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Again, this FAQ is intended as a companion to the text (The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing) and will not replace it. Before you read this FAQ, you should read the portion of my book that appears on this website as it will answer many of your questions. In fact, many of the answers here refer to that available information. If your question is answered in the book, it will be so noted. If your question is not answered in the book, you need more specific or specialized help, or the topic bears reiteration, you'll find the answer here. Similarly, feel free to submit your questions. Send me an email with FAQ in the subject line. Click here for the newest addition to this page. 1. Can a designer succeed in today's industry? 3. How many pieces should be in my first line? 4. How many styles/fabric combinations should I offer? 5. Should I size by numbers (4-14, 38-48) or by grouping (xs, s, m, l, xl, xxl)? 6. Should I design first, then source fabric or vice versa? 8. How do I sell my clothing? Do I hire a sales rep? Do I sell it at a show? 9. What should I expect at a show? 10. What do I do/say/bring to a show so I don’t stick out like the new kid on the block? 11. How do I find out about shows? 12. Should I have every style/color combo at a show? 13. What sizes should my samples be in? 14. Should my samples be the best quality I can make, or does it matter? 15. How do I find a manufacturer? 17. How do I know there is a need for my designs? 19. What is the turnaround time to manufacture? 20. Should I find a local contractor or does meeting face to face matter at all? 21. Should I be concerned about pre-treating fabric before manufacturing? 22. Should I try to self produce a small line? Or just bite the bullet and jump to a larger one? 23. What should I expect to pay for sample garment making? 24. Are labels and hang tags and important as I think they are? 25. How should I finance this venture? How shouldn’t I finance this venture? 27. (Part 1) What do I do if samples or product is flawed in the process - do I have to pay for the work, or do I pay partial of agreed fee per piece? Also, I am looking for a book that would have various legal documents and strategies for working with sewing contractors . Does your book cover this in detail? 30. Top Consumer Complaints about clothing. 31. Top Complaints of Retailers (why they won’t pick up new product lines). 32. For Retailers: Top ten signs you’ll have trouble with a vendor's (manufacturer) product line. 1. Can a designer succeed in today's industry? Absolutely! I do not agree that the making of sewn products is impossible or difficult in the United States; in fact, I vehemently deny it. Allow me to reiterate through the mission of this site which is: To encourage the creation of meaningful jobs for people by educating and training any person who is (or wishes to be) engaged in the business of designing and manufacturing sewn products. By intent and design, this site will focus on start-ups and mid-level sewing operations. My purpose in the development of this site is social justice through economic development (there is no peace without justice). I do not agree that the making of sewn products is impossible or difficult in the United States; in fact, I vehemently deny it. However, we cannot continue to manufacture with existing business practices and expect to make it, not anymore. Existing businesses must innovate and relearn; we have little if any practical widespread industrial instruction information available and anybody who’s in this business already knows that. If you are just getting into the business, you don't need to learn any of our old and bad habits. It's back to school for everybody. Not everybody can work at Mc Donald’s or work in telephone solicitation. We still need manufacturing jobs in this country. No, we can’t make low-cost tube socks, blue jeans, tee-shirts etc (for the most part) in the US anymore. We can make the kinds of things we used to; things that require single needle construction (non-automated manufacturing) and more innovative design details. These days, everything looks the same and it’s boring. If a friend says she went shopping, my first thought is always “what color tee shirt did you buy”. We can’t make these kinds of things here anymore. If we want to make it, we have to make things that require integrity and thoughtfulness; anything less insults your customer. The people who will make it are those who realize that they can’t expect to sell dresses just because the fabric is pretty. Those who will make it will have to have the guts and determination to roll up their sleeves and really put some new effort and diligence at the factory floor level of manufacturing. DEs (designer entrepreneurs) are an opportunity for those of us still left in this business. All over the country, in small towns and big cities, there are tons of people who still need a good factory job. I know you may find this hard to believe but some of us like that kind of work. We don’t see it as monotonous or boring and we like the sound of machines. My personal goal is to nurture DEs to the extent that they are able to operate viable companies. I don’t see anything wrong with small operations. Small businesses employ more people than large ones and I think that if