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Cap Sleeves
Sleeve type used mainly in ladies styles but is
also used in unisex styles. Standard tee sleeve length is approximately
to the elbow. Cap sleeves would fall midway between the elbow and the shoulder.
Carded Cotton
Yarn that has been cleaned, aligned and formed
into a continuous untwisted strand but has NOT gone through additional spinning
processes like combing or ring-spinning.
Carding
Preliminary process in yarn spinning. Fibers are
separated and made into more parallel-untwisted strand called SLIVERS. This
process also removes most of the impurities and a certain amount of short
or broken fibers.
Chambray
A
lightweight plain colored and natural or white weave fabric usually of cotton
or rayon, or a blend of these.
Clean-finished Placket
Typically
the interfacings of plackets are raw or edged, which means they can look
ragged or uneven, particularly on light-colored shirts. Cutting the interfacing
in a rectangle, then turning the edges under and fusing them in place, creates
a straight placket with no raw edges. All that shows inside the shirt is
the smooth edge.
Colorfast
A term used
to describe fabrics of sufficient color retention so that no noticeable
changes in shed takes place during the "normal" life of the garment.
Combed Cotton
Cotton yarn that has been combed to remove short
fibers and to straighten or arrange longer fibers in parallel order.
Combing
A secondary cleansing process performed to remove
additional impurities from the staple fibers after carding. This is a more
refined cotton than what carding produces.
Compacting
A process that compacts the space between
fabric fiber pockets. This will prevent cotton shrinkage.
Core Vents
Included to efficiently dissipate excess body heat and perspiration vapor.
Cotton
Cotton is named for a shrubby plant (genus Gossypium) of the MALLOW family,
for the fibers surrounding the seeds, and for the cloth woven from the spun
fibers. Each of the seeds, which are contained in capsules, or bolls, is
surrounded by white or cream-colored downy fibers that flatten and twist
naturally as they dry. Cotton is tropical in origin but is now cultivated
worldwide. It has been spun, woven, and dyed since prehistoric times.
Coverseaming/Coverstitching
Two needles are used, to overlap the threads underneath, reinforcing the
seams with a smooth layer of threads. Provides a look similar to double
needle stitching.
Acrylic
Generic name for man made fibers derived from polyacrylonitrile.
Features a soft , woolly hand; wash and wear performance; brilliant high shade
colors; good sunlight and wrinkle resistance.
Air Jet Spinning
During Air Jet Spinning, yarn is made by wrapping
fibers around a core stream of fibers with compressed air. In this process
, the fibers are stretched to the appropriate size , then fed to the air jet
chambers where they are twisted, first in one direction, then in the reverse
direction in a second chamber. The yarn is stabilized after each operation.
Yarn produced this way pills less because the spinning process creates a tighter
outer wrap which holds otherwise loose polyester fibers (as seen in Open End
Spinning) in place. Fewer loose polyester fibers means less pilling.
Argyle
A popular design
for knitted fabrics, both hand and machine knit. Two or three colors generally
are used in a diamond-shaped pattern.
Banded
When fabric
is folded double and sewn down. Seen on tee shirt collars and staff shirt
sleeves.
Banded Self-Collar
A type of collar made of the same material as the
shirt. The two basic kinds of this collar are the simulated, made of two pieces,
or the true, made of four pieces.
Buckram Backing
Stiff fabric
used to give shape and form to items like caps, belts, etc. Also used to stabilize
embroidery, edges.
Denier
Used to denote thickness and strength in synthetic fabrics (polyester
and nylon). The smaller the number of denier the thinner the strand of polyester
and the larger the number the thicker the strand of polyester.
Denim
A cotton or blended fabric with right- or left-hand twill constructions. The
wrap is usually dyed blue with a white filing. Double-needle A double row
of stitching at the seam.
Double-Needle Stitched A finish used
on a sleeve and/or bottom hem 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.
Drop Seam
A seam that is cut and lays below the shoulder of the garment.
