Inglés para la Industria de la Moda: Vocabulario y Frases Esenciales

"mood board"

A visual collage of images, colours, textures, and references that captures the aesthetic direction of a collection.

"The design team pinned fabrics, photographs, and colour swatches to the mood board before sketching a single garment."

"silhouette"

The overall shape or outline of a garment as it falls on the body, defining the fundamental form of a design.

"This season the designer moved away from the boxy silhouette towards a more streamlined, column-shaped silhouette."

"draping"

The technique of placing and arranging fabric directly on a dress form or live model to develop the shape of a garment.

"She learned to develop her designs through draping rather than flat pattern-making, allowing the fabric to guide the form."

"capsule collection"

A small, cohesive range of versatile pieces designed to work together, often built around a single theme or occasion.

"The brand launched a ten-piece capsule collection for the holiday season that sold out within 48 hours."

"flat sketch"

A technical two-dimensional illustration of a garment drawn as if laid flat, showing construction details and proportions.

"Before sampling begins, every design must be approved as a flat sketch with detailed annotations for the production team."

"colourway"

A particular combination of colours applied to a single garment or pattern, allowing one design to be produced in multiple versions.

"The printed blouse was offered in three colourways: ivory and sage, navy and blush, and black and gold."

"design brief"

A document outlining the objectives, target customer, budget, and aesthetic parameters for a new collection or project.

"The creative director shared the design brief with the team at the start of the season, setting the theme as "urban wilderness"."

"aesthetic"

The visual style, sensibility, and artistic character that defines a brand or designer's work.

"The label is known for a minimalist aesthetic, favouring clean lines, neutral tones, and luxurious yet understated fabrics."

"pattern-making"

The process of creating precise paper or digital templates for each piece of a garment that will be cut from fabric.

"The head of pattern-making spent two days refining the trouser block after fit issues were identified during the first sample."

"toile"

A test version of a garment made in inexpensive fabric to assess fit, proportion, and construction before cutting the final fabric.

"We made a toile in calico so the client could try on the gown and request adjustments before any expensive silk was cut."

"seam allowance"

The strip of fabric between the cut edge and the stitching line, which allows seams to be sewn without the garment becoming too small.

"A generous seam allowance of 1.5 cm was included on all pieces so the garment could be let out if needed during fittings."

"grading"

The process of scaling a base pattern up or down to produce the full range of sizes in a collection.

"After approving the size-10 sample, the team sent the block for grading to create sizes 6 through 18."

"basting"

A temporary, large-stitch sewing technique used to hold fabric pieces together for fitting before the final seams are sewn.

"The tailor basted the sleeve into the armhole so that adjustments could be made easily during the fitting session."

"interfacing"

A fabric layer sewn or fused to the inside of a garment to provide structure, stability, or body to an area such as a collar or cuff.

"The crisp stand of the shirt collar was achieved by using a medium-weight woven interfacing fused to the wrong side of the fabric."

"ease"

The amount of extra room built into a garment beyond the body measurements to allow for movement and comfort.

"A tailored jacket typically has 5 cm of ease across the chest, while a relaxed-fit shirt may have as much as 15 cm."

"notch"

A small cut or mark made on the edge of a pattern piece or cut fabric to help align corresponding pieces accurately during assembly.

"The notch at the centre-back of the waistband ensured the seamstress aligned it perfectly with the seam of the skirt."

"selvedge"

The tightly woven, self-finished edge running along the length of a roll of fabric that prevents it from fraying.

"Always cut parallel to the selvedge to ensure the grain of the fabric runs correctly through the finished garment."

"warp and weft"

The two sets of threads in a woven fabric: the warp runs lengthwise along the loom and the weft is woven across it.

"The subtle diagonal texture of the twill is created by floating the weft over two or more warp threads in a staggered pattern."

"hand feel"

The tactile quality of a fabric as experienced by touch, including its softness, weight, drape, and texture.

"Buyers at the trade show ran the fabric between their fingers, impressed by its luxurious hand feel despite its affordable price point."

"GSM (grams per square metre)"

A measurement of fabric weight, indicating how heavy a textile is per unit area, which affects drape, warmth, and durability.

"The summer linen at 120 GSM felt cool and lightweight, while the winter coating fabric weighed in at 450 GSM."

"deadstock fabric"

Surplus fabric left over from previous seasons or production runs, repurposed to reduce waste in new collections.

"The sustainable label built its entire spring collection from deadstock fabric sourced from three Italian mills."

"natural fibre"

A textile fibre derived from plants, animals, or minerals, such as cotton, wool, silk, or linen.

"Consumers are increasingly choosing garments made from natural fibres because they are biodegradable and gentler on the skin."

"technical fabric"

A high-performance textile engineered to provide specific functional properties such as moisture-wicking, breathability, or stretch.

"The activewear brand used a four-way stretch technical fabric with built-in UV protection for its new running collection."

"dye lot"

A batch of fabric or yarn dyed at the same time, producing an identical colour; different dye lots may vary slightly in shade.

"Always order enough fabric from a single dye lot for one garment, because matching the exact shade from a later dye lot is nearly impossible."

"lead time"

The total time from placing a production order to receiving the finished goods, encompassing sampling, production, and shipping.

