Apparel Manufacturers: What Brands Should Know Before Choosing a Factory

The selection of an apparel manufacturer can make the difference between a successful product launch and a nightmare.

Not one clothing factory is the same. Others are build for small batch production for new brands, while others are for mass production. Others are OEM oriented, while some provide off the shelf designs from ODM manufacturers.

If you‘re in the market for a custom apparel manufacturer,a private label apparel manufactureror a high volume clothing manufacturer knowing the differences in manufacturing models will guide you to the appropriate apparel manufacturer for your brand.

This guide defines the main types of apparel manufacturers, the questions brands should ask themselves before selecting a factory and what to look for in each.

Factory vs. Trading Company: Understanding the Difference

First thing every brand should ask itself: Are you working factory-to-factory or via a trading company?

The apparel factory directly owned has its own production workshop. The apparel factory directly owned has a team of pattern makers, cutters, sewing operators and quality controllers. They process the whole production including fabric purchase, pattern processing, production and inspection.

A trading company, on the contrary, is a middleman of buyers and factory. They don’t tend to have a factory themselves. They normally purchase the products from other factories and append their own margin.

Working directly with a factory usually provides:

  • Lower prices, as there is no middle man markup
  • Communication with the production team.
  • Improved insight into production capabilities
  • More control over quality of work, production process, and deadlines.
  • The ability to visit/inspect the manufacturing facility

Trading companies are still if they services are needed. For instance, if you require multiple product categories from many different suppliers, and would like to hand over the managing of the whole sourcin process to one company.

But if your plans include creating a long-term apparel label and require reliability, quality control, and product development assistance, then direct work with a manufacturer is often the preferable route.

Request a factory tour, production videos, customer references, and details of manufacturing capabilities before decision.

Small-Batch vs. High-Volume Apparel Manufacturers

Know this is right- the proper factory size is the one that fits your brand today.

Small-batch clothing manufacturers usually serve brands that make about 50–300 items per style. Designed for startups, independent designers, and emerging brands, they offer the flexibility to produce fewer styles.

The advantages include:

  • – Reduced minimum order quantities
  • More flexibility in the modification of designs and revisions.
  • Will lead to shorter development time for both sampling and product. (e.g. Fewer sample development, lesser factory time).
  • A more personalized communications that can be addressed directly to each one.

However the negative aspect of this is that the unit cost would be relatively high, and there would be restricted fabric options within the smaller units.

High-volume apparel producers designed for established brands running large volumes may produce 500–3,000+ units per style.

They typically offer:

  • Lower enough production costs.
  • Larger 27, 50 and 76mm (1, 2, and 3 inches) width bindings and other textiles.
  • Organizations with more efficient production systems;
  • More robust ability to place repeat orders

However, for a larger factory it would be difficult to take a small brand business, as there would be far less flexibility on their part to deal with small orders or fast changing designs or complicated customization.

For many up-and-coming brands, a best-case scenario is to begin with a small-batch manufacturer, gauge market demand, and graduate to a larger manufacturer as sales increase.

OEM vs. ODM: Which Manufacturing Model Is Right for Your Brand?

OEMand ODM are two most common production models of apparel manufacturing, but they are the opposite to each other.

OEM Apparel Manufacturing

OEM (original equipment manufacturing) only indicates that the brand provides design, and the factory makes the products based on the design given by the brand.

The brand controls:

  • Design
  • Fabric selection
  • Fit and measurements These reviews cover the fit, mix, and measurement of the items, generally referring to the fit and measurements in order to assess the quality of the product.
  • Construction details
  • Labels and packaging Labels should inform consumers about procedures, storage, ingredients, allergens, use by or best before date, storage, and handling. Packaging should be as lightweight as possible to reduce wastage.

OEM is better where the brand has its own designers or well-defined ideas for a product. Factory will be a production partner to realize your ideas within finished garments.

ODM Apparel Manufacturing

3. ODM. This ‘Original Design Manufacturing’ is where the factory supplies the design, which the brand then designs around, builds and sell using their name.

Brands may adjust:

  • Colors
  • Fabrics
  • Trims
  • Branding details

It enables new brands to enter the market more quickly since they do not have to develop every product from zero.

Startups that do not have internal design teams may find ODM to be a cost effective solution as it also reduces the cost and time needed to bring the product to the market.

An ideal apparel manufacturer shall fully support OEM or ODM production to help brands select the most suitable way for their present development.

Custom Apparel vs. Ready-to-Order Production

Most brands grapple with the dilemma of whether to go for comprehensive custom manufacturing or settle for stock.

What does it mean? For apparel manufacturing it means each element is designed and built to your specifications.

You choose:

  • Fabric
  • Pattern and fit. This table summarizes the different types of pattern and fit (first 4 and last 2 respectively) and provides some ideas on how they could be positively used.
  • Garment construction
  • Accessories and trimming
  • Labels
  • Packaging

The end product is an exclusive piece of your company.

