In the apparel and merchandising industry, there are many different terms and definitions you will need to know to be successful. No matter if you are helping clients determine the apparel they should carry, you’re designing merchandise, you’re a part of a manufacturing team, etc., it is important that each team member and department is well versed in these industry terms.
For each term, we’ve included a short description and a link to learn more!
Retail Business Terms:
- MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) – “the price at which the manufacturer recommends retailers sell its product.” [source: CFI] There are a few different benefits and opinions on the relevancy of MSRP depending on the industry landscape. Our source from CFI helps present the facts about why MSRP came to be along with some practical applications.
- COGs (Cost of Goods Sold) – “the accumulated total of all costs used to create a product or service, which has been sold.” [source: Accounting Tools] the COGs will give you an idea of how much it actually costs to create, including but not limited to labor, raw materials, etc.
- COO (country of origin) – There are a few different definitions for COO. Here is a great article by Shipping Solutions to learn the differences.
Garment Style Terms:
- Henley – “a collarless shirt with a buttoning placket or “fly” in the front.” [source: Real Men Real Style]
- Raglan – “These tees are characterized by having sleeves that extend all the way to the collar and neckline, rather than ending at the shoulder. The sleeves of the raglan tee are generally a different color than the rest of the shirt.” [source: Shirt Space] These shirts area also sometimes referred to as a baseball tee.
- A-line / Swing – “an a-line shape and is flowing in style.” [source: A Beautiful Body Shape]
- Shift Dress – “A shift dress hangs from the shoulders with a column effect that skims the body offering more room through the bust, waist and hips.” [source: StitchFix]
- Racerback – “Racerback is an article of clothing with a “T” shaped back behind the shoulder blades to allow ease of movement in sports.” [source: Apparel Search]
Fabric Terms:
- Fleece – typically made out of polyester, fleece is regularly used to create jackets and blankets. [source: Comfort]
- French Terry – “a knit fabric similar to jersey, with loops on one side and soft piles of yarn on the other.” [source: Cotton]
- Jersey Knit – “a soft stretchy, knit fabric that was originally made from wool. Today, jersey is also made from cotton, cotton blends, and synthetic fibers.” [source: MasterClass]
- Tri-blend – “Tri-blend shirts are made up of three different materials: cotton, polyester, and rayon.” [source: Eagle Products]
- Slub – “a cotton fabric that appears to have slight lumps in the fabric. These lumps are due to the process prior to weaving the cotton where the cotton is twisted, creating irregular twists. This results in a unique fabric with a nice texture to it.” [source: deluxe]
- Knits vs. Wovens – A knit is made up of a single yarn whereas a woven fabric is multiple yarns crossing over one another. [source: Dutch label Shop]
Join Our Team
These are just a few of the terms that we recommend you familiarize yourself with if you are a part of, or about to join, the apparel and merchandising industry. Interested in joining Air Waves? Visit our website to view available positions today!
