A-Z Glossary of Tailoring & Fabric Terms

A working reference for the terms you'll encounter when commissioning a bespoke or made-to-measure garment — construction, fabric, and process vocabulary explained plainly.

A

Baste (Basting): A temporary, loose hand-stitch used to hold a garment together for a fitting before final construction — allows the pattern to still be adjusted at this stage.

Armhole (Scye): The opening in a jacket where the sleeve is attached; its height and shape significantly affect arm mobility and the overall silhouette.

B

Bespoke: A garment cut from an individual pattern drafted specifically for one person's body, refined across multiple fittings — the highest level of tailoring customization.

Barathea: A finely woven fabric with a subtle pebbled texture, commonly used for formal and dinner jackets.

Boutonnière (functional): A working buttonhole on a jacket lapel through which a flower or pin can actually be fastened, as opposed to a purely decorative stitched slit.

C

Canvas: The interlining — traditionally a blend of horsehair, wool, and linen — that shapes a jacket's chest and lapels and allows it to mould to the body over time.

Cuff (Barrel vs. French): A shirt cuff style: barrel cuffs close with a button for everyday wear; French (double) cuffs fold back and close with cufflinks for more formal occasions.

F

Full Canvas: A construction method where the canvas interlining runs the entire length of the jacket front, generally considered the finest level of construction.

Fresco: A lightweight, open-weave wool designed for breathability, popular for suits worn in hot or humid climates.

Fused Construction: A construction method where interfacing is glued (fused) to the outer cloth rather than hand-sewn — faster and less expensive, but doesn't drape or age the same way as canvassed construction.

G

Gorge: The seam where a jacket's collar meets the lapel; its height affects how formal or casual the jacket appears.

Grosgrain: A ribbed silk fabric commonly used for the lapel facing on tuxedos, giving a matte finish as opposed to glossy satin.

H

Half Canvas: A construction method using canvas through the chest and upper body with fused interlining below — a common middle ground between full canvas and fully fused construction.

Hopsack: A coarse, open, basket-weave fabric valued for its breathability and casual texture.

L

Lapel (Notch, Peak, Shawl): The folded flap of cloth below a jacket's collar. Notch lapels are standard for business wear; peak lapels are more formal and pointed; shawl lapels are rounded and reserved primarily for formalwear.

M

Made-to-Measure (MTM): A garment made by adjusting an existing block pattern to an individual's measurements — faster and less expensive than bespoke, though less personalized since it starts from a standard pattern rather than an original one.

P

Pick Stitching: A fine, visible hand-stitch running just inside the edge of a lapel or pocket, both decorative and functional in holding layers of cloth flat.

Poplin: A smooth, crisp, tightly woven cotton fabric, the most common weave used for dress shirts.

R

Ready-to-Wear (RTW): Garments manufactured in standard sizes on a production line, sold as-is or with minor alterations — the fastest and least expensive tailoring option, with fit as the primary compromise.

Roping: A raised, gathered shaping at the top of a jacket sleeve where it meets the shoulder, associated with certain house styles, particularly some British and Neapolitan tailors.

S

Super Number (e.g. Super 120s): A measure of wool fiber fineness, not overall quality — higher numbers indicate a finer, softer fiber, but can also mean a more delicate cloth prone to shine and creasing with frequent wear.

Single-Needle Stitching: A shirt-sewing technique using one needle per seam pass, producing a flatter, more refined seam than double-needle stitching, though slower to sew.

T

Trunk Show: An event where a tailor travels to a city outside their home base to take orders and conduct fittings, giving clients access to a house without needing to travel to its home atelier.

Twill: A weave with a subtle diagonal rib, giving cloth a slightly heavier drape and texture than plain weaves like poplin.

W

Worsted Wool: A smooth, tightly spun wool yarn woven into a durable, relatively wrinkle-resistant cloth — the most common fabric used in suiting.