Knitwear Terms Glossary for B2B Buyers

Sourcing knitwear means navigating a vocabulary of gauge, linking, fully-fashioned, GSM and more, terms that factories use freely and assume you understand. Misreading them leads to mis-specified orders. This glossary explains the essential knitwear terms every B2B buyer should know, with links to deeper guides.

Speaking the factory's language is half of getting what you want. Misunderstand one term and you can mis-spec an entire order.

• Gauge (GG): needles per inch on the machine; higher GG = finer knit, lower GG = chunkier. See our gauge guide.
• Fully fashioned: panels shaped on the machine for clean edges and minimal waste; the mark of quality knitwear. See our construction guide.
• Cut and sew: garment pieces cut from knitted fabric and sewn together; faster, more waste.
• Linking: joining knitted panels (shoulders, neck, sides); clean linking signals quality.

• Jersey: the basic flat knit stitch.
• Rib: vertical stretchy stitch, used at cuffs, hems and collars.
• Cable: twisted, rope-like raised pattern.
• Jacquard: multi-color repeating pattern with floats behind. See our jacquard vs intarsia guide.
• Intarsia: large color blocks with no floats; used for argyle and graphics.
• Fair Isle: traditional multi-color banded pattern, a jacquard technique. See our Fair Isle guide.

• GSM / weight: grams per square meter; indicates fabric heaviness.
• Ply: number of strands twisted into the yarn; 2-ply is more durable than single-ply.
• Micron: fiber fineness (for wool); lower micron = softer. See our merino guide.
• Superwash: wool treated to be machine-washable.
• Pilling: fuzzy balls forming on the surface; a quality concern. See our common quality problems guide.

For deeper coverage see our guides on MOQ, payment terms and Incoterms, tech packs and OEM vs ODM.

• Proto sample: first sample, confirms look and handfeel.
• Fit sample: confirms measurements across sizes.
• Grading: how measurements step between sizes. See our sizing guide.
• Lead time: total time from order to delivery. See our sampling lead time guide.

Keep this glossary handy when reading quotes and tech packs. When a factory uses a term you are unsure of, ask, a good partner explains rather than assumes. Speaking the language precisely is the fastest way to get exactly the product you intend.

Licheng Knitwear works with B2B buyers at every level of experience, explaining terms and options clearly. Request a quote or browse our products.