seam slippage, puckering and broken seams.
Examples
The side seam is twisting after washing; please check the cutting direction.
Press the seam open before you attach the lining.
Usage note
Seam is the join; stitch is a single loop of thread. A dikiş in Turkish can be either, so choose the English word carefully.
Common phrases
side seam · shoulder seam · seam slippage · press the seam open · taped seam
The extra fabric between the stitching line and the cut edge of a pattern piece, which makes it possible to sew and finish the seam.
Where you use it
Pattern makers add seam allowances to the net pattern; factories often use 1 cm, while home sewing patterns commonly use 1.5 cm (5/8 inch). Comments like seam allowance included or not included are important on patterns sent between companies.
Examples
All patterns include a 1 cm seam allowance unless marked otherwise.
Leave a wider seam allowance at the centre back so the trousers can be let out later.
Common phrases
add seam allowance · seam allowance included · 1 cm seam allowance · trim the seam allowance
A single loop of thread made by a needle in sewing, or a particular type of stitching such as lockstitch, chainstitch or coverstitch.
Where you use it
Specs give the stitch type and density, often as stitches per inch (SPI) or per centimetre; too few stitches look cheap and too many can damage the fabric. As a verb, you stitch two pieces together. Skipped stitches are a common sewing defect.
Examples
Please use 12 stitches per inch on all visible seams.
The hem is finished with a coverstitch, which stretches with the fabric.
Usage note
On a Turkish factory floor, coverstitch is reçme and lockstitch is düz dikiş; both words appear in English tech packs.
Common phrases
stitch density · stitches per inch · lockstitch · skipped stitches · stitch length
A stitch, or the machine that sews it, which wraps thread around the edge of fabric to stop fraying and often trims and joins the seam at the same time.
Where you use it
The standard seam on T-shirts and other knits. Overlocks are described by the number of threads: 3-thread, 4-thread, or 5-thread safety stitch. Overlock can also be a verb: overlock the edges before you hem.
Examples
The side seams are joined with a 4-thread overlock.
Overlock all raw edges on the unlined jacket.
Usage note
American English usually calls the machine a serger and the stitch serging.
A fold of fabric pressed or stitched in place to add fullness or shape, as in a pleated skirt or pleated trousers.
Where you use it
Types include knife pleats, box pleats, inverted pleats and permanent heat-set pleats. Trousers can have single or double front pleats. In fit comments, people ask to add, remove, deepen or stitch down a pleat.
Examples
The skirt has an inverted pleat at the centre back for walking ease.
Make the front pleats deeper to give the trousers a more relaxed shape.
Usage note
Turkish often calls pleated trousers pensli pantolon, but in English the folds are pleats, not darts.
To pull fabric into small, soft folds by sewing long stitches and drawing up the thread, so a wide piece fits into a shorter one.
Where you use it
Used for skirts, sleeves, waists and ruffles. As nouns, gathers or gathering describe the result: a gathered skirt, gathers at the shoulder. Comments often ask for less or more fullness, or for evenly distributed gathers.
Examples
Gather the sleeve head slightly so it sits nicely on the shoulder.
The gathered skirt has too much volume; reduce the fullness by 20%.
Common phrases
gathered skirt · gather the waist · evenly gathered · gathers at the shoulder
A row of stitching sewn on the right side of a garment, close to a seam or edge, for decoration or to keep the seam flat.
Where you use it
A key detail on jeans, jackets and shirts. Tech packs specify single or double needle, distance from the edge (such as 1 mm or 6 mm), stitch length and thread colour. Contrast topstitching uses a thread colour different from the fabric.
Examples
The jeans have gold contrast topstitching on the yoke and pockets.
Please change the topstitching to 6 mm from the edge on the collar.
Usage note
The verb is topstitch: topstitch the collar 1 mm from the edge. Edgestitching is topstitching very close to the edge.
A paper or digital template for each piece of a garment, used to cut the fabric; it also means a repeated decorative design on fabric.
Where you use it
In production, pattern makers draft, adjust and grade patterns, often in CAD systems such as Gerber or Lectra. In design, people talk about a floral or geometric pattern. Pattern maker, pattern cutter and pattern room are common job and place names.
Examples
The pattern needs another 1 cm at the back armhole.
Can you send me the digital pattern files so our factory can make the marker?
Usage note
To avoid confusion, many designers use print or motif for the decoration and keep pattern for the cutting template.
Common phrases
pattern maker · draft a pattern · adjust the pattern · paper pattern · pattern pieces
A narrow, pointed fold of fabric stitched on the inside of a garment to shape it around curves such as the bust, waist or hips.
Where you use it
Pattern makers add, move, close and rotate darts; common types are bust darts, waist darts and back darts. Fit comments often say a dart is too long, too deep or pointing in the wrong place.
