Glossary

50/50

50 percent cotton / 50 percent polyester fabric, also referred to as polycotton.

Bleach wash

It's a process of washing a fabric or a garment with bleach product to soften the look of the fabric.

Belcoro® Yarn

Is a trademarked process of spinning cotton. The spinning process produces a yarn that is softer and stays softer than more traditionally produced yarns.

Burlap

Thick, rough fabric that is usually used for making sacks.

Crew collar

A rounded, ribbed collar cut loose to the neck.

Canvas

A heavy, closely woven fabric of cotton, hemp, or flax, originally used for making tents and sails.

Cotton yarn that has been combed to remove short fibers and straighten or arrange longer fibers in parallel order resulting in a smooth yarn used in finer garments. A secondary cleansing process performed to remove additional impurities from the staple fiber after carding.

Cotton

The fibers harvested from within the seed pods of a cotton plant. These are between 1/2 and 2 inches long and can be spun into thread that are woven into cotton fabrics.

Cuffs

The end part of a sleeve, where the material of the sleeve is turned back or a separate band is sewn on.

Double-Needle Stitched

A finish used on a sleeve and/or bottom hem(used also for bags) that uses two needles to create parallel rows of visible stitching. It gives the garment a cleaner, more finished look and adds durability.

Draw cord

A cord or ribbon run through a hem or casing and pulled to tighten or close an opening or drawstring.

Direct to garment (DTG)

Textile customization technique that consists in printing visuals thanks to ink jets using specialized printer for fabrics.

Elastic

Easily stretched rubber usually prepared in cords, strings or bands. An elastic fiber is usually made of yarns containing rubber.

Embroidery

Is the process of decorating fabric with a design formed by applying stitches of thread combining texture, pattern and color.

Eyelets

Small holes or perforations made in a series to allow for breathability. Finished with either stitching or brass grommets.

Flocking

Textile customization method that consists in creating a visual on a paper specially designed for flocking, then to deposit this visual on the fabric to be flocked before using a hot press to transfer the visual on the textile.

Heather

A yarn that is spun using pre-dyed fibers. These fibers are blended together to give a particular look. (For example, black and white may be blended together to create a gray heathered yarn.) The term, heather, may also be used to describe the fabric made from heathered yarns.

Heavyweight

Fabric heavier than 280 grams. Standard weight in the industry is 230 grams or lighter.

Hem

The edge of a piece of cloth or clothing which has been turned under and sewn.

Jersey

A type of fabric with a flat appearance, knit on a circular, single-knit machine; its principal distinction is that it is not a fabric with a distinct rib.

Low Profile

A cap style with a low slope that is more closely fitted to the head. Can be either structured or unstructured.

Lycra

An elastomeric fiber that is blended with other fibers. Can stretch 500 percent without breaking. Holds dyes well and is resistant to heat. Trademark owned by du pont.

Loose fit

Loose-fitting clothing is quite large and does not fit tightly.

Lurex®

Trademark. Fabric containing a thin metallic thread, which gives it a glittering appearance

Microfleece

A high density, anti-pilling fleece made of knit micro-fibers that are brushed less than a regular fleece garment. It has a high capacity for warmth without the weight.

Microfiber

This fabric is tightly woven from a very fine poly thread and has a sueded finish for a luxurious, soft feel. Microfiber fabric is naturally water repellent due to its construction process and when specially treated, can also be waterproof.

Neck tape

Protective band of tape sewn over the seam between the shell and the collar for a more comfortable feel to the garment.

Neoprene®

Trademark. Synthetic rubber used in wetsuits and swimsuits. It is a thermal and stretchy material.

Organic cotton

Cotton grown without the use of chemicals, but with ecological fertilizers.

Pre-shrunk Cotton

Preshrunk garments are items of clothing that have already been washed, so additional washings will not shrink the garment.

Polyester

A wrinkle resistant fabric of man-made filament fibers.

Raglan

A raglan sleeve is stitched under the arm and in two parallel lines leading from the armpit to the neck; it makes for ease of arm movement.

Spandex

It is a type of material that stretches and is used especially for making clothes fit tightly.

Side seams

Seams that join the front and back together. This feature is not found on t-shirts and some placket shirts.

Screen printing

Method of textile customization where the ink is directly applied to the fabric to be customized using a frame (called a screen printing carousel) on which the fabric is placed, which is then covered with a stencil where the colors are applied one after the other.

Sublimation printing

Method of textile printing which consists of printing the desired image on a special paper, using sublimation inks. The paper is then pushed with a hot press on the fabric which ensures that the ink is injected directly into the textile. So the image is not on top (as with flocking) of the textile but is inside the textile.

Supima®

Supima is the marketing brand for American-grown Pima cotton. This type of cotton is of exceptional quality and softness thanks to its fibers which are 30% longer than average. This type of cotton is therefore softer and 45% stronger than normal cotton. Being grown exclusively in Texas and California, only 1% of apparel worldwide is made with Supima Cotton. Because Pima cotton is so much softer, it is very popular for textiles like t-shirts, socks and underwear.

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