Category Archives for Queensboro Glossary

Performance Fabric: Queensboro Fabric Facts

Wilmington, N.C. – Whether it’s logo tees, logo polos, or some other piece of sportswear, you can learn how to stay cool this summer by learning more about the new “performance” fabrics. So, what is performance fabric?

Here at Queensboro, we’d like to provide you with information about these fabrics (online and via our customer service staff), and offer the latest performance fashions to you – which make use of new state-of-the-art weather and moisture management technologies and materials.

Picture This Hot Scene!

The day is gorgeous and you’re just teeing up on #3. The sun is beating down hard.  And…  already, you’re drenched and dripping with sweat! Yuk! Golf is fun, but staying dry and cool during summer play is often a challenge, and can wreak havoc on your score.

The same holds true in the gym, on the tennis court,  or when you’re out and about doing errands or walking back and forth to work. Worrying about your clothes rather than the activity at hand is just plain distracting.

During these summer months, how do you stay cool, calm and collected, and look good at the same time? And how can you prevent all that sweat from affecting your game, and your life? Once just for runners, cyclists and sports fanatics, performance items are breaking out into the mainstream.

*****

A Performance Primer

What is performance fabric? Performance fabrics made for a wide variety of uses, which provide functional qualities, such as moisture management, UV protection, anti-microbial, thermo-regulation, water resistance, and wind resistance.

And here are some related terms:

- Quick-Dry – a high activity sportswear fabric that absorbs, wicks and dries faster than average sportswear, or golf wear. Nike’s patented Dri-Fit Technology is breathable, high-quality fabric that’s specifically designed for athletes to help increase performance.

- Microfiber – fabric that is tightly woven from a very fine poly thread and has a sueded finish for a luxurious, soft feel. Microfiber fabric is naturally water repellent due to its construction process and when specially treated can also be waterproof. (Some folks call this feature “moisture-wicking”.)

(Both of these terms can be found in the Queensboro Glossary. )

How do they work? These newly-engineered fabrics move moisture away from your skin and isolate it on the outer surface so the moisture can evaporate. No more feeling like your shirt is glued to your body! No more embarrassment. No more wondering if you could have shot a stronger game if you had been cooler and drier.

There are indeed psychological benefits to wearing the new performance fabrics: keeping a lower skin temperature, reduced perceived physical exertion during exercise, and the increased ability to keep your focus on your game – rather than feeling and looking wet.

The new performance fabrics also:

- Stay strong despite frequent washes.  Unlike cotton tees or tanks, performance apparel lasts longer due to the construction. (Likewise, the underarm material won’t discolor because of your perspiration.)

- Can be used all throughout the year. For example, in winter months, performance apparel can be layered under your outerwear. In colder temperatures, performance apparel is ideal for skiing, hunting, running, etc.

- Are perfect for traveling since they are virtually wrinkle free, and resist piling.

- Performance fabrics virtually neutralize odor, making them ideal for physical activity.

*****

Performance Apparel Available at Queensboro

Here at Queensboro Shirt Company, we carry a wide variety of customizable performance apparel to meet your needs – from tee shirts, to polos, to outerwear, to caps.  From Nike to Adidas, we have a wide selection of name brand performance apparel.

Queensboro CoolDry Performance Polo

Queensboro CoolDry Performance Polo

Queensboro – We call our signature performance fabric “CoolDry.” We offer a variety of CoolDry polos, including the pictured embroidered Queensboro CoolDry Performance Polo. This particular polo is a great example of our CoolDry apparel, with smooth, silky %100 polyester fabric.  Our CoolDry fabric resists wrinkling, keeping you dry and comfortable all day.

Nike Golf Ladies Dri-FIT Pebble Texture Polo

Nike Golf Ladies Dri-FIT Pebble Texture Polo

Nike – Nike calls their performance fabric “Dri-FIT”.  The fabric was designed and trademarked by Nike as premium performance apparel. Our Nike Golf Ladies Pebble Texture Polo is made with their signature Dri-FIT material. The tailored polo has clean, immaculate lines for a polished, modern look. Authentic Nike branding completes the look.