Examples
The bust dart ends too close to the apex; please shorten it by 2 cm.
We rotated the dart into the side seam to keep the front clean.
Common phrases
bust dart · waist dart · rotate a dart · dart point · dart length
The process of making a pattern in all the other sizes from the base size, by adding or removing set amounts at specific points.
Where you use it
Grading follows grade rules, for example 4 cm on the chest between sizes, and is usually done in CAD. A grader or pattern maker grades the pattern after the fit is approved. Bad grading means some sizes fit well and others do not.
Examples
Grading will start as soon as the size M fit is approved.
The XL looks too big; I think the grading on the armhole is wrong.
Usage note
The verb is grade: the pattern is graded from 36 to 46.
An arrow marked on a pattern piece that must be placed parallel to the lengthwise threads of the fabric when cutting, so the garment hangs correctly.
Where you use it
Every pattern piece has a grain line. Pieces can be cut on the straight grain, cross grain or bias (45°). If pieces are cut off grain, seams twist and garments hang badly, a frequent cause of quality complaints.
Examples
Check the grain line on the trouser legs; the side seams are twisting.
The skirt is cut on the bias, so the grain line runs at 45 degrees.
Usage note
Also written grainline as one word. Bias means verev in Turkish.
Common phrases
follow the grain line · straight grain · off grain · cut on the bias
A test version of a garment made in cheap plain fabric, usually unbleached cotton, to check the pattern and fit before cutting the real fabric.
Where you use it
Common in design studios, couture, tailoring and fashion schools. Designers make, fit and mark up a toile, then transfer the changes to the pattern. Factories usually go straight to a proto sample in a similar fabric instead.
Examples
We made two toiles before we were happy with the jacket's shoulder line.
Pin the changes on the toile and I'll update the pattern.
Usage note
Toile is French and pronounced /twɑːl/. In American English it is usually called a muslin; in the UK the fabric used is called calico.
Common phrases
make a toile · calico toile · fit the toile · first toile
The extra room added to body measurements in a pattern so that the wearer can move, breathe and sit comfortably, or to create a looser style.
Where you use it
Pattern makers talk about wearing ease (the minimum for comfort) and design ease (extra for the style). Stretch fabrics may need little or even negative ease. Ease is also a verb: ease the sleeve into the armhole.
Examples
Add 2 cm of ease at the hip so the trousers don't pull when sitting.
This bodysuit has negative ease because the fabric stretches.
A basic pattern without style details, made from standard measurements, which pattern makers adapt to create new designs.
Where you use it
Brands keep tested blocks for each product type: bodice block, skirt block, trouser block, jacket block. Using the same block keeps fit consistent across a collection. A new style usually starts from an existing block.
Examples
Please use our trouser block, not the factory's own pattern.
We updated the bodice block after customers complained about tight armholes.
Usage note
American English usually says sloper for a block.
Common phrases
bodice block · trouser block · basic block · fit block · adapt a block
A plan showing how all the pattern pieces are arranged on the fabric for cutting, designed to use as little fabric as possible.
Where you use it
Markers are made in CAD and printed on paper the width of the fabric. Marker efficiency, the percentage of fabric actually used, affects fabric consumption and cost. Factories lay up (spread) many fabric layers and cut them together along the marker.
Examples
The new marker improved fabric efficiency from 82% to 86%.
For a one-way print, the marker must keep all pieces facing the same direction.
Common phrases
marker making · marker efficiency · marker width · lay plan · make a marker
A design applied to the surface of fabric with ink or dye, such as flowers, logos or stripes, rather than woven or knitted into it.
Where you use it
Designers create, develop and approve prints; print designers work in studios or buy prints from agencies. Common types are floral, animal, geometric, placement and all-over prints. Print is also a verb: the fabric is printed in Bursa.
Examples
The leopard print sold out in two weeks, so we're repeating it in a new colourway.
Can the print be scaled down by 20% for the kids' range?
One of the colour combinations in which the same design, fabric or print is produced, for example the navy and the khaki version of a jacket.
Where you use it
Designers offer a style in several colourways; buyers drop or add colourways depending on budget and minimums. Each colourway usually needs its own lab dips or strike-offs and has its own code in the tech pack.
Examples
The shirt comes in three colourways: white, sky blue and sage.
The buyer dropped the red colourway because it didn't reach the MOQ.
Usage note
American English writes colorway, and the word is especially common in sneaker and sportswear marketing. In specs and emails, colourway sounds more professional than colour option.
Common phrases
three colourways · drop a colourway · new colourway · colourway code
A small piece of fabric or yarn dyed in the laboratory to match a target colour, sent to the buyer for approval before bulk dyeing.
