Reference

Fit glossary

The words that appear on size charts, composition labels and pattern cards — defined the way they are actually used, with the number that usually goes with them.

Trousers and denim

Rise: The distance from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband, measured on the front. It decides where the waistband sits, not how tight the trousers are.
Inseam: The inside leg measurement from crotch seam to hem. The single most useful number when comparing two pairs, because it is independent of waist size.
Leg opening: The flat width of the hem, doubled. A 7-inch opening reads as slim, 8.5 as straight, 10 and above as wide.
Front rise vs back rise: The back rise is longer on every pair of trousers. A difference under 3 inches signals a low-rise cut; over 5 inches signals a high-rise cut.
Yoke: The shaped panel below the waistband on jeans. A deeper yoke follows the seat more closely and stops the waistband gaping when you sit.
Selvedge: Denim woven on a shuttle loom, with a finished edge that will not fray. It is a marker of loom type, not of quality by itself.
Raw denim: Denim that has not been washed after dyeing. It will shrink and crock; the amount depends on the mill's sanforization.
Stretch percentage: The elastane content stated on the composition label. Above roughly 2 percent, jeans tend to relax at the knee and seat within a day of wear.
Slub: Deliberate irregularity in the yarn that produces a textured, uneven surface. Common in linen blends and in Japanese denim.
Fabric weight: Denim is quoted in ounces per square yard. Under 10 oz is shirting-light, 12–14 oz is standard five-pocket, above 16 oz is heavy and stiff at first.
Break: How the trouser hem meets the shoe: no break sits above the shoe, a full break folds once on the instep.
Taper: A leg that narrows from knee to hem. A taper changes the silhouette more than the waist measurement does.

Knitwear

Gauge: Needles per inch on a knitting machine. 3-gauge is chunky, 7-gauge is a standard sweater, 12-gauge and above is fine and close.
Ply: The number of yarns twisted together before knitting. Two-ply yarn pills less than single-ply at the same gauge.
GSM: Grams per square metre. A weight measure used for jersey and sweatshirting; 180 GSM is a light tee, 280 is a heavy one.
Denier: The weight of a continuous filament yarn, used for tights and technical fabrics. Higher denier means a heavier, more opaque yarn.
Recovery: How completely a knit returns to shape after stretching. Rib recovers better than jersey; elastane improves both.
Pilling: The formation of fibre balls where short fibres work loose and tangle. Long-staple wool pills less than short-staple, regardless of price.
Rib: A knit with alternating raised and recessed columns. It stretches across the body and is used at cuffs, hems and necklines.
Pointelle: An openwork knit with small eyelets. Decorative, and structurally weaker than a plain knit at the same gauge.
Drop shoulder: A shoulder seam that sits below the shoulder point. It reads as relaxed and shortens the apparent arm length.
Armscye: The armhole opening on a garment. A high, close armscye restricts lifting less than a low, wide one in the same fabric.

Tailoring and construction

Canvas front: A jacket whose chest is built from horsehair canvas rather than fused glue. It moulds to the wearer over time and does not bubble.
Half-canvassed: Canvas through the chest and lapel only, fused below. The usual construction at mid-market price points.
Fused: A jacket front glued to a synthetic interlining. Cheaper and faster; it can delaminate after dry cleaning.
Interfacing: A stiffening layer bonded or sewn inside a collar, cuff or placket so it holds its shape.
Vent: The slit at the back hem of a jacket. A single vent is the default; double vents sit flatter when you put your hands in your pockets.
Ease: The difference between a body measurement and the garment measurement at the same point. A blazer carries 3–5 inches of chest ease; a knit might carry none.
Bias cut: Fabric cut at 45 degrees to the grain, which lets it stretch and drape. Bias-cut garments hang closer and are harder to alter.
Toile: A test garment in cheap cloth, used to check fit before cutting the final fabric.
Fullness: The ratio of fabric width to the opening it is gathered into. Curtain fullness has a cousin in skirt gathering: 1.5× reads flat, 2.5× reads full.

Sizing and grading

Grade rule: The increment a brand applies between sizes at each measurement point. A 2-inch chest grade is standard; 1.5 inches is a slimmer block.
Vanity sizing: Shifting size labels downward without changing the garment. A vintage 12 and a current 8 can measure the same.
Body measurement vs garment measurement: A size chart gives one or the other, and the difference matters. Garment measurements already include ease.
Pit-to-pit: The flat width of a garment measured across the chest just below the armholes, doubled. The fastest way to compare two pieces you already own.
Body length: From the high point of the shoulder to the hem. It decides whether a top tucks, skims or crops.
Seat: The hip measurement taken at the fullest point. Trouser fit is decided here more often than at the waist.
Thigh width: The flat width of one leg measured 1 inch below the crotch. The number that explains why a pair fits the waist and not the leg.

Definitions reflect standard industry usage. Brands vary: where a size chart defines a term differently, the chart wins for that garment, and we say so in the entry.