Apparel Factory: A Look Inside Clothing Production

Walk into a women‘s apparel factory on an average day of production and you will quickly come to understand that apparel manufacturing is never as easy as it appears from the outside.

The fabrics are being x-rayed, the patterns are being moved around and adjusted, the machines and the garment testing room are working on, and the prototypes are being put to the test, while the production team is working on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stages of the same order.

To a clothingbrand these little steps all eventually culminate in the product the consumer ends up with.

A Production Order Starts Before the Machines

The order goes, not in the first instance to the product, but to the machines.

A product should be fully understood prior to production.

We could be given a tech pack, a reference garment, a design drawing or a design drawing and references.

The team must verify measurements, fabric, colors, construction, trims, labels and other details before the product can go ahead.

Being missing a few details at this point can lead to much bigger errors down the line.

Fabric Can Change the Whole Garment

The fabric can make two seemingly identical garments feel totally different.

Weight alters the drape.

Would you say load alters the fit?

The textures cannot be altered. Composition affects the hand;–

A good finish can really change the look.

That‘s why selecting fabric isn‘t one of those things that we think of as an afterthought.

When it comes to custom apparel, we consider the fabric regarding the clothing and the way the brand envisions the final product to be experienced.

The First Sample Usually Changes Something

A perfect first sample is simply odd.

Somebody there time must be altered body length.

Occasionally, the sleeve is not quite falling properly.

There are times when the fabric may not behave as was anticipated.

This is the purpose of sampling.

Having a physical garment allows the company and brand something concrete on which to assess.

Once alterations are approved, the specifications become much more straightforward for manufacture.

Then the Factory Gets Busy

Sample is approved. The order is moved into production.

A pattern is created to fit the fabric then cut from the fabric to cut the fabric.

The garments are prepared prior to passing through the sewing operations.

Depending upon the construction of a garment, the various elements may be manipulated by several individuals.

A T-shirt could pass through a fairly straightforward flow.

A piece of a denim jacket or of another elaborated streetwear garment can require far more work.

Both products will not necessarily share the same production line.

The Small Details Are Usually the Difficult Part

As a pretty looking garment it can be as simple as you like until you begin making it.

A pocket must be located correctly.

The waistband is required to have just the right amount of tension to hold the article in its appropriate position.

The seam must be clean.

A print needs to be positioned accurately in order.

You also have to attach a label properly.

There doesn‘t seem to be anything here that is too extravagant.

If both the materials and sewing are good, then the finished item will have a ‘quality’ feeling to it.

Quality Checks Happen Along the Way

We don‘t want to wait until the order is totally finished and until you see a problem.

The production checks can occur at.

Check fabric before cutting.

Specifications and construction details can be checked during fabrication.

The finished garments will then be passed to the inspection section before packaging.

The idea is simple: problems should be raised early enough to do something about them.

Bulk Production Is Where Consistency Matters

It‘s a good feeling when you make out one nice garment.

The key manufacturing problem is not making hundreds or thousands of something which look and feel identical.

The sample that the success of its implementation permits to be approved is an interesting reference.

Measurements, fabric, colours, construction, brand and finishing have to be all consistent with the agreed specifications.

This is added importance for brands attempting to reorder the commodity.

What Happens When an Order Leaves the Factory?

This is not where the work stops. The last piece of clothing comes off the production line.

Received finished products might require a severity inspection, folding, labeling, packing, carding preparing before shipping.

This is an important point for a brand, this is as long as the product is leaving manufacturing and now listed in the inventory, to move on to the next stage in the business.

All the subsequent event within the factory must be detected inside the package.

Inside JiuvelWear

JiuvelWear collaborate with clothing brands on OEM, ODM, private label and custom garment productions.

We have worked with denim, streetwear, hoodies, T-shirts and whatever else you may think of for brands and retailers.

Some projects come with a printed document for every requirement.

Some go without a starting reference garment and start straightforwardly from a concept.

Each process varies by product but the aim is to always be the same; to take the specifications of the brand and convert it in to a uniformly manufacturable garment.

A Factory Is Part of the Product Development Process

A good apparel factory is not just where they sew.

The factory is engaged when materials are to be tested, pattern alterations are to be made, samples are to be created and any manufacturing problems to be solved.

This is especially relevant for custom clothing.

The final product is the culmination of all the decisions that were made pre and during production.

Why the Factory Matters to a Growing Brand

In smaller brands, a handful of production problems appear manageable.

They get a lot harder to ignore, as the orders increase.

Returns due to inconsistent sizing.

Complaint can be caused by bad suturing.

A quality that is not stable can prevent multiple or repeat orders.

Launch delay may also be caused by production delays.

A good manufacturing partner may thus be incorporated into the long-term operation of the brand rather than just another supplier.

From Our Factory to Your Brand

All piece that are passing through the doors of an apparel factory have an underlying story.

There was a design, choice of fabric, a sample, a round of modifications, a production, and a series of inspections before it got to the finished stage.

Exactly this is the part of clothing manufacturing most customers only have a vague idea about.

JiuvelWear works with brands looking to create their own products and to have a say in how they are made.

Do you have a design or reference sample? A tech pack or just an idea? Tell us what it is. We will talk about it, sampling or manufacturing your brand.