Manufacturing

Which Regions & Countries Are Best For Clothing Manufacturing

Posted on by admin

The Best Country To Manufacture Clothing

The global clothing manufacturing industry is so large it can be difficult to choose the best country to manufacture clothing for your brand. There are important factors to consider like
cost, time, logistics, and ethics, which are vastly different from country to country.So to help you decide and learn more about the pros and cons of each country, here is a
complete guide to the global clothing manufacturing industry 2020.

Clothing Manufacturing Countries

Asia

Asian countries, like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, produce high volumes of clothes for export. Cost is important to the manufacturing industry and Asia countries tend to have a
lower manufacturing cost. For example, in 2020 Bangladesh has the lowest wages and thus the lowest cost.

Europe

European countries, like Italy, Portugal, and Turkey, also produces large amounts of clothing for export. Europe’s clothing manufacturers typically have higher production costs but slightly
better shipping times and costs. They also have a reputation for being of higher quality, although most clothing manufacturers have quality control measures in place wherever they are in the world.

The Biggest Clothing Manufacturing Countries

According to Statista, the countries that manufacture the most clothing by US dollars per year are:
1. China – $120 billion
2. Europe – $66 billion
3. India – $17 billion
4. US – $13 billion
5. Turkey – $12 billion
6. Republic of Korea – $9 billion
7. Vietnam – $9 billion
8. Pakistan – $7 billion

These figures seem to be down to the size of the workforce and the countries infrastructure. For example, while China has an extensive network of trains, planes, and wagons, Bangladesh relies solely on small vehicles and buses.

What Is The Best Country To Manufacture Clothing?

The best country to manufacture clothing should offer low-cost labour but not at the expense of ethics and infrastructure. There should be fast shipping times, high run rates, low cost materials, and ethical wages for workers. So which countries offer all of these things, and which is the best?

China

China is still the leading manufacturer of textiles and clothing. It has the largest workforce with 908million workers. So cost and speed are two things that China can offer that other
countries are not yet able to rival. China also has the infrastructure, with recent funding by the Chinese government for new factories and facilities to be built in more provinces all over the country. This will mean that China’s costs should always be competitive, production always fast, and shipping always on time. But be aware that China’s wages are increasing in the manufacturing industry, which may mean that you’ll need to be aware of the cost versus other countries, like Turkey.

Turkey

Despite China’s domination, Turkey has been a large part of the UK clothing import market for several years. They typically offer high-quality fabrics and good costs and can provide
almost any fabric you need. Turkey offers a wider range of fabrics than any other country. Their infrastructure is strong and can offer embroidered products, custom orders, and low quantity orders in fast lead times. Their workforce is also highly skilled, manufacturing everything from quality cotton to designer denim.

However, you should expect to pay a little bit more for imports from Turkey as the production costs are much higher than in China or some other Asia countries. Part of these costs is
industry wages. Wages for a clothing manufacturer worker in Turkey are the same as in America.

Italy

The ‘Made In Italy’ label is a desirable thing in the clothing industry. It’s associated with luxury and quality from a country that knows a thing or two about fashion. Particularly
high-end fashion. Italy has a strong infrastructure and can ship quickly and easily to anywhere in the world. And as a member of the EU there’s no additional tariff or charges. However, their garments typically cost more than other countries due to their high production costs and wages for their highly skilled workers. However, the higher cost of Italian clothing may not be as much of an issue for your business as typically ‘Made In Italy’ labels can afford to be sold at a higher sale price to a customer.

Portugal

Portugal’s global location and infrastructure mean that their products can be shipped to Europe and the Americas quickly and easily. So lead times and fulfilment times are usually
good and shipping costs are typically slightly less than those of Asian countries. Their government offers incentives to the clothing industry in Portugal meaning costs are
usually less than in other countries in Europe. Brands like Zara take advantage of this and manufacture their clothes in Portugal. However, materials Portuguese workers use for their garments often come from Asia, for example cotton and silk from India. This means that costs are higher than those in the origin countries themselves as there is extra shipping.

India

India produces more cotton than anywhere else in the world. It also has a massive workforce meaning that clothes can be produced quickly. But their infrastructure doesn’t necessarily
mean that these fast production times are passed onto your fulfilment time as shipping time can eat into it. You need to also consider the wage for workers in India. It’s believed that 80% of India’s manufacturing industry is operating illegally by paying workers next to nothing. Although there is no living wage requirements in India, you should consider if this is an issue to your
brand or not.

How To Source Your Fabrics And Clothing?

Making sure you’re always sourcing your materials from the right sources, that offer the best rates, quickest production times, and ethics that meet your business is time-consuming. The
industry is forever changing and choosing the wrong manufacturer in the wrong country can minimize your profits, damage your brand, and ultimately lose you business. That’s why we can help. We are a UK based fashion sourcing company, with connections to manufacturing companies all over the world. “We know the end-to-end fashion manufacturing process, And with our years of sector experience & expertise, we can make sure the development of your products will run efficiently. With our trusted factories & quality control procedures you can rest assured your product is in safe hands.”

Contact us to discuss your project as no-one understands the manufacturing process like we do.

Manufacturing

How to find Clothing Manufacturers

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

Fashion is quite hard to break into, especially for a beginner. You may be looking for clothing manufacturers who specialise in specific styles or material, but you may end up getting the wrong results. The cost that is often associated with the initial trial and error is the reason why most businesses give up. For those who want to start a clothing brand, a trusted apparel manufacturer is essential.

Finding decent clothing manufacturers to work hand in hand with can be a bit tricky. It is not for a lack of choices. What makes it difficult is the varied price ranges that you will come across when making enquiries. There is hardly any standardisation to speak of. While it is generally true that the more you pay the better the quality of products is, it is not always as cut and cut.

So you may think it’s easy at first just coming up with a design and giving it off to a manufacturer. In truth, you have to be very specific on the detailing of your clothes so that you can find the best things that can suit you and your designs.

Do you need a clothing manufacturer or a sourcing company?

A sourcing company is a go-between with the clothing manufacturer who handles the production for you, meaning you do not speak to the factory directly. The advantages of this are the knowledge, experience, quality control and relationships built up. It can take years to find reliable suppliers with the attention to detail required to do a clothing production run, a sourcing company would have this relationship already built.

There is a misconception that you’d pay a lot more per item, but as sourcing companies have bulk discounts in place the unit price is not much more. A price worth paying for that short-cut to the best factories and all that experience as an added bonus. And being based in the Uk, we have rigorous standards we meet.

With a sourcing company, you still have Minimum Order Quantities due to the fabric used, but an expert can help maximise this with a range plan. Contact us today for a free no-obligation conversion about this.

If you would still prefer to deal directly with the clothing manufacturer, read on.

How do clothing manufacturers work?

There are many different ways that clothing manufacturers work. Some apparel manufacturers operate on a contract basis, in which they are paid by the retailer to produce a given product. This means that the manufacturer may be responsible for everything from dyeing cotton materials to placing the final tags on garments.

Some manufacturers focus on particular aspects of their industry, such as chain-stitching, dyeing and printing, or separating fabric pieces into individual items. Manufacturers also produce clothing accessories in addition to the clothing itself. Other apparel

How long does it take to manufacture clothes?

From start to finish, our process is designed to work with the natural strengths of off-shore manufacturing. The result is a lean manufacturing system that keeps clothes flowing without wasting time or materials and creates real value for our customers. Our international network of factories is led by highly experienced teams who specialize in cutting and sewing for every type of garment we make.

Our Clothing manufacturers create our garments from designs, sample materials, and production plans we’ve sent ahead. This advanced planning makes it easier to control.

how to find a clothing manufacturer?

Learning how to find a clothing manufacturer can be a difficult task for small businesses or start-ups. There are many options out there, nevertheless, and you need to set some boundaries.

 

 

Manufacturing

How to find Leisurewear Manufacturers

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

Are you looking for the best leisurewear manufacturers? The fashion industry continues to grow in leaps and bounds every year. Trends change, styles change, fashion houses evolve, but the one consistent thing is that people still need clothes.

The role they play in their lives is another story. For some, it’s just about covering yourself, whilst for some, it’s a statement. One might even dare to argue that even those who say they are saying nothing with the clothes they wear are making a loud and clear statement.

Leisurewear is no exception in the evolution of clothing lines. In this article, we take a look at how to go about finding the best manufacturer for leisurewear which may be useful if you are want to start a clothing line. Let’s take a look, shall we?

What is leisurewear?

