Quality Clothing Manufacturers: Where Better Garments Begin

You may find that two T-shirts appear almost identical on a website, but feel quite different to wear. One stays intact after repeated washing, while the other goes out of shape, twists at the seams or quickly fades. For brands looking for quality clothing manufacturers, the question is not so much the factory, but rather if the quality is in the fabric, fit, construction and finishing, and if the manufacturing is consistent.

Quality Starts Before the Sewing Machine

Fabric contributes the initial quality factor for clothing. According to CottonWorks apparel companies judge fabric on characteristics such as hue, draping, surface feel, strength, control and imperfection. The overall quality of clothing is dependent on a number of factors, including fit and the quality of sewn seams. Additionally aspect such as shrinkage considers separately.

A heavyweight T-shirt, for instance, does not necessarily mean that the quality is better than a lightweight one one has to select the fabric that is appropriate for the product‘s end-usage. A summer T-shirt might call for a lighter, softer structure, whereas a streetwear sweatshirt might require a fairly weighty, structured fabric.

The Fit Changes the Entire Garment

Pattern developing is responsible for almost everything the consumer sees when a garment is put on. Shoulder width, chest size, sleeve length and body length, neckline and other dimensions all influence the overall shape.

Oversized is a good example. It is not enough for the supplier to just add more material everywhere. The shape of the shoulder drop, sleeve shape, body width, body length, etc, all have to work together to achieve the look.

Measurements are important even after production. If a batch measures differently than the approved sample, the customer will see the difference even though the fabric and color are the same.

Sewing Shows the Factory’s Craft

Turn a piece of clothing inside out and you may discover elements that are often absent from product photography. Evidence such as careful finishing of seam allowances, fixed ends of single lines of thread, uniform stitch lines and panels that join linearly.

Specifically, CottonWorks defines garment quality as part of the integrity of the garment seams. Defects in fabric inspection are measured by an established grading system:

All home-sewn garments are susceptible to a few small sewing problems over time. Loose threads can unravel, weak seams can rip open, uneven construction can morph a familiar shape into a strange one.

Color Needs More Than a Good Match

Color conformity begins with the first sample and continues through to the last production run. Even if the garment is well constructed, customers will be disappointed if the actual production color is significantly different from the approved sample.

AATCC has a wide range of textile test methods on colorfastness to laundering, water, perspiration, crocking, and light. It also provide standards for instrumental color measurement, visual color evaluation, etc.

Brands; thus, should specify colors precisely during development. One approved lab dip, physical color swatch or other agreed upon color reference can then be provided to the factory to use, rather than relying on an ordinary screen shot.

Washing Can Reveal Hidden Problems

A garment may appear to leave the sewing line inspection as perfect but might change during first wash, this is due to‚ shrinkage, twisting, fading, surface change, changes of shape.

The AATCC handbook has TM150 as a test method for determination of dimensional changes in a garment after home laundering. CottonWorks considers dimensional stability to be a significant aspect of apparel performance since shrinkage deforms appearance, fit and size.

Testing is more critical to products like cotton T-shirts, fleece hoodies, denim and washed items. The brand wants to understand how the finished product actually performs after normal care, rather than examining only the new sample.

Details Make the Garment Feel Finished

Fastenings such as zips, buttons, ribbing, pockets, drawcords, labels, embroidery, and prints may seem like minute details, but they have a significant impact on the final article.

A hoodie with the pockets in the wrong place can just feel wrong, even if it has great fabric in it. A cheap zip (like the old zips) will make a good jacket seem cheap, as will label placement.

For quality clothes this linkage is often needed between material and construction. The manufacturer has to consider each piece as part of the same, e.g. integrated garment made up of overlapping sections rather than as single detail.

Consistency Separates Good From Reliable

Just to make one perfect sample does not necessarily mean a factory will be able to make thousands of similar garments. The real challenge is when the production progresses from one sample to hundreds or thousands of pieces.

CottonWorks defines quality control as “a synthesis of manufacturing processes and equipment, teamwork and accountability, inspection and testing”. Its guidelines further state, “product performance and uniform quality”.

That‘s why only a manufacturer you can trust should balance from manufacturing to approved specs during the whole process. Every element of production must be monitored the fabric, measurements, seams, color, decoration, finishing etc.

A Simple Way to Check a Garment

A brands can also carry out a pragmatic test before they give the go-ahead for a production order. Examine the whole product for general appearance, then look at the fabric and finish, measurements, seams, labels, trims and decoration. Turn the garment right side out and look at the construction. Measure key points and compare them to an “approved” size chart.

Followed by, wash the sample in proper care instruction and compare to the original one. Shrunk, twist, change in color, pilled, seam problem, or shape change should be observed.

This should not take the place of lab testing but it may highlight some severe malfunction of the product to a brand prior to ordering a large order. For more technical needs a brand may wish to discuss suitable textile testing with the supplier. AATCC standard methods cover Fibre identification & analysis, Color fastness, Dimensional change, Abrasion, Appearance, Moisture management

The Manufacturer Matters as Much as the Material

No matter how good fabric is, it won‘t turn into a good quality garment. A factory must have the correct pattern development, true to size cut, accurate sewing, the correct machinery, inspection system and the right discipline in production to produce a reliable quality product.

JiuvelWear is provided by Dongguan Jiuzuo Clothing Co., Ltd. The brand collaborates with the brands in fabric purchasing, sample development, production and garment sewing, inspection and quality control and so on. The procedures help to ensure the brands for viewing to the products at the indicative development before mass production, and also provide a better specification for mass production.

Quality Shows Up After the Sale

The best test of the quality of a piece of clothing is what happens when it is put into wear by the customer. A good tshirt will keep the shape it was designed to, a good hoody will retain its shape and the colors will be close to the expected outcome after normal wear.

This is where brands must assess the manufacturer beyond just a guided tour of the factory and a pretty sample. Examine the fabric, check the sewing, try the garment on, and inquire about the measures taken to maintain quality in large-scale runs.

A quality clothing manufacturer is not just one who produce good looking Garments when they leave the factory. It is also who makes them that they continue to live up to the expectation even after the customers have purchased and worn them.