FAQ / Glossary
We understand some of our customers may be new to the garment manufacturing industry so we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and a glossary of terms to help our customers through the process of having their products manufactured.
Question: What can I make with Benking Garments?
Answer: We primarily produce button down shirts, pants, jackets, and shorts but we have also done ties and belts for our larger customers.
Question: Can I have custom made fabric for my garments?
Answer: Absolutely. We can do custom printed fabric but this requires us to print 700 yards of fabric at a time. The cost depends on what kind of print you need and what material you want to print on. Although we encourage our customers to use all the fabric, sometimes the bigger brands create a print and then use whatever they need from it as they develop their clothes and as the quantity becomes too small to make a full production run, they use the material as accent material for plackets, sleeves, liners, or piping for their pants/shorts/shirts.
Question: What is your minimum?
Answer: If you want to use surplus fabric that we happen to have in our factory, we can do production runs as small as 300 units. If you want to make something out of something we don't have, you'll have to buy the entire roll of fabric and we can manufacture off of that as per your order quantity.
Question: How do we get started?
Answer: Every program starts with a design from the customer. Customers usually come to us with full specs and samples of what they like, be it a full shirt or just a list of styling details that they want to add onto whatever they want to make. For example, we had a customer who wanted to create a 300 unit limited edition button down shirt for his summer collection. We knew he didn't want to buy a full roll of fabric so we sent him swatches of stock fabric we had on hand. He chose what he wanted and sent in a sample shirt with specific changes that he wanted on the shirt like sleeve length and width, where he wanted his own logo on a pocket, a design for the tags for the neck and bottom of the shirt, etc.
Glossary
Armscye The armhole of a garment. The armhole part of the pattern.
Apex The highest point or tip of the bust.
Apex of a Dart The point at which the dart tapers to an end.
Balance An element of fit. Equality in amount, weight, value, importance, or effect from side to side and from front to back.
Bar Code The printed Universal Product Code (UPC) that appears on products to identify their price, size, color, and stock keeping number. The bar code may appear on the tag or packaging of the item and is often scanned when the item is purchased. The UPC is made up of vertical lines in a set pattern that represents the number that is printed underneath it.
Bar Tack A group of overlapping or very closely touching stitches used to reinforce small areas of a garment that might experience strain during normal wear. The tops of pockets are often bar-tacked on each side
Basic Block Basic foundation pattern, made of tag board or plastic, that fits the target customer. (Standard size is usually an 8 for Misses sizes.) (See also Sloper)
Baste A temporary method of holding two or more layers of fabric together by sewing by hand or machine with long stitches.
Bias Any direction that is not the lengthwise or crosswise grain of a woven fabric (see also True Bias)
Blend (1) More than one fiber type mixed together in a fabric.
Blend (2) Smoothing lines when altering the pattern.
Blind Hem A machine stitched hem made by folding the hem back and using a machine (industrial) or stitch and foot (home machine) designed for producing a hem that does not show on the front.
Block See "Basic Block."
Bobbin A small plastic or metal spool that holds the lower thread. Used on the industrial lockstitch and home sewing machines
Boning Stiff plastic or metal strips sewn to garment seams to add shape and support. (Historically made from whale bone.)
Border Design Fabric A fabric incorporating a woven, printed, painted or embroidered band or pattern along one or both selvages. The design is often placed at the hem of the skirt and/or sleeve.
Bound Buttonhole A buttonhole that is backed with narrow strips of fabric that meet like lips to cover the opening. Used on some jackets and other tailored garments.
Break (in pants) Slight indentation that occurs between the knee and ankle when the pants are slightly longer than the top of the shoe.
Bundle Cut pieces grouped for assembly line production sewing.
Casing A tunnel of fabric, usually made by folding over a cut edge or sewing an additional strip of fabric on at the cut edge. Elastic or a drawstring may be threaded through a casing.
Clip A small cut in the seam allowance, almost to the stitching, used to spread or ease the outer edges of curved seams
Collar stand The part of a two-piece collar that stands up next to the neck
Computer Aided Design (CAD) Computerized system for doing design tasks. Uses software that may be tailored specifically to clothing or other tasks.
Dart A stitched fold in the fabric that tapers from a seam to point to the fullest part of the body. Used to create shape and control fullness.
Dart Equivalents Dart substitutes that incorporate shape into the garment in a variety of ways, including Princess lines and gathering.
Design Ease Extra ease (or sometimes less ease) as compared to wearing ease that gives a garment its style. The difference between "slim" jeans, "regular fit" jeans and "loose fitting" jeans is design ease.