Leisurewear is the type of clothing that is comfortable and easy to wear. It is what you will wear when you are relaxed or when you are not in a formal setting. For some occupations, leisurewear is business wear, meaning to say that is what they wear to work daily.

If you work mostly from home, like a lot of people are doing nowadays, leisurewear makes a statement that you’re decent enough to make a video call, but also comfortable as you do it.

In a lot of cases, leisurewear is designed for the younger generation. It is also now being made by many clothing lines, because of how comfortable it is. Leisurewear manufacturers now find themselves in high demand.

What to look for in a good leisurewear manufacturer

The manufacturer that you choose for your brand needs to tick certain boxes. Personal preference comes into play here. The manufacturer has to have the capacity as well as the ability to make the leisure line that you want. It includes having the right machinery, infrastructure as well as labour.

The manufacturer’s location and proximity to you and where you will be sending the finished product also determines the overall price that the manufacturing process will cost you. Foreign manufacturers have their advantages and disadvantages as well. They may have a larger scale and more capacity as well as the ability to have more hands-on-deck, as compared to manufacturers in your area.

Operating on a larger scale may mean that it will be cheaper for you. But the costs may catch up when you need to move the inputs to and from the area. It is how it may be cheaper to do all the work in your local area. To find the best clothing manufacturer for your new leisurewear brand is essential.

Outsourcing Internationally

Choosing a foreign manufacturer also means that you will have to deal with possible language barriers and time zone differences. Effective communication is vital so that you ensure that the manufacturer makes the designs as they were intended.

The quality of the product may separate local manufacturers and foreign manufacturers. You want to make sure that the manufacturer can produce top quality so that all the effort that you have put in is worth it. Low quality can render the line useless. One way to know for sure if the quality is good is to request a sample of something similar to what you want to have done.

Material Required

You also want to know about the material that will be needed for your leisurewear and how easy it is to get to your manufacturer. Your designs will dictate the type of material that is necessary for your line to be made. In turn, this also tells you which manufacturer to go for. For instance, not all manufacturers are good with cotton, whilst others do better with woollen fabrics. Finding a manufacturer that is an all-rounder is a significant advantage.

Weigh your odds and work out the profit so that you see how lucrative it is. If it costs more to get the inputs to the manufacturer, than it costs to sell the line, then it may not be the best idea for your business.

The right manufacturer should be a one-stop-shop, a place where you can get your designs made right, fabrics sought out for you, patterns cut out, samples presented, and the final product delivered. These are the makings of a good leisurewear manufacturer, whether they are local or foreign.

One last thing when finding leisurewear manufacturers

Just as in any lucrative business, you need to make sure that you have a good business plan. This includes finding the right leisurewear manufacturer. Weigh your odds and do your due diligence so that you maximise your profit and brand name.

Manufacturers lists are sorted in order of capacity and capabilities. We have listed some of the best manufacturing names in the UK. Look them up and find the best fit for your leisure line.

Manufacturing

How to find Streetwear Manufacturers

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

Clothing and apparel differ according to different factors. Some of these factors include the purpose for which it will be worn, the gender, size, and build of the wearer. Pricing also differs according to some of these factors and more. Today, the textile industry is a multibillion-dollar industry.

Whilst there are many facets to the clothing industry, they each have their place in our lives. In this article, we take a look at streetwear manufacturers, the trends that hit the streets, and which brands bring those trends to life. This is aimed to help anyone trying to start a clothing line and it’s easy to find a freelance fashion designer to help you create the clothing designs.

History of Streetwear

Whilst streetwear seems like it’s what the cool kids wear today, it goes way back. It has been around for many years. The difference is that it evolves with each year. New trends come up, and they build upon what already exists, ringing true to the saying, there is nothing new under the sun.

Taking a step back in time, it’s easy to see that streetwear is growing in popularity thanks to more celebrities and influential people wearing streetwear. By definition, streetwear is casual clothing, something casual. It made its way onto the international scene in the ’70s. originating from the New York Hip Hop culture, it quickly spread like a wildfire through various artforms.

Through the years, it has continued to be more and more cemented as a part of the culture. Streetwear has become a form of identity to a certain extent.

Streetwear Manufacturers

Why is streetwear so popular?

The growing popularity of streetwear can be attributed to its comfort. Streetwear by nature, is comfortable and casual, making it easy to wear and hence a go-to for anyone who is active and “ïn the streets”.

It has also been popularized by major influences including sport, music, and pop culture. As media has evolved into being globally accessible, fashion has also become a major part of that globalization.

Top streetwear brands

Some of the top streetwear brands are also some of the leading manufacturers. Here’s a list of some of the top streetwear brands on the market today. Supreme, Noah, Awaka NY, Aime Leon Dore, Golf wang, Palace, Braindead, Cactus planet flea market, Adidas, New Balance, and Nike

These are some of the international names that you have probably heard of and perhaps wear. Whilst they may have different target markets, they also have a cross-section of the same. However, these brands, require a manufacturer for them to “hit the streets”

Manufacturing within your area.

There are a couple of advantages when you choose a manufacturer within your area. One of those is reduced logistics costs. You will not need to travel very far to go to where your brand is being sewn.  Another advantage is in lower manufacturing costs, which in turn means that the cost does not need to be passed onto the consumer.

The disadvantage would be if you are unable to get high-quality manufacturers within your area. This has a large impact on your brand and the way that it will be received by the public so t’s important to find the right clothing manufacturer. 

What should you look for in a streetwear manufacturer?

There are several features that you need to ensure your manufacturer has. Amongst these are your labour costs. Foreign labour may work out to be more affordable but it may not be the best quality.

Also, ensure that your communication is easy and can be clear. This way you are able to have your streetwear brand, made as per instruction. When considering foreign manufacturers, think about shipping costs and the ease of you getting your orders. You may also want to think about time differences, and how you will conduct business with the chosen manufacturer.

Do your research about the various countries and make sure that they are marketable. For instance, clothes made in the US are generally easier to market to a global audience. They already have a market that you can tap into with your brand.

You need to make sure that the manufacturer that you choose is reputable and that you can trust them with your orders. You also want to make sure that all your paperwork is in place. Intellectual property is an important facet to check on, especially since the manufacturer will have to have full access to your logos and all working files. Make sure that you own your brand.

The other factor that you will need to think about, is the manufacturer’s capacity. Find out if they can meet demand in terms of quantity and also in terms of the types of clothing they can make.

Also, make sure that your designs are not lost in translation. If you speak a different language, both figuratively and literally, this could be a problem. Streetwear is a specific style and as such, you need a manufacturer that will not question your decisions but just go with the flow and produce what you have asked them to.

How do I find good streetwear manufacturers?

There are a couple of ways to do this. You can do a google search, find a list from a directory or go by word of mouth and referrals. What’s the word on the street about a particular manufacturer? Look at their track record as well. Streetwear Manufacturers likely make other types so would come under clothing manufacturers, but it’s likely that they will specialise in urban wear.

One last thing

The thing about fashion is that it’s not black and white and neither can it be put in a box and labelled. The loudest voice will always be what the people respond to. The streets will tell you what the voice of that era is saying.

Regardless of the manufacturer that you choose, it is important that you make sure the integrity of your brand remains intact. Streetwear has a specific style that may not be understood by all. It’s best to ensure that you can clearly communicate your vision to your manufacturer.

07
Oct
Fashion, Fashion Industry, Manufacturing, Materials

Shirt Suppliers and Fabrics: An In-depth Look

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

If you are in the business of selling shirts, you know that a shirt is only as good as it feels. That’s why choosing the proper shirt fabric is so important. After all, a shirt that is uncomfortable to wear is going to make the person that dons it feel fairly miserable. And if a customer is not happy, they will most likely not patronize your business. As such, it is important that you not only get a bead on what fabrics are used by shirt suppliers, but you use that information to determine what fabrics may be right for your clientele.

Fabrics at a Glance

Diving into the world of fabrics to see what may work best for you and your business is not as easy as it may look. It is a world that goes well beyond the realm of cotton, denim, polyester, and the other fabrics that your average person knows about. To be sure, shirt suppliers have a host of materials at their disposal, including several that don’t readily come to mind. However, getting to know as much information as possible about as many fabrics as you can is crucial to your business’ success, since clothing stores rarely live on denim or cotton alone.

