The entire set of apparel, accessories and related items within a company's or agency's "have-to-wear" specification.

Any supplier of uniforms and accessories. The most common types of dealers are retail stores, but they also include catalog sellers, wholesale distributors and embroiderers or promotional product distributors.

The precise names, descriptions and manufacturing composition of the items purchased within a uniform program. A specification usually is included in a request-for-proposal.

Add Man

When an employee is added to your uniform service contract.

Quit Man

When an employee is removed from a uniform contract.

Bulk Items
or Flat Goods

White Goods

Blue Goods

Uniforms for emergency services and public safety personnel (firefighters, police officers, and paramedics).

Industrial Launderer

The traditional name for a uniform rental service. The bulk of the business for these companies consists of renting customized garments and entrance mats.

Tunnel Finishing

The process most commonly used by industrial launderers to remove wrinkles from garments. After being washed and spun, the garments are placed on hangers and conveyed through a steam chamber for wrinkle-free drying.

RFP or RFB

Request for Proposals
or Request for Bids

What an organization (such as a police department or a hospital) supplies to notify retail and wholesale companies of a uniform program supply need. It will spell out the number of employees, uniform needs, special instructions, and related information, and stores will bid on the opportunity to fulfill those needs.

The physical location at which goods are sold to customers.  A typical POS system is a computer replacement for a cash register. Most POS software programs include the ability to track customer orders, process credit cards, and manage inventory.

Toque, High Toque or Toque Blanche

The hat worn by professional chefs. The many folds on a chef's toque are believed to signify the many ways that an egg can be cooked. Many toques have exactly 100 pleats.

Fishbone

A somewhat stiff plastic that is sewn into a garment to give it form and stiffness. Fishbone is most commonly used in women’s corset-type garments but can also be found in fitted suit jackets.

Bespoke Tailoring

The same as custom or made-to-measure tailoring, bespoke is a hig-end trailoring job done custom for each wearer. London’s Savile Row is a road known for its numerous bespoke tailors in one area and its expensive, well-crafted garments.

Hand

The feel of a garment. The softer or more supple a fabric is, the better its hand is. For example, wool may have a rough hand while cashmere’s hand is quite pleasant.

Blazer

A double-breasted jacket, like that of a suit except in that it has patch pockets with no flaps and usually metal shank buttons.

Sport Coat

A tailored coat, similar in cut to a suit coat, but less restrictive, originally of a sturdy fabric for hunting and other outdoor sports.

Suit Coat or Jacket

A tailored coat with lapels and interior pockets and no flaps. These usually match in color and material to the trousers to create a suit.

Fabric with stipples or a waffle-type weave that gives the fabric a rougher, rugged feel. Found in polo shirts mostly as an alternative to the Jersey Knit.

A soft, slightly elastic knit that most polo shirts are made from. Also the same knit is the most common for creating sweaters.

A very short sleeve not extending below armpit level.

A short, full sleeve gathered at the top and bottom, now most often seen on children's clothing.

Set-in Sleeve

A sleeve sewn into an armhole (armscye) in a more tailored fashion than drop-shoulder construction. Set-in sleeves have an extra cap at the shoulder to give the wearer extra material when the arms are lowered to the side. A sleeve sewn into an armhole (armscye) in a more tailored fashion than drop-shoulder construction. Set-in sleeves have an extra cap at the shoulder to give the wearer extra material when the arms are lowered to the side.

Drop Shoulder

Sleeves are cut straight across the top and meet the torso of the garment at a right angle.

Raglan Sleeve

A sleeve that extends to the neckline. This is associated mostly with athletic or sporty wear.

Dolman Sleeve

A long sleeve that is very wide at the top and narrow at the wrist. These are usually constructed as part of the torso in one piece of fabric or in a constant knit, so there are no shoulder seams.

Knife Pleat

The simplest of pleats. The fabric is gathered in a zig-zag manner and the fabric tends to hang straight from the pleats vs. flaring out.

Box Pleat

Box pleats are basically two knife pleats back to back. This pleat is used commonly on the back yoke of men’s dress shirts to allow a little more room down the back from the yoke seam. One full box pleat (or sometimes one half of the full box pleat) will be sewn approximately at each shoulder blade.

Patch Pocket

A pocket formed by placing fabric on top of the garment and sewing around three of the sides, leaving the top open. Most shirts use patch pockets, and some may include flaps over the opening that may be buttoned closed.

Side Pocket

A pocket formed along a seam usually in pants. The pocket opening runs roughly vertical.

Welt Pocket

An internal pocket with external access formed but cutting a slit in a garment, inserting a pocket pouch, and surrounding the slit to reinforce it and prevent fraying. Welt pockets run roughly horizontal. A single-welt pocket is common on suit breast pockets where only one bar of fabric, or “welt,” is added. Double-welt pockets are common as back pockets on khaki pants and have a top and bottom welt to surround the pocket opening.

Napoleon Pocket

A vertical pocket on the chest that usually zips closed and is used commonly on sporting or outerwear. Named as such from the famous portraits of Napoleon with his hand slid between the buttons of his outer garment.