Knitwear & Sourcing Glossary

A statistical sampling standard (ISO 2859-1) defining the maximum allowable defects in a batch. AQL 2.5 is the global commercial benchmark for garment inspection.

The protective plastic, rubber, or metal sheath crimped onto the end of a hoodie or sweatpant drawcord to prevent fraying and provide a premium finish.

A chemical or enzyme treatment that bonds loose surface fibers, preventing the friction balls (pills) that typically form on cheaper knitwear after washing.

An enzymatic treatment using cellulase to hydrolyze and shave micro-fuzz off cotton surfaces, yielding a silky, hair-free finish and deeper color brightness.

An exhaustive master list included in a tech pack itemizing every component required: body fabric, rib knit, threads, labels, zippers, drawcords, and polybags.

A tight series of back-and-forth zig-zag reinforcement stitches applied to high-strain stress points like pocket corners, side slits, and drawcord exits.

A 3-end knit fabric whose back loops have been wire-brushed into a soft, fuzzy fleece pile for maximum heat retention in cold-weather hoodies and sweats.

High-grade cotton yarn where short fibers are combed out and pneumatic suction compacts the strand before twisting, minimizing fiber hairiness and surface fuzz.

A mechanical finishing process where heated blankets compress knit loops lengthwise, stabilizing the fabric and reducing domestic wash shrinkage below 5%.

An elastic hem stitch featuring 2 or 3 parallel straight lines on the front face and an interlocking looper grid on the back, standard for t-shirt bottom hems.

The transfer of dye from the surface of a colored fabric onto another surface or skin by dry or wet rubbing. Evaluated from Grade 1 (heavy rub-off) to Grade 5 (no transfer).

A cotton-dominated polyester blend (typically 60% Cotton / 40% Poly) offering cotton comfort combined with polyester durability and low shrinkage.

The international standard artificial daylight light source (color temperature 6500 Kelvin) used inside light boxes to inspect and approve fabric lab dips.

A printing technique that uses a chemical activator to discharge (bleach out) the reactive dye of a dark cotton garment and replace it with fresh color with zero handfeel.

Incoterm where the seller handles all freight, export duties, import customs clearance, and local destination taxes, delivering goods straight to the buyer's door.

A synthetic polyether-polyurea copolymer fiber that can stretch over 500% and snap back to original shape; blended with cotton (2–5%) in collars and leggings.

A 4-needle, 6-thread seam joining two raw fabric edges flush edge-to-edge without overlapping layers, creating a smooth, chafe-free interior for activewear.

A knit fabric with a smooth jersey face and soft, unbrushed yarn loops on the underside; highly absorbent, breathable, and ideal for all-season hoodies.

Incoterm where the manufacturer's price covers all manufacturing, trims, export packaging, and transport onto the vessel at the departure port (e.g. FOB Tuticorin).

The universal textile metric of fabric density and mass. A 180 GSM t-shirt weighs 180 grams per square meter of fabric. Formula: oz/yd² = GSM ÷ 33.906.

The worldwide leading certification for organic fibers, verifying environmental criteria, non-toxic chemical inputs, and social responsibility across the supply chain.

Raw fabric fresh off the knitting machine before undergoing scouring, bleaching, dyeing, or finishing. Natural off-white color containing natural plant oils.

The number of needles per inch on a circular knitting machine cylinder (e.g. 24G or 28G). Higher gauge produces finer, denser, tighter loop structures.

The base reference origin point for measuring garment length; located where the front shoulder seam intersects with the neck seam fold.

Yarn produced by blending pre-dyed fibers with raw natural cotton fibers prior to spinning, producing a subtle multi-tonal speckled or heathered grey appearance.

A double-knit structure with two intermeshed needle ribs. Identical smooth face and back, heavier weight, zero raw edge curl, and high opacity.

Small 5-gram swatches of greige fabric dyed in a laboratory vessel to formulate the dye recipe matching the buyer's requested Pantone color target.

Treating cotton yarn or fabric under tension with concentrated sodium hydroxide, swelling the fibers to increase tensile strength, silk-like luster, and dye uptake.

The minimum number of units a factory or dyehouse requires to initiate a production run, driven primarily by industrial dye vessel capacities.

Indirect yarn numbering system indicating the number of 840-yard hanks per pound. Higher count numbers denote finer, thinner cotton yarn (e.g. 30s is finer than 16s).

An international testing certification verifying that finished textiles are free from harmful chemicals, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and banned azo dyes.

A sewing machine stitch using 1 or 2 needles and loopers that trims fabric edges and encases them in a thread chain to prevent raveling while allowing natural stretch.

A circular knit featuring a raised textured geometric or diamond waffle pattern; provides excellent breathability, structural body, and is standard for polo shirts.

The final "Gold Seal" approval sample sewn using actual bulk fabric, trims, labels, and graphics prior to cutting the production order.

Standardized anatomical measurement lines specified in a tech pack (such as chest width, total length, armhole curve) to verify garment fit.

A knitted fabric with distinct vertical wales on both sides made by alternating knit and purl stitches; delivers exceptional crosswise elasticity for collar bands and cuffs.

The standard commercial dye method for cotton where dye molecules form covalent chemical bonds with cellulose fibers, yielding superb wash-fastness.

The most widely used circular knit fabric for t-shirts; knitted with a single set of needles, creating vertical knit "V" loops on face and purls on back.

The number of sewing stitches per linear inch. 10 to 12 SPI is the industry standard for knitted cotton apparel to balance seam strength with fabric elasticity.

The tendency of circular knitted fabrics to twist along the seam line after laundering due to residual circular yarn torque. Controlled via compacting stenters (<4%).

A trial swatch of printed artwork or embroidery produced by the factory on actual production fabric to verify ink colors, sharpness, and placement before bulk printing.

An instructive specification booklet containing technical flats, grade rules, BOM, artwork coordinates, trims, and packaging instructions for apparel manufacturing.

A sample pulled directly off the active mass production line during the initial 10% of sewing output to ensure bulk matches the approved PP sample.

A knit fabric characterized by a square or honeycomb 3D recessed texture that traps warm air against the skin, commonly used for base layers and henleys.

Fabrics knitted from pre-dyed spools of yarn rather than piece-dyed in roll form. Indispensable for engineered horizontal stripes, jacquards, and collar trims.