Drop Tail
A design feature found in upscale products where the back of the garment is
longer than the front, sometimes referred to as an "elongated" back.
End-On-End
An alternating color or striped effect.
Enzyme Wash
A fabric softening process
that gives a soft hand to fabric and wears the color down very slightly. Does
not have a washed out look like pigment dying.
Fabric Finishing
A process through which fibers, yarns, and fabrics are passed to improve their
appearance, feel and/or performance in preparation for their end use.
50/50
50 percent cotton/50 percent polyester fabric; also
referred to as polycotton.
Fleece
A fabric with a pile or napped surface, sometimes
of a unit construction; commonly used in sweats.
Four-needle Stitching
Used to reinforce the waistband in shorts and sweatpants.
French Placket
Is to woven shirts as a set-on placket is to staff
shirts.
Gauntlet
The small placket on the arm of a woven sport shirt to create more ease of
movement.
Graded Collar
The size of the collar changes proportionally with the size of the shirt.
Greige (Gray) Goods
Knitted or woven fabrics of all fibers in an unfinished state, after they
have been woven and before dyeing or finishing.
Gusset
Triangular inserts in sleeve seams to widen and strengthen.
Half Moon Sweat Patch
The inset back yoke of many upscale-type golf shirts. While called a "sweat
patch," it is actually there for decoration purposes and extra collar support.
Hand
The "feel" of a fabric's texture, weight, drape and finish when felt within
your hands (i.e. its tactile qualities).
Heather
Blended fibers combined to create a vari-colored effect; e.g. heather
gray. Heathered fabric typically contains 3 fibers: cotton, polyester or rayon.
Heavyweight
Fabric heavier than 10 ounces per linear yard, equal to 1.60 yield. Standard
weight in the industry is 8 ounces (2.0 yield) or lighter.
Henley Style
A shirt featuring a banded neck and button placket; may be ribbed.
Herringbone
A twilled fabric with a herringbone pattern, namely a pattern made up of rows
of parallel lines, which in any two adjacent rows slope in opposite directions.
High Profile Cap
A high-profile cap's arch begins at 3 inches.
Honeycomb Pique
A knit fabric that is characterized by a wider waffle-like appearance, which
actually allows the wearer more comfort.
Interlock Fabric
Interlock is a variation of rib knit construction.
Similar to a Jersey knit except both front and back of the fabric look identical.
Double knit construction makes this a thicker knit fabric.
Interlock is the tightest weave, gives the smoothest surface and the finest hand. The fabric is extremely soft, firm and absorbent.
Jacquard Knit
Dyed yarn knit on sophisticated equipment to produce a desired pattern and/or
texture in the fabric and/or collar.
Jaspe Pique
Two color yarns create subtle tone variations on the surface of the fabric.
This will allow exceptional embroidery surfaces.
Jersey Fabric
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.
Kangaroo Pocket
A large front single pocket, with side openings allowing both hands to be
inserted, meeting in the Middle.(See Also muff pocket)
Knit Fabric
A fabric formed by the inter-meshing of loops of yarn creating a stretchable
fabric.some knit fabrics are pique, jersey and fleece.
Locker Loop
Self-fabric loop sewn into the center of the back yoke seam for a functional
styling detail.
Logo
Artistic interpretation of a company's sign or symbol. These figures can be
copyrighted or trademarked. Permission is needed for duplication.
Low Profile
Any crown of a cap that is less than 4" in height (usually the arch begins
at 2 to 3 inches). Not to be confused with unstructured. There are low profile
caps that are structured.
Lycra/Spandex
Elastic yarn comprised of at least 85% of segmented polyurethane thus giving
it the ability to stretch.
Marbled
A texture that involves a body color with contrasting highlight flecks on
the surface. These flecks give the garment a heather-like appearance.
Medium Weight
Classification for fabric of 22 to 24 single yarn, where the number of yarn
denotes the overall fabric weight.
