Apparel Glossary
A
A-line
a women’s dress or skirt style that gradually flares out to a wide hem, resembling the letter A
Allowance
fabric beyond the seam line for gathers, tucks or pleats.
B
Basque
a form-fitting bodice or coat extending past the waistline over the hips
Basting
a temporary straight stitch
Bias/bias cut
the diagonal direction, a 45 degree angle, across a piece of woven cloth. Cutting on the bias creates a greater amount of stretch
Binding
to finish a seam or garment hem with an edge or trim
Bind Hem
a method of joining two fabric pieces so the hem is almost invisible from the front
C
Cap Sleeve
a sleeve that falls between the shoulder and bicep
Casing
a folded over edge of fabric to enclose elastic or a drawstring tie
CB
a pattern abbreviation meaning center back
CF
a pattern abbreviation meaning center front
D
Dart
folds sewn into the fabric to give a garment shape. Helps to fit the curves of the body
E
Ease
the amount of extra room a garment allows the wearer beyond the pattern’s size measurements
F
Face (or right)
the top side of the fabric, usually prettier and shows any prints
Facing
fabric to hide the seams and give the garment a professional finish around the edges
Fit Model
a person fashion designers or clothing manufacturers use to check the fit, drape and visual appearance of clothing
G
Gather
twill fabric with a highly durable, compact weave; wool gabardine is used year-round for classic business suiting
Gusset
a small piece of diamond-shaped fabric sewn in areas subject to stress, such as sleeve underarm or pant crotch. The extra stretch reduces the likelihood of tearing
H
Hem
a finishing method to fold and sew the raw edge of fabric to prevent from raveling
High Point Shoulder (HPS)
where the shoulder seam meets the neckline. Many measurements are given in relation to the HPS
I
Interfacing
layering material used to stabilize, stiffen or strengthen a fabric
Interlining
fabric added to a garment to provide additional warmth or weight
L
Lapped seam
a way to reduce bulk when sewing heavy fabrics like leather and felt by overlapping one panel on top of the other
Lining
a protective layer of fabric inside of a garment
LS
a pattern abbreviation meaning long sleeve.
N
Neck tape
a band of tape or fabric sewn inside of a neck seam for comfort
P
Patch pocket
a pocket made of a separate piece of cloth sewn onto the outside of a garment
Peplum
a ruffle or flare to a women’s jacket, dress, skirt or blouse that extends below the waistline. May be part of the bodice or an attachment
Placket
a slit or opening that provides room for the garment to be put on, often found at the neck, the wrist, the top of a skirt or the face of trousers. Buttons, snaps, hooks, zippers or VELCRO can be added to a placket
Pleat
a fold of fabric, either stitched down or held in place, to create fullness. Types of pleats include knife, box, inverted, sunburst or accordion and kick.
R
Raglan sleeve
a sleeve that runs from collar to hem with no shoulder seam
Raw edge
an unfinished cut edge
Ruching
clothing that has been gathered to create a rippled effect
S
Serger
a machine that sews over the edge of one or two pieces of cloth for edging, hemming or seaming. Usually, the machine will cut the edges of the cloth as they are fed through
Set in sleeve
in contrast to a raglan sleeve, a set in sleeve is joined to the body of a garment by a seam starting at the edge of the shoulder and continuing around the armhole
SS
a pattern abbreviation meaning short sleeve
Sweep
the circumference of a hem
T
Topstitching
stitching that shows on the face side of fabric
Trim
the decorative material on the edge of a garment
Tuck
a fold or pleat in fabric that is sewn in place
U
Understitching
a line close to the edge to keep the facing from rolling toward the outside of the garment; creates a more professional look
W
WB
a pattern abbreviation meaning waistband
Wearers left
the left side of a garment from the wearers point of view
Wearers right
the right side of a garment from the wearers point of view
Wrong side
the back of the fabric; may be fainted or plainer than the face or right side of the fabric
Y
Yoke
a shaped pattern piece that forms part of a garment, usually around the neck and shoulder