What Does SS27 Mean? Fashion Season Codes and the Designer Vocabulary That Comes With Them

Why this matters for trims: components like elastic tapes, bra straps, waistbands, bindings and drawcords are locked in early in that timeline. By the time a collection is being sewn, the narrow fabrics were chosen a year earlier — which is why designers review supplier trend ranges (like ECI’s SS27 collections) so far in advance.

The Sample Room: Development Terms You’ll Hear Daily

Tech pack — The technical blueprint of a garment — sketches, measurements, materials, construction details and the full list of components a factory needs to make it.
BOM (Bill of Materials) — The page of the tech pack listing every fabric, trim and accessory in the garment, with supplier references and quantities — your elastic tape lives here.
Lab dip — A dyed swatch submitted by a supplier to match your color standard (usually a Pantone reference); you approve or reject it before bulk dyeing. Color-matching elastic to shell fabric is one of the most common approval steps in intimates and activewear.
Strike-off — The print equivalent of a lab dip: a test print of your artwork for approving color, scale and quality.
Proto sample — The first rough make of a design, used to judge the silhouette and construction idea.
Fit sample — A sample sewn to exact measurements to check fit on a body or form.
SMS (Salesman Sample) — Samples made in correct colors, fabrics and trims for sales meetings and showrooms.
PP (Pre-Production) sample — The “golden sample” made with all bulk materials on the actual production line; once approved, it is the standard every production garment must match.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) — The smallest amount a supplier will produce of a given material or product — for narrow fabrics, usually quoted in meters or yards per color.
Lead time — How long a supplier needs between order and delivery; custom-developed trims carry longer lead times than stock items, which is why they’re sourced early.
 

Trim Talk: The Narrow Fabrics Vocabulary

“Trims” is the umbrella term for everything attached to a garment that isn’t the main fabric. Within that world, this is the language you’ll use with suppliers like ECI:
Trims vs. findings vs. notions — Largely interchangeable umbrella terms for garment components; “findings” and “notions” often refer to hardware (hooks, sliders, rings) while “trims” covers tapes, elastics and decorative components.
Narrow fabrics — Any fabric woven, knitted or braided at narrow widths — elastics, webbings, tapes, ribbons and cords — produced on specialized looms rather than cut from wide fabric.
Elastic tape — A narrow fabric with elastomeric yarn built in, made in three main constructions: woven (firm, stable — waistbands), knitted (soft, breathable — intimates), and braided (narrow, high stretch — lightweight applications).
Webbing — A strong woven narrow fabric, usually non-elastic or low-stretch, used for straps, handles and structural applications.
Binding tape — A tape folded over a raw fabric edge to finish it — in stretch garments, elastic binding finishes necklines, armholes and leg openings.
FOE (Fold-Over Elastic) — An elastic tape with a central fold line, designed to wrap fabric edges in one operation; a staple in lingerie, swimwear and babywear.
Jacquard elastic — Elastic with patterns or logos woven directly into the tape rather than printed on it — the standard for branded waistbands.
Grosgrain — A firm, ribbed woven ribbon used for facings, reinforcement and decorative details.
Drawcord / drawstring — The functional cord in hoods and waistbands; specified together with tips, eyelets and channels.
Greige — Undyed, unfinished material as it comes off the loom, before dyeing and finishing.
Stretch and recovery — The two numbers that define elastic performance: how far a tape extends, and how completely it returns to its original length — poor recovery is why cheap waistbands sag.
Colorway — One color version of a style or component; trims are typically developed in several colorways per season.
Pantone TPG / TCX — The standard color references used in apparel — TPG (paper) and TCX (cotton) — quoted in trend guides and lab dip requests.

FAQ

What does SS26 mean?
SS26 means Spring/Summer 2026 — collections designed for the warm-weather retail season of 2026. The same logic applies to any code: SS27 is Spring/Summer 2027, AW27 is Autumn/Winter 2027–28.
Is FW the same as AW?
Yes. FW (Fall/Winter) and AW (Autumn/Winter) name the same cold-weather season; FW is more common in North America and Asia, AW in Europe and the UK.
Why are SS27 trend guides published in 2026?
Because design, sourcing, sampling and production together take 12–18 months. Materials — including elastics and other trims — must be selected and approved long before a collection reaches stores, so trend information has to arrive even earlier.
What’s the difference between trims and findings?
Both describe garment components other than the main fabric. In practice, “findings” (or “notions”) often means hardware like hooks and sliders, while “trims” covers tapes, elastics, ribbons and decorative components — but many companies use the words interchangeably.

Learning the Language Is Step One

Every experienced designer once had to ask what SS meant. The faster route is working with suppliers who explain the “why” behind the vocabulary. ECI’s trend guides translate each season’s direction into concrete narrow-fabric development — constructions, colorways and item numbers — so you can move from trend language to a real BOM. Explore our seasonal trend articles, or contact the ECI team to discuss your first development brief.