"With a 16-week lead time from the factory, the buyer had to place orders before a single fashion show had taken place."

"tech pack"

A comprehensive document containing all the technical specifications a manufacturer needs to produce a garment, including measurements, materials, and construction details.

"The product developer sent the tech pack to three factories in Portugal and asked each to submit a sample and a price quote."

"OTB (open-to-buy)"

The budget a buyer has available to purchase new merchandise during a specific period without exceeding the planned inventory investment.

"With only £20,000 of OTB remaining for the quarter, the buyer had to be selective about which new brands she introduced."

"markdown"

A permanent reduction in the retail price of a product, typically used to clear slow-selling inventory at the end of a season.

"After a wet summer reduced demand for linen trousers, the retailer took a 40% markdown to clear the remaining stock."

"private label"

Merchandise manufactured by one company but sold under the retailer's own brand name rather than the manufacturer's.

"The department store generates higher margins on its private label range than on the branded concessions it hosts on the ground floor."

"showroom"

A space where a brand or sales agent presents its collection to buyers and press during a selling season.

"During Paris Fashion Week, the brand's showroom on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré hosted sixty buyers over five days."

"line sheet"

A simple document showing all styles in a collection with product codes, descriptions, wholesale prices, and available colourways, used for wholesale ordering.

"The sales rep emailed the line sheet to interested stockists ahead of the appointment so they could review styles in advance."

"allocations"

The process of distributing a limited quantity of stock across multiple stores or regions based on sales history and demand forecasts.

"The allocation team used last season's sell-through data to decide how many units of each style to send to each store."

"lookbook"

A curated set of styled photographs presenting a brand's collection to inspire customers and communicate the season's aesthetic vision.

"The lookbook was shot on location in Marrakech to capture the earthy, sun-drenched palette of the new collection."

"casting"

The process of selecting the models who will walk in a fashion show or appear in a campaign, conducted by a casting director.

"The casting for the couture show took two full days and included over two hundred models from agencies across Europe."

"run-of-show"

A sequential list of every look in a fashion show, specifying the order models will walk and what they will wear.

"The stylist and director finalised the run-of-show the night before, swapping two looks to create a stronger opening sequence."

"pull"

To select and borrow garments and accessories from brands or archives for use in a fashion editorial, advertising shoot, or show.

"The magazine stylist made several pulls from the designer's archive to dress the cover star for the anniversary shoot."

"editorial styling"

The creative process of selecting and arranging clothing, accessories, and props for photographs in magazines, campaigns, or social media.

"Her editorial styling for the magazine's September issue mixed couture gowns with vintage sportswear to striking effect."

"fitting"

A session in which a garment is tried on a model or client so that adjustments can be made to ensure perfect fit and proportion.

"The couturier conducted three fittings over six weeks, making subtle adjustments to the bodice after each appointment."

"finale look"

The closing outfit in a fashion show, traditionally the most dramatic or significant piece in the collection, often worn by the most prominent model.

"The audience erupted in applause when the model appeared in the finale look — an extraordinary hand-embroidered ivory gown."

"streetwear"

A casual fashion style rooted in skateboarding, hip-hop, and youth culture, characterised by graphic tees, hoodies, sneakers, and relaxed silhouettes.

"High-fashion collaborations with streetwear brands have become a key strategy for luxury labels seeking to attract younger consumers."

"circular fashion"

A model of clothing production and consumption designed to minimise waste by keeping garments in use as long as possible through repair, resale, and recycling.

"The brand adopted a circular fashion approach by offering free repairs and a take-back scheme that diverted thousands of garments from landfill."

"greenwashing"

The practice of making misleading or unsubstantiated environmental claims to make a brand appear more sustainable than it actually is.

"Consumer groups accused the fast-fashion retailer of greenwashing after its "eco" collection was found to use only 2% recycled content."

"slow fashion"

A philosophy and movement that advocates buying fewer, higher-quality garments made sustainably and ethically, as a counterpoint to fast fashion.

"Slow fashion encourages consumers to invest in a smaller wardrobe of well-made pieces that will last for years rather than seasons."

"upcycling"

Transforming discarded or waste materials into new garments or products of equal or higher value and quality.

"The young designer built her graduate collection entirely through upcycling, using military surplus uniforms and hotel bed linen."

"supply chain transparency"

The degree to which a brand openly discloses information about where and how its products are made, including factory names and conditions.

"Following public pressure, the retailer published a full list of its tier-one and tier-two suppliers to demonstrate supply chain transparency."

"fair trade"

A certification and movement ensuring that producers in developing countries receive fair wages and work in safe, ethical conditions.

"All cotton used by the brand is fair trade certified, guaranteeing that farmers in India receive a minimum price per kilogram."

"carbon footprint"

The total amount of greenhouse gases generated by a product, process, or company, expressed as equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide.

"The brand calculated the carbon footprint of each garment and displayed it on the label alongside washing instructions."

"garment worker rights"

The legal and ethical entitlements of the people who make clothing, including safe conditions, living wages, and freedom of association.

"Following the factory collapse in Bangladesh, global brands came under intense scrutiny over garment worker rights throughout their supply chains."