Where you use it
Dyehouses usually send two or three options (A, B, C) for each colour. Buyers compare them in a light box under set light sources, then approve one or ask for it to be redone, for example slightly redder or brighter. Target colours are often Pantone TCX references.
Examples
Option B of the lab dip is approved for the sage colourway.
The lab dips look too green under shop lighting; please resubmit.
A short test print of a design on the actual production fabric, sent to the buyer to approve colours, scale and quality before bulk printing.
Where you use it
Strike-offs are to prints what lab dips are to solid colours. Buyers check colour matching, the size of the motifs, sharpness and the repeat. Each colourway usually needs its own strike-off, and comments are written directly on the sample.
Examples
The strike-off is approved, but the pink should be a little softer in bulk.
We're still waiting for strike-offs for the two new colourways.
Common phrases
approve a strike-off · strike-off comments · send strike-offs · second strike-off
A print that covers the whole surface of the fabric with a repeating design, as opposed to a single placement print on one area.
Where you use it
Usually printed on the fabric roll before cutting, while placement prints like a chest logo are often printed on cut panels or finished garments. People also write allover print or AOP. Florals, animal prints and geometrics are common all-over designs.
Examples
The shirt has an all-over print of small daisies on a navy ground.
An all-over print hides small stains better than a solid colour.
The smallest unit of a print or woven design that is repeated across the fabric, and the distance after which the design starts again.
Where you use it
Print designers prepare artwork in repeat so that it joins without visible lines. Repeat size matters for production: rotary screens have fixed repeat lengths, and big repeats waste more fabric when patterns must be matched. Common layouts are block, half-drop and mirror repeats.
Examples
Please put the artwork into a 64 cm repeat for rotary printing.
The repeat is visible on the back panel; the flowers line up in stripes.
Common phrases
in repeat · repeat size · half-drop repeat · pattern repeat · match the repeat
A printing method that pushes ink through a fine mesh screen onto fabric, using a separate screen for each colour in the design.
Where you use it
Used on garments, such as T-shirt graphics with plastisol or water-based inks, and on fabric rolls with flatbed or rotary screens. It is cost-effective for large quantities but each colour adds a screen, so the number of colours affects price.
Examples
Screen printing is cheaper for this order because it's 5,000 pieces and only two colours.
The logo uses screen printing with a soft water-based ink.
Common phrases
rotary screen printing · water-based screen printing · plastisol ink · number of screens
Printing designs directly onto fabric or garments from a computer file with inkjet machines, without screens.
Where you use it
Ideal for small runs, many colours, photographic images and fast sampling, because there are no screen costs. Ink types depend on the fibre: reactive or pigment inks for cotton, sublimation for polyester. DTG (direct to garment) prints on finished pieces.
Examples
With digital printing we can sample ten designs in a week.
Digital printing on polyester uses sublimation, so the colours stay bright.
Common phrases
digital textile printing · digital print run · sublimation printing · DTG printing
Describing fabric woven or knitted from yarns that were dyed before fabric production, which is how most woven stripes and checks are made.
Where you use it
Yarn-dyed fabrics include shirting stripes, gingham, tartan, chambray and Breton stripes in knits. They usually cost more and have longer lead times than piece-dyed or printed fabrics, but the colour goes all the way through the yarn.
Examples
These stripes are yarn-dyed, not printed, so they look sharp on both sides.
Yarn-dyed checks need extra fabric because the pattern must match at the seams.
Decoration sewn onto fabric with thread, by hand or by machine, such as a logo on a polo shirt or flowers on a blouse.
Where you use it
Machine embroidery is priced partly by stitch count, and artwork must be digitised into an embroidery file first. Related techniques are appliqué, where fabric shapes are sewn on, and badges or patches. The verb is embroider: an embroidered logo.
Examples
The chest logo is embroidered in tone, so it looks subtle.
Embroidery adds about 40 cents per piece at this stitch count.
Common phrases
machine embroidery · embroidered logo · stitch count · hand embroidery · embroidery placement
A group of garments and accessories designed together for one season or event, sharing a theme, colour palette and fabrics.
Where you use it
Designers develop, design, present and launch a collection; buyers view it in a showroom or at a fashion show. Collections are named by season, such as the SS27 collection, or by theme. Smaller groups within a collection are called drops, stories or capsules.
Examples
The autumn collection is built around three colours: rust, olive and cream.
We'll present the new collection to the buyers in Düsseldorf next month.
Common phrases
launch a collection · design a collection · spring/summer collection · collection review
A style, colour, shape or idea that becomes popular for a period of time and influences what designers create and what customers buy.
Where you use it
Design teams research, follow, spot and forecast trends, often with the help of trend agencies and catwalk reports. A trend can be a micro trend that lasts weeks or a macro trend that lasts years. The adjective is trendy, which is informal.
Examples
Wide-leg trousers are still a strong trend for next autumn.
