Unlocking the Language of Apparel: Why Knowing Your Fibers, Construction, and Processes Matters

Ever feel like the apparel world is speaking a different language? Words like “modal,” “GSM,” and “dope dye” get thrown around, but what do they actually mean—and why should you care? If you’re in the business of sustainable, high-quality apparel (or just a fan of really great t-shirts), knowing these terms helps you make informed choices, communicate like a pro, and stand out in an industry where details matter.

Let’s break down some key apparel terms that every eco-conscious brand, decorator, and apparel lover should know.

The Fiber Fundamentals: More Than Just Fabric

Your favorite tee isn’t just “cotton” or “poly”—the fibers that make up the fabric tell a deeper story about sustainability, comfort, and performance.

🟢 RPET (Recycled Polyester): Made from post-consumer recycled plastics like water bottles. A sustainable alternative to virgin polyester, but don’t confuse it with “recycled fabric”—RPET specifically refers to recycled polyester content.

🟢 Modal: A super soft, breathable fiber from beech tree pulp. Often mistaken for Tencel (which is actually a brand of lyocell), but both belong to the same family of eco-friendly cellulose fibers.

🟢 BCI Cotton (Better Cotton Initiative): A responsible alternative to conventional cotton, ensuring better farming practices for the environment and farmers. It’s not the same as organic cotton but focuses on continuous improvement in cotton production.

🟢 Transitional Cotton: Cotton that’s on its way to becoming organic but isn’t certified just yet. A great step toward more sustainable farming practices.

🟢 Organic Cotton: The real deal—grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and certified organic. Often mislabeled as “natural cotton,” but certification is key.

🟢 CVC (Chief Value Cotton): A cotton-dominant blend that keeps the softness and breathability of cotton while incorporating synthetic fibers for durability.

The Art of Construction: It’s More Than Just Thread & Yarn

The way a fabric is made affects how it feels, stretches, and performs.

🔹 Yarn vs. Thread: Yarn is used to make fabric, while thread is for stitching it together. Simple, right? Yet they’re often confused!

🔹 Knit vs. Weave: Knitting creates interlocking loops (like your softest t-shirt), while weaving crisscrosses threads at right angles (think crisp dress shirts).

🔹 French Terry vs. Fleece: Both are cozy, but French Terry has loops on one side and a smooth surface on the other, while fleece is brushed (or “napped”) for extra softness.

🔹 Cotton-Faced Fleece: A print-friendly fleece where the cotton layer sits on top of a polyblend base—ensuring smooth prints and less dye migration.

🔹 Singles (30/1, 18/1, etc.): A fancy way of measuring yarn thickness. Higher numbers mean finer, lighter yarn (like Allmade’s lightweight tees), while lower numbers mean thicker, heavier fabric.

🔹 GSM (Grams per Square Meter): The weight of a fabric. Higher GSM = thicker, heavier material; lower GSM = lighter and more breathable.

🔹 Spinning Types:

• Open-End Spinning: Creates a more textured yarn—used in Allmade’s recycled garments.

• Combed Ring-Spun: Smoother and softer, found in our tri-blend.

• Compact Ring-Spun: Even softer and stronger than regular ring-spun, used in our premium AL2100 line.

From Raw to Ready: Fabric Processing & Printing Considerations

Once the fabric is made, it goes through different treatments and dyes to achieve the right color, feel, and performance.

🎨 Dyeing Methods:

• Single Cotton Dye: Dyes only the cotton fibers, leaving polyester untouched for a heathered look.

• Double Dye: Colors both cotton and polyester evenly.

• Dope Dye: Polyester is dyed before it’s even made into fiber—an ultra-efficient, low-water process.

• Mineral Dye: Uses natural minerals for a soft, washed look (like our AL2400 and AL6305).

• Reactive Dye: A highly colorfast dye that chemically bonds to the fiber.

🚫 Common Printing Challenges:

• Dye Migration: When fabric dyes bleed into printed designs—why choosing the right ink is crucial.

• Ghosting: A faint shadow of a print appearing elsewhere due to heat or pressure during decoration.

• Discharge Rating: How well a fabric releases dye during printing.

• Fibrillation: A fuzzy, distressed look that happens when fabric fibers lift after printing or washing.

Why This Knowledge Sets You Apart

Understanding these terms isn’t just about flexing your apparel IQ—it’s about making smarter choices in sustainability, performance, and quality. Whether you’re a screen printer looking for the best fabric for your designs, a brand sourcing ethical materials, or just someone who loves a well-made t-shirt, knowing the language of apparel makes you an expert.

At Allmade, we don’t just make shirts—we make impact-driven, high-quality apparel designed for people who care about what they wear and where it comes from.

💚 Want to learn more about our sustainable fabrics and processes? Check out our story here.

Got a question or a blog idea? Hit us up at hello@allmade.com!

FIBER TERMS

• RPET (Recycled Polyester): Polyester made from post-consumer recycled plastics, like water bottles. Often confused with “recycled fabric,” but specifically refers to polyester from consumer waste.

• Modal: A soft, breathable fiber made from beech tree pulp. Sometimes referred to as “Tencel,” but Tencel is a brand of lyocell, while Modal is a different, yet similar, cellulose fiber.

