Financial Guarantees and Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified			3 Months Ended		8 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			8 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			8 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			8 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			8 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 29, 2012 Successor [Member]	Oct. 01, 2011 Successor [Member]	Oct. 01, 2011 Successor [Member]	Sep. 29, 2012 Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 Predecessor [Member]	Sep. 29, 2012 PGI (Issuer) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 PGI (Issuer) [Member]	Oct. 01, 2011 PGI (Issuer) [Member] Successor [Member]	Sep. 29, 2012 PGI (Issuer) [Member] Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 PGI (Issuer) [Member] Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 PGI (Issuer) [Member] Predecessor [Member]	Sep. 29, 2012 Guarantors [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Guarantors [Member]	Oct. 01, 2011 Guarantors [Member] Successor [Member]	Sep. 29, 2012 Guarantors [Member] Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 Guarantors [Member] Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 Guarantors [Member] Predecessor [Member]	Sep. 29, 2012 Non-Guarantors [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-Guarantors [Member]	Oct. 01, 2011 Non-Guarantors [Member] Successor [Member]	Sep. 29, 2012 Non-Guarantors [Member] Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 Non-Guarantors [Member] Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 Non-Guarantors [Member] Predecessor [Member]	Sep. 29, 2012 Eliminations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Eliminations [Member]	Oct. 01, 2011 Eliminations [Member] Successor [Member]	Sep. 29, 2012 Eliminations [Member] Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 Eliminations [Member] Successor [Member]	Jan. 28, 2011 Eliminations [Member] Predecessor [Member]
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities					$ 36	$ 55,630		$ (25,270)			$ (35,808)	$ (73,342)		$ (40,725)			$ 16,186	$ 70,705		$ 6,886			$ 19,658	$ 58,267		$ 8,569			$ 0	$ 0		$ 0
Investing activities
Acquisition of Polymer Group, Inc.					(403,496)	0		0			(403,496)						0						0						0
Purchases of property, plant and equipment			(10,516)	(20,172)	(53,756)	(40,146)		(8,405)			(18,957)	(20,399)		(28)			(9,902)	(2,483)		(5,652)			(24,897)	(17,264)		(2,725)			0	0		0
Proceeds from sale of assets					11,010	1,657		105			0	0		0			85	1,646		65			10,925	11		40			0	0		0
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest					(7,246)	0		0			0						0						(7,246)						0
Acquisition of intangibles and other					(168)	(175)		(5)			(152)	(175)		(5)			0	0		0			(16)	0		0			0	0		0
Intercompany investing activities, net					0	0		0			(2,581)	57,118		2,805			18,007	(37,389)		(5,250)			(19,572)	(25,118)		(4,000)			4,146	5,389		6,445
Net cash used in investing activities					(453,656)	(38,664)		(8,305)			(425,186)	36,544		2,772			8,190	(38,226)		(10,837)			(40,806)	(42,371)		(6,685)			4,146	5,389		6,445
Financing activities
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Secured Notes					560,000	0		0			560,000						0						0						0
Issuance of common stock					259,865	0		0			259,865						0						0						0
Proceeds from long-term debt					10,281	10,977		31,500			0	0		31,500			0	0		0			10,281	10,977		0			0	0		0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings					5,245	4,943		631			0	1,943		631			0	0		0			5,245	3,000		0			0	0		0
Repayment of Term Loan					(286,470)	0		0			(286,470)						0						0						0
Repayment of long-term borrowings					(50,133)	(3,249)		(24)			(31,500)	(79)		0			0	0		0			(18,633)	(3,170)		(24)			0	0		0
Repayment of short-term borrowings					(34,874)	(6,894)		(665)			(561)	(1,894)		0			0	0		0			(34,313)	(5,000)		(665)			0	0		0
Intercompany financing activities, net					0	0		0			(17,856)	41,253		5,250			(16,385)	(23,530)		2,872			38,387	(12,334)		(1,677)			(4,146)	(5,389)		(6,445)
Loan acquisition costs					(19,252)	0		0			(19,252)						0						0						0
Net cash provided by financing activities					444,662	5,777		31,442			464,226	41,223		37,381			(16,385)	(23,530)		2,872			967	(6,527)		(2,366)			(4,146)	(5,389)		(6,445)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash					558	(386)		549			0	0		0			0	0		0			558	(386)		549			0	0		0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents					(8,400)	22,357		(1,584)			3,232	4,425		(572)			7,991	8,949		(1,079)			(19,623)	8,983		67			0	0		0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	95,099	72,742				72,742	70,771	72,355	7,560	3,135		3,135	42	614	23,523	14,574		14,574	3,210	4,289	64,016	55,033		55,033	67,519	67,452	0	0		0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 95,099	$ 72,742	$ 95,099	$ 62,371	$ 62,371	$ 95,099	$ 70,771	$ 70,771	$ 7,560	$ 3,135	$ 3,274	$ 7,560	$ 42	$ 42	$ 23,523	$ 14,574	$ 11,201	$ 23,523	$ 3,210	$ 3,210	$ 64,016	$ 55,033	$ 47,896	$ 64,016	$ 67,519	$ 67,519	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0