a designer entrepreneur (DE) had a goal of a sewing company with a maximum of 10 stitchers, that is fabulous! By the way, I’m working this whole gig from both ends. My other job is lobbying and educating the larger apparel industry about all of you and why they should develop selling and buying programs for small businesses. My goal is to grow niche and specialty sewn products businesses through the education of DEs (designer entrepreneurs) no matter what they make, be it hot air balloons or bedspreads. If you are a DE or would like to be one, you’ll have to invest in your own education and learn an entirely different world than what you’ve been led to believe from fashion and sewing magazines because this isn’t like that at all. This is real life. I can only invest so much time in this site. If you want the most from it, you should buy a book I wrote called The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing. It has 18, 5-star reviews on Amazon. A large portion of this site will be dedicated to answering questions from folks who stop by but I will not answer ABC type questions if it’s already been covered in depth in the book. In fact, this site should be considered a companion to the book. On this site, I’ll answer questions that are either not addressed in the book, are unclear, are erroneous, or further detailed information is required. This site will build on the book, not replace it. So if you’re serious, get the book. Besides, I’m not rich. I’m a displaced needle-trades worker myself. I am permanently disabled with a disabled child; I am not married and have been living below the federal poverty level for the past five years. So, I’m not asking for anything other than that I be compensated for worthwhile and honest effort, just like you. Eventually, this site will be huge. I intend that it be the definitive headquarters for design entrepreneur businesses on the web. Please stop in frequently to check for updates and new information. Please participate in discussions. Sign up to be placed on my mailing list and no, not only will I not share your information with any other parties, I abjectly refuse to share your information with anyone! For those who don’t know already, I am known to be very protective (probably too much) of DEs. But DEs, don’t dare think that I let you guys skate either! You guys are known to have some very unpleasant habits and business practices that make many people very unhappy which is why the industry ignores you. Industry’s biggest beef about you boils down to two things, ignorance and arrogance. Insult to injury is low margins from somebody with those two characteristics. Through education, I can eliminate both. For starters, if you are a DE, you are a manufacturer whether you like that word or not. For some of you, “manufacturer” is a dirty word, but it’s not. “Manufacturer” does not mean that you sew the stuff yourself. It means you get it produced, one way or another. “Manufacturer” does not mean labor-exploiting, low-paying, junk-producing companies either. 97% of all US sewn products manufacturers are like any other kind of business, no more exploitive or generous. It’s 3% of the bad guys that get all the press. A lot of us who’ve spent time on the factory floor really resent that characterization because we wouldn’t work at companies like that anymore than you would. So for starters, you are a manufacturer. If you are looking to hire someone to construct your products for you, someone who provides sewing services, you are looking for a sewing contractor. But whether you hire a sewing contractor or not is immaterial because you are the manufacturer. The truth is, just as in any other business, companies start out small and usually from home because ours is a unique industry in that it is the first substantive kind of industry that develops in a country or area because it’s second on the hierarchy of needs (reference Maslow’s theory on the hierarchy of needs). The first need of any person is food. For a society beyond the stone age, that means food production and as a society grows, food production is done by fewer people so that other people can spend their time meeting other productive needs. The second need is of any human or human society is a body covering which means us (the third need is shelter, etc). Many people are surprised to know this but did you know that the manufacture of sewn products is still the largest manufacturing segment in the US? In spite of NAFTA, it is. Strictly within the manufacturing segment of total jobs, more people are employed manufacturing sewn products than any other thing, be it cars, computers, houses or furniture. I disagree that large sewing operations are the most efficient and the most profitable for anyone other than suppliers or service providers. For suppliers, there is no doubt that it's easier and more profitable to work with big companies but that doesn’t mean that DEs are not very profitable themselves, regardless of what others are able to make off of them. I postulate a radical paradigm in that small sewing operations can be very profitable for their owners specifically because body-coverings are so high on the hierarchy of needs. For example, first on the list is food production and the most efficient farms are not agribusinesses either! The most profitable and efficient farms (for their