Fashion & Textiles Vocabulary: 244 Key English Terms

Cloth made by weaving, knitting or bonding fibres or yarns together, used to make clothes, home textiles and many other products.

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.

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.

A strong synthetic fibre made from oil-based chemicals; it dries quickly, resists creasing and is the most produced textile fibre in the world.

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.

Made from yarn formed into rows of connected loops, which makes the fabric naturally stretchy, as in T-shirts, sweatshirts and jumpers.

The fibres a fabric or garment is made of and their percentages, for example 60% cotton, 40% polyester.

Grams per square metre: the standard measure of how heavy a fabric is, for example a 180 gsm T-shirt jersey.

A strong cotton twill fabric, traditionally with indigo-dyed warp yarns and white weft yarns, used mainly for jeans and jackets.

A soft, stretchy knitted fabric with a smooth face and a looped back, used for T-shirts, dresses and many casual garments.

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.

A soft, smooth fibre made from wood pulp that is chemically dissolved and regenerated, known for its fluid drape and silky feel.

A natural fibre and fabric made from the stems of the flax plant, cool and strong but creasing easily, popular for summer clothing.

The natural fibre from the coat of sheep, and the yarn or fabric made from it, valued for warmth, elasticity and comfort.

A fine, strong natural fibre produced by silkworms when they make their cocoons, and the smooth, shiny fabric woven from it.

Puckered woven cloth with alternating smooth and crinkled stripes.

Fine transparent plain-weave cloth with a crisp handle.

Crisp closely woven cloth with a smooth surface and rustling handle.

Closely woven fabric with a steep diagonal twill rib.

Cut-pile cloth with raised lengthwise ribs.

Short cut-pile fabric with a pile formed from extra weft yarns.

Looped fancy yarn or fabric with a looped surface.

Yarn with short fibres projecting around a core to create a fuzzy surface.

Sheer crepe fabric with a grainy surface made using highly twisted yarns.

Lightweight fine plain-weave cloth that is semi-transparent.

Fine lightweight closely woven plain-weave cloth.

Yarn formed from continuous lengths of fibre.

Fibre of limited length that can be spun into yarn.

Yarn with a central filament or strand wrapped in other fibres.

Yarn with deliberately thicker sections for an uneven texture.

Fabric straight from weaving or knitting before wet processing and finishing.

Strip cut diagonally across woven cloth to finish curved edges.

Strong plant fibre obtained from the stems of the ramie plant.

Bast fibre obtained from hemp stems and used in yarn and cloth.

Coarse plant fibre from jute stems, commonly used in sacks and backing fabrics.

Hair fibre from the Angora goat, valued for lustre and resilience.

Fine soft fibre from the undercoat of cashmere goats.

Hair fibre obtained from alpacas and used in warm textiles.

Synthetic polyamide fibre used for strong lightweight textiles.

Manufactured fibre made from cellulose acetate, often used for lustrous linings.

Regenerated cellulose fibre made using a copper-ammonia solution.

Regenerated cellulose fibre made by directly dissolving cellulose in a solvent.

Fabric with a raised textured pattern, often knitted for polo shirts.

Fabric reinforced with regularly spaced stronger yarns to resist the spread of tears.

Three-dimensional textile with two surface layers held apart by connecting yarns.

Fine warp-knitted fabric commonly used for lingerie and linings.

Fabric with pronounced crosswise ribs, often used for structured clothing.

Synthetic rubber used in flexible insulating sheets, often laminated to textile layers.

Firm elastic net fabric used to support and shape close-fitting garments.

Weft-faced satin-weave fabric with a smooth lustrous surface.

A continuous thread made by twisting fibres together, which is then woven or knitted into fabric.

The pattern in which the lengthwise warp yarns and crosswise weft yarns are interlaced in a woven fabric, such as plain, twill or satin.

The process of making fabric or garments by forming yarn into connected loops, by hand or on circular, flat or warp knitting machines.

The process of adding colour to fibre, yarn, fabric or finished garments by treating them with dyes, usually in water and with heat.

Treatments given to fabric after weaving, knitting or dyeing to improve its look, feel or performance, such as softening, brushing or anti-shrink processes.

The amount a fabric or garment gets smaller, usually after washing or steaming, given as a percentage of its length and width.

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.

The forming of small balls of fibre on the surface of a fabric when it is rubbed during wear or washing.

Burning off projecting surface fibres from yarn or fabric.

Removing protective size from woven fabric before later wet processing.

Strong alkali treatment of cotton to change dye uptake and often lustre.

Using controlled heat to stabilise thermoplastic fibre structures.

Passing fabric through rollers to smooth or compress its surface.

Controlled felting of wool fabric to make it denser.

Holding fabric to width during drying or heat treatment.

Enzyme treatment to remove surface fuzz from cellulosic fabric.

Rotation of knitted fabric that makes garment seams twist.

Unwanted repeated stripes caused by differences in yarn or processing.

Unwanted vertical line in knitted fabric associated with a faulty needle.

Knitted loop that has slipped free and can start a run.

Vertical column of loops in knitted fabric.

Knitting separate areas of colour using separate yarn supplies.

