Krep, penye, triko: the Turkish fabric words on every supplier’s feed
Open any Merter supplier’s Instagram and the captions read like a code: krep elbise, penye takım, üç iplik şardonlu, %95 pamuk %5 likra. Those words are the difference between a dress that sells at thirty euros and one that comes back as a return. Here is what they mean — including three that mean something different from the English word they look like, and two that buyers keep mixing up with each other.
The short answer
A handful of words trip up almost everyone. Triko is knitwear, not tricot. Kaşe is a felted coat fabric, not cashmere. Krep is nearly any matte dress fabric and usually polyester. Süprem is the knit, penye is the yarn. And whatever the caption says, ask for the composition before you order — Kumaş içeriği nedir?
The words that trip people up
Most of the vocabulary is harmless: saten is satin, şifon is chiffon, kadife is velvet. The trouble is the handful that look like an English word and mean something else. These are the ones behind most “that is not what I ordered” conversations.
Triko is not tricot
In English, tricot is a fine, flat warp knit — the stuff inside a lingerie lining. In Turkish, triko just means knitwear: jumpers, cardigans, knit dresses. If you see triko elbise, picture a sweater dress, not a slip.
Kaşe is not cashmere
This is the expensive one. Kaşe is a dense, felted coating fabric — the thing winter coats are made of. It names the finish, not the fibre, and it can be wool, a wool blend or entirely polyester. A kaşe kaban at a wholesale price is a felted coat, and it would be a mistake to list it in your shop as cashmere.
Krep is far broader than crepe
English crepe suggests a particular grainy silk or wool. Turkish wholesale uses krep for almost any matte, drapey dress-weight fabric, whatever it is made of — and most of what you will be offered is polyester. It is a good fabric for the price: it drapes, it does not cling, it does not crease. Just do not assume it is natural fibre.
Süprem and penye are not two different fabrics
Süprem is the knit structure — plain single jersey, the T-shirt fabric. Penye describes the yarn: cotton that has been combed smooth. So penye süprem is single jersey made from combed cotton, and it is the better version of the same thing. When one supplier says “süprem” and another says “penye” for the same T-shirt, the second is telling you about the quality of the cotton.
Two pairs that are the same thing
Ribana and kaşkorse are both rib knit. Pike and lakost are both piqué, the polo shirt fabric — the second name comes from the polo shirts it is famous for, but in a caption it only tells you the knit. Different suppliers use different words for the same cloth.
Knits: T-shirts, sweatshirts, jumpers
Knits are made of loops, which is why they stretch. Most T-shirts, sweatshirts, tracksuits and loungewear sets are one of these.
The plain, basic knit: smooth on the face, textured on the back, and the raw edge curls. It names the structure only, not the quality of the yarn.
Strictly a yarn word: cotton that has been combed as well as carded, so it is smoother and stronger. In captions it usually means a single jersey knitted from that yarn — “penye süprem”.
A plain-faced cotton sweatshirt knit, lighter than üç iplik and not brushed inside.
The heavier sweatshirt fabric. Thicker and warmer than iki iplik, and often brushed inside.
Not a fabric but a finish: the inside has been brushed to a soft nap. You will almost always see it as “üç iplik şardonlu”.
The general word for sweater-weight knitted fabric: jumpers, cardigans, knit dresses. Not English “tricot”, which is a fine lingerie-lining knit.
Two names for the same thing: the ribbed, very stretchy knit used for cuffs, collars and fitted tops. Not two different fabrics.
The honeycomb-textured polo-shirt knit. The name comes from the polo shirts it is known for; in the trade it describes the knit, not anything branded.
A medium-weight, two-way stretch double knit. Turkish-market term; ask for a photo of the fabric rather than trusting a translation.
A thick, spongy, very stretchy double knit that looks like neoprene but contains none.
The fluffy synthetic fleece. Warm and light, never breathes like cotton.
Wovens: dresses, shirts, coats
Wovens are made of crossed threads and barely stretch unless elastane has been added. Most dresses, shirts, trousers and coats are wovens.