owners) are small with an average of size of 80 acres. DEs should take a great deal of comfort to know that their most efficient and profitable counterpart in agriculture is the average family farm because sewn products are like that too. Whether the industry chooses to ignore it or not, everybody started out small and everybody started out at home. Which brings me to another touchy political topic and that is of sex. Specifically, women start 97% of sewn products businesses but somehow along the way, 98% of these businesses end up being owned by men. Am I the only person who sees something wrong with this? Now, don’t be too quick to assume it has anything to do with unscrupulous men who steal our stuff or that women can’t make it in a “man’s world” because I don’t believe that either. I believe it has more to do with the fact that men are less emotionally invested in each particular design and focus on the overall output of the company. Women tend to be more focused on each individual product and lose focus over the whole. Well, you can’t do that anymore. You’ll need to learn to separate from this and look around you to find good help you really need and not what you think you do. Most women do not have a good understanding of technical and mechanical things but you’ll need to respect and value the need of things you do not understand well. Men are more likely to figure out a need and deal with it by hiring somebody with a needed skill set and having the company learn internally than a woman. Women tend to feel they own the process, that they know it best (how to sew something correctly for example) than they are to admit they need to hire someone who's already figured it out. Women see that as threatening and if they need sewing or pattern help it must mean they’re not any good at being a designer. That is just pure silliness. In real life, designers –successful ones- don’t sew at all. Even Chanel said that Balenciaga was the only designer of her generation that actually knew how to draft and sew a pattern and believe me, it hasn’t changed. All that stuff you read in sewing and fashion magazines just isn’t real. I’ve only met one designer in 20 years who was qualified to make her own patterns much less make her own prototypes. And this is typical and anybody who’s worked in factories in real life knows it whether you believe it or not. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to sew or make your own patterns. It just means you need to hire some good and experienced help as soon as you can and then you’ll have your own private tutor, just like men have done. So in conclusion, YES! There is a lot of room to grow in this business and YES! You can make a good living, make nice products and provide meaningful jobs for people who need work. But it all starts with you. I'm here to help you but you must take the first step.
3. How many pieces should be in my first line? See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail. 4. How many styles/fabric combinations should I offer? This is really a 3-part question. See the Entrepreneur's Guide that does cover this in detail.Regarding the number of fabric combinations; You can only have one fabric type per style because varying fabric types would require entirely different patterns (see the book) because you can't use the same pattern for a given style if one fabric is very different from another, a simplistic example is knits vs. wovens. What I think you mean is how many color combinations should you offer per style. Now, a lot of people will not like my answer but for start-ups I'd say only 3. By the way, this is known as "colorways". A given style would have 3 colorways such as red, black and white. Now that said, smaller companies need advantages over established companies and one way they do this is by offering a greater number of color choices (colorways) per style. In the end, only you can make this decision and your decision will probably be most affected by the amount of money you can afford to spend on fabric. If it helps, the most popular colorways for apparel overall are black, red, white and nude…and in that order as well. 5. Should I size by numbers (4-14, 38-48) or by grouping (xs, s, m, l, xl, xxl)? See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail. Additionally, it depends on the kind of product you're making. If you're making tailored jackets (things that require a finer degree of fit) you'll need the numbered sizes. If you are making tee shirts, it'd be silly (a waste of money) to make these up in anything other than size groupings. In general, the more expensive the product class, the more sophisticated the consumer and the pricier the sales outlet, the more likely it is that you should use numbered sizing. 6. Should I design first, then source fabric or vice versa? See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail. 7. What should I purchase for fabric? Should I buy sample cuts, or just go full bore and get production lot yardage for the line? See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail. Pay particular attention to your particular stage of production because you don't want to buy too much fabric at the wrong time. 8. How do I sell my clothing? Do I hire a sales rep? Do I sell it at a show? See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail. 9. What should I expect at a show? See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail. In addition, you can't expect to know everything at the outset and nothing can be gained by failing to attend the kind of show that you anticipate selling in for the future. 