Some of these fabrics include:

• Broadcloth – This is a tightly woven fabric that is marked by a simple over-under weave as well as a slight shininess. These qualities combine to make a very dressy shirt. The fabric also tends to be thinner and lighter, which makes it an ideal fabric for summertime. White broadcloth fabrics have been shown to be a little transparent, which makes wearing an undershirt in conjunction with shirts made from such cloth to be pretty essential.
• Flannel – This seasonal fabric was highly trendy during the grunge movement in the early ‘90s, and has been shown to be making a comeback in some fashion circles. The fabric’s calling card is its thickness, as they are typically made in thicker weaves, thus making them ideal for the chillier weather in the fall and winter.
• Melange – This particular fabric is known for being very thin yet very soft, smooth, and luxurious. They achieve this reputation because of a special type of construction; one where each of the yarns that are used in the fabric is a combination of fibers which are not-dyed and dyed. These colored fibers are then woven together to create a look that looks slightly yet deliberately inconsistent, which in turn gives the fabric a completely organic quality.
• Oxford Cloth – This casual fabric is made with a symmetrical basket weave that is looser in comparison to some other weaves. It is not to be confused with the more formal Pinpoint Oxford, which can feature a tighter weave and a lighter thread. The heavy, rougher texture and durable nature of the threads themselves has made this particular fabric popular for sports use.
• Egyptian Cotton – Simply stated, this fabric is made from a particular type of cotton that is culled from the plant known as Gossypium Barbadense. This particular cotton can differentiate itself from other cottons because it contains longer staples, which in turn can enable it to be threaded into finer, stronger threads. It typically features thread counts of anywhere between 80 and 100; this thread count allows it to differentiate itself from another fabric known as sea island, which is made from the same cotton plant but has a higher thread count.
• Royal Oxford – As the name implies, this particular fabric is one of the dressier fabrics that shirt suppliers will feature. The reason it has the reputation as being dressy is due to its sheen and texture, as both of those particular aspects are highly visible in nature. This particular fabric should not be confused with oxford cloth or pinpoint oxford; despite the similar names, they are completely different.
• Twill – This fabric is marked by its distinctive diagonal lines or texture; this shape allows the fabric itself to exhibit a shiny quality. It is weaved extremely tight, and can therefore come in extremely high thread counts – so much so, the fabric can sometimes be mistaken for silk. Another important quality to note about twill is that it is relatively easy to iron and has a tendency to be resistant to wrinkles.
• Dobby – The thickness and weight of this fabric can be very similar to broadcloth, and its thickness or the way that it is weaved can almost make it appear as if it is twill. This fabric falls somewhere in between the two fields. This particular fabric tends to feature stripes, although it can be a solid color.

Other Things to Note About Fabric

Once you have gotten a basic grasp on the various types of fabrics that exist out on the market, there are still a couple of items that you need to be aware of before contacting the right shirt suppliers.

The first of these terms is thread count. Specifically, this term defines the thickness of the size of the yarn that is being used to make the shirt. The rule of thumb here is that the higher the thread count number, the higher quality the fabric – and ultimately the shirt – will be.

The second of these terms is ply. In essence, ply is defined by how many yarns are twisted together in order to make a single thread. The typical shirt will be designed to be either single ply, meaning that one thread was woven into the fabric, or two ply, meaning that two yarns are twisted together in order to make a single thread which is then woven into the fabric.

Getting familiar with these terms as well as the fabrics that are talked about in conjunction with these terms is essential if you want to maximize the overall quality of the clothing that you want to sell. If you don’t, you greatly increase the risk of obtaining a vastly inferior product, which could ultimately have a negative impact on your business and your bottom line.

07
Oct
Fashion, Fashion Industry, Manufacturing, Materials

A Denim Suppliers Guide To Denim Fabrics & Denim Washing

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

As you are probably aware, the world of denim is teeming with a near endless assortment of different dyes, weaves and fabrics. ‘Weaving’ your way through this mess can be quite confusing, especially if it’s your first time around dealing with denim suppliers. Today we want to simplify the adventure for you by first addressing what denim is and then talking about the different types of denim. Ready? Let’s go!

 

What Is Denim?

 

The word denim derives from the French phrase “serge de Nîmes.” It refers to a cotton textile that relies on a twill weave with diagonal ribbing to achieve those wonderful pairs of fitted denim jeans we all wear. The amazing thing about denim is that it’s available in so many different styles. Denim can basically be used to match any form of attire.

 

The most original denim was made from 100% cotton serge and referred to as cotton serge denim. These days, denim is available in an abundance of different materials and blends from a variety of denim suppliers. The four most common ones that we want to cover today are listed below:

  • Dry/Raw Denim
  • Selvage Denim
  • Stretch Denim
  • Ramie Denim
  • Poly Denim

What Is Denim Washing?

 

Before we even start talking about the various types of denim, we need to understand what is meant by ‘denim washing’. When people talk bout ‘denim washing,’ they refer to the ‘washing’ techniques used to modify denim before the denim product or products are put to sale and distributed to consumers.

 

Denim is “washed” or “processed” to achieve a special effect, such as fading. The usual goal is to make the denim product look aged and worn. However, there are advanced wash techniques (such as acid washing, stone washing, sand washing, sand blasting) that create contrast, selective fading, etc. Why do people like denim looking like this? You’d have to ask a psychologist. All we know is that such worn-out-looking denim sells like hotcakes!

 

What Is Dry/Raw Denim?

 

Dry or raw denim is denim that has not been washed. It is 100% raw and thus does not contain any special effects like fading. This gives it a very raw, vintage look that’s rugged and sexy. Unfortunately, dry/raw denim comes with a few notable drawbacks.

 

1. It’s very stiff compared to washed denim. This means you must wear it a number of times before you feel anywhere close to comfortable in it.

 

2. It’s not ideal to wash raw denim in a washer/dryer. This fades the denim. The better option is to wear it as much as possible and then dry clean it when necessary.

 

3. It’s a real pain to maintain. To own raw denim, you need to be willing to maintain it religiously! Otherwise, why even waste extra money on it?

 

So why do people buy raw denim? They like its authenticity. The thing about raw denim is that isn’t completely unaffected when you receive it. As a result, every mark, line and tear it accumulates in its lifespan comes from your daily life and activities. Simply put, raw denim tells a story!

 

What Is Selvage Denim?

 

Selvage denim is a special, luxury-grade form of denim that relies on a tighter weave. Back in the day, all denim was selvage. Clothes makers used traditional shuttle looms to construct densely woven denim fabric in long, narrow strips that contained selvage edges. These edges were required so that the strips could be turned into trousers.

 

Things changed in the mid 1900s when clothing manufacturers started using projectile looms to keep up with increasing demand. These looms let manufacturers use wider materials, thus taking away the need for a selvage edge.

 

What makes selvage denim so pricey is the fact that it’s so durable and crisp and classy. Plus, making selvage denim is harder than making non-selvage denim.

 

What Is Stretch Denim?

 

Back in 1959, a chemist named Joseph Shivers invented what we now know as spandex. It’s a synthetic fibre that possesses incredible elasticity. Now imagine what happened when, two decades later, fashionistas decided to combine spandex with denim? Stretch denim was invented!

 

Stretch denim differs from other forms of denim because it conforms to the body’s shape. Most denim items needed to be broken in before they fit perfectly. This isn’t the case with stretch denim.

 

Unfortunately, because of the stretch factor, stretch denim tends to be less durable. Over time, the elastic fibres break down, thus causing the denim item to lease its stretchiness. Stretch denim products also fray much easier than regular denim garments.

 

What Is Ramie Denim?

 

Ramie denim is an especially unique form of denim only dealt with by a select few denim suppliers. It is simply standard denim mixed with the fibre crop Boehmeria nivea, or ramie. This crop is added to denim because of its numerous advantages:

  • It’s naturally resistant to bacteria and mildew.
  • It’s very absorbent and thus comfortable to wear.
  • It’s resistant to stains.
  • It’s not damaged by mild acids.
  • It dyes very, very easily.
  • It can withstand high-temperature laundry.
  • It doesn’t shrink in size.
  • It can be bleached.

By combing ramie with denim, denim suppliers are able to make their denim garments more resistant to bacteria, mildew, stains and more. They are in effect able to improve it just by making a simple change to their garments’ construction.

 

What Is Poly Denim?

 

Poly denim refers to the mixture of denim with polyester, the latter of which is a manufactured fibre that’s extraordinary strong. It’s also resistant to mildew, shrinkage, stretching, chemicals, wrinkles and even abrasions. Plus, it washes and dries much more easily. These factors make poly denim very useful for when constructing work clothes. The drawback is that polyester makes denim garments less breathable.

