- 5 Belt Loops5 Belt Loops
A typical pair of jeans has five belt loops. Two at the front, before the front pockets. Two more at each side and one in the center back.
- AbrasionAbrasion
Refers to the scraping or rubbing of the surface of the surface of a fabric giving it a worn or faded look, most often by use of pumice stones.
- Acid Wash JeansAcid Wash Jeans
Pumice stones are soaked in chlorine and then tumbled with jeans in a dryer. This process etches white highlights onto the denim giving jeans sharply contrasting colors. The process was patented in Italy 1986.
- BartackBartack
A method of sewing which reinforces the stress points on jeans, including the pocket openings.
- BleachingBleaching
An industrial finishing process to remove the natural and artificial impurities from a fabric. Also the process to fade denim jeans.
- Broken TwillBull Denim
The type of denim weave in which the twill line does not run in a straight line, said to be preferred by cowboys.
- Bull DenimChino
Tough piece-dyed 3x1 twill weave cloth made from coarse yarns. Weights may vary from 9oz/yard to standard 14oz/yard.
- ChinoChlorine Bleach
A type of twill fabric, made primarily from cotton and originally made in China. Became popular in the U.S. when soldiers brought them home from the Phillipines after the Spanish-American War. "Chino" is the Spanish term for Chinese which is the origin of this name.
- Chlorine BleachCorduroy
For light blue finishes, hypo chlorite bleach is added to the laundry process.
- CorduroyCorduroy
A durable fabric of twisted fibers woven to lay parallel to one another forming a distinctive 'cord' pattern. Usually tufted (or 'ribbed') giving a velvety appearance, and showing a channel (bare to the base fabric) between tufts (or ribs). The width of the cord is called the wale, with wide wale fabric used for trousers and medium, narrow and fine wale fabric used in other types of garments. From the French cord du roi meaning "cloth of the king."
- CottonCotton
Cotton, genus Gossypium, is one of the world's most important crops. A shrub native to tropical and subtrobical regions, the name comes from the Arabic al qutun. Cotton bolls comprise the cotton seed case which when opened and dried leave the fibers flat and twisted into ribbon-like interlocked shapes. Processed cotton fiber is is springy, strong, durable and absorbent.
- DenimDenim
Rugged cotton twill, the first such fabric came from Nimes, France and the name comes from the French words de Nîmes (from Nimes). Dyed yarn is woven with undyed filling yarns, either ring spun or open end yarns.
- DipsDips
Refers to fabric or yarn dipped in dye. Indigo yarns typically are dipped six times but may dipped be up to 16 times.
- DobbyDobby
Mechanism attached to a loom. The dobby controls harnesses permitting geometric figures to be woven.
- Double NeedleDouble Needle
A seam common in jeanswear garments. The sewing machine stitches two threads side by side at once, giving the fabric greater strength.
- DrillDrill
Left hand 2x1 weave twill fabric.
- DungareeDungaree
The name comes from Dungarii Fort in India near Mumbaii. It was the name given to an indigo-dyed cloth sold here in the 16th century.
- DyeingDyeing
The industrial process to add color to fiber, yarn, fabric, or garments.
- EnzymesEnzymes
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze a chemical reaction. Used to eat away at the cotton fibers and create a worn look similar to stonewashing.
- Enzyme WashingEnzyme Washing
The washing process that uses cellulose enzymes to soften jeans and lighten the color.
- Five Pocket JeansFive Pocket Jeans
The usual four pockets (2 front, 2 back) plus a coin pocket inside of the right front pocket.
- FlannelFlannel
A loosely spun napped yarn. After weaving it is napped once. After treatment it is napped a second time.
- FlaxFlax
The plant Linium Usitatissium is the source of cellulous fiber linen and has been cultivated for about 5000 years. The stems of the plant are processed into long, strong fibers which are soft, lustrous and flexible.
- GabardineGabardine
Tough and tightly-woven twill weave fabric made of cotton, synthetic or mixed materials, it is smooth on one side and presents a diagonally ribbed surface on the other.
- Garment-Dyed ClothGarment-Dyed Cloth
Natural denim which is not dyed before being woven, dyed only after it has been cut and sewn. If the pocket linings are dyed then a garment can be identified as garment-dyed. If the pockets of your dark-colored jeans are white then they are yarn-dyed.
- Hand or HandleHand or Handle
A reference to the way a fabric feels. Hands include: smooth or crisp, springy or stiff, cool or warm, rough, hard, limp and soapy. The various finish and wash processes will affect the resulting handle of a fabric.
- HempHemp
Also called Cannabis, hemp is a natural, strong, fast-growing fiber with an enormous number of industrial uses. Hemp clothing is made possible by certain processes which soften the coarse fibers so that they can be worn comfortably.
- HerringboneHerringbone
A broken twill weave is characterized by a balanced zigzag effect produced by having the rib run first to the right and then to the left for an equal number of threads.
