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T-shirt manufacturers use some terms to describe their products. The terms are not always consistent and it helps to have a reference guide. The following is the official Green Man T-Shirts Guide to understanding t-shirt terms: 20s, 20/1, 20s single: Unit of measurement that defines the fineness of cotton thread. A general spool of single-ply cotton thread is comprised of 840 yards of cotton thread. If it takes 20 spools to weigh one pound, then the thread on those spools is referred to as 20s cotton, or 20/1. If 30 spools weigh one pound, then the thread on those spools is referred to as 30s cotton thread, or 30/1. If it takes 40 spools to weigh one pound, then the thread on those spools is referred to as 40s cotton, or 40/1. The higher number means a finer thread, and thence a finer, softer fabric is created. T-shirts made of 30s and 40s are softer, finer, and have better drape than t-shirts made of 20s. The terms are employed a great deal of ways, but it’s the number that counts; “20s,” “20/1,” and “20 singles” are the same. Threads may be twisted together into thicker strands. If two 20/1 cotton threads were twisted together, it would be referred to as 20/2. Bamboo Fabric: Rayon made from bamboo cellulose. Although rayon is a man-made synthetic material, most experts agree it is readily biodegradable. Bamboo fabric is exceedingly soft and has splendid drape. Bamboo: Fast growing plant, classified as a grass, which may be readily processed into rayon to make bamboo rayon clothing. Bleach Wash: A procedure that uses bleach to soften and distress the look of the fabric being washed. Boat Neck: A very wide neckline that runs throughout the collarbone area to the shoulder points. Derives from early sailors’ shirts, where the wide neck enabled quick remotion if the sailor fell overboard. Boy Beater: Women’s fashion answer to the wife beater. A women’s tank top, though it may be any color. Brushed Cotton: A method to remove excess lint and fibers from cotton fabric. Brushed cotton ordinarily has a very soft, smooth finish. Burn-Out: A procedure that uses sulfuric acid or other strong acid to “burn-out” elements of a fabric knit, commonly a polyester/cotton blend. The routine gives a see-through, very sheer effect. Cap Sleeves: Usually refers to shorter sleeves on women’s garments. Carbon Dioxide: CO2. A chemical compound composed of two oxygen molecules and one carbon atom. Known as a “greenhouse” gas because of it is kinship with international warming. A few t-shirt makers are now measuring and recording the CO2 emissions involved in formulating their shirts. Carbon Trust: Independent institution founded in 2001 in Great Britain that monitors carbon emissions. The Carbon Trust works with companies to aid reduce their carbon footprint, and now certifies companies and merchandise as having a “low carbon” or “no carbon” footprint. A few t-shirt companies now invent “low carbon footprint” t-shirts. Carding: A fiber cleaning routine that does away with short fibers and removes dirt and alien matter. Carding may be done by hand or by big machines using drum rollers. Carded-only cotton is not as desirable as combed cotton. Cellulase Wash: Another name for enzyme wash. This gives fabric a soft feel and a vintage look, depending on how the wash is done. Cellulose: Derived from the cell walls of sure plants. Useful in making sure types of fabrics, including acetate, triacetate, and rayon. Bamboo fabric is genuinely rayon made from bamboo cellulose. Cheap Cotton T-Shirt: T-shirts made with carded cotton, using 18/1 thread, normally knitted on 20 gauge machines. These t-shirts are coarse, rough, and have poor drapability. Used often times as cheap promotional give-aways. Climate Neutral: A term employed to describe a company, process, or product that has zero affect on the Earth’s climate. A few t-shirt makers promote their company as climate neutral. CO2: Carbon dioxide. A chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom. Known as a “greenhouse” gas because of it is kinship with international warming. Colorfastness: The capacity of a garment to withstand multiple washings without losing it is color. Combed Cotton: A method to remove short fibers and to arrange longer fibers parallel to give rise to a smooth, fine cotton yarn. Combed cotton has high strength, magnificent uniformity, and better hand. Combed cotton costs more and is used in finer t-shirts. Compacting: A procedure that compacts the space amongst cotton fiber pockets. Helps to reduce shrinking. Contrasting Stitching: Stitching with a dissimilar color than the garment. Gives a nice design detail in t-shirts. Control Union: An international establishment that offers corroboration services for a potpourri of programs–including a good deal of organic certification programs. Certifies USDA Organic, as well as GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). Cotton Jersey: Knitted, very somewhat stretchy fabric with