Fashion Design Terms in Spanish

Pattern making terminology forms the foundation of production communication. In Spanish, a pattern is called patron, and pattern making is patronaje. The distinction matters because patronaje encompasses the entire discipline, while patron refers to a specific pattern piece. A dart — the triangular fold that shapes fabric to the body — is pinza in Spanish. Ease, the extra space built into a garment for comfort and movement, is translated as holgura. Seam allowance, the fabric between the stitch line and the cut edge, is margen de costura. These terms appear on every tech pack and specification sheet used in Spanish-speaking production environments.

Grading, the process of scaling a pattern across a size range, is escalado. A toile or muslin test garment is commonly called a prototipo en tela cruda or simply toile (borrowed from French, widely understood). Bias cut, where fabric is cut diagonally across the grain, is corte al bies — a term with identical meaning across all Spanish-speaking countries. Notch marks on a pattern, used for alignment during sewing, are called piquetes. The grainline — the direction parallel to the selvage — is hilo de la tela, which literally translates as the thread of the fabric, an intuitive term that reflects the grain's relationship to warp yarns.

Communicating about fabrics requires precise vocabulary because material specifications directly affect garment quality and cost. Fabric in general is tela, while textile (as an industry term) is textil. Warp threads — the vertical yarns on a loom — are urdimbre, and weft threads (the horizontal yarns) are trama. Understanding this distinction is critical when discussing fabric properties like drape, stretch, and strength, as warp and weft often behave differently. Cotton is algodon, silk is seda, wool is lana, and linen is lino — these basic fiber names are consistent across all Spanish dialects.

For synthetic and blended fabrics, the terminology is largely adapted from English or French: polyester remains poliester, nylon is nailon (sometimes written as nylon), and spandex/elastane is elastano or licra (a genericized brand name). Fabric weight is expressed as peso del tejido, typically measured in grams per square meter (gramos por metro cuadrado). When specifying fabric for a tech pack, include both the Spanish fiber name and the weight in metric units, as the US convention of ounces per square yard is not standard in Spanish-speaking countries.

Knowing the Spanish names for garment types and components is essential for tech packs, purchase orders, and factory communication. A shirt is camisa, a blouse is blusa, trousers are pantalones, a skirt is falda, a dress is vestido, and a jacket is chaqueta. For outerwear, a coat is abrigo, and a vest (as in a sleeveless mid-layer) is chaleco. These terms are standard across the Spanish-speaking world, though some colloquial regional variations exist — for example, in parts of Latin America, chamarra may be used for jacket instead of chaqueta.

Garment components follow a logical nomenclature. A collar is cuello, a sleeve is manga, a cuff is puno, a pocket is bolsillo, a zipper is cremallera (in Spain) or cierre (in many Latin American countries), and a button is boton. The hem — the finished bottom edge of a garment — is dobladillo. A lining is forro, and interfacing (the stiffening material applied inside garments) is entretela. When writing tech packs for Spanish-speaking factories, use these component terms in your bill of materials and construction notes to ensure the factory understands exactly what you need.

Quality control vocabulary is critical when managing production at Spanish-speaking factories. Quality control itself is control de calidad. A defect is defecto, and the defect rate is tasa de defectos. The AQL (Acceptable Quality Level) is used internationally but should be explained as nivel de calidad aceptable when communicating with factory floor workers who may not know the English acronym. An inspection is inspeccion, and a quality inspector is inspector de calidad.

Production-related terms include production run (corrida de produccion or lote de produccion), lead time (tiempo de entrega), and minimum order quantity (cantidad minima de pedido, often abbreviated as MOQ even in Spanish-language documents because the English acronym is widely recognized). A fit sample is muestra de ajuste or muestra de prueba, and a pre-production sample is muestra de pre-produccion. Approval is aprobacion, and to approve a sample for production you would say aprobar la muestra para produccion. Using these terms correctly signals professionalism and reduces the risk of miscommunication during critical production phases.

Spanish is not monolithic — significant vocabulary differences exist between Spain, Mexico, and the various countries of Central and South America. In the fashion context, the most important regional variations affect everyday garment names and production slang. In Spain, a T-shirt is camiseta, which is widely understood everywhere. But in some Latin American countries, polera (Chile), remera (Argentina), or playera (Mexico) may be used instead. A sweater is jersey in Spain but sueter or chompa in various Latin American countries.

For production and business communication, regional variations are less pronounced because the industry uses standardized technical vocabulary. However, when working with factories in specific countries, learning the local terms for common garments shows respect and improves rapport. If you are unsure about a term, ask your factory contact how they refer to a specific garment or component — this prevents confusion and demonstrates cultural awareness. When creating tech packs for international distribution, include both the standard Spanish term and any known regional alternatives in parentheses.

When working with Spanish-speaking production partners, Skema3D can serve as a visual communication bridge that transcends language barriers. Generate a 3D visualization of your design in Skema3D and share it alongside your bilingual tech pack — the visual reference eliminates ambiguity about design intent, even when terminology differences could otherwise cause confusion. Annotate key design details in both English and Spanish, using the terms from this guide, to create production documentation that is clear to all stakeholders.

For brands that serve Spanish-speaking markets directly, understanding fashion vocabulary in Spanish is also valuable for marketing, product descriptions, and customer service. Use the garment type and component terms from this guide to write accurate Spanish-language product listings, size guides, and care instructions. Accurate terminology builds trust with Spanish-speaking customers and demonstrates that your brand takes localization seriously rather than relying on machine translation, which often produces awkward or incorrect fashion terminology.