 

What Are Denim Suppliers To Do With All This Info?

 

This is a lot of information to cover, but it should just be a starting point. If you are serious about denim fashion, it would be prudent for you to continue learning as much as possible. Speak with denim producers. Examine some denim gear. Become an expert on denim!

07
Oct
Ethical Trading, Manufacturing, Sourcing

An Overview Of The World’s Top Regional Textile Producers

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

The world contains five primary textile production zones: China, Bangladesh/Pakistan, India, Italy and Turkey. While other countries also export garments, it is these five regions that dominate the industry. Here’s the thing, though — each region offers it own unique advantages and disadvantages when it comes to textile producers.

 

To be successful in fashion (especially if you are interested in starting your own brand), you need to understand the benefits and drawbacks to each of these regions. The assumption, of course, is that you are going to outsource your manufacturing. By the way, we highly recommend you do outsource!

 

Why Should You Outsource?

 

Before we get into the precise advantages and disadvantages for textile producers in each world region, we want to quickly review the many reasons why you should consider outsourcing your fashion manufacturing.

  • Reduced Labour Costs: British workers must be paid the federal minimum wage, which at the moment (April 2014) is £6.50. Unfortunately, these costs get funnelled directly to you when you work with a UK manufacturer. When you outsource instead, however, you get to deal with manufacturers that aren’t limited by such regulations. As a result, you incur lower costs.

  • Reduced Overhead Costs: Manufacturers must also contend with costs for electricity, gasoline, water, etc. And not surprisingly, the costs for these utilities are much higher in the UK than they are in countries/regions like China and India, to name a few.

  • Improved Quality: This may surprise you, but many offshore manufacturers offer even better quality products than their onshore counterparts. Why? They have been manufacturing for decades. Furthermore, because of the reduced costs in their respective countries, they have more money to dedicate to quality assurance.

  • Reduced Risk: Outsourcing can also result in reduced risks, assuming you do it right. The key lies in outsourcing your manufacturing to SEVERAL offshore suppliers and manufacturers. This case you have backup solutions available immediately in case something goes wrong, e.g., a manufacturer suddenly goes out of business.

 

What Are The Pros/Cons Of Working With China?

 

China textile producers represent the largest exporter of textile goods in the world. In fact, the Chinese manufacturer Esquel just happens to be the largest producer of standard cotton t-shirts, with yearly output levels exceeding 60 million.

 

Unfortunately, China is not as up to date on trends and fashion as it should be. Suffice it to say, it’s better at producing sportswear and technical garments than it is at producing genuinely fashionable items.

 

One great benefit to China, however, is that it offers incredible prices courtesy its incredibly low labour and overhead costs. Keep in mind that workers in China are starting to call for better working conditions and wages. As this movement continues (which it should), the prices will likely increase.

 

Other things to know about China include the fact that its manufacturing firms tend to be extraordinary large. Also, it’s lead times tend to be extraordinarily long. The average time is 90 days, excluding 30 days of freight. Plus, Chinese manufacturers demand high minimum order quantities (MOQs) in the 1000 to 10,000 range.

 

What Are The Pros/Cons Of Working With Bangladesh/Pakistan?

 

Bangladesh and Pakistan textile producers offer some of the lowest prices in the textile industry. This is because while 38% of the entire work force in this region is involved in textiles, a large majority of that workforce is compromised of unskilled labourers. Plus, these countries rely on poor material handling techniques and outdated equipment.

 

Because of these factors, the quality of goods from Bangladesh and Pakistan is that all that great. Suffice it to say, it’s not a good idea to use one of these two countries for more sophisticated designs.

 

Other things to know is that the lead time from this region is as bad as the lead time from China. Plus, the MOQs are just as high.

 

What Are The Pros/Cons Of Working With India?

 

Let’s start with some basics. India textile producers offers mid-level MOQs and long production lead times. Furthermore, its prices are lower than that of China, but not as low as that of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

 

India also lacks when it comes to sophisticated fashion items, though it does perform well with hand-based items (think beads).

 

Keep in mind that India contains a rich base of raw materials. Plus, its workers are able to handle a variety of materials, from cotton to wol, silk and jute.

 

What Are The Pros/Cons Of Working With Italy?

 

Textile producers inItaly has really nice MOQs and a decent freight time of 60 days, including 10 days freight. Also, Italy is equipped to produce high-quality fashion items, from blouses to dresses, suits and more. Plus, the Italian people themselves are very appreciative of aesthetics. It shows in their work!

 

Italy also happens to be a first world country. As a result, it makes sure to enforce fair working practices. This means that its manufacturers must contend with much higher labour and overhead costs, which in turn means that the prices for goods are significantly higher in Italy than they are in its Far East and Southeast peers.

 

What Are The Pros/Cons Of Working With Turkey?

 

Turkey represents the best of the best, and for many good reasons:

  • It hosts a quick and powerful production capacity courtesy.
  • It offers relatively cheap labour (workers earn £1.47 per hour).
  • It’s lead time is only 60 days, including 10 days freight.
  • It follows all international environmental standards.
  • It’s known for fairly low MOQs around 100 to 300.
  • It utilizes a unified monetary policy.

Plus, Turkish manufacturers can make anything, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, jeans, knitwear and more. All of these can be had at prices that aren’t as low as China, but that surely aren’t as high as Italy either! This makes Turkey the perfect middle-of-the-ground region for textile manufacturers.

 

Is There Anything Else To Know?

 

There is a lot more to know. If you are serious about outsourcing, make sure you take the time to learn a lot more about the region that most interests you. Do not just trust our summary. You need to be equipped with as much knowledge as possible if you want a chance in hell of succeeding in this very tough industry!

07
Oct
Distribution, Ethical Trading, Manufacturing

The Ethics of the Garment Factory: A Primer

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

One of the biggest stigmas that has dogged the clothing industry – and continues to do so – is the plight of the international garment worker. Indeed, there have been scores of reports and documentaries conducted from news outlets the world over that highlights how rough the conditions at a garment factory can get. These conditions are succinctly summarized by the catch-all phrase “sweat shop,” and it has given rise to the notion that the world of the garment factory is somewhat lawless and immune to various practices and procedures that would otherwise keep them in order.

 

However, such mindset ignores the fact more and more garment factories around the world are moving forward to implementing ethical trading practices at a perpetually growing rate, complete with granting worker’s rights which include legal benefits.

A Look at Ethical Trading

 

Ethical trading as it exists in the garment factory worker environment is dictated by what is known as the Ethical Trading Initiative, also known as ETI. This particular initiative is a critical alliance of companies, trade unions, and voluntary organizations armed with the singular goal of improving the lives of poor and vulnerable workers from around the world, including those who toil within the garment factory business.

 

The term ethical trade means that the retailers, brands, and their suppliers of goods such as garments work together and take responsibility for improving the working conditions of the very people that create the products that are sold worldwide. Most of the workers that this mindset touches are employed by supplier companies all throughout the globe, but with a special concentration in poor countries where the employee protection laws that would otherwise be in place in other parts of the globe are either inadequate or outright ignored.

 

The companies that adhere to the precepts of ethical trade adopt a code of labor practice. This particular code comes with the expectations that the garment factory that they do business with also adhere to this code. The code itself addresses several major issues that have been known to infamously plague these workers, such as:

  • Work hours
  • Health concerns
  • Safety concerns
  • Wages
  • The right to join free trade unions

The benefit of working with garment factories in Turkey is that they fall under and abide by EU law. What this means is that, unlike places such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, you won’t find any child labour. Furthermore, Turkish garment factories boast some of the best working conditions in the world. It is one of Fashion Design Solutions’s top priorities to ensure any factory or distributor we work with follows ethical trading rules and is audited regularly… we do not support unethical practices!

 

The Purpose of Ethical Trade

 

In essence, the inherent purpose ethical trade is to provide a streamlined way in which companies that want to do business with supply chains can tackle uneasy issues in a unified way. This sort of unionized alliance will provide multiple resources that will allow for an easier means to deal with a supplier who, for example, ignores the notion of a living wage or routinely deploys children in the workplace.

 

Ultimately, the purpose of ethical trade is to bring about positive change for the workers whose rights have routinely been ignored. These rights, ranging from improvements in health and safety to the reduction of child labor and excessive overtime, are in place to create a fairer labor environment. On a larger scale, these rights seek to allow companies that use these garment factories as a means of supply the ability to conduct business with these entities without fear of unearthing unpleasant working conditions that may otherwise run counter to their own company ethics.