Adidas Climalite 3 Stripe Cuff Pique Polo

Adidas Climalite 3 Stripe Cuff Pique Polo

Adidas – At Adidas, basically the same kind of performance material is called “ClimaLite.”  We offer a Adidas Climalite 3 Stripe Cuff Pique Polo constructed with a durable, moisture treated polyester knit. The heat sealed Adidas logo finishes off this flawless polo.

And of course, the difference at Queensboro is that you can put your logo on any of these fine pieces of apparel – with only a low four-piece minimum order.

Pique Knit Fabric: Queensboro Fabric Facts

Wilmington, N.C – From time to time, we like to share information with you about the different types of material that are available on the Queensboro Shirt Company website. With any of these materials, you can have your company’s or organization’s name set onto the items. So what is pique knit exactly?

Take a peek at Pique

Here is a close up photograph of pink pique fabric (as shown):

Pique Knit Fabric Definition: Pronounced “PEEK”, this is the fabric that is most associated with the original Lacoste Alligator Polo shirt.  Also sometimes called mesh, pique is characterized by a textured fabric face with lots of tiny holes and a fabric back that is smooth.  The construction is designed to pull moisture from the skin and wick it into the air, keeping the fabric, and the wearer, relatively dry and cool.  Before the days of high tech and high performance Polyester yarns, Pique was the original performance fabric. 

In the 1920’s,  pique fabrics were an innovation that was used in the first use-specific athletic wear, particularly in the original tennis and polo shirts, as athletes began to move away from participating in sports in long sleeve button down shirts that covered up all skin.

The extraordinary comfort of this fabric soon popularized it for less serious athletes. Today, pique knit polo shirts are especially popular for everyday wear and corporate apparel. (Please note that due to the surface texture of pique, embroidery can sometimes be a bit of a challenge on this fabric, particularly small letters or details.)

*****

To learn more about other types of fabric, visit the Queensboro Glossary  — a helpful content page that explains many terms relating to apparel, shirts,  sportswear, golf wear, and business casual fashions.

Anatomy of a Buttondown Shirt

Following on the heels of our helpful and frequently referenced posts about parts of a polo shirt and parts of a baseball cap, we bring you the definition of a buttondown shirt. If you ever end up on Jeopardy and need to rattle off the names of various seams and buttonholes, you will be prepared after reading this post.

Parts of a Buttondown Shirt

Back Pleat-The back pleat is just underneath the back yoke, in the center of the back of a buttondown shirt. This feature is designed to add more room to the shirt, greater range of motion and comfort.

Back Yoke-The back yoke is the piece of the shirt that connects the collar of the shirt to the back of the shirt.

Buttondown collar-A Buttondown collar is the type of collar that literally buttons-down. This type is most often worn with a tie. Technically, though we have a category called “buttondowns” that includes all shirts that have buttons down the center of the shirt, only shirts with buttondown collars are truly buttondowns.

Spread Collar-This type of collar does not have buttons at the points.

Double needle stitched-A double row of stitching along the seams and hems.

Extended Tail-The longer shirt tail on the back of the shirt. Helps keep the shirt tucked in.

Pocket-Most buttondown shirts that have a left-chest pocket.

Placket-The placket is any place on the shirt where the shirt fastens together. The main placket on a buttondown shirt is the front of the shirts. Some button downs have plackets near the cuff-either a one or two button cuff placket.

Single button Cuff-This refers to the buttons actually on the cuff of the shirt, not just above the cuff.

Men’s Shirt Measurements
A lot of people wonder how the measurements are calculated for men’s shirts. What are those numbers on the shirt boxes? For all of you who wondered how to measure a men’s shirt, here are the details:

Neck Measurement: The measure of the collar from button to buttonhole inside of the shirt.