Our trend report suggests softer pastels for the summer collection.
A board or digital page of images, colours, fabric swatches and words that shows the feeling and direction of a collection before design begins.
Where you use it
Designers create, put together and present mood boards at the start of the season to agree on the direction with the team and buyers. Turkish design teams usually keep the English term. Mood boards often sit next to colour palettes and trend reports.
Examples
The mood board mixes 1970s photography with dusty pinks and corduroy swatches.
Let's finalise the mood board before we start sketching.
Common phrases
create a mood board · present the mood board · digital mood board · mood board and colour palette
One of the periods of the fashion calendar for which collections are designed and sold, mainly spring/summer and autumn/winter.
Where you use it
Seasons are written as codes such as SS27 (spring/summer 2027) and AW27 or FW27 (autumn or fall/winter 2027). Many brands also have pre-fall and resort or cruise seasons. Teams work on several seasons at once: selling one, producing the next and designing the one after.
Examples
We're already designing the AW28 season while SS28 is in production.
Last season's leftover stock will go to the outlet stores.
Usage note
British English says autumn/winter (AW); American English often says fall/winter (FW). Both refer to the same season.
Common phrases
spring/summer season · autumn/winter season · next season · end of season · in-season
A set of styled photographs showing the outfits of a collection, used to present it to buyers, press and customers.
Where you use it
Brands shoot, design and send lookbooks each season, usually as PDFs or web pages. A lookbook shows complete looks on models, while a line sheet lists each style with its code, colours, prices and minimums for wholesale buyers.
Examples
I've attached the SS27 lookbook and the line sheet with wholesale prices.
The lookbook was shot in Cappadocia to match the earthy colour palette.
Common phrases
shoot a lookbook · digital lookbook · lookbook and line sheet · send the lookbook
The overall outline or shape of a garment or outfit on the body, such as A-line, straight, fitted or oversized.
Where you use it
Designers talk about the silhouette when describing collections and trends: a relaxed silhouette, a sharp tailored silhouette, a new trouser silhouette. Silhouettes change slowly over the decades and are often the first thing seen in a trend report.
Examples
This season the silhouette is longer and looser, with wide trousers and long coats.
Keep the A-line silhouette but shorten the skirt by 5 cm.
Usage note
Pronounced /ˌsɪluˈet/, with the stress on the last syllable; the h is silent.
A small, focused collection of a few key pieces, often made for a short period, a special theme or a collaboration with a designer or celebrity.
Where you use it
Brands launch, design or drop capsule collections between main seasons to create excitement and test ideas. A capsule collection usually has fewer than 20 pieces that work well together. The idea comes from the capsule wardrobe, a small set of versatile clothes.
Examples
The capsule collection with the young designer sold out online in a day.
We're planning a 12-piece capsule collection in organic linen for summer.
A precise black-and-white drawing of a garment laid flat, from the front and back, showing seams, stitching and details for the factory.
Where you use it
Also called a flat or flat sketch. Technical flats are usually drawn in Adobe Illustrator and form the first page of a tech pack. Unlike a fashion illustration, a flat has no body, pose or styling, and its proportions should match the real garment.
Examples
Please update the technical flat to show the new pocket and the back yoke.
Junior designers spend a lot of time drawing technical flats.
Common phrases
draw a technical flat · front and back flats · flat sketch · update the flats
A trial garment or piece of material made before bulk production so that designers and buyers can check its look, fit, quality and price.
Where you use it
Samples follow a sequence: proto, fit sample, salesman sample (SMS), PP sample and shipment sample. Factories make, send and courier samples; buyers approve or reject them and send comments. A sample room is where samples are sewn.
Examples
We'll courier the second fit sample to your office on Monday.
The sample was rejected because the colour didn't match the approved lab dip.
Common phrases
fit sample · approve a sample · sample room · salesman sample · send a sample
A document with all the technical information a factory needs to make a garment: drawings, measurements, materials, trims, construction details and labels.
Where you use it
Short for technical package. Brands send tech packs to suppliers to request samples and prices; every change is recorded in an updated version. It usually includes technical flats, a measurement chart, a bill of materials (BOM) and colourway information.
Examples
Please check the latest tech pack; we changed the pocket position.
The factory can't quote until they receive a complete tech pack with all trims.
Common phrases
send a tech pack · update the tech pack · complete tech pack · tech pack version
The time between placing an order and receiving the finished goods, including material sourcing, production and shipping.
Where you use it
One of the first questions buyers ask: what is your lead time? It is usually given in days or weeks and may be split into fabric lead time and production lead time. Short lead times are a major selling point for suppliers close to Europe, such as Turkey.
Examples
Our lead time is six weeks from PP sample approval.
The dyed yarn has a longer lead time, so we need to order it this week.
