Sewn Goods and Apparel Manufacturing Glossary

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Design Concepting - Step 0

DESIGN CONCEPT - A clear definition of what is being designed and why, including overall direction and intent. The design concept guides all development decisions that follow.

CONCEPT BOARD - A visual representation of a single design in more technical detail so it can be developed as a working concept. Concept Boards generally build from the individual silhouettes created in the Mood Board to move each style out of the design stage to the development stage. Concept Boards usually do not include references to inspiration, color or theme, but they can include those details.

DESIGN INTENT - The purpose and goals of the product, including how it should function, fit, and be experienced by the end user.

DESIGN PROCESS - The Design Process is an approach for breaking down a large project into manageable parts. It is used to narrow focus and prove concepts with the ultimate goal of finalizing a single design as intended by the designer. Learn more about the design process.

DEVELOPMENT READY - A state in which the design concept is clear enough to move into pattern development without unresolved questions or assumptions.

FASHION ILLUSTRATION - Usually hand-drawn and colored, these sketches are illustrative versions of your design idea. There is no need to scale these types of sketches and they may not accurately represent sewn construction, but the convey mood and capture emotion. There is usually reference to color ways and fabric/trim preferences.

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS - Performance-related needs the product must meet, such as durability, stretch, mobility, or support.

INTENDED USE - The specific context in which the product is meant to be worn or used, such as activity level, environment, or frequency of use.

MOOD BOARD - Known by many names (Fashion Board, Inspiration Board….), a Mood Board is a visual tool that designers use to communicate the overall aesthetic, mood, and inspiration of the theme for their fashion idea or collection. It usually includes lifestyle images, references to seasonality, color palettes or even font. It is not the same as a Concept Board.

PROOF OF CONCEPT - A small exercise to test the feasibility of a part of a design idea or assumption. An example would be sewing a sample garment before grading the pattern for other sizes.

TARGET CUSTOMER - The intended end user of the product, defined by needs, expectations, and use case rather than demographics alone.

FIT INTENT - A description of how the garment is intended to fit the body, including silhouette, ease, and comfort expectations.

SIZING ASSUMPTIONS - Early decisions about base size, size range, and general body proportions used to inform development planning.

REFERENCE GARMENT - An existing garment used to communicate specific aspects of fit, construction, function, or design intent. Reference garments may be commercial, homemade, or in progress.

ROUGH PROTOTYPE - A real-world model that attempts to represent your idea as best as possible. It can be stapled, sewn, taped or glued. We love to see the creative ways people have tried to capture and test their vision!

Pattern Development - Step 1

DEADSTOCK FABRIC - Fabric that is discontinued or sold as surplus from a production run. Deadstock is limited in quantity and not replenishable, which can affect long-term availability.

DIGITIZING - Conversion of a paper pattern into a correctly scaled digital copy using industry standard software. A digital pattern is a faster way to make pattern changes, create new styles, and build size ranges and marker layouts. It also eternalizes and preserves your design. This is not the same as scanning a pattern, which converts the pattern into an image and is not usually to scale. However, a professional pattern digitizer, such as MADE Apparel, can use a scanned image to create your professional, scaled digital pattern. If you’d like to know more please contact us.

DRAPE & STRUCTURE - How a fabric hangs and holds shape. These qualities influence silhouette, movement, and overall appearance.

END USE - How and where the product is intended to be worn. End use affects material choice, construction direction, and durability requirements.

FABRIC TYPE (Woven vs. Knit) - Fabric construction that affects stretch, structure, and garment behavior. Wovens generally provide structure with little stretch, while knits offer flexibility and stretch.

FABRIC WEIGHT - How heavy or light a fabric is, affecting drape, structure, and how the product behaves when worn or sewn.

FABRIC WIDTH - The usable width of fabric from edge to edge. Width impacts pattern layout and whether certain designs are technically possible.

FIT INTENT - The intended fit of the garment (such as fitted, relaxed, or oversized). Fit intent guides pattern decisions and body form selection, it is not a ‘size’.

GRAIN LINE - A line marked on pattern pieces that shows how the pattern must align with the fabric for proper fit, drape, and performance.

MARKER LAYOUT - A guide of all pattern pieces in the various size ranges laid out on material in such a manner as to reduce fabric waste in the production process cutting.

PATTERN PARTS LIST - A list of all pattern pieces for the garment. Pieces are usually listed separately by material type and cut quantity and sometimes in order of largest to smallest within each fabrication category.

