Fashion PLM Glossary: 50+ Key Terms Every Apparel Professional Should Know

The Definitive Fashion PLM Glossary

Fashion product development has its own language. Whether you are new to PLM, evaluating software, or training your team, this glossary covers every essential term used in fashion product lifecycle management, apparel manufacturing, and supply chain operations.

A

AQL (Acceptable Quality Level): A statistical sampling standard used to determine acceptable defect rates during quality inspections. Common levels: AQL 1.5 for critical defects, AQL 2.5 for major, AQL 4.0 for minor.

B

BOM (Bill of Materials): A structured list of all raw materials, trims, components, and packaging required to manufacture a product. In fashion, BOMs include fabric, thread, labels, zippers, buttons, hangtags, and poly bags with quantities and supplier details. Bulk Production: The mass manufacturing phase after sample approvals. Quantities are based on the range plan and size curve.

C

Care Label: A label providing washing, drying, ironing, and dry-cleaning instructions using standardised symbols. Legally required in most markets. CMT (Cut, Make, Trim): A manufacturing arrangement where the brand supplies fabric and trims, and the factory performs cutting, sewing, and finishing. Colourway: A specific colour combination applied to a style. A single style may have 5-10 colourways, each with its own SKU and specifications. Compliance Audit: Assessment of factory adherence to social, environmental, and quality standards including WRAP, BSCI, and SA8000.

Costing Sheet: Detailed breakdown of all costs including materials, labour, overheads, freight, duties, and margin targets. Critical Path: Timeline of key milestones from design approval to delivery including lab dip approval, fabric booking, sample approvals, production start, inspection, and shipping.

D

Digital Product Passport (DPP): EU-mandated digital record containing product materials, origin, manufacturing processes, and sustainability data. Required for EU textiles from 2027. Duty Rate: Tariff percentage applied to imported goods based on product category, material composition, and country of origin.

F

Fit Sample: A sample garment made to check the fit, construction, and measurements against the tech pack specifications. FOB (Free On Board): The price of a garment at the port of origin, excluding freight, insurance, and duties. The baseline cost in supply chain quoting.

G

Grade Rules: Mathematical increments applied to a base size pattern to scale across sizes. Defines how measurements change (e.g., chest +2cm per size). GSM (Grams per Square Metre): A measure of fabric weight. Lightweight jersey: 120-160 GSM. Heavyweight fleece: 280-360 GSM.

L

Lab Dip: Small fabric swatch dyed to match a specified colour standard (typically Pantone) for approval before bulk production. Landed Cost: Total cost of a product delivered to warehouse, including FOB price, freight, insurance, duties, customs clearance, and handling. Critical for margin accuracy.

M

Marker: The layout of pattern pieces on fabric to maximise material utilisation and minimise waste. MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity): Smallest quantity a supplier will produce, often per colour or style.

P

PLM (Product Lifecycle Management): Software managing the entire lifecycle of a fashion product from concept and design through manufacturing, quality control, and delivery. Points of Measure (POM): Specific garment locations where measurements are taken: chest, waist, hip, sleeve length, body length, shoulder width. PP Sample (Pre-Production Sample): Final sample made with actual production materials before bulk manufacturing.

R

Range Plan: Seasonal planning document outlining product categories, styles, colourways, price points, and quantities. RRP (Recommended Retail Price): Intended consumer selling price for margin calculations.

S

Size Curve: Distribution of quantities across sizes (e.g., S:10%, M:30%, L:35%, XL:20%, XXL:5%). SMS (Sample Management System): System for tracking sample requests, approvals, and revisions. Supplier Portal: Web interface allowing suppliers to view specs, submit quotes, upload samples, update milestones, and communicate with brands. Strike Off: A printed fabric sample to approve artwork placement, colour matching, and print quality before bulk printing.

T

Tech Pack: Comprehensive specification document communicating all design and construction details to manufacturers: measurements, materials, colourways, construction notes, artwork, and packaging. Tier 1-4 Suppliers: Supply chain classification. Tier 1: finished goods factories. Tier 2: fabric mills. Tier 3: yarn spinners and fibre producers. Tier 4: raw material growers. Top of Production (TOP) Sample: A sample pulled from the production line during bulk manufacturing to verify consistency with approved standards.

W

Wholesale Price: The price at which a brand sells to retailers. Typically 2-2.5x the cost price. Wash Test: Laboratory testing of fabric or finished garments to assess colour fastness, shrinkage, pilling, and dimensional stability after repeated washing cycles.