• BCI Cotton (Better Cotton Initiative): Cotton produced under the BCI standards, ensuring better environmental and social practices. Often confused with “organic cotton,” but BCI focuses on improvement rather than organic certification.

• Transitional Cotton: Cotton grown on farms transitioning to organic certification. It’s often mistaken for organic cotton but is still in the process of becoming certified.

• Organic Cotton: Cotton grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, certified organic. Sometimes simply called “natural cotton,” but the key is certification.

• CVC (Chief Value Cotton): A cotton-dominant blend, often confused with poly-cotton blends. CVC indicates cotton is the primary fiber in the blend.

CONSTRUCTION TERMS

• Yarn: The twisted strands used to make fabric. Often mistakenly called “thread,” which is used for sewing, not fabric construction.

• Thread: The fine strands used in the sewing process to stitch fabric pieces together. Allmade uses high-quality threads designed to work seamlessly with our sustainable fabrics.

• Knit: A method of fabric construction involving interlocking loops of yarn. Frequently confused with “weave,” which involves crossing threads at right angles. Allmade fabrics are knitted, not woven.

• French Terry: A knit fabric with loops on one side and a smooth surface on the other. Often mistaken for “fleece,” but fleece is napped (brushed) for softness, while French Terry is looped.

• Fleece: A knit fabric that has been napped (brushed) to create a soft, fuzzy surface. “Napping” is the technical term for brushing fabric to raise fibers.

• Cotton Faced Fleece: This refers to the use of a cotton face in a polyblend CVC fleece in order to get a smooth print and mitigate dye migration.

• Singles: Refers to the thickness of the yarn used in fabric. Measured by the yarn count (Ne), which is based on the number of hanks (840 yards each) per pound of yarn.

Example:

• 30/1 Singles: One single strand of yarn with a count of 30 hanks per pound, resulting in a finer, lighter yarn often used in Allmade’s lightweight tees.

• 18/1 Singles: One single strand of yarn with a count of 18 hanks per pound, making it thicker and heavier than 30 singles and used in Allmade Heavyweight. 

• The higher the number, the finer and lighter the yarn; the lower the number, the thicker and heavier the yarn.

• GSM (Grams per Square Meter): A metric measurement of fabric weight, indicating the weight of fabric in grams for a 1x1 meter square.

• How GSM Relates to OZ (Ounces per Square Yard): GSM is converted to ounces by dividing by 33.906.

• Allmade fabric is 4.2 oz, which translates to approximately 145 GSM (4.2 x 33.906 = 142.4 GSM, rounded up to 145 GSM).

• Higher GSM means a thicker, heavier fabric, while lower GSM means a lighter, more breathable fabric.

Spinning Types:

• Open-End Spinning: A method used in Allmade’s recycled garments; creates a more textured yarn.

• Combed Ring-Spun: Used in Allmade’s tri-blend, producing a softer, smoother yarn.

• Compact Ring-Spun: Used in Allmade’s AL2100 line, creating an even smoother, stronger yarn than regular ring-spun.

• Ring-Spun: Not used by Allmade; creates a soft, smooth yarn through a traditional spinning process.

USE/PROCESS TERMS

• PFD (Prepared for Dye): Fabric prepared for garment dyeing. Uses cotton thread and components to ensure even dye absorption.

• Pre-Consumer Recycling: Recycling of fabric waste from the manufacturing process before it reaches the consumer. Allmade’s recycled blend and recycled heavyweight products use pre-consumer recycled cotton.

• Post-Consumer Recycling: Recycling of products after they have been used by consumers. Allmade’s RPET recycled polyester is made from post-consumer plastic waste.

Dyeing Processes:

• Single Cotton Dye: A dye process where only the cotton fibers are dyed, leaving other fibers like polyester undyed. Common in blends for a heathered look.

• Double Dye: A process where both cotton and polyester fibers are dyed simultaneously for consistent color throughout the fabric.

• Double Bath Dye: A two-step process where cotton or other natural fibers are dyed first, followed by a second bath to dye synthetic fibers like polyester.

• Dope Dye: A process where polyester is dyed during the extrusion process, before the fibers are formed. Known for its excellent colorfastness and reduced water usage.

• Mineral Dye: A dyeing method using natural minerals, giving fabrics a soft, washed look. Allmade uses this in products like the AL2400 and AL6305.

• Pigment Dye: A dye process using insoluble pigments to coat fabric fibers. Allmade does not use this process.

• Pigment Dye Garment Wash: A pigment dye method followed by a garment wash for a worn-in, vintage look. Not used by Allmade.

• Reactive Dye: A dye that chemically bonds with fibers, offering vibrant, long-lasting color. Allmade is exploring the use of this method.

• Reactive Dye Garment Wash: Reactive dyeing followed by a garment wash for a softer feel and broken-in color. Allmade is considering this method.

• Dye Migration: The bleeding of dye from fabric into printed designs during heat curing. Prevented with low-bleed inks.

• Ghosting: A faint shadow of a print appearing elsewhere on the fabric, often due to heat or pressure during decoration.

• Discharge Rating: A scale indicating how well fabric releases dye during discharge printing, ensuring vibrant prints without additional layers.

• Fibrillation: The separation of fibers on the surface of a fabric, creating a fuzzy or distressed look after printing or washing.