GLOSSARY
Apparel sourcing glossary
75 terms in plain language. One page per term, each with related terms and the guides that use it.
A
- amfori BSCIamfori Business Social Compliance InitiativeA social compliance programme run by the trade association amfori that audits suppliers against a code of conduct on working conditions.
- AQLAcceptable Quality LimitThe worst average defect rate a buyer will accept in a lot, used in sampling plans (ISO 2859-1) that tell an inspector how many pieces to…
B
- Back-to-back LCA second letter of credit opened by an exporter’s bank in favour of its own suppliers, on the strength of the master LC it received from…
- Better CottonA cotton sustainability programme that trains farmers and tracks volumes through a mass-balance system, so garments do not necessarily…
- BGBABangladesh Garment Buying House AssociationThe trade association of garment buying houses operating in Bangladesh.
- BGMEABangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters AssociationThe main trade association of Bangladeshi garment manufacturers and exporters.
- BLBill of LadingA document issued by the carrier that acknowledges receipt of goods for shipment, serves as the contract of carriage and, in its original…
- BOMBill of MaterialsThe list of every material in a garment, with specification, supplier, consumption and cost: fabric, thread, trims, labels and packaging.
- Bonded warehouseA customs-supervised facility that lets an export factory import raw materials such as fabric and trims without paying import duty…
- Buying houseA company that sources garments for overseas buyers, handling factory selection, costing, sampling, quality control and shipping documents…
C
- CBMCubic metreA cubic metre of cargo volume, the unit used to measure shipments and to price LCL freight.
- Certificate of originA document issued by an authorised body that certifies the country where goods were produced, used to claim preferential duty or to meet…
- CIFCost, Insurance and FreightAn Incoterms rule under which the seller pays freight and minimum marine insurance to the destination port, while risk passes to the buyer…
- CMTCut, Make, TrimThe factory’s charge for turning fabric into a garment: cutting, sewing and finishing, usually with the trims supplied or added.
- Colour fastnessThe resistance of a fabric’s colour to washing, rubbing, light and perspiration, graded on a 1–5 scale in tests under the ISO 105 series.
- ColourwayOne colour combination of a style, specifying the shade of each component such as body, trim, thread and print.
- Combed cottonCotton that has been combed to remove short fibres before spinning, giving a smoother, stronger and less pill-prone yarn than carded cotton.
- Commercial invoiceThe seller’s invoice for the goods, stating parties, description, quantity, unit price, currency and terms, which customs uses to value the…
D
- DDPDelivered Duty PaidAn Incoterms rule under which the seller delivers goods cleared for import, with duty and taxes paid, to the named place in the buyer’s…
- Dye lotOne batch of fabric dyed together in the same bath, which guarantees consistent colour within the batch but may differ slightly from other…
E
- EBAEverything But ArmsThe European Union’s trade arrangement, part of its Generalised Scheme of Preferences, that gives least developed countries duty-free…
- Enzyme washA garment wash that uses cellulase enzymes to break down protruding fibres, giving a softer handfeel and a smoother surface.
- EXWEx WorksAn Incoterms rule under which the seller makes goods available at its own premises and the buyer bears all costs and risks from there…
F
- Fabric consumptionThe amount of fabric needed to make one garment, including the allowance for cutting waste and end-of-roll loss.
- FCAFree CarrierAn Incoterms rule under which the seller delivers goods, cleared for export, to the carrier or other party nominated by the buyer at a…
- FCL / LCLFull Container Load / Less than Container LoadFCL means a shipment fills a whole container for one buyer; LCL means the shipment shares a container with other buyers’ cargo and is…
- Fit sampleA sample made in the correct fabric or a close match, used to check how the garment fits on a model or form against the measurement chart.
- FleeceA knitted fabric with the back brushed to raise a soft insulating pile, used for hoodies and sweatpants.
- FOBFree On BoardAn Incoterms rule under which the seller delivers goods on board the vessel named by the buyer at the port of shipment, and the buyer bears…
- French terryA knitted fabric with a smooth face and loops on the back, used for lightweight sweatshirts and joggers.
G
- GOTSGlobal Organic Textile StandardA certification covering the whole processing chain of textiles made from organic fibres, including environmental and social criteria.
- GradingThe process of scaling a base-size pattern up and down to produce the other sizes in a range according to set increments.