Arm Measurement: The Arm measurement of a shirt is measured from the center of the back, just below the collar, out to the bottom of the cuff.

Length Measurement: The length is measured from the highest point of the shoulder to the bottom of the shirt.

What is Twill?

Queensboro frequently offers our twills on sale for a very reasonable price. Have you ever wondered exactly what the word “twill” means? Do you read our product descriptions and think “That sounds like a great shirt, but what does it look like?” Today, we solve the mystery! What is twill?

Right, is a diagram of a typical twill weave.

Twill Terms

To understand twill, you need to get some fabric terminology under your belt.

Even Sided Twill: Both sides of the fabric appear the same. The warp yarns and filling yarns are the same.

Filling Yarn (or Weft Yarn): Yarns running opposite to the warp yarns “filling” in the space between.

Floats: Yarns that lie free on the surface of the fabric, crossing two or more yarns without any cross yarns.

Grain: The grain of the fabric affects the way it hangs or drapes. The grain runs with the warp threads, and in most cases, the fabric should be cut in relation to the warp grain.

Selvedge: This is the edge of the fabric that runs in the same direction as the warp threads.

Technical Face: The side of the twill that has the most pronounced wale. This will be the most durable side of the fabric.

Wale: The wale is the raised pattern on the face of the fabric created by the weave. This is diagonal across the fabric on twills. The steeper the angle of the wale, the stronger the fabric.

Warp: Yarns running length-wise in the fabric, creating the fabric grain. The warp yarns are generally stronger than the filling yarns. These are the yarns that attach to the loom.

Description of Twill Weave
Each warp or filling yarn floats across two or more filling or warp yarns with a progression of interlacings by one to the right or left, producing a notice­able diagonal line, or wale.

Types of Twill Fabric Used in Queensboro Products
While scrolling through Queensboro’s online catalog, you will find descriptions for products made from these types of twill. A great example are our cotton twill hats, a popular choice for teams and organizations. Below, further descriptions of each fabric type are listed to help you understand the characteristics of the products (with thanks to Heather).

Chino: Generally made from heavyweight cotton; a warp-faced, steep angled twill fabric. The term “chino” sounds familiar because of chino pants, which are actually made of twill.

Denim: A heavyweight warp-faced, yarn-dyed twill. Denim is yes, what your favorite jeans are made from. If you’re Keith Urban, your favorite button down denim top.

Herringbone: A medium-to heavyweight even-sided twill with the twill lines reversed in a regular pattern to produce a design that resembles the backbone of a fish. Herringbones are generally yarn dyed, and can be solid or multicolored.

Houndstooth: An even-sided twill, usually heavyweight, with a pointed check design. This pattern resembles a dog’s canine tooth, thus giving the fabric its name.

Oxford: A medium weight soft and lustrous fabric. Oxford is usually produced in an unbalanced basket, or half basket, but looks balanced because the warp yarns used are finer than the filling yarns. Oxford is prone to slipping at seams because of the soft yarns and loose weave used to produce the fab­ric.

Anatomy of a Baseball Cap

One of Queensboro’s most popular items is our Style 8400 Queensboro Brushed Twill Cap. Just as I examined the “Anatomy of a Polo Shirt,” the post that previously explained the parts and terms used in describing a polo, today (aided by lovely sketches by Heather C.), the Queensboro Blog brings you the “Anatomy of a Baseball Cap.” That way, if you need to order baseball caps with your embroidered logo, you can understand the product descriptions listed on the Queensboro website. By
correctly identifying the benefits and features of each hat, you’ll be more satisfied with your order.

Bill: The baseball cap bill is composed of two pieces of fabric with a piece of cardboard or plastic sandwiched in between the two pieces. The pieces of the hat bill are sewn together. The bill acts to shade the wearer from the sun. The trend of wearing the baseball cap backward on the head is thought to have originated with baseball catchers who had to wear the protective cage on the front of their faces. Today, you can often see the stalkerazzi (a.k.a. paparazzi), wearing their caps backwards so they can hold their monstrously and invasively prying SLR cameras close to their faces.

