Starting your clothing line involves infinite moving parts. Initializing using a great foundation and high-quality materials sets you apart from other brands. Several types of fabric qualities include:
- Knit
- Woven
- Printed
- Dyed yarn
There are various techniques for weaving, knitting, and printing. For several designers, the initial step in the design process is choosing the right fabric. The next step is to design garments around the fabric. Selecting the right material can be a bit confusing. Let’s have a look at several fabrics and suppliers.
Fabric Manufacturing Basics:
The key factors in the design process are to understand how to manufacture fabric and the type of fabric you require for your product. There are several ways to manufacture fabrics. The two most common types are:
- Knitted
- Woven
Knitted Fabrics:
Usually, knitted fabrics are comfortable and lightweight. They require little maintenance to keep their appearance. Knits also struggle to wrinkle. This makes it a popular choice of fabrics. You can use knitted fabrics to design soft, comfortable bottoms, tops, and undergarments. For active clothing, elastic nature also works well. Knits are available in several fabrics, such as:
- Silk
- Tencel
- Linen
- Polyester
- Wool
- Cotton
- Cotton blends
Two ways to manufacture knits are:
- A weft knit, also known as a hand-knitted fabric, is made from a single thread that is looped to form horizontal rows. Each row is built on top of the one before it.
- To create a warp knit, loop many parallel threads vertically at the same time to make the fabric.
Woven fabric:
Non-woven polypropylene fabric suppliers create woven fabrics by weaving two or more sets of yarns at right angles to each other using a machine known as a handloom or power loom. The common features of woven materials are:
- Opacity.
- Abrasion resistance
- Pill resistance
The thread count indicates the quality and strength of the fabric. Examples of woven garments include:
- Denim and formal slacks
- Button-down shirts
- Jackets
Woven fabrics are divided into two categories:
- Plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave are examples of basic or simple weaves.
- Dobby weave, jacquard weave, pique (like a men’s polo tee shirt), and other complex or novelty weaves are available.
Suppliers Of Various Fabrics:
Finding dependable fabric suppliers is an important part of launching a clothing brand. It is best to locate partners who can ensure that you get the stock you need and that it arrives on schedule. For instance, you are in search of SMS fabrics, then you need to look out for a renowned SMS fabric manufacturer.
Fabric suppliers are classified into three categories based on how they operate and the types of fabrics they stock:
Fabric mills make made-to-order fabrics and may have large minimum order quantities (MOQs).
A converter is a business that buys unfinished or grey products from a fabric mill. After that, they finish the fabric by dying, printing, or washing it before selling it to you.
Jobbers usually have a limited supply of cloth leftover from converters and mills. They may sell it at a discount, and they rarely refill a fabric, color, or print when it sells out. This type of fabric seller should be avoided because you may not be able to order the same cloth twice.
What Is The Best Place To Get Fabric For Your Clothing Line?
Fabric can be purchased in person at fabric trade events, allowing you to inspect and feel the fabrics. Fabric vendors can be found online, and you can order fabric hangers to inspect in your studio or workplace. Depending on the fabric mill, you may be charged a cost for each fabric hanger, which is normally between $5 and $10.
Source Your Fabrics At Trade Exhibits:
Fabric trade exhibitions can be difficult to navigate. Hundreds of rows of supplier booths are a lot to take in for only a few hours. Before the trade exhibition, do some research on the fabric mills that will be present and produce a top ten list? Allow for a few more minutes in case you come across fabric vendors that weren’t listed in your web search.
Source Your Fabrics Online:
If you cannot attend a fabric trade show, the next best alternative is to browse trade show websites for fabric suppliers who suit your criteria. Many, if not all, fabric companies now have a fabric catalog available on their internet. You can look around at your leisure before ordering fabric headers to review in the comfort of your own office.
Questions About Fabric Suppliers That Are Frequently Asked:
When it comes to selecting fabric for your clothing line, knowing the correct questions to ask and what to look for is key. Many companies generate a spec sheet template, which is a document that contains detailed information about each fabric type. The fabric supplier may already have a spec sheet that they can share with you in some circumstances. While sourcing fabric for your clothing line, here are some questions to ask the fabric Suppliers.
- Ask about the article or item number of the fabric.
- What is the weight of fabric?
- Know the content of the fabric.
- What is the width of the fabric? (Total and cuttable)
- Ask the price per yard/meter of fabric (sample yardage and bulk yardage)
- What is the minimum quantity of orders?
- Time required for the fabric to be delivered?
- Which originating country?
- What care instructions to follow for the fabric?
