A – Z Glossary on Apparel Manufacturing

Apparel production is an intimidating industry to dive into. One of the toughest obstacles is learning the lingo. To help you out, we’ve compiled the ultimate glossary of apparel design and manufacturing terminology. Use this as your go-to guide so you can focus on more important things like building your brand, connecting with suppliers, or expanding your product line!

Top 15 Terms To Know

1. CUT AND SEW

Knit fabrics that are laid out and cut like a woven fabric, instead of being full-fashioned

2. CAD

Computer Aided Design- used as a conceptual tool to design and develop products

3. FLAT SKETCHES

Technical sketch of a product as if it were laying flat- includes stitching & seaming details

4. FULL-FASHIONED

Knit garments that have been shaped on a flat knitting machine

5. GRADING

Proportionately increasing or decreasing the dimensions of parts of a product according to the size ranges intended for production.

6. KNIT

Fabric created by interlocking loops of yarn

7. MARKER

A full-scale diagram, usually on paper, indicating the most fabric conscience placement for all the graded pattern pieces in a garment.  Used in the fabric cutting process for production.

8. MINIMUMS

The minimum quantity that a vendor requires in order to contract their goods or services.

9. PATTERN

A paper or computer model for each piece of a product.  Used as a guide to construct a product.

10. PROTOTYPE

A full size working model of a new product or new version of an existing product used as a basis for later production stages.

11. PURCHASE ORDER (PO)

A legal, binding contract between a buyer and a supplier.

12. SOURCING

Process of obtain goods and/or services from a manufacturer either domestically or globally.

13. TECHNICAL SPEC PACKAGING (TECH PACK)

Includes all the information to communicate to a vendor how to produce a product (size, fabrication, quality standards, etc.)

14. WOVEN

Fabric composed of two yarns running in perpendicular directions woven together

15. FABRIC CONSTRUCTION

The specific base construction of a fabric: (knit, woven, or non-woven), type of structure and size/weight.