Sportswear Manufacturing Glossary, In Plain English.

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• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• W

A

Acid wash

A finishing process that fades and mottles the colour of a finished or half-finished garment, giving a worn, vintage look. It is done after the garment is partly or fully sewn, which is why it adds a step to the production sequence.

AQL (acceptable quality limit)

A statistical sampling method buyers use to decide whether a batch passes inspection: a set number of pieces is checked and the batch is accepted or rejected depending on how many defects are found. It is a general industry term. True Fit does not publish an AQL level on this website; see how checks work on the quality control page.

B

Bill of materials (BOM)

The list of every material that goes into one garment, such as main fabric, lining, thread, zips, elastic, labels and packaging, with a quantity for each. Leaving an item off the BOM is the easiest way to underestimate cost. It is one section of a tech pack.

Bulk order

The main production run, made after the sample is approved. At True Fit bulk orders start at 20 pieces per design, and a bulk run typically takes ~18 days after sample and artwork approval, with shipping added on top.

C

CMT (cut, make, trim)

A service in which a factory cuts, sews and finishes garments using fabric, patterns and sometimes trims that the customer supplies. The customer carries the sourcing and design work. It is the opposite of a full-package arrangement, where the factory also sources the materials.

Colourway

One specific colour combination of a single design. A shirt in navy with white trim and the same shirt in red with white trim are two colourways of one style. Ask how colourways count towards the minimum order quantity when you request a quote.

D

Digitising (embroidery)

Converting a logo or artwork into a stitch file that an embroidery machine can read. The file tells the machine where to stitch, in which direction, in which order and with which colour. Good digitising decides whether a small logo looks crisp or muddy. Also called punching.

Direct to film (DTF)

A heat-transfer method in which a design is printed onto a special film, coated with adhesive powder, and then pressed onto the garment with heat. It suits detailed multi-colour artwork and a range of fabrics.

Dye lot

A batch of fabric dyed together in one go. The same colour dyed in a different lot can look slightly different, which is why colour matching between an original order and a later reorder needs care. Ask for spare pieces in the first run if you expect late additions.

E

Embroidery

Decoration made by stitching thread into the garment with a machine. It has a raised, durable, premium look and suits logos and crests on thicker fabrics. On very thin or very stretchy fabric it can pucker, so test it on a sample. See also digitising and stitch count. Read more: Decoration methods compared

F

Fit sample

A sample made to check how a garment fits on a body or fit model, rather than to check the design itself. Comments from the fit sample become measurement changes in the tech pack. It is usually a later stage than the proto sample.

Flat (technical flat)

A line drawing of a garment laid flat, front and back, without a model or shading, showing seams, panels, stitching and details. Factories build from flats because they show construction clearly.

Flatlock

A seam in which fabric edges are joined edge to edge, or slightly overlapped, and stitched so that the seam lies flat instead of forming a ridge. It reduces bulk and rubbing against the skin, so it is common on activewear, compression wear and base layers.

Four-way stretch

Fabric that stretches both across its width and along its length and then recovers. It is usual in leggings, compression wear and fitted tops. Recovery matters as much as stretch: a fabric that stretches but does not spring back will bag at the knees and elbows.

G

Grading (size grading)

Producing the full size range from one approved base-size pattern by adding or subtracting a set amount at each point of measure for every size step. Good grading keeps proportions sensible across sizes, because a small is not just a scaled-down large. See the sizing and grading guide.

GSM (grams per square metre)

The weight of a fabric, measured as the mass in grams of one square metre. Higher GSM means a heavier, usually warmer and more opaque fabric, but it does not by itself tell you quality, since fibre, knit and finish also matter. Our fabric GSM chart shows typical ranges by garment type. Read more: Fabric weight guide

H

Hang tag

A swing tag attached to a garment, usually showing the brand, style and sometimes price or care information. It is separate from the sewn-in labels.

Heat transfer

Decoration in which a design is made on a carrier (film, paper or vinyl) and then applied to the garment with heat and pressure. It covers several kinds of transfer, including DTF, and works well for names, numbers and detailed logos. Durability depends on the transfer type and on washing.

I

Incoterms

A set of standard international trade terms, published by the International Chamber of Commerce and written as three-letter codes, that describe between a buyer and a seller who arranges and pays for transport and insurance and at which point the risk passes. This is a general definition only, not legal or customs advice; confirm in writing which terms apply to your own order.

Interlock

A smooth, double-layered knit fabric, made so that two layers of knit are joined and look the same on both sides. It is stable, does not curl at the edges and takes sublimation and printing well, so it is a common choice for jerseys and training tees.

J

Jersey (fabric)

The simplest and most common knit: a single layer with a smooth face and a visibly looped back. It is light and stretchy, used for tees and base layers. Do not confuse it with a sports jersey, which is the shirt itself and can be made from many fabrics.

L

Lab dip

A small piece of fabric dyed to a target colour so you can approve the match before the full batch is dyed. It is the way to check a Pantone reference on the actual fabric rather than on a screen.

Label (sewn-in)

A woven or printed label attached inside a garment, usually showing brand, size, fibre content and care instructions. Rules about what must appear differ by country, so check the requirements of your market before you finalise labels.

Lead time

The time between a starting point and a finishing point of an order. Always ask what the clock starts and ends on: confirmed payment, approved sample, or approved artwork, and whether delivery is included. At True Fit a sample typically takes 8–10 days and bulk typically ~18 days after approvals, with shipping separate. Read more: Production timeline guide

M

Marker

A layout, on paper or in software, that shows how all the pattern pieces for a garment, often in several sizes, are positioned on the width of the fabric before cutting. A tighter marker wastes less fabric. See also nesting.

