Clothing Manufacturing Glossary
Every term you’ll meet when making clothes — in plain English.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) — The smallest number of units a factory will make in one run — usually counted per style, per colour. The number that most affects your upfront cost and risk.
GSM (Grams per Square Metre) — The weight of a fabric. Higher GSM = heavier, thicker, more premium-feeling. The quickest way to describe a garment's feel.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) — A shipping term where the manufacturer handles customs, duties, and freight, so you receive one clear landed cost with no surprise bills at the border.
Tech Pack — The blueprint for your garment — sketches, measurements, materials, trims, colours, and branding — that tells a manufacturer exactly how to make it.
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) — Full custom manufacturing — the factory makes your design from the ground up (your patterns, fabric, and construction).
ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) — The factory offers existing designs you can customise and put your label on — faster than building from scratch.
Private label — Taking a manufacturer's base products and customising them with your fabrics, fit, and branding so they're sold as your own brand.
White label — A ready-made, generic product that many brands can buy and put their own label on — fastest to launch, least unique.
CMT (Cut, Make, Trim) — A service where you supply the fabric and design, and the factory cuts, sews, and finishes the garment.
Sampling — Making a physical sample of your garment for you to approve — for fit, fabric, and finish — before any bulk production.
Lab dip — A small fabric swatch dyed to a target colour for you to approve before bulk dyeing, ensuring the colour is right.
Grading — Scaling a base size up and down to create the full size range, so each size fits correctly.
Lead time — How long production takes — typically around 40–50 days from sign-off to delivery for a small knitwear run.
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) — The leading certification for organic textiles, covering organic fibres, banned chemicals, environmental management, and fair working conditions across the supply chain.
OEKO-TEX — A certification confirming a textile has been tested for harmful substances and is safe for skin contact.
Pantone — A standardised colour-matching system. Giving a Pantone code lets a factory match your exact colour.
Still have a question? Just ask us — we explain everything in plain language. Or read our guides for new brands.