What is "grey fabric" in the textile trade?

Grey fabric (also spelled gray fabric or called "greige fabric") refers to raw, unprocessed woven fabric that has not yet been dyed, bleached, printed, or finished. The name comes from the natural off-white, unbleached color of the raw fabric off the loom.

The textile supply chain sequence:

→ Yarn → Grey Fabric (weaving) → Dyeing/Bleaching → Printing → Finishing → Ready fabric → Garment manufacturing → Wholesale → Retail

Grey fabric is primarily bought by dyeing units, printing units, and garment manufacturers — not by retailers or boutique owners. If you are a boutique owner or retailer, you would buy at the finished fabric or ready garment stage.