Garment construction glossary: the clothing manufacturing terms a factory uses

How to use this glossary

Factories, pattern makers and QC inspectors share a working vocabulary. When a sample comment says 'coverstitch the hem, bartack the pocket corners, POM 3 out of tolerance', every word in it means something specific. Knowing those words lets you write a tech pack that is read the way you meant it, and lets you read a quote or an inspection report without guessing.

The definitions below are general industry usage, grouped by topic. Exact methods, weights and tolerances for your garment are agreed per order and confirmed during the RFQ.

Fabrics and weights

Fabric is specified by construction (how it is knitted or woven), composition and weight. These are the terms you will see most:

• GSM — grams per square metre, the standard measure of fabric weight. A higher GSM means a heavier, usually denser fabric; it says nothing on its own about quality or softness.
• Jersey — a single-knit fabric, smooth on the face with fine loops on the back. The standard T-shirt fabric.
• Rib — a knit with raised vertical lines (1×1, 2×2) that stretches and recovers well. Used for cuffs, collars, waistbands and hems, and for fitted garments.
• Piqué — a textured knit with a small raised honeycomb or waffle pattern. The classic polo shirt fabric.
• French terry — a knit with a smooth face and unbrushed loops on the back. Lighter and more breathable than fleece of a similar weight.
• Fleece — a knit whose back loops have been brushed to raise the fibres, giving a soft, warm inside. The standard hoodie and sweatshirt fabric.
• Twill — a woven fabric with a visible diagonal line, made by offsetting the weave on each row. Chino and denim are both twills.
• Denim oz — denim weight in ounces per square yard. 1 oz/yd² is roughly 34 GSM; around 12–14 oz is a common mid-weight for jeans.

Cutting, patterns and fit

Before anything is sewn, a pattern is made, graded and laid out for cutting:

• Block — the base pattern for a garment type, from which individual styles are developed.
• Base size (sample size) — the size the pattern and first sample are made in, usually M for adult tops.
• Grading — scaling the base-size pattern up and down to every other size using fixed increments per point.
• Marker — the layout of all pattern pieces for a cut, planned to use as little fabric as possible. Marker efficiency is the share of fabric that ends up in garments rather than waste.
• POM (point of measure) — a defined place where a garment is measured, such as ½ chest or body length.
• Tolerance — the allowed deviation from a stated measurement, for example ±1 cm on ½ chest.
• Shrinkage allowance — extra length or width built into the pattern so the garment ends at the right size after washing or garment dyeing.

Seams, stitches and construction details

These are the operations and details a construction callout refers to:

• Overlock (serger) — a stitch that sews a seam, trims the edge and wraps thread around it in one pass. The standard seam on knitwear.
• Coverstitch — two or three parallel needle lines on the face with a looped thread underneath. Used for hems and to flatten seams on knits.
• Flatlock — a seam that joins fabric edges flat, with no ridge inside. Common on activewear and base layers for comfort against the skin.
• Topstitch — a visible line of stitching on the face of the garment, for strength or decoration.
• SPI (stitches per inch) — stitch density. Too low and seams can open; too high and fabric can be perforated.
• Bartack — a short, dense zigzag stitch that reinforces stress points such as pocket corners, belt loops and fly ends.
• Binding — a strip of fabric folded over a raw edge to enclose it, often on necklines and armholes.
• Placket — the finished opening that holds buttons, snaps or a zip, as on a polo shirt or a henley.
• Yoke — a separate panel across the shoulders or the back of jeans, shaped to improve fit.
• Gusset — an inserted piece, often a triangle or diamond, that adds movement at the crotch or underarm.
• Welt pocket — a pocket set into the body behind a finished slit, with the opening edged by a fabric strip.
• Kangaroo pocket — the single front pouch on a hoodie, open at both sides.
• Drop shoulder — a shoulder seam that sits below the natural shoulder, giving a relaxed, boxy fit.
• Raglan — a sleeve that runs in one piece up to the collar, with diagonal seams from underarm to neck.

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Trims and hardware

Trims are every component that is not the main fabric. Each one needs a specification in the tech pack:

• Coil zip — a zip with teeth formed from a continuous nylon spiral; light and flexible, common on hoodies and jackets.
• Metal zip — a zip with individual metal teeth; more rigid and durable, standard on jeans and workwear.
• Aglet — the plastic or metal tip on the end of a drawcord or lace.
• Eyelet (grommet) — a reinforced metal or embroidered hole, for example where a hood drawcord exits.
• Woven label — a label with the design woven into it, usually the main brand label at the neck.
• Care label — the label with composition, care symbols and origin; a legal requirement in most markets.
• Hangtag — the card tag attached to the outside of the garment for retail.

Decoration

Decoration methods differ in feel, durability and setup. The terms in a quote usually refer to:

• Screen print — ink pushed through a mesh screen, one screen per colour. Durable and economical on larger runs with few colours.
• Puff print — a screen-print ink that rises when heat-cured, giving a raised, textured print.
• DTG (direct to garment) — digital inkjet printing straight onto the garment. Suits full-colour artwork with no screen setup; best on high-cotton fabrics.
• Heat transfer — a design printed onto a carrier and pressed onto the garment with heat.
• Sublimation — dye turned to gas with heat so it bonds into polyester fibres. Works on light-coloured, high-polyester fabric and allows all-over prints.
• Embroidery — designs stitched with thread; priced by stitch count and requiring the artwork to be digitised first.
• Chenille — a looped, towelling-like embroidery, the textured lettering on varsity jackets.
• Appliqué — a fabric shape stitched onto the garment, often with embroidered edges.

Quality and production terms

These terms appear in quotes, approvals and inspection reports:

• Tech pack — the specification document a factory builds from: sketches, measurement chart, construction, artwork, trims and fabric.
• Lab dip — a small fabric swatch dyed to match your colour standard, submitted for approval before bulk dyeing.
• Strike-off — a test print or embroidery on the actual fabric, submitted for approval of colour and placement.
• PP sample (pre-production sample) — the sample made in the final fabric and trims and approved before bulk cutting. It becomes the reference QC checks against.
• TOP sample (top of production) — garments pulled from the first bulk output to confirm that production matches the approved sample.
• Dye lot — fabric dyed in one batch. Shades can vary slightly between lots.
• Shade band — a set of swatches showing the approved shade and the acceptable variation, used to keep bulk colour consistent.
• AQL (acceptance quality limit) — a statistical sampling standard for final inspection that sets how many defects a sample of a given size may contain before the lot fails.
• MOQ (minimum order quantity) — the smallest run a factory will accept. At LOMERAQ it is 25 units per order, split across sizes.
• CMT (cut, make, trim) — a model where the buyer supplies fabric and trims and the factory cuts, sews and finishes.
• OEM / ODM — OEM means the factory manufactures to your design; ODM means the factory also develops the design or pattern with you.
• FOB (free on board) — an Incoterm under which the seller's responsibility ends once the goods are loaded on board the vessel at the named port of shipment; freight and insurance after that are the buyer's.