Mercerization
A process that eliminates all of the small "hairs" of cotton yarn or cloth,
which adds to its luster. This yarn is then additionally run through a caustic
solution, which further smoothes and adds gloss to the yarn surface by burning
off additional fabric hairs.
This process slightly pre-shrinks yarn and makes it stronger. Also helps with dye absorbency to achieve a richer color.
Micro-fiber Polyester
Extremely fine synthetic fiber used to produce soft, lightweight fabrics which
are resilient and resist wrinkling. Clothing made with microfibers has a luxurious
drape and the body retains its shape and resists pilling. Most often used
in outerwear with water resistant coatings.
Most other fabrics have 70-80 tendrils of yarn per strand. Microfiber has 216 tendrils per strand which makes it very strong and durable.
Did you know? Micro-fiber Polyester is made from recycled plastic bottles that are cleaned, crushed, melted and extruded into fibers. Every bit as warm and durable as virgin polyester, but takes less processing energy.
Micro Pique
A pique fabric characterized by a prominent, all-over mini geometric texture
on the fabric face and a jersey stitch on the fabric's back. The softest of
all pique fabrics due to the way it is knit.
Mock turtleneck
A shortened version of the turtleneck where the neck of the garment does not
fold over.
Muff pocket
A large front single pocket, with side openings allowing both hands to be
inserted, meeting in the middle. (See also kangaroo pocket)
Open-end Yarn
A process that eliminates some manufacturing steps needed for ring-spun yarn.
This cost-saving process is passed on to the garments produced.
Ounces of Fabric
A measurement of fabric weight, referring to the weight for one square yard
of fabric. Needed to make an apples-to-apples comparison between styles, especially
with tee shirts and fleece (sweatshirts).
Oxford Cloth
A soft, somewhat porous textured cotton weave that creates a soft, nubby texture.
Created by weaving a single filling yarn woven over and under two smaller
warp yarns.
Peach Finish or Skin
A sueded finish with a soft hand, resulting from sanding or chemical treatment
of a fabric.
Peruvian Pima Cotton
Peruvian Pima Cotton is often referred to as the "cashmere of cotton"- the
softest, smoothest, "silkiest" fabric you can wear. Shrinkage standard for
Peruvian Pima fabrics is a maximum of 5 x 5 if the garment is washed following
directions on the label.
Piece-Dyed
Term used when the knitted cloth is dyed prior to being assembled into a finished
product.
Pilling
Accumulation of fibers on the surface of a fabric, caused by wear and washing.
In 50/50 fabric, cotton fibers tear and become tangled with the stronger fibers
on the surface of the garment. A higher cotton content results in less pilling.
Pima Cotton
High-quality yarn made by plying yarns spun from long combed staple (meaning
the length of the individual fibers). This type of cotton is a very soft and
strong fiber that accepts dye well. Its natural color is yellow as opposed
to white for other cotton.
Pinpoint Oxford
Two fine yarns that are wrapped together for a fine and luxurious hand.
Pinwale
A very narrow ridge or rib in a fabric (from 16 to 23 wales to the inch) Example:
Pinwale corduroy.
Piping
A narrow tube of fabric, sometimes enclosing a cord, used for trimming seams
and edges.
Pique (pronounced pee-kay)
A knit fabric that is characterized by its waffle-like appearance. Has a distinct
right and wrong side.The right side resembles a Honey Comb or a waffle and
the wrong side is flat and smooth.Has a course firm hand an generally uses
fine yarns. Sometimes called LaCoste because that company popularized its
use
Placket
The construction that forms the opening in the front of the shirt, from the
neck down, allowing the wearer to put it on and take it off with ease. The
slit is usually secured with buttons.
Plain Weave
The simplest, most common of all basic weaves, in which a pick or filling
yarn passes over the first end or warp yarn, under the second and so continuously..
The surface provides a smooth surface for printing
Polar Fleece
Knitted using 100% fine denier polyester yarns. The pile is napped on the
front and back to promote a very soft hand with exceptional loft. This is
a fine denier knit that also allows the fabric to dry quickly.