10. What do I do/say/bring to a show so I don’t stick out like the new kid on the block? See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail. Pay particular attention to the very things that you think are unimportant, the details that you're inclined to dismiss as "not that important". I cannot say it enough times but if you do not have your products coded with a style number everyone else will KNOW you're a newbie regardless of how slick your presentation or product line. 11. How do I find out about shows? See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail but the internet is the best resource at any time. Also, you don't specify what kind of show; is it to buy things like machines or fabric, or is it to sell your products? Similarly, just because a given kind of show is available doesn't necessarily mean it's a good show for you. In my experience, designers skip the shows most valuable to their businesses because the shows seem intimidating or geared for the big players. Don't make this mistake. Skip the hobbyist-enthusiast shows, please. Go for the very shows that scare and intimidate you. Don't worry, you'll grow into it and nobody will laugh at you or kick you out. Trust me on this. 12. Should I have every style/color combo at a show? I would say not but that's not a decision I can make for you because I don't know how many color choices you have per style. I will say that established companies do not do this and for reasons that will surprise you! See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail. 13. What sizes should my samples be in? See the Entrepreneur's Guide which does cover this in detail. Your question isn't specific to the type of products you're making but mostly for whom your products are intended. 14. Should my samples be the best quality I can make, or does it matter? Oh my…hopefully your samples are not the best quality you can make but the best quality your sample maker or sewing contractor can make because if you already had the kind of skills to do this, you wouldn't be asking this question because you'd know that your product quality does not depend on sewing skills, it depends on the quality and design of your pattern. This topic is discussed to the point of redundancy in the book so read that first! And to the second part of your question -does it matter- you'd better believe it does. Your selling samples must be exactly like the products you end up shipping to your buyer because anything else amounts to "bait and switch" and the retailer is 100% justified in returning the order if that's not the case. Lastly, this is the number one reason why retailers and sales reps will hesitate to take on a new product line. You must be consistent and this can only be done with the pattern. 15. How do I find a manufacturer? To find a manufacturer, look in the mirror because you are the manufacturer regardless of whether you sew it, whether you hire employees to sew it (in their homes or at your business location) or whether you hire another business to sew it for you. A business that provides sewing services is called a sewing contractor which again, is discussed at inordinate length in the book. It is a big mistake to continue calling a sewing contractor a manufacturer because it's like painting a bulls-eye on your own forehead. To look for a "manufacturer" means you are looking to hire your competitor to make your products for you and you know you don't want that! This difference is a big deal and it is important regardless of how important you think it is at this time. Please, just get the book, read it and then come back for a referral to find a contractor for your particular product type. 16. What is a standard manufacturing order per size? Is there one? Will I be laughed at if I contact someone to produce 12 of a design in one size? There is not a standard lot size (manufacturing order); it depends mostly on the minimum size order the contractor has determined they can sew and still turn a profit. Two things about being laughed at: first, if you have small orders but you've done your homework (read the book, c'mon folks), have a production ready pattern and have your head together, a contractor might giggle a little but it will not be laughing at you. So buck up 'cause you may end up impressing the contractor to the extent that he'll give you a referral to another contractor who will make your order. In fact, if the contractor can't help you, do not get off the phone until you can get another referral. Second, if a contractor really is laughing at you, it's not over the size of your order but the size of your ego, which boils down to ignorance and arrogance. If you've done your homework, this just isn't going to happen. Lastly, I wish all of you would stop limiting your future potential and success through needless fear! Even if somebody does laugh at you, the world and your life will not end! You cannot continue to limit your success over the fear that somebody will laugh at you. And if somebody does laugh at you, be sure to tell me who it is and I'll make sure we don't send them any more business, and