Clothing Glossary
The words behind care labels, size charts and fabric descriptions, in plain English.
- Bias
- The diagonal direction at 45 degrees to the warp and weft. Fabric cut on the bias stretches and drapes more.
- Colourfastness
- How well a dyed fabric resists fading or bleeding when washed, rubbed or exposed to light.
- Dart
- A folded, stitched wedge of fabric that shapes a garment around the curves of the body.
- Denier
- A unit for the thickness of a yarn or fibre, equal to the weight in grams of 9,000 metres. Higher denier means thicker yarn.
- Drape
- How a fabric hangs and falls under its own weight.
- Gusset
- A small piece of fabric added to give room or strength, for example in the underarm or crotch of a garment.
- GSM
- Grams per square metre, a measure of fabric weight. A higher number means heavier cloth.
- Hand
- How a fabric feels when touched, including its softness, stiffness and drape.
- Inseam
- The length of the inside leg seam, measured from the crotch to the hem.
- Interfacing
- A layer of fabric sewn or fused inside collars, cuffs and waistbands to add structure.
- Knit
- Fabric made by interlooping yarn, as in a t-shirt or sweater. Knits stretch more than most wovens.
- Lining
- A layer of fabric inside a garment that gives a smooth finish, hides seams and adds warmth.
- Mercerisation
- A treatment of cotton with caustic soda under tension that improves lustre, strength and dye uptake.
- Pilling
- Small balls of fibre that form on the surface of fabric where it rubs against itself or other surfaces.
- Placket
- A strip of fabric that reinforces an opening, such as the buttoned front of a shirt.
- Plain weave
- The simplest weave, where each weft thread passes over and under each warp thread. Poplin and muslin are examples.
- Rise
- The distance from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband on trousers and jeans.
- Sanforisation
- A mechanical pre-shrinking process for woven cotton, so a garment shrinks less after washing.
- Satin weave
- A weave with long thread floats that gives a smooth, glossy surface.
- Selvedge
- The self-finished edge of woven fabric, which stops the cloth from unravelling.
- Staple length
- The length of individual fibres in cotton or wool. Longer staples spin into smoother, stronger yarn.
- Thread count
- The number of threads woven into one square inch of fabric, used mainly for bed linen and shirting.
- Twill
- A weave with a diagonal rib. Denim, chino and gabardine are twills.
- Vent
- A slit at the back or sleeve of a jacket or coat that allows movement.
- Warp
- The lengthwise yarns held under tension on a loom.
- Weft
- The yarns that pass across the warp threads to form woven fabric.
- Woven
- Fabric made by interlacing warp and weft threads at right angles. Wovens are generally more stable than knits.