Usage note
Turkish termin usually means the agreed delivery date; in English that is the delivery date or ex-factory date, while lead time is the length of the period.
Common phrases
short lead time · production lead time · reduce lead time · fabric lead time
A company that provides a brand with fabric, trims or finished garments, often a factory, mill or agent that produces to the brand's orders.
Where you use it
Brands find, choose, audit and work with suppliers, and they often have a list of approved suppliers. Fabric suppliers, trim suppliers and garment suppliers are separate groups. American companies often say vendor for the same thing.
Examples
We need a new supplier for the zips; the current one keeps missing deadlines.
All suppliers must pass a social compliance audit before we place orders.
Common phrases
approved supplier · fabric supplier · audit a supplier · supplier base · supplier evaluation
Minimum order quantity: the smallest number of pieces or metres a supplier will accept for one order, style or colour.
Where you use it
One of the first things discussed with a new supplier. Factories may set an MOQ per style and per colour; fabric mills often give MOQs in metres, and dyed or special fabrics have higher MOQs. Small brands often ask suppliers to lower or waive the MOQ, sometimes for a surcharge.
Examples
Our MOQ is 500 pieces per style and 200 pieces per colour.
Can you accept 300 metres if we pay an under-MOQ surcharge?
Usage note
Say each letter: M-O-Q. Some people also say the full phrase in emails: minimum order quantity.
Common phrases
MOQ per colour · meet the MOQ · low MOQ · under-MOQ surcharge · MOQ requirement
A pre-production sample: a garment made with the real bulk fabric, trims and colours exactly as it will be produced, approved before production starts.
Where you use it
The last approval step before bulk production. Buyers check fit, measurements, materials, labels and workmanship on the PP sample; factories often hold a PP meeting with production, quality and cutting teams. Delays in PP approval push the delivery date back.
Examples
The PP sample is approved with comments, so cutting can start tomorrow.
We can't send the PP sample until the bulk fabric arrives.
Usage note
Also written PPS. Approved with comments means production can start if the comments are applied.
Common phrases
PP sample approval · approved with comments · PP meeting · send the PP sample
Checking materials and products at different stages of production to find defects and make sure they meet the agreed standards.
Where you use it
Often shortened to QC. Typical stages are fabric inspection, inline inspection during sewing and final inspection before shipment, sometimes by a third-party inspection company. QC staff check measurements, workmanship, colour, labels and packing.
Examples
Quality control found loose buttons on 4% of the jackets.
Our quality control team does an inline check after the first 100 pieces.
Usage note
Quality assurance (QA) is wider: it covers the systems and procedures that prevent defects, while quality control finds them.
Common phrases
quality control check · QC report · final inspection · inline inspection · pass QC
Acceptance quality limit: a statistical standard that sets how many defective pieces are allowed in a random sample before a whole shipment fails inspection.
Where you use it
Final inspections are usually done to AQL based on ISO 2859-1 tables. Brands set levels such as AQL 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor defects; the lower the number, the stricter the check. Inspectors report that an order passed or failed AQL.
Examples
The order failed the final inspection at AQL 2.5, so the factory must re-check every carton.
For 3,000 pieces, the AQL table gives a sample size of 125.
Usage note
Many people say acceptable quality level or acceptable quality limit; the standard itself uses acceptance quality limit. All refer to the same idea.
Cut, make and trim: a production arrangement in which the brand supplies the fabric and the factory only cuts, sews and finishes the garments.
Where you use it
CMT is the opposite of a full package or FOB arrangement, where the supplier also buys fabric and trims. CMT prices are lower because they cover only labour and overheads. In Turkey this way of working is called fason, and CMT workshops are common subcontractors.
Examples
We work on a CMT basis for this customer; they ship the fabric to us from Italy.
The CMT price for the shirt is €4.20, excluding trims.
Usage note
Some companies say CM (cut and make) when trims are not included. FOB is a shipping term, but in apparel it often means a full-package price.
Common phrases
CMT price · CMT factory · on a CMT basis · CMT versus full package
The calculation of what a garment will cost to produce, including fabric, trims, labour, processes such as printing or washing, overheads and profit.
Where you use it
Suppliers prepare a costing or cost breakdown for each style; brands compare it with their target price. Fabric consumption from the marker is usually the biggest item. Teams talk about a first costing, a final costing and costing negotiations.
Examples
Can you send a detailed costing with fabric consumption and the price of each trim?
The costing is €1 above our target, so we'll remove the embroidery.
A business that sells goods directly to the public, through shops, a website or both, such as a department store or a fashion chain.
Where you use it
Retailers buy from brands or manufacturers at wholesale prices and sell at retail prices. Common types are fashion retailer, online retailer (e-tailer), multi-brand retailer and department store. The activity is retail: work in retail, retail price, retail sales.