 

Ethical Trade and Ethical Consumerism

 

Perhaps the biggest impetus behind ethical trade from a business standpoint is to lessen the impact of ethical consumerism that may be brought about in the wake of a company unwittingly working with an unscrupulous supplier that does not promote ethical work environments.

 

In essence, the term ethical consumerism (also known as ethical consumption, moral purchasing, or green consumerism) is a type of consumer-based activism that is primarily based on a concept known as pound voting. This term is defined more or less as the process in which consumers give approval to a company through their own purchasing power. If a consumer does not like the practices of a particular company, they will not buy a product associated with that company. This act of indirect activism extends peripherally in the garment world; if a company does business with a supplier that is shown to conduct unethical business practices, the consumer may cease to do business with the company until the association with the company that is deemed to be unethical is severed. While this concept of activism may not be widespread enough to cause the downfall of a major corporation, it can have a negative impact on a smaller company’s bottom line. As a result of this, it is essential that any smaller sized company take a good, long look at a supply company and see what their actual policies are, lest they potentially pay a hefty price.

 

A Long Way to Go

 

Despite the inroads that ethical trade organizations have made in getting garment factories to conform to more morally favorable conditions in the workplace, it must be noted that conditions for many workers in this industry the world over remain startlingly poor. Researchers have determined that some principles that are fundamental to the rest of globe, such as a worker’s rights to join a trade union and negotiate as a cohesive collective, are still not addressed sufficiently. The research has also derived that several areas that can be linked to a worker’s rights, such as the right to work in an environment free from harassment and discrimination, are not being met. Furthermore, there are still reports of workers not receiving wages that are sufficient enough to keep up with the increased price points of essentials for modern living, such as food and fuel.

 

As such, it is clear that the ethical trade movement still has plenty of steps that must be taken in order to eradicate the scourge of an unfair and unscrupulous work environment. That said, there have been plenty of signs that the initiatives that have been put forth by organizations that seek to remove unethical conditions in the workplace have been making a significant impact in the garment factory industry; so much so, one could remain hopeful in their goal of eradicating these unethical practices for good.

07
Oct
Distribution, Ethical Trading, Manufacturing, Sourcing

What to look out for when looking for a clothing factory

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

The act of finding a good clothing factory to assemble your clothes is one of the more critical steps that you can take. The ability to make a quality product is an important metric to measure a clothing factory, of course, but there is so much more to the process of finding the right one than merely discovering that they make a pretty good shirt or dress. They have to be efficient with their production. They have to have the reputation as being a trusted business partner. And above all else, they must operate under the guise of being an ethical company with a reputation for treating their employees fairly and equitably.

 

Because of this, finding a clothing factory that will fit your needs can be a tough challenge if you want to find one that matches your needs ideally. And while there are not any real shortcuts as to how this can be accomplished, there are a few guidelines that are in place that should be able to make the process of finding a factory to fit your needs much more streamlined.

 

Getting to Know Them

 

The most important thing that you can do when researching for a proper factory is to dive as deep as you possibly can into the company’s reputation and practices. In order to do this, you cannot merely take whatever is stated on their website at face value. Obviously, whatever is on their home page or the “About Us” section of the page is going to sound great and flowery, and there could very well be some truth to whatever they are saying. However, it would be a grave mistake to just base your search on that metric alone.

 

Instead, you can use the Internet to dig into some research regarding the company’s true reputation, and not just the reputation that they try and paint on their website. Some of the ways in which you can do this include:

 

  • Visit product review sites – There are a host of professional websites that are devoted to breaking down the pluses and minuses of a company or a product in a manner that is factual and objective. These reviews will give you a general understanding on the factory’s strengths and weaknesses as a whole.
  • Visit customer-driven review sites – It is true that everyone has an opinion, and no more is this evident than the various review sites that are solely driven by consumer opinion. These sites will feature the occasional review that has to be looked at as over-the-top or exaggerated – remember, everyone has an opinion, even the ones that aren’t the best informed – but taken together, you should have a general idea as to how the clothing factory operates from the perspective of customers that have actually used their services, including ones that have used them extensively.
  • Ask around – If you are in the clothing business, chances are you know other people that are in the clothing business. As such, it would behoove you to talk to them to see if they have any record of working with a particular company, and if so, what their experience was like. If they did, they will be able to give you an honest opinion that can be broken down on a level that you may be able to understand implicitly.
  • Follow up on testimonies – When you do visit the company’s website, and if they have various testimonies plastered on the page lauding the company for their services, don’t just take their printed comments at face value. Follow up with them to see what compelled them to make the statements, and how their experience truly compared to the experience that is implied through the website’s verbiage. If there is a major discrepancy between what is written and what is said, that should give you an idea on how forthright the company actually is.

Dropping By

 

In addition to surfing the web and talking with fellow people in the industry, you can take your research to the ultimate level by taking a visit to the actual clothing factory. This can prove to be the most difficult step in the research process – if you are an upstart or small business, you may not have the financial means needed in order to pay a visit to a company if it happens to be halfway across the globe. However, if you can swing it, there is truly no better way to get a feel for how a company truly operates, from their overall business practices to the way in which they treat their employees. Seeing operational tactics and working conditions up close and personal may make the difference between you going with a company and looking elsewhere.

 

Fashion Design Solutions

 

You may be able to forge a key partnership with a local supplier such as Fashion Design Solutions; one that not only has access to quality clothes, but understands the market that you are in on a more intimate level than a company that is thousands of miles away. It is critical that you make sure that you do plenty of research before you pull the trigger on finding the company that is right for you. It will take a good chunk of time if you do things properly; however, the time that it takes at the beginning of the stage has the potential to save you a lot of business-related grief down the road.

07
Oct
Development, Ethical Trading, Manufacturing, Sourcing

8 Reasons Why You Should Choose Turkish Clothing Manufacturers For Your Business

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

The world is brimming with clothing manufacturers from the likes of China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Italy, Turkey and numerous other countries and we have conducted an in-depth review of each country here. So which country should you choose to do business with? If you’re an amateur, you might be tempted to spin a pinwheel and hope for the best. However, we have another idea. We recommend you choose Turkish clothing manufacturers. Why? Read on to understand!

Background: Turkish Clothing History

Textile production started in Turkey back during the Ottoman period between the late 1200s and early 1600s. It wasn’t until the mid 1920s that Turkey elevated itself into a major player in the textile industry. These days, Turkey exports over £6 billion in textile goods every year. These good are produced by a variety of manufacturers — some small, some large. There are in fact over 11,000 individual manufacturers producing clothing goods in Turkey alone.

Reason 1: Powerful Production Capacity

Turkey excels in the production of yarn and woven fabric. This production is due in large part to huge investments that were made in the mid 1900s. Between the early and late 1900s, production of just yarn grew from 670,000 tonnes to a whopping 1.92 million tonnes. Similar growth spurts occurred with wool, cotton yawn and synthetic yawn (polyester, acrylics, viscose, etc.)

Turkey also keeps a very abundant supply of raw materials handy. For instance, it’s the sixth largest producer of common. It falls behind only the U.S., China, India, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

The point is that a Turkish clothing manufacturer is not apt to ever run out of raw materials and fabrics!

Turkish Clothing Manufacturers

Reason 2: Cheap Labor

According to Werner International, average wage rates in the Turkish clothing industry hover around £1.47 per hour. This is admittedly significantly higher than rates in China (£0.26), India (£0.29) and elsewhere. However, it is still much cheaper than hiring UK employees.

The point is that you would save bundles of money by outsourcing your manufacturing to a manufacturer in Turkey.

Reason 3: Fast Transportation

Turkey’s geographic location lends itself toward relatively fast transportation times. This means you wind up spending less to get your goods transported all the way from Turkey to your office or retail outlet in the United Kingdom. In fact, Turkey’s lead times are significantly shorter than those for its competitors from other countries. Based on our own experiences, the average lead time is 60 days, including 10 days of freight travel.

The point is that you’ll save time and money on transportation costs if you rely on a Turkish clothing manufacturers.

Reason 4: National Focus (Passion)

In Turkey, the textile industry makes up a very large chuck of its economy. In fact, the country employers almost 1 million workers throughout tens and thousands of textile companies. Furthermore, textiles make up almost a quarter of all its exports.

The point is that the Turkish people are very passionate about textiles, and passion should count when looking for a manufacturer.