- GRSGlobal Recycled StandardA Textile Exchange standard that verifies recycled content and chain of custody in a product, with social and environmental processing…
- GSMGrams per Square MetreA measure of fabric weight: the mass in grams of one square metre of fabric.
- GSPGeneralised System of PreferencesA scheme under which developed countries give reduced or zero tariffs to goods from developing countries.
H
I
- IncotermsInternational Commercial TermsStandard three-letter trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce that allocate costs, risk and clearance duties between…
- Inline inspectionA quality check carried out during production, while the garments are still being sewn, so that defects can be fixed before the lot is…
L
- Lab dipA small swatch of fabric dyed in a laboratory to match a target colour, submitted for buyer approval before bulk dyeing.
- Landed costThe total cost per piece of getting a garment to the buyer’s warehouse: FOB price plus freight, insurance, duty, import taxes, clearance…
- LCLetter of CreditA bank’s written undertaking, issued at the buyer’s request, to pay the seller once the seller presents documents that comply with the…
- LDCLeast Developed CountryA country the United Nations classifies as having low income and structural obstacles to sustainable development, based on income…
- Lead timeThe time from order confirmation, or from approval of the pre-production sample, to the goods being ready to ship or delivered.
M
O
- OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100A certification that tests textile products at every stage of processing for harmful substances, classified into four product classes by…
- OEM / ODMOriginal Equipment Manufacturer / Original Design ManufacturerIn apparel, OEM means the factory makes garments to the buyer’s own design and tech pack, while ODM means the factory also supplies the…
P
- Packing listA document listing the contents of each carton or pallet in a shipment, with quantities by size and colour, and weights and dimensions.
- Pantone TCXA textile colour reference system from Pantone, used to specify a colour for dyeing; TCX refers to the cotton swatch version of the…
- PillingThe formation of small fibre balls on a fabric surface caused by abrasion in wear and washing.
- PiquéA knitted or woven fabric with a small raised texture, usually honeycomb-like, used for polo shirts.
- POMPoint of MeasureA defined location on a garment where a dimension is measured, such as chest width or sleeve length, together with the method and tolerance.
- PP samplePre-production sampleA sample made in the actual bulk fabric and trims, approved by the buyer before cutting starts, and kept as the reference the bulk order is…
- Private labelClothing made by a manufacturer to a brand’s specification and sold under the brand’s own label.
- Proto sampleThe first sample of a style, made to check the pattern, shape and construction, often in a substitute fabric.
R
- REXRegistered Exporter systemThe European Union’s system in which exporters register in a national database and then make out their own statements on origin to claim…
- Ring-spun yarnYarn made on a ring-spinning frame, which twists the fibres into a finer, stronger and softer yarn than open-end spinning produces.
- RSCRMG Sustainability CouncilThe Bangladeshi body that carries out fire, electrical and structural safety inspections and remediation tracking in ready-made-garment…
- Rules of originThe criteria that decide whether a product counts as originating in a country for purposes of preferential duty.
S
- SAMStandard Allowed MinuteThe time an average trained operator needs to complete a sewing operation or an entire garment at a standard pace, including allowances.
- SelvedgeThe self-finished edge of a woven fabric that stops it from fraying, and by extension denim woven on narrow shuttle looms with a visible…
- ShrinkageThe change in a garment’s or fabric’s dimensions after washing and drying, usually expressed as a percentage of the original length and…
- Single jerseyThe basic weft-knitted fabric with a smooth face and a looped back, used for most T-shirts.
- Size setA set of samples across the size range, usually the base size plus the smallest and largest, made to check that grading holds up.
- SMETASedex Members Ethical Trade AuditAn ethical trade audit methodology and report format used on the Sedex platform to share supplier audit results.
- Strike-offA small sample of a print or embroidery on the actual fabric, made to check colour, scale and placement before bulk production.
T
- T&A calendarTime and Action calendarA dated plan of every milestone in an order, from fabric booking and sample approvals to inspection and shipment, with planned and actual…
- Tech packTechnical packageThe specification document for a garment: flat sketches, bill of materials, measurements, construction, colours, artwork, labels and…
- Third-party inspectionA quality inspection carried out by an independent company, not the factory or the buyer, who checks the goods against the specification…
- TOP sampleTop of production sampleA sample taken from the first pieces off the production line and sent to the buyer to confirm that bulk production matches the approved PP…
- TrimsEvery component of a garment other than the main fabric: thread, buttons, zips, labels, drawcords, elastic, interlining and packaging.