Examples
The retailer wants the delivery split across three dates to match its store launches.
We supply private-label jeans to two large UK retailers.
Usage note
In British English, high street retailer means a mainstream chain found in town-centre shopping streets.
Common phrases
fashion retailer · online retailer · multi-brand retailer · high street retailer
Describing clothes made in standard sizes and sold finished, rather than made to measure for one customer.
Where you use it
Used both as an adjective and a noun: ready-to-wear collections, a ready-to-wear brand, designer ready-to-wear. It is often shortened to RTW. In luxury fashion, ready-to-wear is contrasted with haute couture; the French term prêt-à-porter means the same.
Examples
The brand started with bridal wear and launched its first ready-to-wear line in 2020.
Turkey is one of the largest ready-to-wear exporters to the European Union.
A business model in which retailers turn new trends into low-priced clothing very quickly and bring new products to stores many times a season.
Where you use it
Discussed in business news, sustainability reports and supplier meetings. Fast fashion depends on short lead times, quick reorders and frequent drops, which is why nearby suppliers are valued. Critics link it to overproduction, waste and pressure on factory workers.
Examples
Fast fashion customers expect new styles in store every week.
Our factory works mainly for fast fashion brands, so most orders have a four-week lead time.
Usage note
The opposite idea is often called slow fashion: fewer, better-made garments designed to last longer.
Common phrases
fast fashion brand · fast fashion retailer · fast fashion model · move away from fast fashion
The percentage of stock received that has actually been sold to customers in a given period, used to judge how well a product is selling.
Where you use it
A key figure in weekly trading meetings. It is usually calculated as units sold divided by units received, times 100. High sell-through can lead to a repeat order; low sell-through often leads to markdowns. People say a style has strong or weak sell-through.
Examples
The linen dress had 78% sell-through in four weeks, so we've placed a repeat order.
Sell-through on the knitwear is weak because the weather is still warm.
A person who plans and manages a product range so that the right products are available in the right quantities, at the right time and price.
Where you use it
At retailers, merchandisers handle range planning, budgets, stock and sales analysis alongside buyers. At Turkish export manufacturers, the merchandiser, often called müşteri temsilcisi, follows each order from sampling to shipment and is the main contact for the brand.
Examples
Our merchandiser will send you the updated delivery plan by tomorrow.
The merchandisers decided to cut the number of styles in the shirt range.
Usage note
Do not confuse a merchandiser with a visual merchandiser, who designs window displays and store layouts.
Common phrases
senior merchandiser · merchandising team · range planning · export merchandiser
A person who chooses and orders products for a retailer or brand, deciding which styles, colours and quantities will be sold.
Where you use it
Buyers visit trade shows and showrooms, review samples, negotiate prices and place orders with suppliers. For a Turkish manufacturer, the buyer usually means the customer brand's team. Buying offices or buying houses act for foreign brands in sourcing countries.
Examples
The buyer liked the samples but asked for a lower price on the jackets.
Two buyers from a German chain are visiting the factory next week.
Common phrases
fashion buyer · buying office · buyer meeting · buyer comments · place an order
The sale of goods in large quantities to shops and other businesses, which then sell them to the public at a higher price.
Where you use it
Brands sell wholesale through showrooms, trade fairs and agents, and sell retail through their own stores and websites. The wholesale price is usually about half the retail price or less. In Istanbul, districts like Merter and Laleli are known for clothing wholesale.
Examples
Our wholesale customers place their orders at the trade fair in January.
The wholesale price is €18 and the recommended retail price is €45.
Common phrases
wholesale price · wholesale customer · sell wholesale · wholesale and retail · wholesale order
A series of fashion shows and events held over several days in a city, where designers present their new collections to buyers, press and the public.
Where you use it
The best-known fashion weeks are in New York, London, Milan and Paris, often called the big four, and many other cities, including Istanbul, have their own. Shows usually present collections months before they reach stores. Designers show at, attend or open a fashion week.
Examples
She showed her first collection at London Fashion Week.
During Paris Fashion Week our team visits showrooms to meet new stockists.
Common phrases
show at fashion week · Paris Fashion Week · fashion week schedule · catwalk show
The work of presenting products attractively in shop windows and inside stores, using displays, mannequins, lighting and layout to increase sales.
Where you use it
Often shortened to VM. Visual merchandisers dress mannequins, plan window schemes, build displays and follow brand guidelines. Head office sends stores VM guidelines each season so that all shops look the same.
Examples
Good visual merchandising helped the new denim range sell much faster.
The visual merchandising team will change the windows on Monday night.
Common phrases
visual merchandising guidelines · window display · VM team · dress a mannequin
Clothing designed, made and sold in ways that reduce harm to the environment and treat workers fairly, for example through better materials, less waste and longer use.