a smooth flat face and a more textured but uniform back. Average weight per yard is with regards to 5.5 to 6 ounces. Basic t-shirts are made of cotton jersey. Fine cotton jersey is ordinarily smoother and has a lighter weight per yard. Cotton: A natural fiber that is the most ordinary in the world for fabrics. Cotton fibers are ordinarily ½ to 2 inches long. Longer fibers give rise to finer cotton fabric. Varieties such as Pima and Egyptian, which feature fibers exceeding 1.5 inches, are more highly valued than usual varieties. Crew Neck: A round close-fitting neckline. Most mutual neck on t-shirts. Crop Top: A shirt with a short body to it; made to expose the midriff area. Double-Needle Stitched: Used largely on sleeve/bottom hems and refers to a parallel row of stitching. This type of stitching gives durability and a cleaner, more finished look. Drape, Drapability: Refers to how a fabric hangs. A fabric like bamboo rayon has splendid drape, while a coarse fabric like burlap has very little. T-shirts that have good drape calibers feel nicer to wear. Drop Tail: A garment that features a longer back than front. Eco-Friendly: Extremely loose term that refers to a product’s “greenness.” Almost useless in realistically assessing a product. Favorite term applied by green washers. Egyptian Cotton: Cotton developed in Egypt and valued for it is long length of fiber. Apparel made with true Egyptian cotton is prized for it is softness and fineness. Environmental Justice Foundation: A registered charity conventional in 2000 to aid people who suffer most from environmental abuses such as pesticide poisoning, water depletion, and soil destruction. Especially active in curbing abuses in cotton farming. Enzyme Washed: A wash routine using special enzymes to develop a soft finish and smooth look to a fabric. Ages dyes to develop a particular look to dyed fabrics. Enzyme washing is physically less harsh on the fabric equated to stone washing. European Cut: A style of t-shirt that is narrower than what one normally finds. For example, a full cut men’s t-shirt, size large, normally runs 22 inches all over the chest (measured one inch beneath the sleeve). A men’s big European cut will run with regards to half an inch to 1 inch narrower, now and then more. Fabric Dyed: Fabric dyed before being cut and sewn into a finished piece of clothing. Fair Labor Association: A nonprofitmaking institution consecrated to ending sweatshop conditions in factories worldwide. Works to construct Code of Labor Practices, peculiarly crucial in the apparel business where working conditions have throughout history been so poor. Fair Wear Foundation: An international group committed to heightening garment workers’ lives all over the world. Works with companies that give rise to costume and other sewn merchandise and that take obligation for their supply chain. Fine Cotton Jersey: Knitted, very somewhat stretchy fabric with a smooth flat face and a more textured but uniform back. Fine cotton jersey is commonly smoother and has a lighter weight per yard than regular cotton jersey. T-shirts made with fine cotton jersey have a better drape and feel than regular t-shirts. Usually made with 30s and higher cotton thread, and weighs regarding 4.3 ounces per square yard. Fitted Cut: Definitions vary, but in general a fitted cut refers to a cut that flatters the body. Used often times in women’s t-shirts, the middle division of the shirt will be tighter than the top or bottom. Overall, the shirts run narrower than a basic full cut. Full Cut: A generous, roomy cut. In t-shirts, tubular styles are in general considered full-cut, but there are exceptions. Full Cut is different from the slimmer European Cuts, Slim Cuts, and Fitted Cuts. Garment Dyed: Clothing dyed after it has been cut and sewn into a finished article of clothing. Garment Washed: A routine where finished articles of costume are washed, commonly with added softeners to improve the feel and look of the fabric. GMO Free: GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. First applied in the 1990s when buyers became worried with regards to genetically modified food. Many companies now employ the GMO free label on everything from feed to natural fabrics, like cotton. GOTS: Stands for Global Organic Textile Standard. A project of the International Working Group. They have produced standards to make sure organic status of textiles, from the harvesting, manufacturing, and labeling, in order to provide a creditable assurance to the end consumer. An organic t-shirt that meets the standards may be GOTS certified. Green: Generic term used by selling gurus to advertize products. Another favored term of “green-washers,” who are hopping on the environmental bandwagon without any real commitment. Green-Washing: Take off on the term “white-washing,” but in an environmental context. Companies that green-wash are paying lip-service to environmental worries to attract more business, but haven’t taken any real steps to be environmentally