Direct Cost Costs to the manufacturer that are directly chargable to the garment. Includes fabric, thread, pattern, sewing operator time, packaging and shipping.
Directional Fabrics Fabrics having a one-way design or nap that requires all pattern pieces to be laid in a single direction
Drafting A method for making patterns on paper or on the computer using measurements.
Draping A 3-dimensional method for making patterns using muslin on a dress form.
Drill holes Holes in the body of a pattern piece. Used in industry to indicate the ends of darts, tucks and pocket placements.
Ease (1) Fullness drawn up and stitched in place. Often used on a set-in sleeve, and at the apex of a bodice with princess lines.
Ease (2) As an element of fit, it refers to the amount of roominess in a garment. (Also see design ease and wearing ease.)
Edge Stitching A row of machine stitching placed very close to a seam or garment edge. Stitching may be up to ΒΌ" away from the edge. (see also topstitching.)
Embroidery Decorative stitching, made by hand or machine, used to form designs and patterns.
Even Plaid Plaid that contains a balanced arrangement of stripes on each side of the dominant horizontal and vertical bars of the plaid.
Fabric Repeat The distance between the beginning of one complete motif, or design unit, and the beginning of the next one. Can be horizontal or vertical.
Fabrication The selection of fabrics for the style or line of garments. The same style is frequently produced in more than one fabric.
Facing Piece of fabric used to finish raw edges of the garment and turned to the inside of the garment. On a curved edge a separate, sewn on, facing is usually preferred; on a straight edge, either a separate or an extended facing is appropriate
Fall Part of the collar that is folded over the stand.
Fashion Fabric Main fabric from which garment is made; also called "shell fabric."
Fashion Pattern Perfected pattern which includes seam allowances, grain lines, and notches.
Felt Fabric Structure A nonwoven fabric produced by applying moisture, heat, friction, and pressure to fibers, usually wool or fur, which then form an interlocked, matted layer.
Fiber The raw material from which all yarns and textiles are made. The natural fibers are cotton, wool, flax (linen), and silk. Synthetic (man made) fibers include acetate, nylon, polyester, rayon, tencel, and spandex.
Fit Model Individual who has the exact measurements and figure type of the target customer. Sample size garments are checked on the fit model to be sure they agree with the company's standard of garment fit.
Flat Collar A collar that lies flat, or nearly flat, against the garment all around the wearer's neck (e.g., sailor collar, Peter Pan collar). A flat collar has no collar stand.
Frog Decorative button-and-loop closure made of coiled cord or braid.
Gathers A series of small tucks of fabric, controlled and held in place by stitches and providing visible fullness.
Gore Vertical division within a garment, usually tapered panels, narrower at the upper edge than the lower edge, seamed together to add fullness to a garment. May be functional or decorative.
Grade (1) To trim the seam allowances of an enclosed seam, each to a slightly different length; also called "blend," "layer" or "bevel."
Grade (2) Method for increasing and decreasing the dimensions of a pattern in order to produce a full range of sizes.
Grain (1) As an element of fit, refers to the need for lengthwise yarns to run parallel to the length of the body (a) at center front and back, (b) down the center of the arm from shoulder to elbow, and (c) down the center front of each pant leg; the crosswise yarns should run perpendicular to the length of the body at bust/chest, hip, and upper arm at bust/chest level.
Grainline A line drawn on the pattern to indicate the direction of pattern placement on the lengthwise grain of the fabric.
Greige Goods Fabric in the raw state, before dyeing or finishing processes.
Grommet Large, metal-edged unit which surrounds a hole in a garment. Many belts have grommets surrounding the belt hole.
Gusset Pieces of fabric set into a seam or seam intersection to add shape and fullness to a garment. Often found at the underarm and crotch.
Hand General term for the way the fabric feels when it is touched, moved, or squeezed with the hand.
Hand Picked Application, usually of a zipper, with hand stitches that hardly show on the right side of the garment.
Haute Couture Term for the most fashionable and fashion forward apparel, typically made in Paris, Rome, and London by a well known designer, exclusively for the client who has ordered it.
Hook and Loop Tape Fastener that consists of two separate sections that interlock to create a bond when pressed together. A popular brand is Velcro. Typically used on apparel as a closure.
In-Seam Pocket Pocket that is set into a seam of the garment, usually the side seam of skirts, pants, dresses, and coats.
Interfacing Supporting fabric usually hidden between the garment and its facing. Lends body, shape and reinforcement to limited areas of the garment such as button and buttonhole plackets, waistbands, collars, and cuffs.