Where you use it
A major topic in brand strategy, supplier audits and marketing. Typical terms are organic and recycled fibres, certifications like GOTS and GRS, traceability, water and chemical management, repair and resale. Claims must be supported by evidence, or they can be called greenwashing.
Examples
Our sustainable fashion line uses only certified organic cotton and recycled polyester.
Buyers now ask for proof before they accept any sustainable fashion claims.
The way a garment sits on the body: how tight or loose it is and whether its shape and measurements suit the wearer.
Where you use it
Used constantly in product names (slim fit, regular fit, relaxed fit), fit sessions and fit comments. As a verb, a garment fits someone well or badly. Turkish teams often keep the English word: fit numunesi, fit onayı.
Examples
The fit is good overall, but the shoulders look a little too wide.
We offer this chino in slim fit and regular fit.
Usage note
Turkish uses kalıp for both the paper pattern and the fit (dar kalıp = slim fit). In English these are two different words: pattern and fit.
Common phrases
slim fit · regular fit · fit comments · fit session · fit approval
A table showing the body or garment measurements for each size, so that customers can choose a size and factories can produce consistent garments.
Where you use it
Online shops publish a customer size chart with body measurements; brands send factories a garment measurement chart, also called a spec sheet, with tolerances. Size charts must convert between systems such as EU 38, UK 10 and US 6.
Examples
Returns went down after we added hip measurements to the size chart.
Please follow the size chart in the tech pack, not your standard block.
Common phrases
check the size chart · size chart conversion · garment measurement chart · update the size chart
A session in which a garment or sample is tried on a person or form to check and correct its fit before it is finished or produced.
Where you use it
Brands hold fittings with a fit model, designer, pattern maker and technologist; the result is a list of fit comments for the factory. In tailoring and bridal wear, a customer may have two or three fittings. People attend, book or hold a fitting.
Examples
We have a fitting at 10 a.m. for the new denim jacket.
After the second fitting, the pattern maker lowered the armhole by 1 cm.
Usage note
A fitting room is the changing room in a shop. Do not confuse fitting with fittings, which in buildings means fixtures such as taps and lights.
Common phrases
fit session · first fitting · fitting comments · hold a fitting · fitting room
A change made to a finished garment so that it fits a particular person better, such as shortening sleeves or taking in the waist.
Where you use it
Department stores, tailors and bridal shops offer alterations, often for a fee. Common alterations are hemming trousers, shortening sleeves and taking in or letting out seams. In pattern work, people usually say pattern changes or corrections instead.
Examples
Free alterations are included with every made-to-measure suit.
The bride needs two more alterations before the wedding.
Common phrases
free alterations · alteration service · make alterations · minor alterations
The sizes of the body or of a garment at specific points, such as chest, waist, hip and length, used for patterns, size charts and quality checks.
Where you use it
Body measurements describe people; garment measurements describe the product, often taken flat as half chest or half waist. Tech packs list points of measure (POM) with a how-to-measure guide. QC staff measure garments and compare them with the spec.
Examples
Please take the measurements flat, with the garment fully buttoned.
Three measurements are out of tolerance on the size L sample.
Common phrases
take measurements · body measurements · garment measurements · points of measure · measurement chart
To make a garment or part of it narrower or tighter by sewing the seams further in, for example at the waist or side seams.
Where you use it
Used in fittings, alterations and fit comments. The opposite is let out, which makes a garment wider using the seam allowance. You take in a dress at the waist, take in the side seams or take a jacket in at the back.
Examples
Can you take in the waist by 2 cm? The skirt keeps slipping down.
The side seams were taken in, but now the jacket pulls across the back.
Usage note
The object can go in the middle or at the end: take the waist in or take in the waist. With a pronoun it must go in the middle: take it in.
Common phrases
take in the waist · take in the side seams · take in and let out · take in at the back
The amount by which a garment measurement may differ from the specified measurement and still be accepted, for example plus or minus 1 cm.
Where you use it
Every point of measure in a tech pack has its own tolerance: larger for long or stretchy measurements, smaller for details like collar width. Inspectors mark measurements as in tolerance or out of tolerance. Written as +/- 1 cm or ±1 cm.
Examples
The body length is 1.5 cm short, which is outside the tolerance of ±1 cm.
Can we increase the tolerance on the waist for this stretch fabric?
Common phrases
within tolerance · out of tolerance · tolerance of ±1 cm · measurement tolerance
The set of sizes in which a style is produced and sold, from the smallest to the largest, such as XS to XL or 34 to 46.
Where you use it
Brands decide the size range for each product and customer group; some offer extended sizes, plus sizes, petite or tall ranges. Orders give a size breakdown or size ratio showing how many pieces of each size are needed.
Examples
We're extending the size range of the jeans to include 48 and 50.