responsible. Hand: The way a fabric feels to the touch. A fabric that feels soft and smooth is considered to have a good hand. Hemp Fabric: Hemp, or Cannabis sativa, has been used for fabric for thousands of years, for the most part as an industrial fabric. Newer processing methods have made it suitable for finer clothing, and now it is employed in galore costume articles, including t-shirts. Hemp is valued for it is strength and durability. Henley T-Shirt: Similar to a collarless polo shirt, a Henley is a pullover t-shirt featuring 2 or 3 buttons (sometimes up to 5 buttons are used, but that’s uncommon). A Henley may be either short or long sleeved. Ice Wash: A method of stone washing where the stones are firstborn soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate. This method gives rise to a frosted aspect to fabric. Interlock Knit: A type of knit that is very soft and has a good drape. Interlock knit stitches are tighter, more stretchy than Jersey knit, but less stretchy than rib knit. Used in very fine garments. Jersey Knit: Commonly found in t-shirts and is the most lasting of knits. It is light weight, and has fine vertical ribs. The Jersey knit was named after the British Island in the English Channel. Fine cotton Jersey refers to Jersey Knit made with fine cotton threads such as 30s and 40s. Knit: Defines how the interlocking loops of yarn that make up fabric were made. There are numerous types of knits. Jersey Knit is commonly found in t-shirts and is the most lasting of knits. It is light weight, and has fine vertical ribs. On the other hand, rib knits have heavy ribs running down the fabric, while interlock knits are used in very fine fabrics. T-shirt collars are ordinarily rib knit. Muscle Shirt: Sleeveless style t-shirt, but not precisely a tank top. Basic t-shirt, just without the sleeves. The shoulder strap portion is much wider than an usual tank top. Neck Tape: A thin strip of fabric sewn over the seam running all over the shoulders and neck area. It covers the seam and looks better than an exposed stitch. Often referred to as “shoulder to shoulder taped.” OekoTek 100: Certification from the International Oeko-Tex® Association, which assures buyers that the apparel they buy is chemical free and poses no risk to their health. Under the Oeko-Tex standard, costume ought to be free of formaldehyde, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and other toxic chemicals. Organic Apparel: A term very loosely employed in the garment industry. It may mean anything from 100% organic to as little as 6% organic. Often combined with terms like Eco-Friendly, Green, and so on. Consumers will have to check the labels and verify the materials used to see if something is genuinely organic or not. Organic Cotton: Cotton grown without the use of pesticides. Certified organic cotton has been inspected to insure it genuinely is organic. Organic Soil Association: Founded in 1946 by a group of farmers, scientists and nutritionists concerned in regards to the kinship amid farming exercises and plant, animal, human, and environmental health. The Organic Soil Association initiated the original organic standards in 1967, and certifies farms and businesses that meet those standards. Overdyed: A routine where antecedently dyed garments or fabrics are dyed with an further and added color to fabricate a distinguishable look. Performance T: Name for t-shirts fabricated for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. Performance Ts are characterized by their breathability, moisture wicking, fast drying, and odor control capabilities. Many performance Ts are polyester/cotton blends, or may also be 100% polyester. Bamboo t-shirts, due to their absorbency and wicking properties, have become known as performance t-shirts, though they do not arid as fast as performance t-shirts made of 100% polyester. PFD: Stands for Prepared For Dyeing. Sold this way to t-shirt customizers who want to develop their own look with dyes. Pigment Dyed: A type of dye that produces a washed out, distressed look. Pima Cotton: A cotton developed in the U.S. in the early 1900s to compete with Egyptian cotton. It features longer fibers and is applied oftentimes in fine men’s and women’s shirts. The name Pima comes from the Pima Indians, who helped with the basi crops of the new cotton as it was original grown in the U.S. Pique: A method of knitting that gives rise to a waffle-type, fine textured surface. Used often in polo shirts. Polyester: Man-made fiber fabricated from synthetic polymers. Used widely in apparel, in particular combined with cotton in 50/50 blends. Pre-Shrunk: Refers to the routine of pre-shrinking fabric before it is cut and sewn. Occasionally it refers to an actual finished garment that has been preshrunk. Clothing that has been preshrunk shrinks less once the buyer washes it. Preshrunk cotton t-shirts will still shrink a bit, however, peculiarly if dried using a clothes dryer. Raglan T-Shirt: Style of t-shirt featuring