Mesh

A knit with an open, net-like structure and visible small holes for airflow. In sportswear it is used for ventilation panels at the back, sides and underarms, or as the main fabric of lightweight jerseys.

MOQ (minimum order quantity)

The smallest quantity a factory will make of one design in a single run. At True Fit the bulk MOQ is 20 pieces per design (per style, not per size) and samples have no minimum. See the MOQ guide.

N

Nesting

Fitting pattern pieces closely together on fabric within a marker, including interlocking pieces from different sizes, so that as little fabric as possible is wasted. The share of fabric actually used by pieces is called marker efficiency.

O

ODM (original design manufacturer)

A manufacturer that develops the design and technical package for a buyer, then produces it under the buyer’s brand. You bring an idea or reference; the factory brings the design work. See OEM vs ODM.

OEM (original equipment manufacturer)

In clothing, a manufacturer that produces to a buyer’s complete design or tech pack, under the buyer’s own brand. You bring the finished design; the factory builds it. The term is borrowed from other industries and is used loosely, so confirm exactly what is meant.

P

Panel

A single cut piece of fabric that forms part of a garment, such as a front, back, sleeve, side insert or yoke. Many sportswear designs are built from several panels so that different colours, fabrics or prints can sit in different places.

Pantone

A standardised colour-matching system in which every colour has a numbered reference, so a buyer and a factory can refer to exactly the same shade. Screens show colours differently from fabric, so a reference should be confirmed on a lab dip or sample and viewed in daylight. A Pantone reference is a target, not a guarantee of an identical result on every fabric.

Pattern (patternmaking)

The set of flat templates, one per panel, from which a garment is cut. A pattern master drafts it from measurements and the tech pack; it is then adjusted after each sample.

Pilling

Small balls of tangled fibre that form on a fabric surface after rubbing and washing. Some fabric constructions and fibres pill more than others, which is one reason to wash-test a sample.

Piping

A narrow strip of fabric or cord sewn into a seam as an accent or edge, for example a contrasting line along the side of a jersey or tracksuit.

Piqué

A knit with a raised, textured surface, often a small honeycomb or waffle pattern, that is slightly heavier and more breathable than plain jersey. It is common in polo shirts and some golf and casual sportswear.

Point of measure (POM)

A specific, named place on a garment where a measurement is taken, such as chest width, body length or inseam, so that every sample is measured identically. A tech pack lists each POM with a target and a tolerance. See the measurement guide.

Pre-production sample (PPS)

A sample made with the actual bulk fabric, trims and decoration, approved before the main run begins, to confirm that production will match the approved design. Factories use the term slightly differently, so ask what stage a sample represents and what approving it commits you to.

Private label

A product made by a manufacturer and sold under another company’s brand name. In practice it often means choosing an existing style from the factory and adding your own labels and branding. See private label at True Fit and private vs white label.

Proto sample

The first sample made from a design, used to check that the idea and construction work. It may use a substitute fabric. It is followed by fit samples and then the pre-production sample.

Q

QC inspection

Checking quality during or after production. Inspections can take place before production (materials), in line (during sewing), and at the end (finished garments) against the approved spec. Third-party inspectors can be hired by the buyer. See how we check orders and the QC checklist.

R

Rib knit

A knit with vertical ridges that is very stretchy across its width and springs back. It is used for neckbands, waistbands and cuffs. See ribbed cuff.

Ribbed cuff

A cuff, on a sleeve or the leg opening, made from rib knit so that it grips the wrist or ankle and keeps its shape after stretching. Common on hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets and joggers.

S

Screen printing

Decoration in which ink is pushed through a mesh stencil, one screen per colour, onto the garment. It gives strong, opaque colour and suits simple logos in a small number of colours; each extra colour adds set-up work.

Seam allowance

The extra fabric between the line of stitching and the cut edge of a panel. Patterns include it, and its width is one of the details that affects the finished measurements and how a seam is constructed.

Stitch count

The total number of stitches in an embroidery design. A larger or denser design has a higher stitch count, which affects machine time and therefore cost, and also how stiff the embroidered area feels.

Sublimation

A printing process in which special dye is printed onto transfer paper and then turned to gas by heat and pressure, so that it enters polyester fibres and becomes part of the fabric. The result does not add texture and does not crack, so it suits all-over prints, gradients and full kits. It works best on polyester or high-polyester fabric and on white or light bases, because the dye is translucent. Read more: Decoration methods compared

Swatch

A small cut of fabric, used to judge colour, weight and feel before ordering. Always ask for the swatch of the fabric the sample will be made from.

T

Tech pack

The technical document a factory builds from. It normally contains flats, measurements with tolerances, the bill of materials, colourways, artwork positions, labels, packaging and revision history. Use our free template and read how to create one.

Tolerance

The permitted difference between the specified measurement and the measurement of the finished garment, for example plus or minus one centimetre. Without a tolerance, nobody can say whether a garment passes.

Trim

Any component of a garment that is not the main fabric: zips, drawcords, elastic, buttons, labels, piping, toggles, reflective tape and so on. Trims appear in the BOM.

W

White label

A product that is made generically, often as a ready-made item, and sold by different companies under their own names with little or no change to the design. It differs from private label, where the product is developed or tailored for one brand.

Wicking (moisture-wicking)

The ability of a fabric to move perspiration away from the skin to the outer surface, where it can evaporate. It comes from the fibre, the yarn and the knit structure, and a finish can add to it. It is why many sports fabrics feel dry rather than clammy.