Custom Tracksuit Manufacturers and the Work Behind a Finished Set

A tracksuit appears to be straightforward, a single jacket and a single pair of pants that are the same design. But when it gets down to the actual making of the tracksuit, there is a whole heap of processes that come into play such as fabric choosing, pattern making, colour matching, building, trims and finishing. Custom tracksuit manufacturers have to make sure all these details come together in such a way that the finished product appears to be one rather than two.

That link is established in the first place during designing process. Fabric, silhouette, colors, hardware and nuances determine the outcome. When the brand reaches bulk manufacturing, the uniformity of those factors is equal to the initial design.

Fabric Sets the Tone

Heavy cotton fleece makes a totally different tracksuit from light polyester. French terry offers yet another balance between softness and structure, and stretch blends provide further flexibility and comfort.

Street wear collections generally lean towards heavier fabrics and a more controlled figure. Floor wear might look better on softer, lighter, less directional fabrics. Sports inspired tracksuits may need stretch, wicking ability, fast drying and high recovery.

Fabric weight alters appearance too. The heavier, the more structure and volume, the lighter the softer the drape.

Buyer can know very little for just a fiber content analysis. Hand feel, GSM, stretch, recover, surface, finish, shrinkage, and finishing should be considered prior to the arrival of the final fabric to the production house.

Matching the Jacket With the Pants Takes More Than Color

Color is the first visual link between the two, but it does not ensure a match.

Regardless of the fact that the factory uses the same color code, different cloths react differently to dyeing and finishing. Almost no difference between jacket and pants might be very obvious when someone wears the whole set.

Proportion establishes yet another relation: a wide-leg pant with a large jacket makes a completely different image than a tapered pant with a regular-fit top. Handkerchief-like waistband, jacket length, sleeves, cuffs, pockets, drawcords.

Looking at these 2 garments as we sampled them. allows buyers to visualize how they would look as a final product much easier.

Fit Begins With Pattern Development

The four fits are oversize, relax, regular and slim. Each of these has their own specific pattern direction.

Jacket is shaped by chest width, shoulder width, body length, sleeve length, and the shape of cuff opening. The style of pants is defined by the waist, rise, hip, thigh, inseam, and shape of the opening of leg.

Size grading involves another step of work. A medium sample may appear fine, but larger or smaller sizes may be a miss.

Fitting the garment can be helpful in identifying fit problems. Sitting, walking, bending and raising your arms may reveal tight areas, extra fabric or waistband that is too high or low.

Correcting those details during the development stage avoids costly revisions in the future.

Customization Goes Beyond Putting a Logo on the Chest

Branding is just one aspect of the production of custom tracksuits.

Certain elements such as color blocking, embroidery, screen printing, appliqué, custom labels, woven trims, special zippers, drawcords, pocket styles, cuffs and packaging can totally transform the personality of the product.

Others have a template silhouette and personalize certain details. Bottom-up processes. The technical patterns are given and they create the entire tracksuit ones.

That difference has an impact on the product development process. A simple private-label style may have only required a handful of steps while a full-custom product could have gone through many pattern iterations and sample fittings.

Having clear specifications allows both parties to know what specifications are on the drawing and which specifications are optional.

Sampling Reveals What the Design Cannot Show on Paper

Technical drawings tell us the measurements and construction, but the sample shows how it all fits together.

Feel of hands in the fabric. Correct structure will be recognized. Easily judging the proportion. Zorn, pocket, rib, belt-bag, embroidery, print and sewing can be able to come under closer observation.

Movement is yet another test; a jacket may seem right on a flat table, but too short once worn; pants may seem okay according to measurements, but not enough space around the thigh. Elastic tension can also feel very different on the body than how it looks in the specification.

All of these discoveries make sample stage a part costs so much more saves so much more expensive before done to mass production in the factory head already cut out thousands of pieces.

After the final sample and specifications are approved, the production records provides the factory with a standard for bulk production.

Quality Control Needs to Look at the Complete Set

You can check the jacket, the pants, but it doesn‘t mean the tracksuit will be the same.

Color is the most obvious example; each of the garments could satisfy the individual color requirement, but there might still be two disparate colors visible when the two garments are compared.

Fabric inspection can identify shade, weight, surface failure and match blemishes prior to cutting. Production control can concentrate on checking measurements, seams, stitching, zippers, pockets, trims, welts, cuffs and finishings.