A matte, slightly grainy woven with good drape. In Turkish wholesale it is the default word for almost any non-shiny dress-weight fabric, whatever the fibre — and most of it is polyester, not silk or wool.
Also written aerobin or airobin. A soft, airy variety of krep, sold by Turkish fabric shops as a type of krep. No English trade name.
A dense, felted, heavy woven for coats. It is a finish, not a fibre — it does not mean cashmere, and it can be wool, a wool blend or entirely synthetic.
Flax linen: crisp, cool, creases the moment you look at it. Blends with viscose or cotton are sold under the same word, so the name alone does not tell you which you are getting.
The tight, smooth plain weave that most shirts are made of.
Shiny face, dull back. Cheap versions are polyester; silk satin is a different price entirely.
Sheer and floaty. Wholesale chiffon is almost all polyester, and it needs a lining.
Short-pile velvet. Stretch knit velvet is sometimes sold under the same word, so ask if stretch matters.
Fibres, and how to read a label
The words above describe how a fabric is made. These describe what it is made of. A caption like %95 pamuk %5 likra is a composition label: the percentage sign comes first in Turkish, then the fibre.
The fibre. Nothing more to it.
Made from wood pulp. Drapes beautifully, feels cool, and creases badly.
A refined viscose from beech pulp: softer, keeps its shape and colour better.
The Turkish spelling of Tencel. Premium, marketed as the sustainable option.
Not a fabric: the stretch fibre added in small amounts. The Turkish word for elastane in general, not necessarily the Lycra brand.
Two other words you will see constantly: polyester, which needs no translation, and yün, which is wool.
The other words in the caption
Not fabric, but they sit in the same caption and cause the same confusion. If you have read the post on first-trip mistakes, the first one will look familiar.
A size run: one style, one colour, a fixed set of sizes. The usual minimum order unit. “3 seri” is three runs, not three pieces.
Single leftover sizes from an incomplete run, usually sold cheaper.
A pack of mixed sizes or colours that is not a complete run.
One size only. What it actually fits depends on cut and stretch — ask for measurements.
Has a lining.
Has a slit or vent — “yırtmaçlı etek” is a slit skirt.
The one question to ask
Every word in this post is useful for reading a feed. None of it replaces the one thing a caption cannot tell you: exactly what the fabric is made of. So before you order a style, ask:
Kumaş içeriği nedir? — What is the fabric composition?
A good supplier answers with percentages. If the answer is just the word from the caption again — “krep”, “keten” — ask once more, or ask for a photo of the care label. And for anything you plan to reorder, ask for a sample: Numune gönderebilir misiniz? — can you send a sample?
If you are writing to a supplier for the first time, there is a four-line message template that gets answered, and the composition question fits straight into its last line.
Common questions
What is krep fabric in Turkish clothing?
Krep is a matte, slightly textured woven fabric with good drape. In Turkish wholesale the word covers almost any non-shiny dress-weight fabric, and most of it is polyester rather than silk or wool, so always ask for the composition.
What does penye mean?
Penye means combed cotton yarn. In captions it usually refers to single jersey (süprem) knitted from that yarn, which is smoother and stronger than ordinary carded-cotton jersey.
Is triko the same as tricot?
No. Turkish triko means knitwear in general, such as jumpers, cardigans and knit dresses. English tricot is a fine warp-knit fabric used mostly for linings and lingerie.
Does kaşe mean cashmere?
No. Kaşe is a dense, felted coating fabric used for winter coats. It describes the finish, not the fibre, and can be wool, a wool blend or polyester.
What does %95 pamuk %5 likra mean?
It means 95 per cent cotton and 5 per cent elastane. Likra is the everyday Turkish word for elastane or spandex, added in small amounts for stretch.
What is iki iplik and üç iplik?
Both are cotton sweatshirt knits. İki iplik is the lighter, plain two-thread fabric; üç iplik is the heavier three-thread fabric, often brushed inside, which is then called şardonlu.