Chapter 75: Glossary of Terms

This expanded glossary consolidates and extends the core vocabulary introduced in Chapter 11, incorporating additional specialized terms introduced throughout the remainder of this book, organized alphabetically for quick reference.

Term	Definition
Athleisure	Activewear-inspired clothing worn in non-athletic, everyday contexts (Ch. 22)
Bias	A diagonal cut across the fabric grain, allowing natural stretch and fluid drape (Ch. 10, 13)
Blind hem	A hem stitched to be invisible from the garment's outside (Ch. 38)
Break	Where a trouser hem meets the shoe — full, slight, or no break (Ch. 10, 38)
Capsule wardrobe	A limited, curated collection of interchangeable garments (Ch. 44)
Cost-per-wear	A garment's price divided by its realistic total number of wears (Ch. 55)
Crotch curve	The shaped seam joining front and back pattern pieces between the legs (Ch. 6, 31)
Dart	A stitched fold used to shape flat fabric to the body (Ch. 6, 10)
Drape	How fabric falls and moves on the body (Ch. 10, 13)
Ease	Extra room built into a pattern beyond exact body measurements (Ch. 10, 31)
Elastane	A synthetic elastic fiber (also known as spandex or Lycra) blended for stretch (Ch. 12, 14)
Facing	An internal fabric layer finishing a raw edge (Ch. 10)
Fit model	An individual whose measurements serve as a brand's physical fit reference (Ch. 60)
Fly front	The overlapping front closure concealing a zipper or button closure (Ch. 6, 36)
Four-way stretch	Fabric that stretches and recovers in both width and length directions (Ch. 14)
Grade rule	The specified measurement difference applied between adjacent pattern sizes (Ch. 33)
Grading	Proportionally scaling a single pattern across a size range (Ch. 10, 33)
Greenwashing	Marketing that overstates or misrepresents a brand's actual sustainability practices (Ch. 57)
Hand (of fabric)	The tactile quality of a fabric — soft, crisp, smooth, textured (Ch. 10, 13)
Inseam	The inner leg seam, from crotch to hem; also the standard leg-length measurement (Ch. 6)
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)	The smallest order size a manufacturer will accept per style/color (Ch. 59)
Muslin/Toile	A test garment used to check fit before cutting final fabric (Ch. 10, 32)
Outseam	The outer leg seam, from waist to hem (Ch. 6)
Pleat	Folded, stitched-down fabric at the waist, functional or decorative (Ch. 6, 10)
Rise	The distance from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband (Ch. 6, 7)
Sloper	A basic, unfitted pattern block used as a drafting foundation (Ch. 31)
Swayback adjustment	A pattern alteration removing excess back fabric for a pronounced lower-back curve (Ch. 32, 42)
Taper	Gradual narrowing of the leg from thigh/knee to hem (Ch. 8, 10)
Vanity sizing	Labeling a garment with a smaller size than earlier sizing standards would suggest (Ch. 60)
Waistband facing	An internal finishing strip stabilizing a darted, bandless waist (Ch. 10, 35)