MSCE Clothing and Textiles key terms

A short natural or manufactured fibre measured in centimetres rather than metres, which must be twisted together with many similar fibres to form a yarn.

A fibre of indefinite or very long length, either produced naturally by silk worms or extruded through spinnerets, that can form a yarn with little or no twisting.

A metal plate pierced with fine holes through which a dissolved or melted polymer is forced to produce manufactured filaments of controlled thickness.

A manufactured fibre made by dissolving a naturally occurring polymer, such as wood cellulose, and extruding it into new filament form, for example viscose rayon.

A manufactured fibre built from polymers synthesised from chemicals rather than from natural raw material, such as polyester, nylon or acrylic.

A number expressing the thickness or linear density of a yarn, either as mass per fixed length or length per fixed mass depending on the counting system used.

A direct yarn numbering system giving the mass in grams of one thousand metres of yarn, so a higher tex value means a thicker yarn.

The spiral turns inserted into fibres or filaments as they are spun, holding them together and influencing yarn strength, smoothness and handle.

A yarn formed by twisting two or more single yarns together, giving greater strength, evenness and resistance to abrasion than a single yarn.

The two thread systems of a woven fabric: warp threads run lengthwise under tension, while weft threads cross them from selvedge to selvedge.

The firmly finished lengthwise edge of a woven fabric where the weft turns back, which prevents fraying and shows the fabric's straight grain.

A fabric built from interlocking loops of yarn rather than crossing threads, giving stretch and elasticity, as in single jersey or rib.

Describing a fibre that absorbs moisture from the air and from the body, such as cotton or wool, improving comfort but slowing drying.

The percentage of moisture a dry fibre absorbs from a standard humid atmosphere, used to compare absorbency between fibre types.

A fibre that softens and can be reshaped when heated and hardens again on cooling, which affects ironing temperature and heat-set pleating.

A controlled heat treatment applied to thermoplastic fabrics or yarns to fix their shape, such as permanent pleats or stable knit dimensions.

The ability of a dyed or printed fabric to keep its colour when exposed to washing, light, rubbing, perspiration or dry cleaning.

A substance applied to a fibre before or during dyeing that helps the dye bond to the fibre and improves the fastness of the resulting colour.

A treatment of cotton with caustic soda under tension that swells the fibre, increasing lustre, strength and dye uptake.

A mechanical finish that passes fabric between heated rollers to flatten the surface, giving a smooth, glossy or embossed appearance.

A permanently attached label giving the manufacturer's recommended washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and dry-cleaning instructions for the garment.

A marked arrow on a pattern piece showing how it should be aligned with the lengthwise grain or selvedge of the fabric during layout.

The process of systematically increasing or decreasing a master pattern to produce a range of sizes while keeping the design proportions consistent.

A trial garment made in inexpensive fabric from a pattern to test fit, proportion and construction before cutting the final fabric.

The extra measurement built into a garment beyond the body measurement, allowing movement and creating the intended silhouette.

A wedge of fabric stitched and tapered to remove excess fullness so that flat cloth follows the curves of the body.

The strip of fabric between the stitching line and the raw edge, kept inside the garment and usually pressed open or neatened.

A machine that trims the seam edge and wraps it in interlocking threads in one operation, neatening and often joining stretch fabrics.

A line of stitching worked just inside a seam line on a curved or bias edge to stop it stretching out of shape before assembly.

The diagonal direction of a woven fabric at 45 degrees to the warp and weft, which stretches easily and is used for draping and binding curves.

A circular arrangement of hues used to identify relationships such as complementary, analogous and triadic schemes when planning a design.

Two dimensions of colour: hue is the family name such as red or blue, while value describes how light or dark that colour is.

A quick fashion sketch of an elongated figure used as a base for developing garment designs and illustrating fabric and detail.

A flat, to-scale outline of a garment showing seams, darts, fastenings and topstitching, used as a working specification rather than an illustration.

A record breaking down fabric, trims, labour and overheads to calculate the total cost of producing one garment and set a selling price.

The amount added to production cost to arrive at a selling price, usually expressed as a percentage of cost or of retail price.

A first full garment made to the specification so buyers can assess fit, finish and cost before bulk production is approved.

A written review identifying hazards in a workshop, judging how likely and how serious each is, and recording the controls put in place.

A supplier document listing the hazards, safe handling, storage and first-aid measures for a chemical such as a dye or solvent.

An organised collection of a candidate's design work, samples and finished projects with annotation, used to evidence skills and development over the course.