Glossary
Uniform fabric terms: O
The vocabulary that turns up on spec sheets, quotations and tender documents, defined in a line or two. Where a term deserves more than that, it links to the guide that covers it properly.
O
- OEKO-TEX
- A family of certification schemes, best known for STANDARD 100, that tests textiles against limits on substances harmful to human health. It certifies a specific article through an accredited institute, so it is a document a buyer asks for rather than a property you can see in the cloth. Read the guide on OEKO-TEX
- Oil repellency
- A finish property measured separately from water repellency, because oils have a lower surface tension and will wet a fabric that sheds water perfectly well. A workwear specification exposed to lubricants or kitchen splash needs it named in its own right. Read the guide on Oil repellency
- One-way marker
- A cutting layout in which every pattern piece is placed facing the same direction along the roll, required where the fabric has a nap, pile, directional weave or one-way design. It cannot be nested as tightly as a two-way layout, so it consumes measurably more cloth for the same garments and that extra has to be ordered rather than discovered at cutting. Read the guide on One-way marker
- Opacity
- How much light a fabric blocks, which on shirting decides whether skin or an undergarment shows through. It is driven by construction and finish as much as by weight, so two cloths at the same GSM can differ visibly. Read the guide on Opacity
- Optical brightener
- A finishing agent that absorbs ultraviolet light and re-emits it as faint blue, cancelling the natural yellow cast of fibre so a white reads brighter than a neutral white could. It is a finish, not a fibre property, so it washes out gradually and a whites-specific detergent puts part of it back. Read the guide on Optical brightener
- Origin declaration
- A statement of originating status completed by the exporter or producer, usually on the invoice, which some trade agreements accept in place of an agency-issued certificate. The India-UK agreement is one that does, so the form a claim takes depends on the agreement rather than on the mill. Read the guide on Origin declaration
- Ounces per square yard (oz/yd²)
- The US and UK unit of fabric weight, used where Indian mills quote GSM. One oz/yd² is about 33.91 GSM, so GSM × 0.0295 gives oz/yd². Read the guide on Ounces per square yard (oz/yd²)
- Oxford
- A shirting construction in which grouped yarns are woven in a basket-derived plain weave, giving a soft, slightly textured surface. Heavier and less crisp than poplin, and common on corporate and hospitality shirts. Read the guide on Oxford
Looking for something that isn't here? The full guide library goes deeper on every term, and you can always ask us directly.
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