Chapter 1 TEXTILE SCIENCE

Finished Goods

A finished good is a fabric that has been finished, such as water repellant chemicals or brushing to make the surface fuzzy, and then used by other manufacturers to make such items as blouses, comforters, backpacks, or seatbelts. A certain finished fabric can be used for several different articles, such as a dress, shirt, or curtains. When fabrics are purchased as a finished goods package, they must first be approved by the buyer before proceeding to the sewn product manufacture stage. Fabrics are usually sold as either a finished or greige fabric.

Jobber

A jobber buys from mills, converters, and garment manufacturers, as well as from other users. Jobbers are valuable customers of the mills and converters because they often buy mill or converter fabrics that would otherwise be difficult to sell, including discontinued styles and colors and mill overruns.

Mill

A mill is a company that owns textile machinery and makes fabric. Mills are located throughout the world. The mills sell their finished fabrics to various customers. Converters are important buyers. Apparel and interior textile manufacturers and private label manufacturers use fabrics in making their products. Jobbers who help dispose of excess or surplus merchandise for the mill, are another customer. Retailers, which in turn sell to the craft/home sewer market, also buy from mills.

Private Label

A retail brand in which apparel or other sewn products are manufactured specifically for a retailer and sold exclusively by that retailer. Examples are Halogen sold at Nordstrom; Cherokee and Merona sold by Target; or Sonoma sold at Kohl's.

Converter

Converter is an individual or organization that buys greige goods, usually from mills, has the fabric dyed or printed and finished by other companies, and then sells the finished fabric. They sell their fabrics to the same customers as the mills (apparel and interior furnishings manufacturers, jobbers, and retail stores), but occasionally one converter will buy from another.

Fabric

Fabrics are made from yarns and are iether woven or knitted. The companies that make fabric are called mills.

Importer

One of two types of companies partaking in importing textiles. The direct importer buys fabric or manufactured textile products (clothing, soft luggage, other sewn products) from a foreign mill or other supplier and brings it into the United States. It is then sold to an American apparel manufacturer or other customer, such as retailer.

Printing

One of two ways color is applied to woven or knitted fabric. Printing is the process of imparting designs to textiles (dots, florals, stripes, etc.) done in dye plants or print houses

Dyeing

One of two ways color is usually applied to the woven or knitted fabric. Dyeing is the process of imparting a solid color to textiles. done in dye plants or print houses

Apparel

Part of the three large groupings of the textile industry. The textiles used in clothing. AKA Clothing

Fiber

The smallest part of the fabric. They are fine hairlike substances that are categorized as either natural or manufactured.

Greige

Unfinished fabric

Yarn

continuous threadlike strands composed of fibers that have been twisted together. There are various types of yarn, from flat and dull to slubby and lustrous.