- IndigoIndigo
Blue jeans got to be that color by the application of indigo dye. Modern indigo is usually synthetic in origin but historically, up until about 1900, indigo was produced from a variety of plants, most commonly the tropical flowering plant Indigofera. Indigo dyes do not fully penetrate the fabric and the dye is apt to fade over time. When the indigo yarn is untwisted, white fibers are noticeable.
- InseamInseam
The seam on the inside of the pant leg.
- JeanJean
Sometimes used interchangeably with the word denim. Jeans were first manufactured in Genoa, Italy for sailors of the Genoese Navy. The French referred to these indigo-dyed trousers as bleu de Gênes ("blue of Genoa") which is the origin of the modern English word "jean."
- KhakiKhaki
Applied as both a color and a style of pants. Khaki is generally a green-tinged brownish color and the garment is usually a men's military style made of twill cotton fabric. The color was officially adopted by the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American war meaning a greenish tan or sand color, and by other national Armies all intended for use as camouflage. It has come to be applied to a diverse range of colors with the meaning concentrated more upon the style and cut.
- LaundryLaundry
A manufacturing company that takes unwashed jeans and processes them. This process includes washing, stone washing, sandblasting, and garment dyeing. Wash development has become equally important to fabric development in the jeanswear industry.
- Left Hand TwillLeft Hand Twill
The twill rises to the left (weave runs diagonally from right to left), which tends to create a softer feeling denim after washing.
- LinenLinen
This is a fiber taken from the straw of the flax plant. The stems are steeped in water to remove the resinous matter and allow fermentation to take place. After fermentation is completed, the fibrous material is separated from teh woody matter and spun into thread. The fiber can be from 2" to 36" long with a natural color that varies from light ivory to dark tan or gray. Linen is very absorbent, takes dye more readily than cotton but has poor resiliency.
- Lycra ®Lycra ®
Dupont's trademark for a spandex fiber.
- MercerizationMercerization
A treatment of cotton yarn or fabric to increase its luster and affinity for dyes. The material is immersed under tension in a cold sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) solution in warp or skein form or in the piece, and is later neutralized in acid. The process causes a permanent swelling of the fiber and thus increases its luster.
- Natural DyesNatural Dyes
Up to the middle of the 19th century there were only natural dyes and most of these were of vegetable origin. Natural indigo is one of the more important dyes. Natural dyes usually have no affinity for textile fibers until the fibers are treated with aluminum, iron, or tin compounds to receive the dye. This is a problematic process and the dyes in any case have poor fastness to sun or abrasion.
- Natural FibersNatural Fibers
A class name for varous genera of fibers of animal (silk and wool), mineral (asbestos) and vegetable origin (cotton, flax, jute, and ramie).
- Open End DenimOpen End Denim
This denim is faster and less expensive to produce than the original ring spun denims. Open end denims create denim with a courser look and feel. (Not nearly as cool as the original ring spun denim.)
- Optical Brighteners and Optical WhitenersOptical Brighteners and Optical Whiteners
Chemicals that make fabrics appear to reflect more light than they really do, to make them brighter.
- OutseamOutseam
The seam found on the outside of the leg.
- Over DyeOver Dye
Dye process where the fabric is dyed both before and after it is cut and sewn, i.e., yarn-dyed + garment-dyed. Typical of both indigo and black denim.
- OxfordOxford
A soft but stout shirting fabric in a modified basket weave. The fabric is usually made from cotton or polyester/cotton blends and is frequently given a silk-like luster finish.
- Pigment DyesPigment Dyes
Dyes without an affinity for fiber and are therefore held to a fabric with resins. They are available in almost any color and have been used extensively in the jeans wear industry by fabric dyers who want to create fabrics that fade.
- Plain WeavePlain Weave
One of the three fundamental weaves plain, satin, and twill. Each yarn filling passes successively over and under each warp yarn, alternating each row.
- Pre-ShrunkPre-Shrunk
The denim has been pre-treated to ensure that the garment will shrink less than 3% in washing.
- Pumice StonesPumice Stones
A volcanic stone used for stone washing garments. Pumice is popular because of its strength and light weight.
- RamieRamie
A fiber similar to flax obtained from the stalk of a plant grown in China, the U.S. and Japan. Desirable properties include its strength and durability.
- Range-DyeingRange-Dyeing
Process in which yarn is run through indigo dye, then the color is fixed by exposing it to air. This allows the fabric to fade gradually.
- Right Hand TwillRight Hand Twill
The authentic way denim was first woven. The will line, or blue threads, rise to the right.
- Ring Spun DenimRing Spun Denim
Ring spun denim is the original type of denim fabric using ring spun yarns. The denim's unique surface characteristics are referred to as slubs, giving jeans a great authentic, vintage look. Double ring spun denim is made with pure ring spun yarns woven into the length and the width of the weave.
- RivetsRivets
Metal tabs placed at stress points such as pockets to prevent tearing.
- Rope DyedRope Dyed
Considered as the best possible method to dye indigo yarns.