I'll try to find you somebody else, okay? 17. How do I know there is a need for my designs? This is not something that anyone else can do for you; that's what makes you a designer in the first place and explains why we're not. Unfortunately, "need" never sold anything (any visitor to this site "needs" my book but that doesn't mean they want it or subsequently will buy it). You can start by defining your customer and their needs with the consumer/customer profile/needs worksheet on the forms page of this site. Again, your customer must want your product in order to buy it. 18. How far ahead do I need to manufacture my clothing line (ex when should I show for the Fall ‘2004 line) Okay, the book covers all of this in detail and you can't skip it, period. There's a couple of problems with your question the big one being that you do not manufacture the entire product line before you show it. That's not how it's done and nobody does it that way. If you do it, you'll be the only one who does which is not a good way to be unique. You must show the line first, take orders and then manufacture based on the orders you take. Second, the amount of time needed to produce the line is strongly affected by the kind of product you're making, your structure and the schedule of the contractor (or yourself) who's doing the work. Do some reading and finalize your plans as to product type and fabrication and then write me back with more specific questions. The question is just far too general to answer. 19. What is the turnaround time to manufacture? The short answer is a whole lot less than you'd ever imagine. For example, an organized professional shop specializing in tailored jackets can complete a completely lined suit jacket in 27 minutes, multiply that by the number of stitchers (say 50 sewers) and you'd have a total output of 100 tailored jackets an hour. Now, is this possible for you, and is it possible for you at your stage of professional development? That's a question I can't answer because I don't know how prepared you are. In general I would say that in working with start-ups, things take much, much longer than they should because the designer is not fully prepared, has not hired good people (or can't afford them) and then there's always some kind of problem that's been overlooked; for example, the contractor has received everything they need except for the sew in labels. What I can say is that the more time you take in preparing and planning at the outset, the less time it will take to manufacture. And this is true of any product in any industry. 20. Should I find a local contractor or does meeting face to face matter at all? I used to say it doesn't matter but that was before I saw how designers were selecting their contractors. Many designers prefer a local company and I agree that should be your first preference. However, if your local shops are really start up type enterprises themselves, you could be in for a peck of trouble. Designers pick these hole in the wall places because they feel an affinity with them but you shouldn't base your business on that. First of all, it's the small shops that are guilty of the workplace abuses we hear so much about and not the large shops. Large shops are too visible to get away with worker abuse due to regulatory conditions and inspections. Now, I personally prefer small shops but you've got to interview them well. It is usually the case that they are not experienced with your product type and will need training themselves. If the business does not have experience with your kind of product and is not willing to hire a trainer to lead them in the process but prefers to reinvent the wheel, you'll end up paying for it and it won't be cheap. Then, there's the whole issue of quality control and waste. Don't hire a contractor without reading the book first. If they don't meet the established criteria of their professional peers, how could they possibly meet yours? 21. Should I be concerned about pre-treating fabric before manufacturing? You'd better be! Actually, you should be concerned about it before you ever make a prototype or sample. 22. Should I try to self produce a small line? Or just bite the bullet and jump to a larger one? What's small? What's large? You can only go with your gut and your pocketbook. If your product line is untried, it'll be close to impossible to get financing. For my part I'd say small is best because no matter how well you prepare you're going to make mistakes and the financial consequences for a small line may be painful but you'll survive to put out a larger and less error-prone line in the future. 23. What should I expect to pay for sample garment making? Again, this question depends on what it is, how experienced the person sewing it is but most of all is the pattern. See "Do you need a pattern maker?" for a better idea of what that this may be. 24. Are labels and hang tags and important as I think they are? I don't know! I don't know how important you think they are. There's a section in the book (sales/mktg.) in which a retailer describes the things you must have to assure consumers you're worth a gamble and what will really help a new line in moving their product. In my practical experience though, I've run into many designers who were so focused on image that they spent more time planning and designing their labels and hangtags than they did on their products. 