Downside to this is increased cost of development and project duration. The upside is full control and enhanced product differentiation.

Ready-to-order productionExisting Factory packages and common products. The products are already developed and have the potential to be produced more quickly and cheaply.

The benefits include:

  • Less developed investment
  • Shorter time to market
  • Simpler production process

The negative point is that the same designs may be available to others companies.

A private label apparel manufacturer offers an alternative middle ground for brands. The factory carries stock, ready-to-wear styles that each brand can take and customized by adding their own labels, packaging and branding.

This provides a way for startups to have a quicker bootup while producing a branded product experience.

MOQ, Quality Control, and Pricing: What Brands Need to Know

Working with Minimum order quantity (MoQ) is one of the best ways in selecting a apparel manufacturer.

However, MOQ is not always a single number as different Factories organize their structure on MOQ requirements differently.

Common MOQ structures include:

  • Minimum amount per style.
  • Min. quantity for each color
  • Minimum Qty/Size.
  • TOTAL ORDER QTY REQUIREMENTS

Flexible manufacturers could sell combinations of color, combination of sizes or multiple styles together in one order. It would also be good for startup brands as they can test out new product before they produce a large quantity.

A further aspect to take into account is quality control.

The general quality inspection procedures for professional attire manufacturers are:

  • Fabric and material inspection: Should be under taken within the first stage of construction. Before there used it also must be inspected in a variety of sewing class. Before describing seam include checking all raw fabrics then, problems that can over millions of pounds of defects to the production line and 100% inspection to find shorter in sewing classes.
  • Line inspection.
  • Final product inspection.
  • Final pre-shipment inspection.

Professional apparel suppliers typically will have an AQL 2.5 quality standard for goods ordered from overseas.

Brands should be wary of manufacturers who are not operating any formal QC procedures and are only checking the product at the end of the manufacturing process. Having any formal quality system in place can detect problems ahead of becoming an expensive issue.

Terminology and pricing can also be a factor when it comes to comparing the manufacturers.

FOB (Free on Board) prices will include fabrics, trims, labor and factories fees until the point of shipping in the port.

CMT (Cut, Make, Trim) price refers to the price for only the manufacturing labor, while the buyer supplies the material.

Full Package Production (FPP) encompasses a comprehensive service at a ‘one-stop-shop’ where the factory looks after all areas of manufacturing, from buying the fabric, through the production, up to the final delivery to the clients.

Always compare quotes on the same basis of pricing. This prevents you from making a false comparison of the differing costs involved.

Domestic vs. Overseas Apparel Manufacturing

The decision to buymade in your countryor overseasproduction will work best for you will greatly depend on what you want to achieve.

Domestic manufacturing offers:

  • Information user needs to: (1) act as a reliable resource and (2) increase the pace at which a task is completed. Faster response time:the ability to process the user input quickly so that it can be responded to in a short time.
  • Easier communication
  • Closer proximity and control

In general, production costs are often much larger.

Overseas apparel manufacturing, especially in China and other Asian manufacturing hubs, provides:

  • Costs higher for production that is more competitive.
  • Large Scale of suppliers network
  • More experience in manufacturing
  • Flexible production capacity.

For numerous start-ups and emerging brands within the fashion environment, th abroad production provides the maximum values on price, quality and growth.

China is still one of the most important apparel manufacturing bases in the world today, with mature upstream and downstream supply chains for mill stores, fabric, trims, garment manufacturing, washing, printing and finishing.

What is critical is to find a good manufacturer who is straightforward to communicate with, who is experienced in dealing with foreign brands and show transparency in their working process.

How JiuvelWear Works with Brands

JiuvelWear is only a direct apparen manufacture, not trading company.

Based in Humen, Dongguan (one of China‘s oldest clothing manufacturing centres),we have the total productionprocess carried out in our own facilities.

Working directly with JiuvelWear means brands receive:

  • Just factory Direct Pricing without selling through unnecessary middle men.
  • Comprehensive communication during production
  • Factory visits and video inspection : this worked. Teams were empowered to decide on the location of the place of assembly, set theirs factory visit on the right date etc. This system was accompanied by a video method to express the reasons for their choices.
  • AQL 2.5 professional quality control
  • Minimum order quantity is flexible. Starting from 50 pieces per style.
  • OEM and ODM manufacturing supports

We are experienced in pattern making, cutting, sewing, washing, and quality checking in apparel production for over 10 years working for international customers.

Whether you are looking for a private label apparel manufacturer for a quick market entry, a private label clothing manufacturer for the next ten years or a custom apparel manufacturer for a one-of-a-kind collection, JiuvelWear offers production plans aligned with your brand‘s true needs.

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