- SaggingSagging
The wearing of loose fitting jeans by young men low enough on the hips to expose their underwear (most often boxer shorts). At the level of the buttocks or about halfway down is common. "Ass-sagging" is when jeans are worn below the buttocks - this is not as common, and the jeans are then prone to falling all the way down.
- SandingSanding
It is a fabric finishing process where fabrics are sanded, with real sandpaper, to make the fabric surface soft iwthout hair. This can be performed before or after dyeing.
- SanforizeSanforize
Developed in the late 1920's by the Sanforize Co., for the pre-shrinking fabric process that limits residual fabric shrinkage to less than 1%.
- SandblastSandblast
A laundry process that takes place before washing, where jeans are literally shot with guns of sand. This gives the jeans a worn look. While originally done only by nand, this processing has become automated. Chemicals are also now used in many laundries replacing the sand.
- Selvage DenimSelvage Denim
The narrow edge of woven fabric that runs parallel to the warp. It is made with stronger yarns in a tighter construction than the body of the fabric to prevent ravelling. A fast selvage encloses all or part of the picks, and a selvage is not fast when the filling threads are cut at the fabric edge after every pick.
- Shade BatchingShade Batching
The process of selecting batches of fabrics into homgeneous shade lots to obtain consistent color continuity in garment making.
- Shade BlanketShade Blanket
Fabric is cut from each roll of fabric, sewn together, with roll numbers on the back of each pad to allow manufacturers to wash and identify all shade colors of each roll. This is an important tool in cutting apparel made from denim to ensure that garments are cut from a single shade group.
- ShrinkageShrinkage
The width wise or lengthwise contraction of a fiber, yarn or fabric, usually after wetting and redrying or on exposure to elevated temperature.
- SiliconeSilicone
Silicones are silicon-containing polymer materials that have found wide use in industry becauase of their great stability. Some flued silicons are used in garment finishing, giving a smooth handle to fabrics.
- SizingSizing
Starch, gelatine, glue, wax that is added to fabrics in the finishing state to improve touch or weight and to help fabric lying in the cutting phase. Denim fabrics for example have almost 1 ounce of sizing.
- SkewingSkewing
It must be ensured that twill fabrics do not skew or unroll.
- Slasher DyedSlasher Dyed
One of the three methods to dye indigo yarn.
- Slub YarnSlub Yarn
Any type of yarn that is irregular in diameter; the irregularity may be purposeful or the result of error.
- SpandexSpandex
An elastomeric fiber (a type of polyurethane) that can be stretched up to five times its original length without being damaged. It is lightweight and flexible. It resists deterioration from perspiration, detergent and body oils. It is characterized by its strength and durability.
- StonewashStonewash
The process in which pumice stones are added to the wash cycle to abrade denim and loosen color. Most jeans today are stonewashed. In addition to pumice stones, enzymes, sand, ceramic balls and other creative solutions have been invented to give jeans that vintage worn look.
- S-TwistS-Twist
A left-handed twisted yarn.
- SulphurSulphur
A type of dyestuff used frequently on black and neutral (khaki) fabrics.
- Textile IndustryTextile Industry
Derived from the Latin 'texere' (to weave), and originally used to describe woven fabrics. Textiles have become a general term for fibers, yarns and other materials that can be made into fabrics as well as for woven or knitted fabrics.
- Textile FinishingTextile Finishing
The non-coloring process that makes woven or knitted fabric more acceptable to the consumer.
- TwillTwill
A fundamental weave characterized by diagonal lines produced by a series of floats staggered in the warp direction. The floats are normally formed by filling (filling-faced twill). Warp-face twill is a weave in which the warp yarns produce the diagonal effect.
- Uneven YarnUneven Yarn
Ring Spun yarn by nature is never perfectly regular; these irrecularities can be used to give character to the yarn and subsequently to the fabric. It can be either light, to give a natural appearance, or pronounced, to give an 'antique' effect.
- WalesWales
They are a series of ribs or ridges usually running lengthwise on woven fabrics. They describe the pile ribs found on the corduroy fabrics.
- WarpWarp
The lengthwise, vertical yarns carried over and under the weft. Warp yarns generally have more twist than weft yarns because they are subjected to more strain in the weaving process and therefore require more strength.
- WashWash
Commercially washing the jeans is an important final step that causes the denim to fade and take on its unique look.
- WeftWeft
The lengthwise (selvage to selvage horizontal) yarns carried over and under the warp. Filling yarns generally have less twist than warp yarns because they are subjected to less strain in the weaving process and therefore require less strength.
- WidthWidth
Either the 'selvage to selvage' area, where the width value is inclusive of selvages; or it is the 'usable area', where the value indicates the fabric that can be effectively cut.
- Yarn Dyed ClothYarn Dyed Cloth
Yarn Dyed Cloth is a fabric that is dyed before weaving. True authentic denim is a yard dyed fabric.
- Z-TwistZ-Twist
A right hand twisted yarn, as opposed to an S-Twist.
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