- pailette: spangle made of metal or plastic, usually a round disk larger than a sequin
- panache: plume or erect bunch of feathers worn on hat
- panne velvet: velvet that has has the pile pressed down in one direction giving it a glossy appearance
- pants: clothing for the lower torso made to fit around each leg, may be any length and width
- bloomers
- boot-cut: refers to the width at hem - cut wide enough so that pants can be pulled over western boots
- capri: tight-fitting three-quarter-length pants with short slits on outside of leg
- carpenter
- chinos
- clamdiggers
- culottes
- drop-front: descriptive of pants fastened by two buttoned plackets on either side of the center front allowing the front panel to drop down when unbuttoned
- gaucho
- harem
- knickers
- palazzo
- parachute
- plain-front
- slacks: synonym for pants
- stovepipe
- trousers: synonym for all full-length pants
- tuxedo
- pareo: rectangular piece of colored printed cloth worn as a skirt or loincloth as the principal items of clothing
- pashmina: synonym for cashmere used in the 1990s
- pattern design system (PDS): computer system used to create and store new garment and pattern styles
- peau de soie: heavyweight satin with a fine filling ribbed effect on the reverseside made of silk or manufactured fibers
- peg-top: apparel with fullness through the hips that tapers to hem
- peplum: extension of bodice of dress that comes below waistline, sometimes pleated
- petite: size range for women who are below average height
- pilling:tendency of woven fabrics and knots especially wool and synthetic fibers, to form surface nubs or bunches of fibers from rubbing during normal wear and washing
- pima cotton: fine quality long-staple cotton raised in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California
- pinking: unhemmed border of fabric cut with saw-toothed edge to prevent raveling by using special pinking scissors or shears
- piqué: group of durable fabrics characterized by corded effects either lengthwise or crosswise
- plaid: common term for pattern woven of various colored yarns in striped of different widths running at right angles to form blocks
- tartan
- argyle
- Black Watch: very dark blue and green suareswith wide and narrow black lines in both directions
- Burberry
- gingham
- lumberjack
- madras
- plissé: lightweight cotton with a pebbly surface given creped appearance by applying caustic soda with rollers, thereby causing the fabric to shrink
- pocket: piece of fabric shaped to fit either on the outside or inside of clothing
- bellows
- bound
- cargo
- kangaroo
- key
- welt
- polyester: generic fiber name for manufactured fibers made of acids and alcohols derived from petroleum
- poplin: medium-weight durable fabric with crosswise rib effect made with cotton or blends if cotton and polyester
- prêt-à-porter: French term for ready-to-wear clothes
- prints, stripes & checks
- calico print: allover print usually of tine naturalistic springs of flowers on a colored background
- chalk stripe: narrow lines of white, widely spaced, frequently used on grey, navy, or black flannel
- fleur-de-lis: French stylized lily design used in heraldry
- gingham checks: yarn0dyed checked made in a color alternating with white
- harlequin checks: check made of medium-sized, diamond-shaped colored motifs alternating with white
- houndstooth checks: consists of colored checks alternating with white
- paisley print: allover design featuring a design shaped like a tear drop
- pinstripe: very narrow stripes the width of a straight pin woven or printed vertical stripes placed close together
- tattersall: fabric with an overcheck, approximately one-half-inch square with colored lines in both directions, on a white or contrasting background
- puttee: legging worn by US Army in World War I made of shaped pieces of fabric or leather
- put-together look: use of separate items such as blouse, pants and skirt plus jewelry and accessories worn by each person in an individual manner rather than a formula for conformity
- quality control: inspection of the quality of products before and/or after production in order to be sure that confirm to specified quality standards
- quilting: technique of joining together layers of fabrics, sometime batting or other filling between