Knitted to shape by increasing or decreasing stitches.

Mechanically entangling fibres using barbed needles to form nonwoven fabric.

Bonding a fibre web with high-pressure water jets.

Looped or eyed loom component that guides a warp yarn during shedding.

Roller holding the prepared warp yarns for weaving.

Placing a crosswise yarn through the warp opening during weaving.

Separating warp yarns to form an opening for the weft.

Pushing a newly inserted weft yarn into the growing fabric with the reed.

Knitting needle with a hinged latch that closes its hook during loop formation.

Knitting-machine element that helps control fabric and loops during stitch formation.

Knitted stitch formed when a needle holds an existing loop while taking an additional yarn.

Knitting action in which a needle does not take the new yarn, leaving a float.

Moving a knitted loop from one needle to another.

Cleaning textile material to remove oils, waxes and other impurities before further processing.

Steam treatment used to stabilise and improve the handle of wool fabrics.

Splitting of fibre surfaces into fine fibrils, sometimes visible as fuzz on fabric.

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.

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.

The part of a garment that covers all or part of the arm, attached to the body of the garment at the armhole.

The band or folded piece of fabric attached around the neckline of a shirt, jacket or coat, which can stand up or fold down.

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.

A fastener made of two rows of metal or plastic teeth that lock together when a slider is pulled along them.

All the materials used on a garment apart from the main fabric, such as buttons, zips, labels, thread, elastic, tape and hangtags.

The band of fabric sewn around the top of trousers, a skirt or shorts, which holds the garment at the waist.

A small bag of fabric sewn onto or into a garment to carry things, or for decoration, such as the front pockets of jeans.

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.

The edge and shape of a garment around the neck, such as a crew neck, V-neck or boat neck.

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.

A layer of material placed between the outer fabric and the facing, often ironed on, to make parts like collars, cuffs and plackets firmer.

Inserted piece of fabric that adds room or reinforcement.

Inserted triangular panel that adds flare to a garment.

Shaped panel joined to others to create a flared skirt.

Short flared or gathered section attached around the waist.

Decorative or functional strap on the shoulder of a garment.

Extra panel covering an opening to reduce rain or wind entry.

Fabric mounted to the outer fabric and handled as one layer.

Narrow tape sewn into a garment to stabilise an edge or seam.

Narrow stiff strips supporting the shape of a fitted garment.

Internal band supporting a fitted dress at the waist.

Lightweight sleeveless upper-body garment held by narrow shoulder straps.

Short jacket that ends above or near the waist.

Wide-legged trousers cut to look similar to a skirt.

One-piece garment combining an upper body with trousers.

Trousers with an attached bib held up by shoulder straps.

Sleeveless outer garment worn over other clothing for an extra layer.

Hooded outer jacket, traditionally pulled on over the head.

Hooded outer coat designed for protection from cold weather.

Folded-back front section of a jacket or coat below the collar.

Shaped garment panel supporting or joining other sections, often across shoulders or hips.

Shaped fabric piece sewn inside an edge to finish an opening.

Narrow folded strip that finishes and defines a pocket opening.

Small stiff insert that keeps a shirt collar point straight.

Fabric panel placed behind an opening to provide additional coverage.

Small strap used to hold a rolled sleeve in position.

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.

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.

A single loop of thread made by a needle in sewing, or a particular type of stitching such as lockstitch, chainstitch or coverstitch.

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.

A fold of fabric pressed or stitched in place to add fullness or shape, as in a pleated skirt or pleated trousers.

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.

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.

Twice-sewn seam enclosing the raw edges within itself.

Seam with enclosed edges folded and stitched flat against the garment.

Binding applied to individual seam allowance edges.

Stitching the facing to seam allowances to stop it rolling out.

Stitching within the seam allowance to prevent an edge stretching.

Small stitches joining tailoring layers while shaping them.

Short dense stitching reinforcing a stress point.

Parallel rows of gathering, often made with elastic thread.

Embroidery worked across gathered fabric to hold decorative folds.

Gathered fabric arranged as a decorative design feature.

Very narrow stitched fold used as a decorative fabric detail.

Temporary loose thread marking transferred through fabric layers.

Visible stitches between joined panels when a seam is pulled open.

Sewing-machine part that holds fabric against the feed mechanism while stitching.

Toothed sewing-machine component that moves fabric beneath the presser foot.

Small spool carrying the lower thread in many sewing machines.

Small cutting tool designed to remove stitches from a seam.

Protective cap worn on a finger to push a hand-sewing needle.

Sewing-machine attachment or mechanism that helps move upper fabric layers with the lower layers.

Feeding system with separately controlled feed sections that regulate stretching or gathering during sewing.

Sewing needle with a rounded tip intended to pass between knitted yarns.

Firm narrow pressing cushion used to press seams without marking adjacent fabric.

Rounded firm pressing cushion used to shape curved garment areas.

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.

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.

The process of making a pattern in all the other sizes from the base size, by adding or removing set amounts at specific points.

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.

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.

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.

A basic pattern without style details, made from standard measurements, which pattern makers adapt to create new designs.