25. How should I finance this venture? How shouldn’t I finance this venture? Oh my…<deep sigh>…this is a topic I really did not discuss in the book because I just thought everybody knew the answer so I apologize for that. You're not going to like my answer and I'm sorry but somehow, you will have to come up with the money at the outset at least for your product development. That means you'll have to cover whatever usual business and administrative costs that any business has, but please, do it on a shoestring! You don’t need a fancy storefront, that'll be useless to you! Your product development costs will mean coming up with enough money to buy sample fabrics (this is not much money at all but you'll have to get the book to find out how and where to do it). You'll need money to have patterns made (those store bought patterns will not work) and you'll need to have samples made. Then you'll have to pre-sell your items in some fashion, either through a sales rep, a retailer or a website to get some orders. It is only after you get some orders that you can get financing from a bank or similar lending institution because until that point it's just an idea. Also, please don't risk money you can't afford to lose, in other words, don't get a second mortgage on your home. If you're convinced you must do this anyway, please do yourself a favor and hire somebody for a professional product review. A product review can be a couple thousand dollars; if you come to my location I'll charge 1,000 for the consultation. I'm sure there are others who can provide you with similar services and competitive pricing as well. But anyway, get a professional product review before you risk money you can't afford to lose. Actually, I think it's a great investment and very worthwhile expense for any DE but I doubt anybody will really believe that because they'll just think I want the money. All I can hope is that somebody out there is really listening. 26. Just what is the step by step “procedure” for designing a line—from concept through delivery? (i.e. produce 25 sketches, cut out 12 of them, then sample them, then cut down to 6, etc????) See the Entrepreneur's Guide, which does cover this in detail. In fact, you've described the entire purpose and focus of the book. It's a deal ($60) which is less than you'd pay for an hour of consulting with anybody, apparel industry specialized or not. 27. Part 1 What do I do if samples or product is flawed in the process - do I have to pay for the work, or do I pay partial of agreed fee per piece? Also, I am looking for a book that would have various legal documents and strategies for working with sewing contractors . Does your book cover this in detail? About the flawed samples and product; this is a difficult question to answer because I have no way of knowing who is at fault. Do you know who is at fault? Would you know who is at fault (many designers don't)? There are so many variables and I don’t know enough about your situation to give you a good answer. And yes, the book covers your and their responsibilities in great detail. The legal documents you describe are contracts the contractors fill out. It’s usually called a “work order”. It’s basically the costing estimate that they provided earlier but cleaned up. The book explains every party's responsibilities but it is usually the contractor who provides the sewing contract for you to sign. It's like hiring anyone in any business. If you hired a builder to build you a house, you would not supply the building contract but rather, the builder would provide you with his contract to sign. About the samples, tell me more and I'll try to help. 27. Part 2 What do I do if samples or product is flawed in the process - do I have to pay for the work, or do I pay partial of agreed fee per piece? (The designer responded with the following additional information) The flaw I am referring to is a small cut in the leather, which most likely happened when the needle brushed the surfaced when sewing. This makes the piece a second and I cannot sell it to clients. I am wondering if I should not pay for the piece at all or pay a lesser percentage of the negotiated price? My response: I already know you're not going to like my answer because I can tell you've already decided the contractor is at fault -and I don't agree that is necessarily true yet- but keep in mind that leather coat making is my particular field of expertise. And unfortunately, the defect you describe is one that is fairly common and a pre-existing condition that is inherent to the hide itself and begs the additional question of who did the cutting? The person cutting is required to be mindful of the existence of these sort of hide defects and cut around them. These slight tears occur during the skivving or defleshing process. From the defect you describe, the leather is either a pig or lamb suede...true? The reason I say this particular defect is not a result of stitching error or poor handling is that it's impossible to cut the leather with the needle while it's under the presser foot of any kind of industrial machine, much less a walking foot machine which is what's used for constructing leather products. Additional notes to readers of this FAQ: this designer did not contact me again after my response and she didn't buy the book