Question:
Why do women's shirts button on the opposite side than men's?

Answer:
Way back in Medieval times, women did not usually dress themselves. They had handmaids to help them. Therefore, the dressmakers designed the garments so the buttons were in the proper position for the dressers, the person USING the buttons. The tradition continued throughout the ages and even into today?s styles.

Question:
What percentage of the American workforce is female?

Answer:
60%, making Ladies? style shirts increasingly popular for all types of corporate casual decision makers.

Question:
What does "pre-shrunk" really mean?

Answer:
It is NOT pre-washing the fabric. It is a process where the bolted, uncut fabric is run through rollers containing tiny nubs that press the fabric over the nubs, creating grooves which condense it. This puckered shrinking effect then allows for real shrinking when washed. Therefore, the fabric ? not the shirt ? is pre-shrunk before it is even cut and sewn.

Question:
Where did the word "jersey" in jersey knit come from?

Answer:
It is called that because it was first knitted in the Jersey and Guernsey Islands in the English Channel.

Question:
What type of garments are embroidered more than any other?

Answer:
Golf shirts. They comprise 53% of all garments embroidered.

Question:
What is the origin of the large side-seam and pouch pockets that are so popular in today?s fleece and jacket styles?

Answer:
These date back to the 1800s when muffs became a fashionable accessory for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to keep their hands warm and conceal money and small treasures when traveling.

Question:
What makes Microfiber so much softer than other fabrics?

Answer:
Most other fabrics have 70-80 tendrils of yarn per strand. Microfiber has 216 tendrils per strand. It's more finely woven, more luxurious, also windproof and waterproof.

Question:
What is a "half moon sweat patch" and what?s it really for?

Answer:
The inset back yoke of many upscale-type golf shirts. While called a "sweat patch," it is actually there for decoration purposes and extra collar support.

Question:
Name two colors that are popular for trade show "uniforms" today?

Answer:
Red and yellow. The brighter the color, the more booth staffers stand out as a team, so they can be found anywhere in the booth. The trade is calling them "Crayola colors."

Question:
Where does the term "denim" come from?

Answer:
From the French "serge de Nimes," a twill fabric made in Nimes, France from blue vegetable dyes from the indigo plant, which is why deeper hues of blue denim are called "indigo."

Question:
What does the term "ounces" of fabric refer to?

Answer:
The weight of the fabric based on one yard of fabric.

Question:
How does the fabric "sanded gabardine" get its soft finish?

Answer:
It is run through an actual belt sander so that the fabric is extra soft before it is cut and sewn.

Question:
Where does the word "khaki" come from?

Answer:
From the Hindu word meaning "dusty," which applied to the light brown cotton of the Indian army uniforms. Troops in 1850?s India found their white uniforms would be dusty within hours and began soaking them in mud to turn the same practical khaki color.

Question:
Do recycled bottles actually play a role in apparel manufacturing?

Answer:
Yes! Recycled plastic bottles are cleaned, crushed, melted and extruded into the polyester fibers that make many of today?s most popular fleece clothing. It?s every bit as warm and durable as virgin polyester... but conserves more energy in processing.

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