Outdoor Clothing & Fabric Glossary

Outdoor clothing can involve a surprising amount of technical terminology. Fabric construction, fibre types and garment design can all affect how clothing feels and performs.

This glossary explains some of the terms you'll find throughout the Sub Zero website and on our product specifications.

Base Layer

A base layer is the first layer of clothing worn next to the skin.

Its main purpose is to help manage moisture while providing an appropriate level of insulation for the conditions and activity. Base layers are generally designed to fit relatively close to the body so the fabric can work effectively next to the skin.

Mid Layer

A mid layer is worn over a base layer and is primarily used to provide additional insulation.

Different weights and constructions can provide different levels of warmth. A layering system allows mid layers to be added or removed as temperatures and activity levels change.

Wicking

Wicking describes the movement and spreading of liquid moisture through or across a fabric.

Fabric construction, fibre properties and specialist treatments can all influence how effectively moisture spreads away from the skin.

Moving perspiration away from the skin and spreading it over a larger surface area can help it evaporate more efficiently, helping the wearer remain more comfortable during activity.

Moisture Management

Moisture management is a broader term describing how a garment deals with perspiration.

Rather than referring to a single property, it can involve wicking, moisture spreading, evaporation, breathability, fibre absorption and the construction of the fabric.

Hydrophilic

Hydrophilic literally means “water loving”.

Hydrophilic fibres or treatments encourage interaction with water and can be used in performance fabrics to help moisture spread across or move through the material.

Increasing the area over which moisture spreads can help improve evaporation.

Hydrophobic

Hydrophobic literally means “water hating” and describes a material or surface that resists interaction with water.

Some synthetic fibres, such as polypropylene, are naturally highly hydrophobic and absorb very little moisture into the fibre itself.

Hydrophobic does not automatically mean waterproof.

Breathable

Breathability describes a material or garment's ability to allow water vapour generated by the body to escape.

Breathability is particularly important during physical activity because heat and moisture can otherwise accumulate inside clothing.

The overall breathability of a garment depends on more than just the fabric and can also be influenced by membranes, coatings, garment construction and the layers being worn with it.

Waterproof

Waterproof clothing is designed to prevent water penetrating through the material under specified conditions.

Waterproof performance can depend on the fabric, membrane or coating, seam construction and overall garment design.

A fabric being water repellent or hydrophobic does not necessarily make the finished garment waterproof.

Water Resistant / Water Repellent

Water-resistant or water-repellent fabrics are designed to resist light moisture or reduce the rate at which water wets the surface.

These terms shouldn't automatically be interpreted as meaning that a garment is completely waterproof.

DWR

DWR stands for Durable Water Repellent.

It is a treatment applied to the outer surface of some fabrics to help water form droplets and run off rather than immediately wetting the material.

DWR performance can reduce through wear, contamination and repeated washing and may eventually require appropriate maintenance or renewal.

TOG

TOG is a measure of thermal resistance — in simple terms, how effectively a material or product resists the transfer of heat.

A higher tog value indicates greater thermal resistance.

Tog shouldn't be confused with fabric thickness or weight. Different fibres and fabric constructions can provide different levels of thermal resistance even when they appear similar.

For outdoor clothing, tog values should also not be interpreted as a guaranteed temperature rating because the warmth experienced by the wearer is affected by activity level, wind, weather, other clothing layers and individual physiology.

GSM / g/m²

GSM means grams per square metre and is commonly written as g/m².

It describes the weight of a square metre of fabric.

For example, our Factor 2 fabric is approximately 225g/m², while one of our Factor 2 Plus constructions is approximately 276g/m².

A higher fabric weight doesn't automatically mean that one garment will be warmer than another. Fibre type, knitting structure, brushing and other aspects of the fabric construction also affect insulation and performance.

Yarn Blend

A yarn blend combines different fibres within a yarn to bring together particular characteristics.

Fibres can be combined before being spun into yarn, allowing properties from different materials to be incorporated into the finished fabric.

Our Factor 1 Eco fabric, for example, combines bamboo viscose, recycled polyester, merino wool and elastane.

Fabric Face

The face simply refers to one side of a fabric.

The two faces can be constructed or finished differently according to their intended purpose.

Our Factor 2 fabric, for example, has a heavily brushed inner face designed to provide an insulating microfleece surface, while the opposite face has a different finish.