A plan showing how all the pattern pieces are arranged on the fabric for cutting, designed to use as little fabric as possible.

Width of fabric removed by closing a dart.

Correcting pattern lines and joins so pieces fit together smoothly.

Comparing matching pattern seam lengths along their stitching lines.

Extra length needed by an outer fabric layer around a fold.

Cutting and opening a pattern to add fullness or change its shape.

Long shaping seam replacing darts in a fitted bodice.

Rotating a pattern around a fixed point to transfer a dart.

Small internal pattern mark transferred to cut fabric to locate a construction point.

Finished lengthwise edge of woven fabric that resists unravelling.

Instruction to place a pattern edge on folded cloth so the opened piece is continuous.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A print that covers the whole surface of the fabric with a repeating design, as opposed to a single placement print on one area.

The smallest unit of a print or woven design that is repeated across the fabric, and the distance after which the design starts again.

A printing method that pushes ink through a fine mesh screen onto fabric, using a separate screen for each colour in the design.

Printing designs directly onto fabric or garments from a computer file with inkjet machines, without screens.

Describing fabric woven or knitted from yarns that were dyed before fabric production, which is how most woven stripes and checks are made.

Decoration sewn onto fabric with thread, by hand or by machine, such as a logo on a polo shirt or flowers on a blouse.

Broken check design with projecting pointed shapes.

Making patterns by preventing dye reaching selected areas.

Removing colour locally from previously dyed fabric to form a pattern.

Applying short fibres to adhesive areas to form a raised print.

Holding a decorative thread onto fabric with separate small stitches.

Decorative stitching around small cut holes in cloth.

Japanese resist-dyeing methods that bind, fold, stitch or compress cloth to form patterns.

A group of garments and accessories designed together for one season or event, sharing a theme, colour palette and fabrics.

A style, colour, shape or idea that becomes popular for a period of time and influences what designers create and what customers buy.

A board or digital page of images, colours, fabric swatches and words that shows the feeling and direction of a collection before design begins.

One of the periods of the fashion calendar for which collections are designed and sold, mainly spring/summer and autumn/winter.

A set of styled photographs showing the outfits of a collection, used to present it to buyers, press and customers.

The overall outline or shape of a garment or outfit on the body, such as A-line, straight, fitted or oversized.

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.

A precise black-and-white drawing of a garment laid flat, from the front and back, showing seams, stitching and details for the factory.

Clothing designed to make dressing or wearing easier for disabled people.

Garment designed to be worn in more than one configuration.

Designing garment patterns to use the fabric with no cutting waste.

A trial garment or piece of material made before bulk production so that designers and buyers can check its look, fit, quality and price.

A document with all the technical information a factory needs to make a garment: drawings, measurements, materials, trims, construction details and labels.

The time between placing an order and receiving the finished goods, including material sourcing, production and shipping.

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.

Minimum order quantity: the smallest number of pieces or metres a supplier will accept for one order, style or colour.

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.

Checking materials and products at different stages of production to find defects and make sure they meet the agreed standards.

Acceptance quality limit: a statistical standard that sets how many defective pieces are allowed in a random sample before a whole shipment fails inspection.

Cut, make and trim: a production arrangement in which the brand supplies the fabric and the factory only cuts, sews and finishes the garments.

The calculation of what a garment will cost to produce, including fabric, trims, labour, processes such as printing or washing, overheads and profit.

An approved set of fabric samples showing acceptable colour variation in bulk production.

Identification attached to a bundle of cut garment components.

Plan allocating sizes and quantities to cutting lays.

Factory procedure controlling needles and accounting for broken fragments.

A business that sells goods directly to the public, through shops, a website or both, such as a department store or a fashion chain.

Describing clothes made in standard sizes and sold finished, rather than made to measure for one customer.

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.

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.

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.

A person who chooses and orders products for a retailer or brand, deciding which styles, colours and quantities will be sold.

The sale of goods in large quantities to shops and other businesses, which then sell them to the public at a higher price.

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.

The work of presenting products attractively in shop windows and inside stores, using displays, mannequins, lighting and layout to increase sales.

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.

The way a garment sits on the body: how tight or loose it is and whether its shape and measurements suit the wearer.

A table showing the body or garment measurements for each size, so that customers can choose a size and factories can produce consistent garments.

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.

A change made to a finished garment so that it fits a particular person better, such as shortening sleeves or taking in the waist.

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.

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.

The amount by which a garment measurement may differ from the specified measurement and still be accepted, for example plus or minus 1 cm.

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.

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.

Fitting as expected for the size on the label, so customers can buy their usual size without going up or down.

Deliberately designed to be much bigger and looser than the body, as a style choice, such as an oversized blazer or T-shirt.

Vertical distance from the waist to a seated surface used in trouser fitting.

Body measurement from the front waist through the legs to the back waist.

Angle of the shoulder line from the neck towards the arm.

Fabric wrinkles that indicate tension or imbalance in garment fit.

Pattern correction repositioning the shoulder seam for forward shoulders.

Pattern alteration adding room for a fuller bust while preserving the intended fit elsewhere.

Pattern alteration removing excess length at the lower back for a closer fit.