Polynosic
A type of fabric that has a smooth twill texture with a very soft "silk like"
feel. This fabric will also protect against 95% of the UV rays from the sun.
Poplin
A medium-to-heavyweight unbalanced plain weave. It is a spun yarn fabric that
is usually piece dyed. Made by weaving one weft (vertical) yarn over and under
each warp (horizontal) yarn, alternating each row. The filling is cylindrical.
Two or three times as many warp as weft per inch.
Powder dyeing
Process that allows polyester to blend with cotton to give a garment a dyed
appearance. Powder dyed garments ensure consistent color, wash after wash.
"Pre-shrunk" Material
Pre-shrinking is not about pre-washing the fabric. It is a process where the
bolted, uncut fabric is run through rollers containing tiny nubs that press
the fabric over the nubs, creating grooves which condense it. This puckered
shrinking effect then allows for real shrinking to occur when washed, without
it being detected. Therefore, the fabric - not theshirt - is pre-shrunk before
it is even cut and sewn.
Raglan
A type of sleeve stitched under the arm and in two parallel lines leading
from the armpit to the neck; it makes for ease of arm movement.
Reactive Dye
A special dye used on a garment which produces, when the label's wash instructions
are followed, a more set-in color tone.
Reinforced Placket (X-Box)
A square or rectangular sewn area used to strengthen and reinforce the bottom
of a placket.
Resin Treatment
The addition of thermosetting resins applied in the finishing process, used
to control the shrinkage of a fabric and add durable press characteristics.
Rib Knit
A stretchy fabric normally used for trim. This stitch is formed by two sets
of needles at right angles to each other, which provides more elasticity than
jersey knit. The face of the fabric appears to be the same as the backside.
Ring-spun Cotton, Ring-spun Yarn
Yarn that is reproduced on ring frame equipment. Tends to be a finer yarn
with a softer hand when knit.
Ripstop
A very fine woven fabric, often nylon, with coarse, strong yarns spaced at
intervals forming a box so that tears will not spread.
Sanded Gabardine
A very soft finish. May be run through an actual belt sander so that the fabric
is extra soft before it is cut and sewn.
Scoop neck
A rounded neck, larger than a crewneck, but smaller than a boatneck.
Seamless Collar
A collar that is knit in a circle and is set in circular. There are no joining
seams on the collar, found in better-made T-Shirts.
Set-in sleeve
A style of sleeve that is sewn into the shoulder, as opposed to the neck.
The seam is straight up and down from the shoulder seam to the underarm (as
opposed to the neck in raglan sleeves).
Sheared
Refers to a towel's finish. A sheared surface is created clipping the loops
on one side of the towel. Sheared terry is often referred to as having a velour
finish. The shearing process creates a plush and smooth finish, which is great
for printing or embroidery.
The weight of the fabric has a big impact on the overall appearance of the shear. A heavier weight fabric enhances the velour appearance because there is more material to shear.
Shoulder-to-Shoulder
Taping
Shoulder seams, as well as neck seam are covered by tape or binding. This
reinforces shoulder and neck seams, and reduces separation of the seams.
Shrinkage Rate
Approximately 4 - 5 % on most 100 % cotton garments after pre-shrinking or
compacting.
Side Seams
These are the seams that join the front and back together. This feature is
not found on T-shirts and some placket shirts.
Single Needle Stitch
or Single Needle Tailoring
A stitch, requiring a single needle and thread, characterized by its straight-line
pathway which provides each seam with twice the strength of a standard seam.
A single-needle shoulder seam has been finished with a visible row of stitching, single needle, for additional reinforcement and fashion. This process takes three times longer than the conventional method, however the seam is flatter, more comfortable and much more durable.
Soil Release/Teflon finish
A fabric finish that makes it less likely for a stain to remain on the fabric
and makes it possible to remove a stain more easily. Staple
The actual length of a cotton fiber.