Reason 5: Environmental Safety

Turkey is one of a select few countries that mandates that all its textile manufacturers comply with internationally accepted environmental standards. As an example, unlike many Far East and Asian countries, Turkey bans the use of carcinogenic dyes. This results in more environmentally safe products.

The point is that Turkey is serious about protecting the environment, and this is a definite talking point that you can use in your sales copy.

Reason 6: Low MOQ’s

When you’re first starting out in the business, you’re not really interested in buying in bulk quantities of 1000, 10,000 or even 100,000. Not only is it not feasible on your budget, but it’s also full of risk. It’s much better to take the time to slowly build your way up to those levels. Along the way, you’ll find out if the manufacturer is able to maintain quality with the quantity.

It just so happens that Turkish clothing manufacturers offer some of the lowest ‘minimum order quantity’ (MOQ) rates in the world. We’re talking MOQ’s as low as 100 to 300, which is pretty amazing for this industry!

The point is that Turkey is much better suited for fashion designers and artists who are just starting out and thus not interested in bulk orders.

Reason 7: Plenty Of Options

Turkey manufacturers rank higher than many of its admittedly cheaper Far East competitors because they offer a wider selection of goods. In particular, Turkish clothing manufacturers can make t-shirts, sweaters, dress shirts, jackets, jeans, knitwear and more. Furthermore, these goods are offered at very reasonable rates.

The point is that Turkey is equipped to handle the type of ‘fancy’ gear people are accustomed to in first world countries.

Reason 8: Unified Monetary Policies

Some countries suffer from a severe case of divided government. Take Australia for instance. Each of its individual states and territories abide by a plethora of different rules and regulations. This makes conducting business with Australia a genuine pain in the you know what.

Turkey, on the other hand, utilizes monetary policies and banking systems that are uniform throughout the whole nation. This means that it doesn’t matter where in Turkey a manufacturer is located, because the rules will still remain the exact same.

The point is that dealing with Turkey is much easier than dealing with countries where each province, state or territory hosts its own rules.

Final Thoughts: Choose Turkish Clothing Manufacturers

We realize that some of you might still be stuck on the wages. They are admittedly higher than the wages in many Far East countries. However, please keep all the other benefits in mind:

  • An exemplary production capacity.
  • Short lead times.
  • Environmental standards.
  • Low minimum order quantities.
  • Diverse options.
  • Unified financial policies.

Overall, you are going to be much better off if you choose Turkey. If you’re outsourcing, you’re already taking a big risk by putting your trust in entities that exist outside of your border and thus outside of your government’s jurisdiction. So if you are going to take a risk, why not minimize your risk by going with a country that ranks miles ahead of its competitors?

07
Oct
Development, Distribution, Fashion, Manufacturing

The Art of Finding the Right Clothing Manufacturers

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

We’re all undoubtedly familiar with the phrase “clothes make the man.” But what about the people that make the clothes? If you are a business owner that is looking to sell clothes to the masses, finding clothing manufacturers that you can trust from a business and a quality perspective is an essential part of finding success within the industry. Of course, if you don’t have a whole lot of experience, this could be easier said than done. As anyone in the industry can tell you, the world of clothing manufacturers can be a rather unscrupulous place, as it is rife with various businesses cobbling together poorly constructed goods as well as scammers looking to rip people off. It may be enough to intimidate the newbie into thinking twice about opening up a shop that sells clothes.

 

However, finding the right clothing manufacturer is not all doom and gloom. The road to finding a good, trustworthy company that will provide you with quality clothing – and ultimately, a rock steady business relationship between you and your customers – is a path that can easily be walked upon. It just takes an adherence to a few basic rules.

 

Steps to Take When Finding a Clothing Manufacturer

 

The first step that you must take is something that, in a way, occurs before you even begin to sift through clothing manufacturers to find the items that fit your needs. Everything you do must be done with a great measure of diligence, which is brought about putting together a specific strategy and sticking to it from start to finish. Keep in mind that the clothes that you purchase from a clothing manufacturer are going to affect your business and its profitability in the long run. Not having a well thought out battle plan at the ready – or even worse, wavering from that plan once you get the ball rolling on things – could have a profoundly negative impact on the bottom line of your business.

 

Of course, there are a few key elements that must be in play regardless of what strategy you decide to deploy. For example, you need to clearly define who your clientele is going to be, and how the clothes that you purchase from a clothing manufacturer are going to reach out to that clientele. If you own a little boutique store on the coast and are surrounded by surfers and beach-going families, you are probably not going to be all that successful selling flannels and work boots. Conversely, you aren’t going to sell a whole lot of beachwear all year round if you live in a mountainous range or if you live in a place that has definitive seasons.

 

Another important task is to get yourself completely assured of the clothing manufacturer’s reputation. This is a critical step for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it would behoove you to make sure that the company that you are working with is not in the habit of acting unscrupulous or shady. Secondly, working with a clothing manufacturer that has a poor reputation may make some of your more industry-savvy customers a little gun shy in doing business with you. Both reasons could end up making your business less profitable.

 

In order to ensure that you are working with a clothing manufacturer is on the up and up, you need to do a little more than just check their website. The company page is undoubtedly going to tell you what they want you to know, so you need to do a little digging. This can be accomplished by performing the following tasks:

  • Check what other people are saying – There are plenty of other websites that are out there that will go beyond what the manufacturers’ website is saying. Because of this, you should go elsewhere online and check various reviews that may have been written about the company and its standards and practices.
  • Follow up on website accolades – If the company has testimonies listed somewhere on their site, follow up with the people and companies that gave such web-based praise and dive a little deeper into what those words actually mean.
  • Pay a visit to the factory where the goods are being made – If at all possible, you should try and visit the factory where the clothes are being made. Getting a distinctive visual as to how the clothes are constructed will go a long way into helping you decide how ethical and forthright the company truly is on a business level and on an employer level.

 

Also consider that some manufacturers will have niches they excell at, so look for the right leisurewear manufacturer is athleisure is what you are making. The same applies for dedicated streetwear manufacturers.

 

Other Important Tips

 

Another thing that you may want to consider as you try to find a clothing manufacturer that works for you is to find a few local companies that you may be able to feature in your store. Keeping things local is a big selling point in plenty of other business ventures, so it stands to reason that a similar motif would play very well in the world of clothing design. A local manufacturer may have a solid pulse on the likes and dislikes of your potential clientele even before you stock their stores with their wares, so featuring them in your store could enable you to reach out to your surrounding area in a more personalized manner; something that may not be as readily possible if you look beyond local borders.

 

But perhaps the biggest thing you can do on your quest to finding the right clothing manufacturer for your store is to reside yourself to the fact that it won’t be easy. Yes, you could strike gold immediately and find the perfect manufacturer, but these types of scenarios are few and far between. The actual work involved is uncomplicated on the surface, but the likely probability of you needing to research several companies in order to find just the right one is a process that can be time-consuming. However, if you manage to remain patient throughout the process, you will most likely find the clothing manufacturer that speaks to the soul of your business, and ultimately, your customers.

07
Oct
Design, Fashion, Fashion Industry, Manufacturing, Materials

Gauging a Crucial Tool in the World of Knitwear Designers

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

Knit gauge is arguably the most important tool of the trade in the world of knitwear designers. In essence, knit gauge will let you know what stitches per inch are in a garment – an important measurement to note, since there is no one universal stitch size that can be used. There are several reasons why this number could vary from fabric to fabric, including:

  • Needle size
  • Yarn
  • Stitch pattern
  • Individual knitter

It is important that you determine exactly what your knit gauge is before you undergo the process of assembling a garment. Even if your stitch is off by the slightest, it can spell disaster for your finished product.

Types of Knit Gauges Used

Because knit gauge is not a one size fits all type of operation, there are several different gauges that knitwear designers can deploy in order to get the proper stitching, based on both the type of garment being stitched and the knitwear designers’ own style.

Some of the more common gauges that are utilized factor in the thickness or layer of a folded material, otherwise known as ply. This thickness is measured by how many yarns are twisted together in order to make a singular thread. In the United States, these measurements are listed as 2-ply, 3-ply, and 4-ply. In other countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, you may see 5-ply, 8-ply, 10-ply, or even 12-ply gauges.

There are a host of subcategories that derive from these particular measurements. The thinnest threads in these particular subcategories are known as fingering, whereas the thickest threads are known as bulky. The categories that are found in between this range include sock, sport, light worsted, worsted, and chunky. Not surprisingly, the thicker threads are utilized to make thicker products, up to and including sweaters or rugs.

