Glossary of frequently-used textile, manufacturing, development, production, and commercial shipping terms in the apparel industry.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Bar Tack	A group of stitches used to reinforce specific areas on a garment, such as at the bottom of a fly opening or on either end of a pocket opening.
Bill of Lading	A contract of carriage between shipper and carrier. It serves three purposes: 1. To set the terms and conditions of the contract. 2. To serve as the receipt for the goods to be transported. 3. As documentary evidence of the party entitled to deliver.
Bill Receiver	Freight invoice payment term unique to Airborne Express; charges are billed to the recipients.
Blind Hem	A hand or machine operation where the hem is turned up and secured with stitches that are nearly invisible from the right side of the garment.
Bonded or Laminated	Textiles that have a secondary layer of material, often a non-woven structure applied or fused on the face or back to alter the hand and/or functionality of the primary fabric, such as: polyurethane (water resistance), foam (bulk and insulation), woven or knit fabrics (stabilizing), etc.
Bow	A fabric condition resulting when knitted courses are displaced from a line perpendicular to the selvages and form one or more arcs (waviness) across the width of the fabric. Similar conditions can occur in woven fabrics and are results of improper finishing.

Breaking Strength	The maximum force applied to a specimen in a tensile test carried to rupture.
Burn Out or Voided or Devore	Techniques that involve removing areas of fibers to create a design or pattern in a textile and still leave a fine supporting structure (weave or knit) so that some elements of the design appear opaque and some areas are translucent. This can be accomplished by using a secondary layer of fabric that is cut away and is the reverse of the design or by using special chemicals that dissolve only specific fibers in the design.

Burn Test	Burning a swatch, yarn or fibers taken from a textile in order to determine the fiber content. Flammability, smell and the quality of the residual ash or “bead” are reasonably accurate indicators of the fiber or blend.
Bursting Strength	The force or pressure required to rupture a textile by distending it with a force, applied at right angles to the plane of the fabric, under specified conditions.