because she didn't like my answer. All of you will have to become resigned to the fact that not everything that goes wrong is somebody else's fault because it will just as likely be your fault. And you can't expect other people to accept the blame for your mistakes just because you are the customer and you can't punish people for being honest with you. I know the designer is the one who cut the sample (so she had no claim against the contractor) otherwise she would have asked for a solution to her original question which was, does she pay for goods damaged in process by the contractor? For all of you, the answer to that question is "no but". By that I mean you have to give the contractor a chance to make good on the deal first. If the contractor had been at fault you should allow the contractor the opportunity to correct the defect (replace the damaged portion) with no additional cost to you. Let's assume for some reason the contractor cannot repair the damage and the product is defective; in this case you have a couple of options. One is that you do not take delivery of the product at all but rather, the contractor buys it from you. Your price to him should not be exorbitant so don't be punishing in your pricing. Be kind and you can still salvage this relationship. Your price should not be full retail but rather should reflect the actual cost of the goods used plus a 20%-25% fee for overhead and administrative costs. Second, the very best thing to do is not to dictate the conditions at all but to ask the contractor what they think is fair. More often than not, their terms and offer to you will be more generous than you expected or anticipated. Please do not assume that everybody is out to get you or take advantage of you because this business is built on relationships. There will be times when you'll need a favor so if you want good will, you'll have to be generous and extend it as well. Another thing. If this designer had not been so arrogant and looking to blame somebody else for a problem rather than trying to troubleshoot the correct problem in the first place, the contractor would have helped her correct her mistake for a small fee! All she had to do was explain that she understood the problem was not the contractor's fault but would they correct it for her anyway? Chances are excellent that they would have been willing to do this and she could have salvaged the working relationship. The lesson for you my friends is not to be so quick to jump to conclusions regardless of what things look like and be gracious about it, regardless of where the blame lies. A little kindness can mean a lot of success! 28. Do I commission my fabric or can I buy ready made? I want to make t-shirts but have no idea how the industry works. By commission I'm assuming you mean having fabric custom made? The answer is a qualified yes. Anyone can have fabric custom loomed but very few do because the minimum yardage purchase is so high; at least domestically (in the US). I don't know what the precise minimum is but I'd imagine it would be in the hundreds of thousands of yards. Your limitations would be financial obviously but regardless of that, I don't think it would be a wise move as you'd have to have the custom goods just to present samples of your line and I can't see how you could justify the commission of hundreds of thousands of yards when you'd need far less than 100 yards for samples that you don't even know you can sell. There is another option. While I understand that everybody wants exclusive piece goods because it makes their product lines stand out, that doesn't mean you need custom woven fabric. Most designers will take existing fabric and have it re-processed. By re-processed I mean they buy what's called "greige goods" which is the simplest fabric as it comes out of the looming process, before it's had dyes or surfecants applied and have the yardage custom dyed in colors they specify. It is also possible to have your plain fabrics silk screened with patterns, stripes or whatever you imagine. Your limitations on this are again financial. If your yardage needs are small, you have the technical know-how, and you have the facility (which can be as simple as a washing machine), you can process the fabric yourself. If you need a lot of yardage it may be difficult to do this so you'd need to hire a laundry service or dye house to do it for you. If you don't live in a garment industry area and want to place the dye contract locally, your best option will be to contact a local laundry service and most cities and towns have them. These businesses obtain contracts from hotels and restaurants to launder uniforms, napkins, sheets, towels etc. I am not saying they are experienced with actually dying goods but they may be receptive to the idea. Good luck! 29. If I have fabric made, how do I get it to my manufacturer (assuming the mill who spins my yarn isn’t the same shop who will create my final product) to sew my designs? First of all, you are the manufacturer; you mean "sewing contractor". And it's a good thing you've assumed that the mill is not the same shop that will actually sew it because that is never going to happen! Mills do one thing and one thing only and that is to make and process fabrics. They do not sew -ever- at least not in this country. The kind of shop you're describing is known as a vertical manufacturer with some steps removed, i.e. vertical manufacturers are not going to go to this amount of work to do this for anyone other than themselves; they won't be available for outsourced or contract work to you.. Now, how do you get the fabric from one shop to the other? The glaringly obvious answer is shipping it via freight or am I missing something in your question? The typical arrangement when ordering fabric is the seller will ask where you want the goods. You can have everything shipped to your location or to any other location, you pick. 30. Top Consumer Complaints about clothing:
1. Buttons falling off. 31. Top Complaints of Retailers (why they won’t pick up new product lines): 1. Bait and switch. 32. For Retailers: Top ten signs you’ll have trouble with a vendor's (manufacturer's) product line. In a nutshell, I'm airing your dirty laundry. Until now I've been telling all of you what you need to do in order to produce consistent quality goods but many of you (established firms included) feel my advice is superfluous, not important -or for whatever reason- does not apply to you. These items are things I've already told you are important and you need to address them but you won't. Now, I figure if I start showing others your dirty laundry, you might start taking it seriously once it starts affecting your sales! Here is my insider's list of your greatest manufacturing sins. This list is what I use to teach retailers, sales reps and consumers that they will have problems with a manufacturer's product line and should probably reconsider placing any orders with you. 1. No blocks (symptoms such as sleeve length) Above all else, I tell retailers and sales reps to remember two things: 1. Don’t assume the manufacturer knows what
they’re doing. 33. For Lenders and Investors: Top ten signs a loan applicant is a poor risk and you'll lose your shirt! Other than my lecture, this space is left intentionally blank. Obviously, this section is nothing less than a thinly-veiled threat. Either you guys get your acts together and do things properly or I'll air your dirty laundry to loan officers and investors! If you're not listening to me, not listening to consumers and not listening to retailers, maybe you'll start listening if nobody will give you money. The thing is, nobody should give you money because you are a very poor financial risk! Even you shouldn't lend money to you. <deep sigh> Look friends, I'm not stupid. I run the daily risk of offending the very people (you) who buy my book and in case you haven't figured it out yet…I DON'T CARE. I'm going to tell you the truth anyway even if that means I go broke and have to get a job waitressing. You need to stop and think here. If I'm willing to risk financial devastation, this stuff must be pretty important. If you're serious about your venture, you'll do the right thing. If you're not, there are plenty of people who make careers of never offending their clients or readers because they want your money and they're happy to sugar-coat things for you and tell you that everybody else is to blame for your problems. Or just maybe, they don't know what they're talking about either. I am tired of watching people fail unnecessarily. I am tired of knowing, meeting and reading about all of the people that are laid-off due to your stubbornness, denial and inefficiency. And I'm not just talking about designer-entrepreneurs, I mean everybody, including billion dollar companies. Everybody has these problems and it's time to get out of the cycle of denial and blame. It's time to get to work and only you can do it. If you want to do things properly, I'll do anything I can to help but I won't be your apologist. If I just wanted your money, I wouldn't hit so hard and I'd lie to you just like everybody else. The apparel industry's problems are not complex, the root causes are simple ones, like basic education and that's where everything starts. But you can change things. We can start over. Change starts with you! To start, choose to assume responsibility. Choose to work hard, choose to think and study so hard it makes your head hurt with the strain. Choose to admit it's probably your fault but don't dwell on it; fix it! Choose to be brave even when you're paralyzed with fear, doubt and uncertainty. As I always say, Slavery or bravery, pick one. You're only a slave or a victim if you choose to be one. 34. I am interested in sourcing a thong, and bought your book to help us walk through the steps needed to source this particular item. Your book is an invaluable tool, but we don't have the design background needed to complete all of the steps to source a thong from scratch. I wonder if you have any suggestions as to whether there are any services that can offer a full spectrum of design/sourcing services and/or a resource to identify private label intimate apparel manufacturers? When one is
"sourcing ______", it usually means one is looking to buy ______ (stated
item). When you say you are sourcing a thong, I take this to mean you are
looking for a manufacturer of women's underwear who has various |
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Address: Kathleen Fasanella Apparel Technical Svcs PO Box 12323 Albuquerque NM 87195-2323 Telephone: (after 2/1/10) 505-877-1713 Cell: 575-635-8131 |
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