Although this essay is primarily intended for merchandisers and buyers, designers, business owners, and students who are interested in the fashion industry may also benefit from it. Also, I tried to attempt to address the most important things to keep in mind while sourcing fabric for clothing since sourcing is such a broad topic.
Fabric is the single most crucial raw element in the creation of garments. Approximately 60–70% of the price of the garment is out of the fabric. Designers create the ideas while considering the texture, feel, color, and weight of the cloth, among other factors. Sourcing fabrics is crucial to the creation of clothing.
Fabric procurement is a relatively fluid process that mostly relies on the textile type, price, and lead time. Therefore, it has become necessary to do textile sourcing all or a portion of a product for the lowest possible cost while maintaining quality requirements in order to reduce costs. And just like every other step in the supply chain, the procurement of fabric has its share of difficulties.
The main obstacle is finding a non-standard cloth. Without a thorough specification, it becomes challenging to get providers to comprehend the needed fabric. Normally, finalizing the fabric with the seller doesn’t take more than a week; nevertheless, often, it takes 3–4 weeks owing to communication problems. And Buyers and designers may choose a different cloth. Sometimes we are faced with the MOQs (Minimum Order Quantity) problem if the fabric is finalized with a vendor.
So, to develop the fabric sourcing strategy, accurate communication and in-depth research are needed. The following are the key considerations for doing so:
Right Fabric
Be specific about the kind of cloth you require:
- What works best with your clothing (Apparel get divide into four categories: woven, knit, denim, and leather.)
- Knit or weave style (how fibers are mechanically get interwine)
- Fabric Weight (grams per metered square)
- Size of the fibers (smaller- softer, larger- stiffer)
- Other qualities, such as stretch or lack of stretch.
Comprehensive Inquiry
- When sourcing the fabric, the following inquiries have to be made:
- Price. (Per unit, yard, or meter)
- Availability (Ready now or made-to-order) (Ready now or made-to-order)
- Width of the cloth (Don’t assume that all fabrics have the same width. Compared to what is often believed, handwoven textiles are frequently thinner, while certain wholesale fabrics could be broader. If breadth is not taken into account, we may wind up with unneeded surplus or a lack of cloth.)
- Minimum Order Volume (per color & fabric type)
- Lead Period (After order placed, how long it takes to arrive)
- Nation of origin (Where was the fabric made – it is required normally while dealing with an agent who takes the fabric from different location)
- Sustainable elements (recyclable, biodegradable, organic)
- Repeat orders.
Get the Right Supplier
I had no idea where to get resources when I initially began my sourcing. I skipped by the different fabric stores and began gathering samples there. Later, I discovered that those retailers had a finite amount of each fabric and would ultimately be unable to satisfy our volume requirements if we had started full manufacturing. In my experience, there are four main methods that companies locate fabric vendors:
Factory Sourced
If your materials are source from factory, your cut-and-sew manufacturer is also in charge of procuring them. Furthermore, the manufacturer will acquire your materials directly from fabric mills in their network. This strategy is often the simplest since you’ll benefit from cheaper prices because the manufacturer already buys from them, as well as from the simplicity of not having to coordinate with a different vendor throughout the manufacturing process.
Trade Shows
Numerous trade events are held every year just for the purpose of locating fabric and trim. These events are often free and a terrific chance to simultaneously assess several exhibitors. Trade exhibitions are a fantastic chance to experience a variety of textiles while you are designing. Since these trade shows can visit in several nations, the cost of travel should check before sourcing.
Referrals
Do you know anybody in the field? Ask them for recommendations of cloth suppliers they have previously used. It really aided me personally.
Internet Search
You can always look for information on where to buy fabric online. In this regard, Google is incredibly useful. However, many suppliers are not the most computer proficient, so don’t be reluctant to give them a call.
There are certain nations that are superior at producing particular textiles when we speak about global sourcing. Also, the benefits and drawbacks of different nations and areas that create fabrics are as follows:
China
Pros
- Cheap labor,
- Vertically integrated,
- Efficient.
Cons
- Communication barrier,
- Higher MOQs.
India
Pros
- Variety of materials,
- Consumers prefer,
- Top quality.
Cons
- Energy issues,
- Enhance cost of production.
Bangladesh and Pakistan
Pros
- Cheap labor,
- Consumer oriented,
- Tariff free.
Cons
- Lack of integration.
European countries
Pros
- Leather fabrics,
- Rich variety.
Cons
- Shipping costs are high.
Shortlisting the vendor
Making the best choice requires carefully weighing each consideration in light of the particular requirements of the business.
- Creating Social Compliance Capabilities
- Production Capacity Regulatory Compliance Cost, caliber, track record of delivery, and compatibility
Testing
In order to enhance product quality and ensure compliance with national, regional, or retailer-specific requirements, testing is mostly done for two purposes (Reach, inflammability, chemical test and so on). Further, a retailer requests that the testing be carried out at a separate facility to prevent the manufacturer from tampering with the test findings.
Bottom line
This process of textile sourcing is essential and highly important for the apparel firm. With the above given tips you can improve the activities of sourcing fabric and can get top quality textile without doing hussle. If you are looking for a platform that provides high quality material with the guarantee of a certificate then log into fabriclore. Further, here you will get India’s top fabric suppliers under one roof. Also with our option of customization, you can make the fabric of your dream.