Polyamide / Nylon

Polyamide is a family of synthetic fibres. Nylon is a type of polyamide and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in clothing descriptions.

Polyamide can be used to produce lightweight, strong and durable performance fabrics and is used extensively across several Sub Zero ranges.

Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fibre widely used in outdoor and performance clothing.

Its characteristics make it suitable for many different fabric constructions, ranging from lightweight performance fabrics to heavily brushed insulating fleece.

The performance of a polyester garment depends heavily on how the yarn and fabric are constructed and finished.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a synthetic fibre that absorbs very little moisture into the fibre itself.

It is naturally hydrophobic and is therefore useful in performance clothing designed to manage moisture and dry quickly.

Our Meraklon fabric is manufactured from 100% polypropylene.

Merino Wool

Merino wool is a fine wool fibre widely used in outdoor clothing because of its combination of comfort and insulation.

It can be used on its own or blended with other fibres to achieve particular performance characteristics.

Sub Zero uses merino wool within selected garments and fabric blends, including our Factor 1 Eco fabric.

Bamboo Viscose

Bamboo viscose is a regenerated cellulose fibre produced using cellulose derived from bamboo.

It can produce a soft, comfortable fabric and can be blended with other fibres to achieve different performance and handling characteristics.

It forms 44% of our Factor 1 Eco fabric blend.

Elastane / Spandex

Elastane is a highly stretchable synthetic fibre. Spandex is another commonly used name for the same type of fibre.

Relatively small percentages can provide significant stretch and recovery, helping garments retain their shape and move with the wearer.

It is used in several Sub Zero fabrics, including Factor 1 Eco, Factor 2 and Factor 2 Plus.

Tubular Knit

A tubular fabric is knitted as a continuous tube rather than as a flat, open-width piece of material.

Tubular knitting can reduce the need for certain seams and is used in several Sub Zero fabric constructions.

Open-Width Fabric

Open-width fabric is produced or finished as a flat sheet of material rather than as a continuous tube.

The garment pattern pieces are subsequently cut from the fabric and sewn together.

Our Factor 1 Eco fabric is knitted open width before the garments are cut and sewn at our factory in Leicestershire.

Seamless Construction

In technical clothing, seamless generally describes garments produced using knitting technology that significantly reduces the number of conventional sewn seams.

Electronic circular knitting machines can also allow different structures to be knitted directly into particular areas of a garment.

Our Factor 1 Plus and All Active ranges use this type of technology to incorporate features such as mesh zones and rib structures.

Brushed Fabric

Brushing is a finishing process that raises fibres from the surface of a fabric.

This can create a softer surface and, in insulating fabrics, help produce a structure capable of trapping air.

The inside face of our Factor 2 fabric is heavily brushed to produce its characteristic microfleece finish.

Microfleece

Microfleece is a lightweight fleece structure made using very fine synthetic fibres.

The raised surface can trap small pockets of air, providing insulation without necessarily requiring an extremely thick fabric.

Anti-Pill Finish

Pilling occurs when small balls of tangled fibre develop on the surface of a fabric through wear and abrasion.

An anti-pill finish is designed to reduce this effect and help the fabric maintain its appearance during use.

Raglan Sleeve

A raglan sleeve extends upwards towards the neckline, with the sleeve seam running diagonally from around the underarm area towards the collar.

This differs from a conventional set-in sleeve, where the sleeve joins the garment around the shoulder.

Raglan construction is commonly used in performance clothing because it can provide comfortable movement around the shoulder and can reposition seams away from the top of the shoulder.

Peached Finish

A peached finish creates a very fine, soft surface on a fabric.

The name comes from the soft texture being reminiscent of the surface of a peach.

It can be used on performance fabrics to improve their handle and comfort.

Layering System

A layering system combines several garments that perform different functions rather than relying on a single heavy garment.

A typical outdoor system consists of a base layer for moisture management, a mid layer for insulation, and an outer layer for weather protection.

Layers can then be added or removed as conditions and activity levels change.

For a fuller explanation, see our Outdoor Layering System guide.

Find Out More About Our Fabrics

The fibre content printed on a clothing label only tells part of the story.

Yarn selection, fabric weight, knitting structure, brushing, treatments and garment construction can all affect how a piece of clothing performs.

For a detailed explanation of the fabrics developed and used by Sub Zero, see our Sub Zero Performance Fabrics & Technology guide.

For information about a particular garment, check the Technical section of its individual product listing.