Crown: The front of the hat that touches your forehead is the crown. The crown of the hat can be structured or unstructured. Most baseball caps today have unstructured crowns, as does Queensboro’s brushed twill cap. A structured cap has a backing behind the panels so that it holds its shape, whether it’s on your head or not. An unstructured cap doesn’t have this backing, so it’s not as stiff. A structured cap has a backing behind the panels so that it holds its shape, whether it’s on your head or not. You might remember the brief fad of the so-called “trucker cap” which had a structured foam crown and a stiff, plastic mesh back half. Apparently the trend is OUT as of 2003. Gosh, how time flies.

Panels: The main part of a baseball cap, the part that actually forms the hat are the panels. The panels are much like the sections of an orange, together forming the rounded structure of the hat. The panels of the 8400 cap meet at seams, which are covered on the back side of the cap by a tape with the edges turned under for comfort and durability.

Button: The button is at the top of the hat, and holds all of the panels together. It functions in more of a cosmetic sense, presenting a unified meeting of the panels at the top of the cap.

Eyelets: Eyelets are the small holes around the top of the cap. They can be holes in the fabric, bordered by a sewn edge, or they can be punched with small metal rivets, and be made from metal. Eyelets help with ventilation.

Sweatband: The sweatband is a traditional part of all hats and caps. It literally does what the name implies—catches the sweat. Some caps have a “self-fabric” sweatband, in which case the sweatband is made from the same fabric as the hat. The Queensboro Brushed Twill Cap is made from a sturdier twill fabric, so the sweatband is made from a softer, thinner cotton material with sweat-absorbing batting on the inside.

Closure: Most baseball caps have a closure at the back of the cap. Caps that are unfitted have a half-circle opening with a buckle, plastic or Velcro closure. The closure on the style 8400 is made from two Velcro straps that allow you to adjust the fit of the hat.

What is Denier?

Expandable Attache; Style 4067

Expandable Attache- Style 4067

I decided to investigate the meaning of the word “denier” because almost all of the product descriptions for our bags contain the word. I had the vague notion that it was probably a descriptive term for the thickness of the material. I figured that if I did not know exactly what it meant, then our customers probably would not know, either. Upon investigation, I found that understanding the meaning of the word “denier” also helps with the definition of the word “microfiber.”

“Denier” is a form of measurement in the textile business. It denotes the density or thickness of yarn. Denier is generally used to describe synthetic yarn (such as polyester or nylon), but could, conceivably be used to describe any type of yarn. The measurement “denier” is the mass in grams per 9,000 meters of fibers. So, the higher the “denier” number, the more heavyweight the fiber. That translates into a more heavyweight, thicker piece of fabric.

Most of the bags that Queensboro Shirt Co offers are made of 600 denier polyester, so they are heavy-duty and ready for work!

What is Microfiber?
Microfiber is defined as fiber that has a designation of less than 1 denier, which means less than 1 gram of fiber per 9,000 meters. While it might seem like you would not want a product made from microfiber based on the thickness, the opposite is actually true. Microfiber, because of its lightweight properties, produces some of the silkiest, nicest knits. It just takes more individual fibers per yard to make up the fabric.

For example, if you were to compare our San Francisco Microfiber Jacket with a heavy duty denier tote bag, you could tell the difference instantly. Each fabric is well-suited for its function. The microfiber is silky and smooth, while the fabric on the tote is rugged and built to stand up to the rough and tumble life of a much-used tote bag.

Have Some Pun: Thanksgiving Edition

It’s almost Thanksgiving, which means it’s time for some more bad holiday-related apparel puns! “Feast” your eyes on these hilarious Thanksgiving puns. If you have some, be sure to comment here and share!

