Garment Defect Glossary

Why naming matters

“The quality is bad” produces an argument. “Skipped stitches on the coverstitch hem, 12 of 80 units, see photos” produces a correction. Factories act on specifics; they defend against generalities.

Fabric defects

• Slub — a thick irregular lump in the yarn showing on the face
• Barré — horizontal streaks across a knit from yarn or tension variation
• Shading — visible colour difference between panels, rolls or dye lots
• Crocking — dye rubbing off onto skin or other fabric, dry or wet
• Pilling — small balls of fibre forming on the surface with wear
• Hole / drop stitch — a break in the knit structure
• Fabric fault / mispick — a weaving error running through the cloth
• Spirality or torque — side seams twisting around the body after washing

Cutting defects

• Off-grain — panel cut at the wrong angle to the grain line; the garment twists
• Mismatched panels — pieces cut from different lots or shades within one garment
• Notch error — balance notches missing or misplaced, so panels assemble wrong
• Ply shift — fabric moved during spreading, so panels vary within the same cut

Sewing defects

• Skipped stitch — the needle missed; the seam is weak and will open
• Broken stitch — thread broken in a finished seam
• Open seam — seam not caught or has come apart
• Seam puckering — fabric gathered along a seam that should lie flat
• Uneven topstitch — distance from the edge varies visibly
• Wrong SPI — stitches per inch outside spec; affects strength and appearance
• Raw edge — unfinished edge on a fabric that frays
• Needle damage — holes along the stitch line from a blunt or wrong-gauge needle
• Twisted or roping hem — hem not lying flat after sewing

Measurement and fit defects

• Out of tolerance — a point of measure outside the agreed range
• Asymmetry — left and right differ beyond tolerance
• Grade error — a size inconsistent with its grade rule
• Label placement out of spec — wrong position or orientation

Trim, finishing and packing defects

• Non-functional trim — zip sticks, snap will not engage, drawcord not threaded
• Missing label — brand, size or care/content label absent
• Wrong care content — labelling does not match the actual fabric
• Print or embroidery misplacement — outside the spec’s placement tolerance
• Poor cure — print cracks, peels or transfers after washing
• Stains and soil marks — oil, chalk, dirt from the floor
• Thread ends not trimmed
• Poor pressing — creases or shine marks
• Wrong fold or polybag, incorrect carton count or markings

How to write it up

Defect name, stage found, quantity affected, the spec or standard it violates, and a photograph. That is a report. Anything less is a complaint.