The Importance of Swatches

As most knitwear designers will tell you, a critical part of the knit gauge process is to create a swatch. A swatch will put the proper knitting metrics into your grasp, giving you a small sample size as to how a fabric will look given the parameters that you decide to utilize while creating a knitted piece. These parameters will thusly eliminate any and all guesswork that you may have before you start putting your piece together.

Creating a swatch is essential if you are going to be putting together something that has exact measurements. If you are designing something that can be viewed as haphazard in nature, such as a baby blanket or a scarf, then creating a swatch is not as critical to the production of such items. However, if you are knitting something that is designed to fit an individual, then creating a swatch is a must. While there is a prevailing thought in some circles that a person can go on feel while putting together a piece of clothing and therefore forego the swatch process, it is inadvisable to do so because a person’s knitting tension has a tendency to change over a period of time-based on how they knit or even what their mood may be.

Calculating the Knit Gauge Swatch

Knitting a gauge swatch requires that you use a little math as well as a little knitting skill. The first thing that you need to do is to figure out what will be at least six inches of stitches with whatever yarn or thread you choose to use and cast on that many stitches. That being said, you should be cognizant of the fact that the longer you make the swatch, the more accurate your measurement will end up being. Once you have figured out the length of your swatch, you should then knit a few rows in a garter stitch. As you do this, you should keep about an inch’s worth of stitches at the edge of the garter stitch. If your gauge does not give you a definitive pattern stitch, you should work in a stockinette stitch for a few inches. If you do have a pattern stitch, you must continue knitting your swatch in this particular pattern.

Once you have put together a few rows of knitting, you can then measure your work and approximate how close you are to your desired accuracy. This is where the math comes in, as you should measure four inches worth of your swatch, count the stitches in the swatch – including half-stitches – and then divide the number by four. This is the number of stitches per inch. If you wind up with a fraction, that is perfectly fine.

If you determine that you have more stitches per inch than your pattern needs, you have made a stitch pattern that is too small. In this case, you would need to use a larger needle. Conversely, if you have fewer stitches per inch than your pattern needs, you have made a pattern that is too large. In this case, you would need to use a smaller needle. Typically, if your variance is around an inch per stitch or less, you would just need to worry about swapping out your needle. However, if the variance you create is greater than one inch per stitch or more, you may need to take a look at utilizing a different yarn or thread. Keep in mind that not every thread will work for every design, so don’t try and force a thread to create a piece of clothing that will not work.

Even though you should always make a swatch for a fabric that is going to be worn by someone, most knitwear designers are able to develop a sense of what may or may not work over time before they create the swatch. That being said, the only way to develop this type of sensibility is through the process of trial and error. However, if you wish to strive for perfection in the design of your clothing, then developing this sensibility is worth the time and the effort.

Once you are finalised, it is time to look for a knitwear Manufacturer.

07
Oct
Design, Development, Fashion, Fashion Industry, Manufacturing

Essential Things To Keep In Mind When Starting Your Own Fashion Brand

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

These days, literally anybody can design his or her own shirt using the myriad of tools available on the Internet. However, designing a shirt or two is completely different from starting a full-fledged fashion brand. A brand represents a line of clothes that all revolve around a single cohesive idea (known as the brand).

 

Furthermore, a brand represents a business, and it takes an incredible amount of planning and work to make a business successful. The truth, in fact, is that building a successful fashion brand is more dependent on business acumen than it is on the designs themselves.

 

Ponder Your Long-Term Goals

 

When you are selling items haphazardly as a hobby, you’re not really concerned about goals, you’re just happy to make a sale. When starting a fashion brand, however, you must set genuine goals. For instance: suppose you are starting a fashion brand that deals with men’s t-shirts. How many t-shirts do you realistically want to try to sell during your first year?

 

This matters because it helps when it comes to figuring out what to do next. Suffice it to say, you’re going to have to work much harder to sell 10,000 t-shirts during your first year than you would have to work if you just want to sell 1,000 t-shirts. Plus, goals are the cornerstone of any quality business plan!

 

Keep Production In Mind

 

If you are starting a brand, you need to start thinking about production during your design process. What materials does your design require? What sorts of vendors would be able to replicate the design? Are you comfortable outsourcing the design to a manufacturer in another country?

 

Pay special consideration to whether or not you envision scaling your design, i.e., producing thousands of copies of the article of clothing you are creating. This is important because large-scale production is more labour intensive, meaning it’s going to cost you a lot more.

 

These things matter because money matters. Remember that the ultimate goal of a business is to turn a profit. And the simple fact is that unless you are able to turn a profit, your brand will simply not be successful.

 

Think About Marketplaces

 

There are two primary ways you can distribute your fashion brand products. The easier way is to take advantage of established digital marketplaces like eBay, Amazon and Etsy, not to mention real-world marketplaces like flea markets. The much more difficult (though also rewarding) option is to create your own marketplace.

 

Back in the day, creating your own marketplace meant setting up a traditional brick-and-mortal establishment. These days, all you need is the ability to build a website and perform what is known as search engine optimisation. Mind you, doing neither of these things is as easy as it sounds!

 

The benefit of an established marketplace is that such sites and venues already have traffic. If you build your own site, you will have to build traffic from scratch. You may also need to hire a Web designer, not to mention SEO specialists.

 

Do Not Forget Your Competition

 

Selling as a hobby differs from selling professionally in that you must take your competition into consideration. The success of your fashion brand, which we want note again is a business, is partially dependent on your ability to out-perform your competitors. Below is a list of some of the things you should keep in mind:

 

  • How do your competitors’ prices compare to your own prices?
  • What methods do your competitors use to market their wears?
  • Who are your competitors’ manufacturers?
  • Do your competitors’ outsource?
  • How long have your competitors been in the business?
  • Do your competitors operate blogs?
  • Are your competitors active on social networks?
  • How much traffic do your competitors’ websites receive?

Analysing your competition also gives you a chance to pick up ideas on how to jumpstart your own brand.

 

Understand Your Customers

 

You want to know who else is important? Your customers! A fashion brand must have a very specific target audience. Who are your clothes and items designed for? Who will be buying them? Why will they be buying them?

 

Understanding your customers does require a bit of insight into psychology. It’s for this reason that you might want to consider taking a few courses on marketing and psychology before you start a fashion brand. Trust us when we say that properly understanding your target market can make a huge difference!

 

Think About Social Media

 

Practically every business operates on the social network sphere these days. Social networking is a simple but effective way to build a reputation, drive traffic to your site and establish your fashion brand. Even lawyers now run their own Facebook pages!

 

Since you want to start a brand, social media should be one of the top concerns on your mind. You need to share so much with your potential customers — who you are, what your vision is, what you vision is, what you bring to the table, etc.

 

One thing to understand though is that capitalizing on social media requires more than just linking to your products. You need to build a personal connection with your customers.
Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Don’t be afraid to try new ideas.
  • Don’t repeat the same thing over and over again.
  • Do post news about your fashion brand.
  • Do engage with your fans.
  • Do give your fans sneak peeks on upcoming gear.
  • Do be yourself!!!

Pulling the Pieces Together

 

Before you start a fashion brand, take the time to do everything mentioned in this post. Consider your target audience. Analyse your competition. Think about marketplaces. Learn the production process. Piece together a business plan. Start setting up social media profiles, and so on.

While it’s tempting to just jump into the game, it’s much smarter and more prudent to plan what you can beforehand. It could very well make the difference in which you ultimately succeed or fail!

07
Oct
Design, Development, Distribution, Manufacturing, Sourcing

Introduction To The Fast Paced Life Of The Fashion Production Cycle

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

The least fashionable aspects of the fashion industry are, not surprisingly, production and manufacturing, i.e., the fashion production cycle. This is something you must understand in full before you even consider starting your own brand. To understand this concept, let’s start at the very beginning.

 

Why Is It Called Fast Fashion?

 

Once upon a time, the fashion production cycle — which includes the designing, manufacturing and distribution of clothes — used to take three stable months. As globalization and competition skyrocketed, these three months slowly but surely dropped to just two weeks.

 

This drastic change occurred because the world became more connected. Think of how it used to take weeks for people to communicate with one another across state lines. These days, you can instantly chat with anybody from anywhere in the world. Because of this connectivity, fashion too is now expected to move at a fast pace.

 

This of course means that exciting, new designs reach consumers much quicker than ever before. Unfortunately, this also means that you must work that much harder to survive in this tough industry!

 

What Exactly Is Fashion Production?