Staple, Staple Length
A measurement of a sample of fibers, the longer being the higher quality yarn
characterized in a softer more lustrous fiber and the shorter being lower
quality or coarser.
Stitches per Inch
The measure of sewing stitches in an inch on a seam. The consistency of sewing
more stitches per inch provides a flatter, neater seam and makes the seam
stronger.
Stonewash
A finishing process that creates a distressed appearance, including a softer
texture, puckering at the seams and slight wrinkling.
Garments are tumbled together with stones (usually pumice stones) in larger washers.This process is usually applied to indigo-dyed denim garments. Different sizes of stones can be used and length of washing time can be varied to achieve different effects.
Sublimation transfer
A method of subliming a dye pattern, through the use of heat, onto polyester
fabric from a paper carrier.
Sueded fleece
A very smooth and luxurious fleece that is made with an 80/20 cotton and polyester
blend; a unique finishing process wherein the fabric is gently "sanded," which
causes the fleece to become very soft.
Sulfer Dye
A dyeing method which creates a rugged or aged effect.
Taping
A design feature whereby a piece of fabric is used to cleanly cover a seam.
The term is used when referring to shoulder-to-shoulder taping.
Tubular knit
A golf shirt style with no side seams. The bottom is rounded all around.
Twill
Characterized by a diagonal rib. Twill weaves are used to produce a strong,
durable, firm fabric.
Two-ply yarn
Two strands of thread are used to form the yarn that is woven into terry loops.
Visor (Peak)
The front of the hat or cap that extends out from the front panel and acts
as a sunshade. Also, a type of headwear that consists of the peak or sunshade
only so that the top of the head is exposed. When referring to a full cap,
visor is interchangeable with peak.
V-notch
Triangular 2-ply patch of material sewn to the front of the neck for decorative
purposes.
Waterproofness
The ability of fabric to withstand penetration by water. Conventional waterproof
fabrics are generally coated with chemicals or laminated with a film that
closes the pores in fabric. (See waterproof/breathable).
Waterproof/Breathable
Ability to keep water from penetrating but permits water vapor to pass through.
There are over 200 fabrics of this type available today, offering a varied
combination of waterproofness and water vapor permeability.
Water Repellency
The ability to resist penetration by water. Not as rigorous a standard as
waterproofness. Water repellent fabrics cause water to bead up on their surfaces
while allowing insensible perspiration to pass through. Most water repellent
garments have a coating to achieve water repellence.
Water Resistant
A treatment to fabric that actually allows water to "bead" and fall off a
garment.
Weather Resistant
A loose term referring primarily to a fabric's wind-resistant and water-repellent
properties. Water-resistant fabrics are those that resist the penetration
of water. The greater the force of impact as the water hits the fabric surface,
the greater the likelihood that it will penetrate the fabric.
Welt Cuffs
Cuffs on short sleeve garments formed from a single ply of ribbed fabric with
a finished edge. Fabric for welt cuffs is knit in a bolder stitch construction
than that of standard 1 x 1 ribs.
Woven
Fabric constructed by the interlacing of two or more sets of yarns at right
angles to each other. Woven Fabric is when yarns are woven in horizontal and
vertical positions to form a fabric, usually a rigid fabric.
Wrinkle Free
The basic process for imparting the wrinkle free finish into fabric involves
applying a resin into the fabric, drying and curing at extremely high temperatures
to the desired dimension, scouring to remove any residual chemicals, and final
drying.
The application and curing of wrinkle free may occur before or after the garments are produced. "Precured wrinkle free" means that the finish has been applied to the fabric before the garment has been manufactured. Because "postcure wrinkle free" means the finish has been applied after the garment has been manufactured and because it is set into the final, pressed garment, it is more popular.
Yarn-Dyed
The dyeing of yarn before weaving or knitting.
Yarn Size / Count
A method of expressing the specific length or size of a yarn. The higher the
number, the finer the yarn and the lower the number the coarser the yarn.
Yoke
Contoured portion of a garment, usually at the shoulder or hip.