PATTERN MAKING - Drafting a design from a sketch or inspirational photos into a paper or digital format pattern to be cut and sewn. Patterns are necessary to build a garment as they are not only the pieces that make the garment but contain some of the instructions as to how it sews together.

PATTERN GRADING - Pattern grading is the process of shrinking or enlarging a finished pattern to accommodate it to people of different sizes. This process is important as it also ensures design details grow proportionally as the garment changes in size.

SWATCH - A small sample of fabric used to evaluate feel, weight, stretch, and structure before selecting materials for development.

TECHNICAL SKETCHES - A computer vector drawing of a finished design. These can be done as 2D flats; however, 3D schematics, if created on a correctly sized avatar so they represent real world proportions are also acceptable. 3D drawings can be much faster and visually more appealing and representative of the final look. MADE Apparel only uses 3D sketches.

Sewn Protoyping - Step 2

BRAND SIZE AND LABELS - Labels that identify the brand and garment size. These labels influence placement, comfort, and user experience

CARE, CONTENT, AND ORIGIN LABEL - A legally required label that provides fabric content, care instructions, country of origin, and business identification.

COMPLIANCE - Meeting legal labeling requirements based on where the product is sold.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS - Stitch types and seam allowances that affect how a garment is assembled, reinforced, and finished.

LABEL TYPE - The format used for labeling, such as woven, printed, or heat-set, each with different durability, feel, and construction implications.

LABEL PLACEMENT - Where a label is attached or applied on a garment. Placement affects comfort, visibility, construction, and user experience.

MACHINERY REQUIREMENT - The type of sewing equipment needed to construct the garment. Some designs require specialized machines that influence feasibility and cost.

PROTOTYPE/SAMPLE - A physical version of the product used to test construction, fit, and function. Not intended as a finished or production-ready item.

SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION (SOC) - The order in which a garment is assembled. Sequence affects efficiency, quality, and whether a design is practical to sew. Also known as Order of Operations or Construction Sequence.

Pattern Grading - Step 3

BASE SIZE - The original pattern size from which all other sizes are graded.

CUSTOMER-FACING CHART - A simplified sizing guide designed to help customers choose the correct size.

GRADE LINE-UP - A visual comparison showing the garment across sizes, used to review proportion, balance, and consistency.

GRADED NEST - A visual overlay of all graded sizes used to review how pattern pieces scale and relate to one another.

GRADE RULE - A defined set of instructions that determine how each pattern point shifts between sizes.

GRADED PATTERN FILES (.dxf/.rul) - Industry-standard digital files containing pattern pieces and grading rules, used for manufacturer review and software import.

MEASUREMENT CHART - A detailed chart listing garment measurements for each size, including defined checkpoints used to verify fit, accuracy, and consistency during sampling and production.

PATTERN GRADING - The process of scaling a base pattern into multiple sizes while maintaining fit, proportion, and design intent.

POINTS OF MEASURE (POM) - Defined locations on a garment where measurements are taken to verify size, fit, and consistency.

SIZE RANGE - The full set of sizes a product will be offered in. The defined size range determines how far grading is applied from the base size.

TOLERANCE - The acceptable range of measurement variation allowed during manufacturing

Tech Packs - Step 4

BILL OF MATERIALS (BOM) - A complete list of all fabrics, trims, labels, and hardware required to produce the product, including quantities and placement.

CONSTRUCTION CALLOUTS - Annotations within the tech pack that highlight specific construction details, stitch types, or assembly notes directly on diagrams or flats.

FABRICATION - The section of the tech pack that documents all fabrics and related materials, including content, color, width, supplier, and intended usage.

MANUFACTURING HANDOFF - The process of transferring the completed tech pack and supporting files to a manufacturer for costing, sampling, or production.

PATTERN PIECES & LAYOUT - Documentation identifying all pattern pieces required and how they are arranged on fabric for cutting and assembly.

REVISION CONTROL - A system used to track updates to the tech pack so all stakeholders are working from the correct version.

SEW BY SAMPLE - A completed, original garment of one size. In development it is used as a visual representation of the tech pack and pattern. In manufacture it used to provide costing prior to committing to production. Also know as just a ‘sewn sample’.

TECHNICAL FLATS - Black-and-white, to-scale drawings that show the garment front, back, and key details, used to clearly communicate construction and design intent.

TECH PACK (Technical Package) - A comprehensive set of documents that communicates all design, construction, and material details required to manufacture a product accurately and consistently.