Lining construction and specs: T, denier, gsm, slip and tear

Posted by TrimGem On Nov 27 2025

Lining construction and specs: T, denier, gsm, slip and tear

Lining is specified like a light cloth: density (T), yarn (denier), mass (g/m²), width, weave, finish. Fashion teams talk colour. Mills talk 210T 66D×66D, 60 g, 150 cm. Those numbers decide whether a down coat leaks feathers, whether a cheap taffeta splits at a seat, and whether the garment slides on.

TrimGem reads lining tickets the same way as webbing tickets: construction first.

Rolls of lining and narrow fabrics
190T at about 53 g/m² and 210T at about 60–65 g/m² are different articles. So is a 230T down-proof with a PA coat. “Polyester lining, red” is not a ticket.

T, D, gsm

T (thread count language in China for these linings) — 190T, 210T, 230T: ends plus picks in a stated window, i.e. how packed the plain weave is. Higher T is denser, usually heavier, more down-resistant, less sheer.

D (denier) — 63D, 66D, 75D: filament linear density. Higher D is a thicker yarn and a more substantial cloth at the same T.

gsm — mass. Light linings cluster 50–70 g/m². That band is most polyester taffeta.

Width — 150 cm is the stock apparel lining width for markers.

Two real tickets (illustrative)

A stock 210T polyester taffeta / pongee: 100% PES, 66D × 66D, 210T, 150 cm, 60–65 g/m², plain weave. Used as garment lining and as a down inner. Finishes on the same greige: print, emboss, water-repellent, down-proof, PA/PU coat, anti-stat. Shade banks run to a hundred-plus colours. Hand: slip, low crease, even yarn, claimed tear and crock.

A stock 190T: 63D × 63D, 190T, 150 cm, about 53 g/m². Lighter jackets, workwear, trousers, fashion, bags. Wash-stable, anti-stat options, lower bulk.

230T and coated variants sit up the scale for down and wind.

Slip and tear

Slip (low friction) is why lining exists in a tailored sleeve. Polyester and nylon are naturally slippery; they still need anti-stat or they cling. Cotton is not a slip lining.

Tear is why a lining splits at a seat or a cuff. Even yarn and a sane density help. A fashion satin with long floats will snag; a plain 210T is the boring strong choice. Down-proof is a density plus a calender or coat — prove it with a down-proof test if the fill is down, not with a hand wave.

Crock and wash fastness belong here because lining sits on shirts. A cheap disperse dye that crocks is a stained cuff.

How to pick

  • Shirt-weights and summer: 190T, ~53 g, if tear is enough.
  • Jackets, down, rain: 210T+, 60–65 g, down-proof if needed.
  • Stretch garments: stretch lining or a cut that does not fight the shell (next matching note).
  • Functional: PA/PU coat, Cire, anti-stat — each is a finish line on the ticket.

Write T, denier, gsm, fibre, weave, width, finish (down-proof / anti-stat / coat), and a tear method if the garment will split a cheap taffeta. Colour is a lab dip on that construction, not a construction.