The size range is XS to XXL, with a ratio of 1-2-3-3-2-1.
Common phrases
full size range · extended size range · size breakdown · size ratio · plus-size range
A person whose body measurements match a brand's base sample size and who tries on samples so the team can check and improve the fit.
Where you use it
Fit models work with designers, pattern makers and garment technologists in fit sessions. They are chosen for their measurements, not their looks, and they give feedback on comfort and movement. Brands may also use dress forms in the same size.
Examples
Our fit model is a size 38, so all first samples are made in 38.
The fit model said the armhole feels tight when she lifts her arms.
Common phrases
fit model session · book a fit model · on the fit model · live fit model
Fitting as expected for the size on the label, so customers can buy their usual size without going up or down.
Where you use it
Common in product descriptions, online reviews and customer service. The opposites are runs small (dar kalıp) and runs large or runs big (geniş kalıp). Shops write fit advice such as fits true to size or we recommend sizing up.
Examples
These trainers fit true to size, so order your usual size.
Most reviews say the dress is true to size but a bit long.
Common phrases
fits true to size · runs small · runs large · size up · size down
Deliberately designed to be much bigger and looser than the body, as a style choice, such as an oversized blazer or T-shirt.
Where you use it
A fit and style name used in product titles and fit descriptions, alongside relaxed, boxy and slim. Oversized garments are graded and measured like other garments; the extra room is design ease, not a bigger size label.
Examples
The oversized hoodie has dropped shoulders and a longer body.
If you prefer a less oversized look, take one size smaller.
Usage note
Turkish speakers usually say oversize; in English product names oversized is more common, although oversize is also used.
Ten questions from this glossary. Pick the right meaning for each term and see your score.
How to learn fashion & textiles vocabulary
Read real English texts from the field every week: tech packs and measurement charts, fabric spec sheets from mills, trims catalogues, trade press articles and brands' sustainability reports. Notice which verbs go with each term: approve a lab dip, grade a pattern, lay a marker, take in a seam.
Keep a list with the Turkish shop-floor word next to each English term, such as marker and pastal, interfacing and tela, dart and pens, coverstitch and reçme, lead time and termin. In the factory you hear the Turkish word; in the buyer's email you read the English one.
Learn British and American pairs together, because buyers use both: zip and zipper, trousers and pants, jumper and sweater, waistcoat and vest, fibre and fiber, colourway and colorway. Be careful with pants: in British English it means underwear.
Practise describing a garment out loud from top to bottom: the fabric and its composition, the neckline and collar, the sleeves and cuffs, the seams and finishes, the fit. This is exactly what you do when you write fit comments or present a sample.
Learn the sample stages in order: proto, fit sample, salesman sample, PP sample and shipment sample. Most emails between brands and suppliers are about one of these stages, so the same phrases come up again and again.
Frequently asked questions
Does pattern mean kalıp or desen?
Both, and the context tells you which. In sewing and production, a pattern is the paper or digital template used to cut the pieces of a garment, so the pattern maker is the modelist and the pattern room is the modelhane. In design, a pattern is a repeated decoration on fabric, like stripes, checks or flowers. To avoid confusion, many designers say print, motif or design for the decoration and keep pattern for the template.
What is the difference between a proto sample, a fit sample and a PP sample?
They are steps in the same process. A proto (prototype) is the first version of a new style, often made in available fabric, to check the design idea. A fit sample is made in the base size and tried on a fit model to correct the fit and measurements. A PP (pre-production) sample is made with the actual bulk fabric, trims and colours exactly as the factory will produce it; production should not start until the buyer approves it.
Should I write fibre or fiber, colour or color?
Both spellings are correct: fibre, colour and colourway are British; fiber, color and colorway are American. Follow your buyer. European and British brands usually use British spelling, American brands use American spelling. More important than spelling are the word differences: a British buyer orders trousers, jumpers and zips, while an American buyer orders pants, sweaters and zippers.
How do I say süprem, ribana, interlok or dimi in English?
Many Turkish fabric names have standard English equivalents. Süprem is single jersey, ribana is rib (for example 1x1 rib or 2x2 rib), interlok is interlock and üç iplik is three-thread fleece, which becomes brushed fleece when it is şardonlu. Among woven fabrics, dimi is twill, bezayağı is plain weave and poplin is poplin. When you are not sure, add the composition and weight: 95% cotton 5% elastane single jersey, 160 gsm.
Can I use the word material instead of fabric?
In everyday English, yes: a shop assistant might say this material is very soft. In professional texts, fabric is more precise and more common: fabric supplier, fabric composition, fabric weight. Materials usually means everything a garment is made of, including trims, labels and packaging, as in bill of materials. And remember the false friend: fabric is kumaş, never fabrika; a factory is a factory or a mill.