Stretch materials are a little extra tricky as the fabric and the seam construction have both to be taken into account. The fabric must have the right recovery and the seams enough give for the application of the article to be comfortable and durable.

Final inspection is still essential but quality control would be more effective if the factory took part of the production in hand and checked up on things during production.

Price Alone Does Not Explain the Cost

The quote provides a unit price for the purchase. Many other cost issues are involved in the production of a custom-designed tracksuit.

Fabric weight and composition may impact the material cost. The use of multiple colors may make manufacturing more complicated. Embroidery, printing, special trims, customized packaging and additional development may also be factors in the quotation.

MOQ is also equally important. Minimum quantities may be different for each style, shade, fabric or production run. If a special fabric or custom trims are used, it could also be a different requirement from normal production program.

Generally, for startup brands, small initial volumes are appealing since they want to test the demand before starting a full production run. Existing brand probably put more importance on production efficiency and reliable replenishment.

This comparison of the whole producing cycle provides a more useful information than just the first unit price.

Repeat Orders Put Consistency to the Test

The first order confirms a manufacture can make the design. The subsequent orders indicate the same result can return a few months later.

This is made even more critical by the fact that there are many components which have to match up. Fabric, color, measurements, trims, printing, embroidery and how it is built can all change the way the finished set will look.

Keep good production records to assist you on repeat orders. With clear specifications, measurements, pattern details, construction details and finishings, there is something to refer to at the factory, rather than just gut feelings.

For a core style that stays in your collection for several seasons, this regularity might be more important than a tiny variation of the initial mark.

Canadian Orders Also Need Accurate Textile Information

Apart from the original growth opportunities that exist in the Canadian market, selling in Canada also presents a further safeguard and that is in the form of textile labelling.

Canadian regulations (Competition Bureau, 2000) often require the generic name and percentage of each fibre that comprises at least 5% of the overall fibre mixture. The overall fibre information is normally listed in the order of mass proportion and, any required fibre information is normally listed in both English and French. French language requirements of Quebec mandate.

Additionally the label must carry the name and address of the responsible dealer and where to mail and/or an appropriate Canadian ID number. Claims on the product on the basis of fibre content, quality, performance and origin shall be maintained. (Canada Competition Bureau)

This becomes important in production as the brand needs to know the correct fabric information before finalising labels. For example a fabric description such as describing a fabric as a composition cannot just use an informal supplier name when the final label will require the exact fibre details.

Questions Worth Asking Before Production

A good discussion with a custom tracksuit manufacturer should not be about the price of the product, but about the product itself.

• Fabric. Which fabric is appropriate for the right season and right function?
• Is it possible for you to make the jacket and pants as a uniform co-ordinated set?
• Are you able to work from our measured or technical drawing?
• How do you do your size grading?
• Which printing, embroidery, and trimming options do you offer?
• What is the method for regulating colour uniformity between the two?
• What does the sample development process comprise of?
• What considerations influence MOQ or cost of production?
• You maintain your existing A. Style; only order an extra 150 at a time on each forward order of the style to keep stock levels down. If available order a larger A., then only 150 plus the extra on each forward order. How do you process a change?

They also show the extent of product knowledge a manufacturer has. Someone only concerned with sewing can fulfill the order, whereas a development monitoring production partner can instigate problems before reaching ‘the bulk’ stage.

Match the Manufacturing Process to the Product

The importance of heavy textiles, exaggerated dimensions, graphics and odd trims may be greatest to streetwear brands. Sportswear brands might focus more on fit and performance elements of the textile and comfort. Private-label buyers might value predictable quality, acceptable cost structure and efficient replenishment.

Those priorities require other ways of production.

JiuvelWear (Products of Dongguan Jiuzuo Clothing Co., Ltd.), Established 2004 in Dongguan,China, specializes in custom clothing manufacturing, private-label manufacturing, material sourcing, sample development and production quality assurance for clothing brands and wholesale programs..

A well-executed custom tracksuit starts well before the sewing line. Fabric, pattern, jacket, pants, trims, and finishing must all be headed in the same product direction. When these all collaborate effectively during development, the manufacturer has a much sounder base on which to produce a reliable set and to duplicate it on subsequent orders.