Textile, Apparel, Retail, and Trade Terminology

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Factoring – A procedure whereby an exporter (seller) who is selling an open account or time drafts may sell its accounts receivable or drafts to a factoring company which will make immediate payment of the face value of the accounts receivable less some discount amount and will then collect the amounts owing from the purchasers at the due date for payment.⁴

Fad – A style that becomes very popular very quickly, then also loses popularity very quickly and is soon considered out of date.

Fading – Loss of color caused by exposure to light, water, or chemical agents.

FAME. Fashion Avenue Marketplace Expo. A fashion – oriented trade show in New York City. www.fameshows.com.

Fashion forward – At the leading edge of new fashion trends.

⁴ Johnson, Thomas E. Export / Import Procedures and Documentation. Third Edition. 1997. American Management Association..

Fashion week – The week during which prominent fashion shows are held in New York to showcase new fashions for the upcoming season.

Fastener – An attachment such as a hook and eye or snap, used to hold two sections of clothing, such as two ends of a waistband or sleeve cuff together. Often used on jackets, jeans, dresses. May also be used above the leading end of a zipper.

Federal Register – The official daily publication in which Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices of US Government agencies and organizations are published, for permanent record.

Felt – A type of fabric formed by using heat, pressure, and steam to interlock fibers with a varied orientation, unlike weaving or knitting which interlock yarns in a deliberate, predictable orientation.

Fiber – Natural or synthetic strands from which yarns are made.⁵

Fiber content – Identification of the specific types of fiber used to make a yarn and / or fabric. By US law, apparel sold in the US must carry permanent labels indicating the garment’s fiber content.

Filament dyed – Dyed in filament form, before being spun, woven, knitted, or otherwise converted.

Filament– A continuous strand of fiber.⁶

Filament yarn – A yarn composed of one or more filaments that run essentially the whole length of the yarn. Note: yarns of one or more filaments are usually referred to as monofilament or multifilament, respectively.⁷

Findings – Non – fabric components of a garment such as thread, zippers, snaps, etc.

Flame retardant – A chemical treatment that reduces the ease and speed with which a fabric or garment will burn when exposed to an open flame. Flame retardants do not completely prevent flammability.

Flammability testing – Testing to determine the ease and speed with which a particular fabric will burn when exposed to an open flame. Flammability testing is legally mandated for fabrics used in certain types of apparel.

Flannel – A medium weight cotton or wool fabric that is brushed to give a soft surface feel and to hide the distinct warp and weft yarns.

Flat color – A color that has a dull, not shiny or lustrous, surface.

⁵ Frings, Gini Stephens. Fashion From Concept to Consumer, Sixth edition. Prentice Hall.

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ www.onlinecatalogue.biz/textiledictionary/contentword.php.

Flatfelled seam – A flat finished seam created by stitching wrong sides together, trimming one seam allowance close to the seam, folding the other seam allowance under to hide the cut edge, and topstitching it closed. Flatfelled seams are often used on men’s shirts.

Fleece – Two meanings: 1) a general term for any weft – knotted fabric which has been brushed or raised on one or both sides, or 2) the fibrous covering of a sheep or similar animal.

Floor – ready merchandise – Goods are shipped to the retail store in condition ready to be displayed on the sales floor, without further preparation by store workers.

FOB (specified location) - Free on Board. This price includes the price of the product itself plus all shipping costs to the location specified, usually the port from which the product is shipped.

Forced labor – Labor that is not by free will; includes prison, bonded, indentured, or slave labor. Importation of goods made by forced labor is illegal in the US.

Formalwear – Category of men’s and women’s clothing intended for wear at formal events, including evening gowns, tuxedos.

Foundation garments – Category of women’s support undergarments including bras, girdles.

Freedom of Association – The right to join groups including labor unions, and to participate in group activities.

French seam – A seam formed by first stitching wrong sides of two pieces of fabric together, trimming the fabric close to the seam, turning the fabrics to cover the cut edges, and stitching a second seam. French seams provide a high quality finished seam, but are highly labor intensive as they require stitching the same seam twice, and turning the fabric manually.

Frosting – The lighter, almost white, appearance of the surface of a pile fabric when viewed from the upper direction.

Full – fashioned knits – Knit garments with pieces shaped on the knitting machine.⁸ See knit – to – shape.

Further processing – Processing performed on a finished garment; may include embroidery, acid washing, stonewashing, sand washing, enzyme washing, garment dyeing, or similar processes.

Fusible – Able to be attached by means of a heat – activated glue.

Garment dyed – Wearing apparel that has been dyed once fully constructed as a garment.

GATT – General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. An international treaty now superseded by the World Trade Organization.

Generic product – Product sold in simple (usually black and white) packaging, with no brand name or advertising. Generic products are designed to sell at a lower price by eliminating expense

⁸ Frings, Gini Stephens. Fashion From Concept to Consumer, Sixth edition. Prentice Hall.

associated with development of a brand name, brand image, and advertising costs. Generally sold as a lower – cost alternative to an expensive branded product.

Grading – The process of making a sample size pattern larger or smaller to make up a complete size range.⁹

Grain – The vertical or lengthwise alignment of the yarns in a fabric.

Gray scale – A graduated scale that assigns a quantitative measurement to the darkness or saturation of color transferred or lost through crocking or colorfastness.

Greige fabric – Fabric that has not been bleached, dyed, or printed; Greige fabric is generally a natural off – white color.

Hand – The feel of a fabric when touched, as characterized by the softness, smoothness, and drape of the fabric.

Harmonized Tariff System – System adopted in 1989 by most countries in the world. This system classifies products according to an agreed – upon numbering system.

Heather – A yarn or fabric that has a slightly frosted or lighter cast due to white fibers being spun with dyed fibers into the base yarn.

Heat set – Permanently or semi-permanently affixed by application of high heat.

Heat transfer printing – A method of printing fabrics or garments by using heat to transfer ink from printed paper to the fabric or garment; often used for knit fabrics or knit garments.

Hemstitch – A type of stitch that finishes the edge of one layer of fabric while also stitching it intermittently to a second layer of fabric; generally used to hem a garment.

Hook and pile – A two – part strip comprised of one strip with very fine loops and one strip comprised of very fine plastic hooks, that when pressed together, hold tight, but can be pulled apart with nominal force. Used as a closure for some casual clothing and accessories. Velcro® is an example of a pile and hook closure.

House brand – A brand name owned by a retail company, sold only within its retail outlets; may also be called a private label.

Hydrophobic – Characterized by a tendency to repel or resist water; polyesters and some other fibers are generally hydrophobic.

Hydrophilic – Characterized by a tendency to absorb water. Natural fibers (cotton, wool flax / linen, silk), and man-made cellulosic fibers (rayon) are hydrophilic.

Independent monitoring – Monitoring of workplace or other conditions by a non – affiliated organization. ⁹ Ibid.

Infants wear – Category of clothing for infants. Note: some infants wear carries special legal requirements for flammability or other standards.

Inspection – The act of carefully examining a product for its adherence to established quality standards.

Intellectual property – Ownership conferring the right to possess, use, or dispose of products created by human ingenuity, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. These rights are protected when properly registered, but registration in one country does not create rights in another country.¹⁰

ITC – International Trade Centre. A technical cooperation agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) for operational, enterprise – oriented aspects of trade development. Offers many publications suitable on international business.(www.intracen.org)

Ironing – The process of using heat and pressure to smooth a fabric, using an iron.

ISO 9000 – A series of quality control standards developed by the International Standards Organization. 

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