sleeves that run directly to the collar. Usually the sleeves are a contrasting color from the body. Raglan sleeves are wider underneath the arms, and are preferent by wearers who want greatest or most complete or best possible freedom of movement. Baseball t-shirts ordinarily feature a raglan sleeve style. Rayon: Man-made fiber that uses plant cellulose as it is main ingredient. Rayon is very soft, has magnificent drape, and is very absorbent. Originally developed as a silk substitute. Rib Knit: Characterized by heavy vertical ribs running down the fabric. Rib knits are commonly classified as 1×1, 2×1 or 2×2. This lets you recognise the width of the rib equated to the space between. For example, a 1×1 rib knit or a 2×2 rib knit means the space among each rib is the same width as the ribs. But a 2×1 rib knit means the ribs are twice as wide as the spaces in between. Rib knit is very stretchy and is oftentimes employed for t-shirt collars, cuffs, and tank tops. Ring Spun: Refers to yarn made by twisting and thinning a rope of cotton fibers. The uninterrupted spinning results in a softer feel and more inviolable yarn. Ring-spun t-shirts are noticeably softer to the touch. Ringer T: A t-shirt with colored sleeve bands and sameness crew neck. Most ringers are white, with the armband sleeves and crew necks in respective colors. Sand Wash: Refers to using sand while washing a garment or fabric to soften and distress it. Satin Washed: Another term for silicone washed, which gives rise to a very smooth and soft finish to fabric, and also gives the fabric good draping properties. Scoop Neck: Wide, gently curved neckline that varies in depth. Favored in women’s shirts. Sheer Jersey: Very light weight jersey knit, weighing regarding 3.9 ounces per yard. A little stretchier than fine jersey. Shoulder to Shoulder Tape: A thin strip of fabric sewn over the seam running all over the shoulders and neck area. It covers the seam and looks better than an exposed stitch. Shrinkage: Usually refers to cotton apparel and the amount it may be expected to shrink. Most cotton t-shirts are pre-shrunk, but 4-5% shrinkage may still be expected. Side Seamed: Refers to shirts with a seam running down at each side underneath the arm sleeves to the bottom hem. Side seamed t-shirts are more costly to manufacture. Silicone Washed: Refers to using inert silicone in a washing process. Produces a very smooth and soft finish to fabric, and likewise gives the fabric good draping properties. Singlet: another term for a men’s tank top. Slim Cut: A style of t-shirt that is narrower than what one ordinarily finds. For example, a full cut men’s t-shirt, size large, ordinarily runs 22 inches all over the chest (measured one inch beneath the sleeve). A slim cut will run in regards to half an inch to 1 inch narrower, now and again more. Stonewashed: A washing routine that uses lava rocks or now and then silicon and rubber balls. This method makes fabric softer and gives it an aged or distressed look. Sometimes bleach is used in this process. Tank Top: T-Shirt characterized by thin shoulder straps and no sleeves. The name came from the early term for swimming pools: swimming tanks. Taped Seam: Not actual “tape,” but a thin strip of fabric sewn over the seam running throughout the shoulders and neck area of t-shirts. It covers the seam and looks better than an exposed stitch. Tubular Style:A style that has no side seams; the body of the t-shirt is round and straight. Tubular t-shirts are less pricey to manufacture, and make up the bulk of the for less t-shirts. Unisex T-Shirt: No frequent definition exists for a unisex t-shirt, but in general speaking a unisex t-shirt is made of lighter weight, fine cotton jersey, side seamed, and not cut as full as a regular men’s t-shirt. The sleeves are not extra short, like cap sleeves, but are not full elbow lengths either. The body length is ordinarily medium/long. However, there are wide variations in unisex t-shirts, depending on the manufacturer. Uzbekistan: Former U.S.S.R. satellite that became independent in 1991 and is illfamed for it is cotton production methods, which include forced child labor and environmentally damaging practices. Ethical apparel companies boycott Uzbekistan cotton; however, a great deal of companies don’t care and have refused to join in the boycott because Uzbekistan cotton is cheap. V -Neck: Inverted triangle style of neckline. Can be deep or shallow, depending on the style. Usually bestloved by women, but a shoal style v-neck is popular amid men. Viscose: Typically another name for rayon, as in viscose rayon. Weight: Usually indicated ounces per square yard. A 5.5 ounce weight cotton fabric means that one square yard will weigh 5.5 ounces. Fine jersey cotton fabrics commonly have lighter weights, while coarser cotton fabrics have heavier weights. Wife Beater: Derogatory term for a men’s tank top t-shirt. Usually refers to a basic white tank top. Yarn Dyed: Yarn that is dyed before it is woven into a fabric. |