 

Fashion production describes the lengthy process by which basic design concepts are transformed from simple notepad sketches and designs into tangible products that can be worn by consumers. The process usually starts with designs of multiple colours, size and patterns, but ends in goods produced by manufacturers and then distributed to customers.

 

As you can tell, production plays a huge role toward the success or failure of a fashion brand. Why? Think about it. You can design a great garment, but if it doesn’t get produced right (or if it doesn’t get produced at all), then your business will inevitably fail. This is why a quality manufacturer is a must.

 

With that said, the greatest challenge you will face as a fashion start-up is the challenge of locating a reliable ‘source of production’, i.e., a manufacturer. This is one of those situations in life where you should not and cannot procrastinate, lest you wind up inundated with orders that you cannot even fill.

 

It’s true that the industry is brimming with manufacturers and suppliers, but these manufacturers and supplies are not equal by any means. Plus, the best manufacturers are usually kept hidden by fashion elites who don’t want everybody else zeroing in on their premium sources.

 

It should be partially clear, what with all this competition in the industry, why production is such a pain.

 

What Are The Steps Involved In Fashion Production?

There are quite a few steps in the fashion production cycle, including planning, sketching, designing, sample making, development, manufacturing and distribution:

  • Planning: The cycle starts with extensive research and planning. Target demographics must be identified. Goals must be drawn out. And an official business plan must be mustered. All of this is ESSENTIAL.
  • Sketching: After planning come the sketching of the garment, be it a t-shirt, a dress, a pair of pants or whatnot. Details (think patterns) are ignored during this portion of the cycle. The focus instead is on the shape of the product.
  • Designing: After several sketches have been made, designers review each sketch and then convene to pick out the best. Those that pass to the next stage are then adorned with details like patterns.
  • Sample Making: The completed design is then turned into a sample. The way it works is that the patterns are stitched on inferior fabrics so that the designers can better analyze the fit and design to ensure it’s to their liking.
  • Repeat Sketching, Design, Sample Making: The first three steps are part of an iteration that repeats itself until the designers are completely satisfied. It usually takes several iterations before a final design is achieved.
  • Development: This part of the cycle can come before sketching, designing and sample making. It basically refers to the locating of quality suppliers and/or manufacturers, and the establishing of initial business relationships.
  • Manufacturing: Next comes manufacturing, the process wherein your solid designs are brought to life by factories. These factories possess all the fabrics, trims and raw materials needed to make your garments.
  • Distribution: Last but not least is distribution. This comprehensive step involves the selling of your goods (which you have now received from the manufacturer), the packing of your goods and the delivery of your goods.

Throughout the whole process, you must work with a plethora of different players, including pattern makers, sample makers, other designers, manufacturers and of course clients. Keep in mind also that the summaries provided are exactly that — summaries. Each of the above sections contains a plethora of smaller tasks. Altogether, they make up the fashion production cycle.

Why Is It A Good Idea To Hire An Experienced Production Manager?

 

Considering the immense complexity of the fashion production cycle, it might be in your best interests (especially if you are just starting out) to find a supply partner, such as Fashion Design Solutions, who are not only experienced in the whole production cycle, but are also usually familiar with one to two (if not more) high-quality manufacturers and suppliers.

 

Should I Be Afraid?

 

A certain degree of fear is always good. It helps protect us from potential harm. So yes, you should possess a certain degree of realistic fear. Fashion production is not simple or easy. It’s a very complex process that can take years (if not decades) to master to in full. The thing to keep in mind is that it’s a process that’s traversed by innumerable quantities of fashion designers and production managers every single day. So if they can do it, there is no reason on Earth that you shouldn’t be able to do it as well!

07
Oct
Design, Development, Fashion, Manufacturing, Sourcing

The Right Stitch: T-Shirt Production

Posted on by Rag Sourcing

Do you have a favorite T-shirt? Maybe your favorite shirt is one that hangs just right on you. Or maybe the material is just the right amount of softness. Perhaps it’s the color, design or style of the shirt that gives it an honored place in your wardrobe. No matter the reason, T-shirts are one of the world’s most popular fashion accessories.

 

Created in 1920, today the T-shirt market is worth over two billion dollars. A large reason for that is because T-shirts are so ubiquitous. You can get a T-shirt with your favorite band or movie character. T-shirts are often given away free to support charities or events. You can work out in a T-shirt, sleep in one, or even wear one out for everyday activities. There are even high-end T-shirts which are worn as a mark of high fashion.

T-Shirts never even truly die. When one becomes too worn to wear, it typically serves a new function in the household as a dust rag.

 

Let’s Make Some T-Shirts!

 

All T-shirts are not created equally, and the difference is in the T-shirt production. There are many different ways to make a T-shirt, but no matter which technique is used, it all starts with the raw materials.

T-Shirts are traditionally made with one of the following raw materials:

  • 100% cotton
  • Polyester
  • Cotton/Polyester blend

There are many reasons to choose one type of material over the other. Cost, especially if you’re producing a large amount of T-shirts for sale, is usually a factor of which raw material you use. Another factor is comfort, since polyester usually has a softer feel than cotton. Cotton can be more durable, however. There are pluses and minuses to each raw material.

 

Beyond the raw material, the next step is deciding what type of T-shirt to make. The standard crew neck is the most common type of shirt found in America’s closets, but the V-neck is also very popular. Tank tops and scoop necks are also considered to be part of the T-shirt family, and certainly have their admirers, too.

 

Cool Threads, Cool Shirts

 

Stitching is what holds the shirts together. But more than just being the “glue” of the shirt, they’re also an integral part to the shirt’s style. For instance, some more fashionable t-shirts use coloured stitching to create various cool effects. Other shirts forgo fancy stitching and stick with pure white thread, which can allow the shirt to be sold for relatively little.

 

There are three primary types of coloured stitching used in T-shirt production:

 

1. White – This, obviously, will look like white stitching. While white stitching in rather invisible on white T-shirts, it’s much more noticeable on colored shirts. Typically, white stitching is only used on white shirts, colored shirts where the white stitching is a fashion choice, or colored shirts which are very low cost.

2. Coloured – There are endless combinations of thread colours and fabric colours which can be used to make a T-shirt. You can choose stitching which compliments the material or, depending on the shirt, even contrasts with it; for instance, white stitching on black material is a popular look.

3. Colourless – This style of stitching is known as monofilament, or invisible, stitching. While perhaps not as easy to work with as the other types of stitching, there are definite advantages to this type of material. Typically, it’s used in hems, or wherever else you want the stitch to be invisible.

 

What Types of Tee’s to Buy, and Where to Buy Them

 

It’s not hard to find T-shirts in general. After all, they’re one of the most popular clothing items in the world. But it can be extremely difficult to find the perfect T-shirt for you. First, you have to decide what you’re going to use the shirts for. If you looking for something to wear when you’re mowing the lawn or working around the house, your best bet it going to be an inexpensive pack of shirts from a department store. Typically, Hanes and Fruit of the Loom make nice, rugged shirts that you won’t be getting torn or dirty.

 

These shirts aren’t really at the height of fashion, and you can’t just put on a white tee and go out for a night on the town. If you’re looking for a more fashionable T-shirt look, you’ll have to go to higher end department stores, fashion boutiques and online retailers.

Take Your T-Shirts on the Town

 

When it comes to T-shirt production, most designers have a high-end line of T-shirts, and what you like really depends on your personal style. There’s a wide variety of T-shirts which combine elegance with cool, and are perfect for a night out on the town.

 

Care for Your T-Shirts

 

It’s tempting to think that since your T-shirts all look roughly the same, and are made from roughly the same types of materials, they can all be washed the same. As anyone who has ever turned a white T-shirt pink will tell, however, how you wash your T-shirts can have a big impact on their longevity and appearance.

 

T-shirt production is a major factor in a shirt’s care needs. Wash your whites separately from your colours. Also, separate your cottons from your polyesters. Cotton shirts can shrink in the dryer. While people generally care less about their undershirts than their high fashion shirts, the same rule still applies: Check the tag, and wash your clothing according to the instructions. Your T-shirts will last much longer, and look much better, if you do so.

 

The Classic T, Now and Forever

 

Sometimes, they’re worn for simply utilitarian purposes, like when you’re doing chores and just sitting around the house. Other times, they’re worn to look fashionable. Sometimes they’re worn to make a statement. But no matter why they’re worn, one thing is for sure: The T-shirt is here to stay. It’s a simple design, with a simple purpose, but it’s also a timeless classic. Here’s hoping your favorites hang in your closet forever.