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A pattern alteration that removes excess fabric from the upper front of a bodice to fit a chest less full than the standard block assumes.

A hem stiffened and given body by stitching horsehair braid to the raw edge before turning it up, common on formal and bridal skirts.

A traditional sew-in interfacing woven partly from horsehair, prized in tailoring for the springy, moldable structure it gives to jacket fronts and collars.

A loose, sleeveless tunic woven and embroidered by Indigenous Maya women of Mexico and Central America, with patterns that traditionally signal the wearer's home village and community.

A resist-dyeing technique in which yarns are bound and dyed in patterns before weaving, so the design emerges from the woven cloth itself; practiced across Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Latin America.

Traditional dyeing process using the blue pigment derived from indigo plants, requiring an oxygen-reducing vat; the fabric turns blue as it oxidises after removal from the dye.

A repair technique aimed at hiding damage completely, using matching thread or fine reweaving so the fix disappears into the surrounding fabric. Requires close color and weave matching for a seamless result.

An inset pocket finished with narrow piped edges, or jets, framing a slit opening, similar to a besom pocket but typically without a flap.

An openwork fabric formed by looping, twisting or knotting threads into a patterned net, ranging from delicate Chantilly to heavy guipure; usually underlined or lined.

An invisible hand stitch worked between two folded edges, drawing them together in a closed seam commonly used to close stuffed items or linings.

A diagram showing exactly how pattern pieces are positioned on a given fabric width to minimize waste, used especially in production cutting.

The length of time between placing an order with a manufacturer and actually receiving the finished, produced goods.

Tanned animal hide used as a non-woven material for garments and accessories, sewn without seam allowances left to fray and typically glued or clipped rather than pinned.

A sewing machine needle with a wedge-shaped cutting point that pierces leather and vinyl cleanly rather than tearing the material.

A sleeve that is voluminous and gathered from the shoulder to the elbow, then fitted closely from elbow to wrist, resembling a mutton leg in profile.

A document summarizing a season's products with images, prices, and ordering details, sent by a fashion brand out to its retail buyers.

A large frame-mounted machine with an extended arm that moves freely over a stationary, frame-stretched quilt sandwich, used to stitch large quilts without repositioning the fabric.

The precise synchronization between the needle's position and the hook's rotation required for the hook to catch the thread loop and form a stitch.

French couturier, born Germaine Krebs, known from the 1930s onward for intricately hand-pleated silk jersey gowns draped directly on the body in a technique resembling classical Greek sculpture.

The historical occupational term, common through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, for a dressmaker who specialized in making women's gowns.

A hand-stitched reverse-appliqué textile made by Guna women of Panama and Colombia, formed by layering and cutting through colored cotton fabrics to reveal patterns beneath, traditionally worn as a blouse panel.

Garment or product design approach that uses a single fibre type throughout fabric, thread, and trims so the finished item can be more easily recycled.

Short for 'minimum order quantity,' the smallest amount of fabric or finished product that a manufacturer or supplier is willing to sell in one order.

A French draping technique of shaping fabric directly on a body or dress form to create a closely fitted base pattern from scratch.

An embroidery machine fitted with several pre-threaded needles that the machine switches between automatically for multicolor designs without manual rethreading.

A tailoring tradition from Naples, Italy, known for soft, lightly padded shoulders, minimal internal structure, and a relaxed, body-skimming fit suited to warm Mediterranean climates.

A synthetic rubber sandwiched between fabric layers to form a thick, spongy, water-resistant material with body and structure, used in wetsuits and structured garments.

A tailored collar and lapel combination joined at an angled seam, creating a V-shaped notch where the two pieces meet.

A lapel style in which the collar and lapel meet at an angled notch, the standard configuration on single-breasted jackets and blazers.

A long, heavy outer coat worn over other clothing for warmth, typically extending to the knee or below and tailored with structured shoulders.

Small, diagonal hand stitches worked in rows through canvas and fabric layers to permanently mold and shape a tailored collar or lapel.

Side hoops or pads worn at the hips under 18th-century skirts to extend width sideways while remaining flat front and back, especially fashionable in French court dress.

The French term for elaborate trimmings such as decorative braid, tassels, and cord, used to embellish garments as well as upholstery and home decor.

The technique of scaling a garment pattern up or down across a range of sizes while preserving proportion and fit, historically done by hand and now largely computer-assisted.

The technique of aligning stripes, plaids, or repeating prints across seams so that the design continues unbroken from one fabric piece to the next.

French designer active from the early 1900s who freed women from the corseted silhouette with looser, high-waisted dresses influenced by Orientalist style, though his own hobble skirts still restricted movement.

A lapel style with a point that angles upward toward the shoulder above the collar seam, traditionally used on double-breasted jackets and formalwear.

A waistband faced or entirely constructed from ribbed petersham ribbon, molded with heat and stitched to sit smoothly inside a skirt or trouser waist without a separate facing.

A grooved presser foot, typically used with a twin needle, whose channels guide fabric into narrow, evenly spaced raised folds called pintucks.

A pattern alteration technique in which a section of a pattern is pivoted around a fixed point and slid to add or remove width or length without cutting the pattern apart.