Below you will find a list of terms we use throughout the site along with that terms definition. If you find a term on our site or have a fashion term you'd like to have defined, please let us know and we will add it to our glossary.

A

Adamas- Adamas is the root of the word diamond and has a number of meanings including; invincible, unconquerable and untameable.

B

Blend- A fabric woven from two or more fibers.

C

Combed- Combing is the combing process that seperates a oercent of the more desirable (longer, thinner, more even) fibers from the less desirable (shorter, coarser, less consistant) fibers.

Cotton- a soft usually white fibrous substance composed of the hairs surrounding the seeds of various erect freely branching tropical plants (genus Gossypium) of the mallow family.

Crossover V Neck- A V neck line in which the connecting point does not meet uniformly, rather one point overlaps the second.

Crew (Crew Neck) -  high, round collarless neckline with a rib finishing. Popularized by crew racers, this neckline is now popular in T-shirts and sweaters

D

Double Needle (Double Needle Top stitching) - A method of finishing a seam in which a row of stitches appears on either side of it.

Fiber- The product from which yarn is made.

G

Garment Dyed- A term used to describe a garment whose color was produced from immersing the whole article of clothing in a coloring solution. See also fabric-dyed and yarn-dyed.

Guage- A term used to describe the number of loops per 1 to 1 1/2 inches in a knitted fabric or garment.

H

Haute Couture- The term used to describe custom-made clothes. From the French haute couture, or “high sewing,” this term usually applies to women’s fine garments and has come to define a segment of the fashion industry that uses the custom-making business as a platform to explore new styles and push the boundaries of specialized dressmaking and tailoring.

Heathered- Yarn with flecks of different colored fiber.  

Hem- A border of a cloth article doubled back and stitched down.

Henley- A lightweight collarless knit shirt with a buttoned placket at the neckline and sometimes a contrasting lining at the placket and around the neck.

I

Inside-out Seam- Seam purposely sewn so that seam lines are on the outside of the garment. 

Iridescent- a lustrous rainbow like play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes.

J

Jersey- A plain weft-knitted fabric made of wool, cotton, nylon, rayon, or silk and used especially for clothing.

K

Knitted- To form by interlacing yarn or thread in a series of connected loops with needles.

P

Polyester- Any of a group of polymers that consist basically of repeated units of an ester and are used especially in making fibers or plastics resistant to shrinkage, wrinkling and moths.

Placket- A strip of fabric running along a closure, usually to facilitate the taking on and off of a garment.

R

Raglan- A sleeve that extends to the neckline with slanted seams from the underarm to the neck.

Raw Edge- The end of edge of a garment that is un-hemmed or otherwise unfinished.

Rayon- Any of a group of smooth textile fibers made from regenerated cellulose by extrusion through minute holes.

Rib- An elongated supporting ridge.

Rib Knit- A knitted fabric with alternating raised and lowered rows. More elastic and durable than plain knits, they tend to fit to the body and are used frequently in T-shirts as well as for the trims of socks, sleeves, waists and necklines.

Ring Spun- Is the process in which a higher count of thinner fibers are tightly twisted together to make a stronger, smoother, finer gauge thread.

Ringer- A garment featuring a ribbed crew collar and cuff. 

S

Sheer- Is a jersey preshrunk, loosely knitted, very thin or transparent in texture with excellent stretch. 

Side Seamed- Seamed down the side of garment for countered fit.

Spandex Jersey- Weighing 5 ounces per square yard or 170 grams per square meter, spandex jersey is made with 40-single yarn and comprised of 5% spandex for support.

T

Tapered- To become progressively smaller toward one end.

Y

Yarn- A continuous strand of twisted threads of natural or synthetic material, such as wool or nylon, used in weaving or knitting