Auto-lock Zipper - The zipper has a mechanism that "locks" it in position. This keeps the zipper from accidentally coming open until it is pulled by the wearer.

Bar Tack - A series of close stitches forming a bar, and used to reinforce the edges of seams, pockets, buttonholes and other high stress areas.

Chin Protector - A fabric extension that is sewn onto the zipper to protect children from being pinched by the zipper when it is zipped closed near the chin.

Colorfastness - Describes fabrics that have minimal fading, bleeding or crocking. The color is retained at acceptable levels after repeated launderings. Fabrics are tested and evaluated against industry accepted standards to determine colorfastness levels.

Cotton - This is a unicellular natural fiber composed of almost pure cellulose. It is commonly found in staple lengths of 3/8" to 2". The fibers are classed by length, strength and color for marketing. Cotton is very comfortable, but is highly absorptive of water and dries slowly. It is prone to shrinkage unless proper shrinkage controls are used in processing.

Cover Stitch - A multi-needle seam that is used for ornamental and functional purposes. It can be used for hems and also to overstitch other seams. When it is used to overstitch other seams it provides additional strength and flattens the primary seam providing a neater appearance. This seam can be sewn with the "cover" to the top or to the bottom. When cover is to the bottom, the top has two parallel rows of stitching.

Crocking - Color transfer in dry or wet state whereby color is transferred to another material by friction or rubbing. Fabrics are tested and evaluated against industry accepted standards to determine crocking performance.

Dimensional Stability - Fabric or garment has been processed to minimize shrinkage, warping or distortion in laundering, or the fiber selected has inherent properties that contribute to excellent performance.

DTM - Dyed to match means that small parts are dyed to match the color of the primary body fabric.

Fabric Weight - Usually expressed in terms of grams per square centimeter or ounces per square yard. This allows a potential purchaser to have a means of determining the nature of the fabric when viewing on the internet or in a catalog.

Fabric Weight - May be expressed as ounces per square yard or grams per square meter. A square meter is approximately 20% more than a square yard. There are 28.35 grams in one ounce. When speaking of fleece, the industry terminology is often 100 weight, 200 weight and 300 weight. The 100 is a light weight (pajama weight). The 200 is a mid-weight for jackets and is approximately 20% heavier than 100 weight. The 300 is for heavy weight jackets and similar garments, and is approximately 30% heavier than the 100 weight.

Flame Retardant - Fabrics that are treated, or are inherently flame retardant. These types of fabrics are required to be used in children's sleepwear. Some manufacturers have been known to use misleading labeling practices to try to avoid using these fabrics. Consumers should be aware of this and insist on children's sleepwear made of flame retardant fabrics.

Flammable Fabric Act Regulations - Regulations put in place by the Federal government to assure that all apparel fabrics are tested and meet requirements that will not allow dangerously flammable fabrics and garments to get into the supply chain.

Flatlock Seam - A seam where the edges of the fabrics being sewn together are butted together and not overlapped. This creates a flatter, more comfortable seam and is widely used in fleece socks and some performance types of thermal underwear for outdoor sports.

Fleece Fabric - A fabric with a thick, heavy surface resembling sheep's wool. It may be a pile or napped fabric of either woven or knit construction. After brushing, the fibers are sheared to provide an even, uniform surface.

Hydrophilic Fiber - Fibers that absorb water and retain it for extended periods of time. This causes discomfort when fabrics manufactured from these fibers are against the skin.

Hydrophobic Fiber - Fibers that are not water absorptive or water sensitive. There is a natural tendency for the fiber to reject water absorption. This causes fabrics manufactured from these fibers to be much more comfortable against the skin.

Knit Fabric - Knit fabric is constructed of a series of interlocked loops in the yarns that form it. The two major classes of knit are warp and weft. Warp knitting is woven from beams of yarn and is has less stretch that weft yarn. Tricot is an example of warp knit. Weft knit is knit on a circular or flat machine from yarn packages. It has more stretch and is more commonly used for outerwear. Both warp and weft can be knit in patterns from dyed yarn, or printed after knitting.

Long-staple Cotton - This type of cotton has a length of staple or fiber of 1 1/8" or longer. It is considered to be very desirable because of superior strength, appearance and comfort.

Micro Fleece - Fleece knitted of very fine denier fibers. It is normally a lighter weight fabric with a soft and silky hand.

Napping - Mechanical brushing of fabrics to raise the fibers which creates "loft" that contributes to comfort and warmth.

Nickel-free Parts - All metal parts of zippers are specified to be nickel free. This is to avoid any toxicity or allergenic reaction by individuals to these products.

Overlock Seam - A seam where the thread covers the edges of the fabric completely so that it cannot ravel or fray.

Pill Resistant - Fabric is treated to resist tangling of fibers causing knots or "pills" on the fabric surface that detract from the appearance.

Polyester - A manufactured fiber that is extruded from synthetic polymer that is a derivative of oil. The characteristics include: high strength and resistance to shrinkage and stretching. Fabrics made from polyester fiber are quick drying and wrinkle resistance. It is non-absorptive and stays comfortable to the skin even when wet.

Pre-shrunk Elastic - Elastic is processed to minimize shrinkage so that garment measurements in elasticized areas do not change appreciably after laundering. This assures better fit and comfort to the wearer.

Roll-back Cuffs - Cuffs that have a finished surface inside, and they are wider than normal so that the sleeve can be turned up to adjust the sleeve length and still have a finished look.

Safety Stitch - A stitch formation made up of an overlock seam(see definition above) plus an additional row of chain stitches further from the fabric edge that provides added security and durability to the garment construction.

Seam Bite - The distance from the edge of the fabric that the seam reaches. The wider the bite, the stronger the seam, until the reason for failure is due to other factors such as thread failure.

Seam Slippage - This is seam failure that can be caused by base fabric being very loosely constructed, or the seam not have sufficient "bite" into the seam.

Shearing - After brushing, fabric surface is sheared to trim uneven fibers and provide more uniform, luxurious feel.

Single Needle - Also known as "plain sew" seams. This is a simple lockstitch seam, sewn with one needle thread and one bobbin thread.

Terry Cloth - A cotton or cotton-blend fabric having uncut loops on one or both sides. Terry is made on a dobby loom with a terry arrangement or on a jacquard loom. It is used for toweling or robes.

Top Stitching - Additional row of stitching uniformly spaced from a seam. It secures primary seams, providing additional strength and neater, more tailored appearance.

Waffle Weave - Fabric with a characteristic honeycomb weave. When made in cotton, it is sometimes called waffle pique. This pattern can also be achieved in knit fabrics.

Washfastness - The resistance of a dyed fabric or garment to color loss or change in properties during home or commercial laundering.

Woven Fabric - Normally refers to fabric made from two sets of yarn comprised of warp and filling. Warp yarn is fed off of a beam into the loom and the filling is inserted with a shuttle or similar method. Novelty fabrics may use multiple warps and fillings to achieve fancy patterns. The warp yarns are normally smaller in diameter and have more twist that the filling yarn due to the stress that they endure during the weaving process.