Interlining (1) Support material used to stabilize and support areas of the garment. Referred to as Interfacing in home and custom sewing.
Interlining (2) A layer of fabric placed between the lining and fashion fabric for additional warmth. Found in coats and jackets.
Kimono Sleeve Sleeve cut as one with the body of the garment. Traditionally square in style.
Knit Fabric Structure Fabric made by a process of interlocking loops from a single continuous yarn. Patterns in the fabric are made by changing the arrangement of the basic stitch.
Lapels Part of the garment that rolls or folds back above the front closure on both sides; also called revers. Typically found on jackets and coats.
Lining Usually made from a light weight fabric and sewn inside the garment. Used to hide all or part of the construction on the garment's inside.
Marker An arrangement of all the pattern pieces of the garment or garments to be cut from a single lay of fabric. A lay may consist of one or many layers of fabric which are all cut at once.
Material Utilization Percentage of fabric actually used by the pattern pieces on a particular marker arrangement. Companies strive for a high percentage which means that almost all of the fabric is actually used to make the garment. Any fabric between the pattern pieces that is not used, is scrap.
Mitering The process of seaming or folding a corner diagonally for sharper, less bulky corners.
Nap Shaded or directional design that requires all parts of the garment to be cut in the same direction. May result from the print or weave of the fabric or the way the fabric is made. Velvet, corduroy, and plush are fabrics with nap.
Ninety-Degree Angle A right angle; a perfectly square corner.
Non-Woven Fabric Any fabric that is bonded together rather than knit nor woven, such as felt. Many interfacings are non-woven.
Notches Small cuts (slits or wedges) made in the edges of garment pieces to aid in correct assembly. On home-sewing patterns they are shown as dark triangles or diamonds.
Notions All materials, other than the fabric and pattern, required to produce a garment; also called findings or "sundries.
Off-Grain Distorted fabric grain. Occurs when the filling yarns (weft) are not perpendicular to the selvage or fabric edge. When a garment is "off-grain," the true grain does not fall perpendicular to the floor.
One-Way Design A fabric with a design or motif that runs in a definite direction. These fabrics are said to have nap and patterns pieces must be cut with the tops all facing the same direction. A print with trees all growing in the same direction, for example, is a one-way design.
Overlocking See Serging
Pad Stitching Tiny stitches made through the interfacing that barely catch the fashion fabric. Used to softly and subtly shape collars and lapels. Used in collars and hand-tailored jackets.
Parallel Extending in the same direction and at the same distance apart at every point.
Patch Pocket Pieces of fabric attached, like a patch, to the outside of the garment. Also called "applied pocket."
Pattern Design System (PDS) Computer system for creating and changing pattern pieces.
Pattern Matching Lining up stripes, checks, plaids, and other linear patterns in the fabric design or weave at seams.
Perpendicular Lines at right angles to each other, such as a T.
Pile A plush or shaggy surface on a fabric resulting from loops or ends of yarn or fiber projecting above or below the surface of the fabric. Fabric with pile has nap.
Placket A finished opening in a garment section, e.g., at the cuff of a shirt or the neckline of a golf shirt.
Pleat Fold of fabric, folded back upon itself so that the pleat is comprised of three layers; occurs vertically only. Pleats may be partially stitched or pressed down. Kinds of pleats include: knife pleats, box pleats, inverted pleats, and accordion pleats.
Ply A single layer of fabric or a single strand of yarn.
Preshrink To wash or dryclean the fabric, according to the care instructions, prior to cutting out the pattern pieces to eliminate any potential shrinkage problems after assembly
Presser Foot A part of the sewing machine that holds the fabric down to help it feed through the machine evenly. There are many different kinds of presser feet, each designed to make a particular sewing task easier.
Pressing Cloth A piece of cotton, linen, or wool cloth used to protect the garment from steam and/or heat when pressing during construction. It is placed between the iron and the garment being pressed.
Production Pattern Perfected pattern designed to give the best efficiency in mass manufacturing; also called "hard pattern." Includes seam allowances, grain line markings and notches.
Quilting Stitching that joins the fashion fabric, a batting or interlining, and a backing fabric. The stitches form a slightly puffy, raised design, usually in a geometric or other decorative pattern.
Raglan Sleeve Sleeve attached to the garment with a diagonal seam that runs from the underarm to the neckline of the garment. This style is most often seen in sweatshirts.
Raw Edge Any unfinished cut edge of fabric.
Ready-to-Wear (RTW) Apparel that is mass-produced.