The Turkey Gets Dressed (or doesn’t)

Why should you keep your eyes off the turkey dressing?
Because it makes him blush!
Did you hear about the X-rated turkey?

It’s served with very little dressing.

After Thanksgiving Diet Puns

What do you do if you can’t fit into your clothes after Thanksgiving dinner?

You quit stuffing yourself, cold turkey.
Hope to fit in a smaller size after Thanksgiving?

That’s wistful shrinking.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From all of us at Queensboro, Happy Thanksgiving!

Glossary: Anatomy of a Polo Shirt

When you read the Queensboro website, you find lots of weird words like “double needle stitched” and “placket.” Today, we solve the mystery for you, giving you the anatomy of a polo shirt. While each style of shirt is different, polo style shirts share many common traits.

Anatomy of a Polo Shirt

Collar: The collar is as much a defining part of the polo shirt as any other feature. The collar lies flat, but can be turned up at the back to keep the sun off the neck (this is especially important for tennis players, and the polo shirt was originally designed by a tennis player). Traditional polo shirt collars are a rib-knit; however, now some polo shirts have self-fabric colors, which are made from the same fabric/knit as the rest of the shirt.

Placket: The placket is the area of the garment where one piece fastens to another. On a polo shirt, this is below the collar, where the shirt buttons.

Buttons: Women’s style polo shirts often do not have buttons, but instead have a collar and a small v-neck. Men’s polo shirts have buttons on the right side, typically two or three (hence, a “two-button placket”).

Cuff: The end of the sleeve is known as the cuff. Some polos have rib knit cuffs, while others have self-fabric cuffs.

Tape: In fabric terms, “tape” is a narrow, woven piece of fabric. The best polo shirts have a “fully taped neck.” This strip of fabric appears on the inside of the neck, helping to maintain the structure of the shirt, while making it more comfortable by covering the seam between the collar and the shirt. It also helps to absorb perspiration. There is often tape along the inner side vents as well, to help keep the shirt from coming un-tucked.

Side Seam: Some t-shirts are “body knit,” which means that they are knit as a tube, and do not require side seams. Side seams help give polo shirts a more fitted shape.

Side vent: The side vents are at the bottom of the shirt. Usually they are taped along the hem, though sometimes they are double-needled stitched. On athletic shirts and performance shirts, there is usually a small piece of tape on the outside of the shirt at the top of the vent, which aids in keeping the shirt tucked in.

Extended Tail: You will notice that on many polo shirts, the back of the shirt is longer than the front of the shirt. This helps keep the shirt from coming un-tucked.

Hem: You will see the term “double needle stitched” used occasionally. This means that the hem is stitched with a double row of needles, and hence two rows of thread, running parallel to each other. A double needle stitched hem is less likely to unravel, and also give the shirt a more finished look.

Halloween Jokes and Puns, Queensboro Style

Nothing is funnier than puns. In honor of Halloween, here’s a sweet treat of great Halloween puns and jokes related to apparel!

Q: Why are most monsters covered in wrinkles?
A: Have you ever tried to iron a monster?

Q: What kind of monster is safe to put in the washing machine?
A: A wash and wear wolf

Q: How did the ghost patch his sheet?
A: With a pumpkin patch

Costume Puns

You can be a walking, talking apparel pun with these apparel pun related Halloween costume ideas!

Freudian Slip: Wear a slip with handwritten Freud-related words or terminology on it, such as: Id, Ego, Superego. Freud also had a neatly clipped white beard and circular black-rimmed glasses. To complete your look, carry a cigar. It is actually not a myth that Freud was quite the cigar smoker.

Coat of Arms: If you have any old shirts lying around (which I’m sure you do, because you probably just got a super new order of shirts from Queensboro!), you can make yourself a “Coat of Arms.” Cut the sleeves off of your old shirts (cut the sleeves off at the shoulder). Then, sew or attach gloves to the cuff-end of the sleeves. Then attach the sleeves to an old coat. Then you have a coat of arms!