Registered Number (RN) Number registered with the Federal Trade Commission that identifies a specific manufacturer. May appear on a garment tag in addition to or instead of the manufacturer's name.
Released Dart A dart whose tip is left unstitched, resulting in a straighter silhouette than a fitted garment.
Repeat The distance between the beginning of one complete pattern in the fabric weave, print, or design and the beginning of the next identical pattern. Fabric may have vertical or horizontal repeats or both.
Revers See Lapels.
Rise A measurement from crotch level to the top of the waistband: Also called crotch depth
Roll Line Area where the collar and/or lapel is designed to fold back
Ruffle Decorative, gathered, or pleated strips of fabric or ribbon sewn to the garment.
Sample Size The size a company uses to make their sample garments. Traditionally, Misses sample garments are size 8.
Seam Allowance Narrow width between the seam line and the raw edge of the fabric. Seam allowances vary depending on where they occur on the garment and the manufacturers' specifications. Home sewing patterns generally have a 5/8" seam allowance except at hems. Commercial patterns generally use 1/4" to1/2" except at hems.
Seam Finish Any technique used to neaten the edge of seams, prevent raveling, and improve garment durability and appearance
Selvages The narrow, finished edges of the fabric along both lengthwise sides of all uncut woven fabrics.
Serging Edge finish or seam made on an overlock machine (called a serger in home sewing). Used to prevent raveling or as decorative stitching on the right side of the garment. Also called Overlocking.
Shirring Permanent, parallel rows of gathers made in the body of the garment
Skewing A fabric defect resulting when the filling yarns or knitted courses are not perpendicular to the warp or fabric edges.
Sleeve Head Layers of shaping fabric sewn into the upper portion of the armhole and extending out into the sleeve. Also called "header."
Sloper A basic pattern of a garment section; also called a "basic block." Does not include wearing ease or seam allowances. Used to develop a fashion pattern.
Specifications (specs) Exact measuring standards for the production of a garment.
Stand Part of the collar that stands up next to the neck.
Staystitching A row of stitching used to stabilize the edge of a single layer of fabric, typically on the bias. Rarely used in mass production.
Stitch in the Ditch Sewing on top of a finished seam line from the front of the garment. The stitch goes through all layers and holds them together.
Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) Numbering system used by a company to identify a particular item by style, color, size, etc.
Straight of Grain Following the straight yarns in the fabric in both the lengthwise and crosswise directions.
Sweep Circumference of hem.
Thread Count Number of yarns per square inch of woven fabric both horizontally and vertically.
Tolerance The amount of the allowable difference (plus or minus) between the specified measurements and the actual measurements after sewing at any given part of the garment Tolerance is established by the company and noted in the specifications.
Topstitching Visible, decorative stitching done on the outside of the garment; also called "accent stitching."
True Bias Fabric direction that occurs at a 45-degree angle to the lengthwise and crosswise grains of woven fabrics. Has the highest degree of stretch of any woven fabric direction.
Tuck A stitched fold of fabric. Decorative tucks are stitched on the right side of the fabric. Tucks used to create shape are stitched on the inside to a designated point and released
Two-Piece Sleeve Sleeve consisting of two portions, the main sleeve piece which incorporates the cap of the sleeve, and a second, narrow, shaped sleeve piece under the arm.
Unbalanced Plaid A design in which the patterns of bars vary on opposite sides of a predominant colored bar either on the lengthwise or crosswise grain, or both. (See also Uneven plaid)
Under Bust Measurement A measurement around the rib cage
Under Collar Facing of the collar. The under collar touches the garment and is generally not visible as the garment is worn.
Understitching The stitching, used on enclosed seams, that attaches the seam to the facing and prevents the seam from rolling to the front side.
Uneven Plaid Plaid that varies in the arrangement of stripes on each side of the dominant horizontal and vertical bars of the plaid.
Upper Collar Visible portion of the collar.
Warp Yarns that run parallel to the selvages. Also called lengthwise grain.
Wearing Ease The difference between the measurement of the body and the measurement of the garment. Wearing ease allows the garment to move on the body. See also design ease.
Weft Yarns that run perpendicular to the selvages. Also called crosswise grain. A weft knit is made with the yarns running horizontally across the fabric.
Woven Fabric Structure Fabric produced on a loom by the interlacing or weaving of a crosswise yarn (weft) through a lengthwise yarn (warp)
Yarn Continuous strand of fibers. The thread used to make fabric.
Yoke Horizontal division within a garment. Small, flat panel of fabric usually at shoulder, waist, or midriff. Often found on the back of Oxford-style shirts.