Fabric sourcing is often considered the hardest part of creating any apparel product–and for good reason! Navigating the rather opaque world of textile mills, factories, sourcing agents, and the dozens of other players in the clothing business can be incredibly daunting to newcomers.
The truth is, there’s an art to learning how to source fabrics and trims for your apparel business. It comes down to communication. While we love to think that “the customer is always right”, if you go into a conversation with a factory or mill expecting to be treated in that manner…you’re going to be surprised! It’s not that the people inside these businesses dislike you personally, or that they don’t care about their customers in general. It’s just that they are typically very overwhelmed on a day to day basis. If they took the time to educate every person who had an inquiry, they’d never get their work done! Understanding their world, the language they use, the info you need to know before you talk to them, and then tailoring your conversations with them for maximum efficiency will go a long way.
So here are a few tips we hope will be helpful in making the world of fabric sourcing a little less intimidating!
1) Do your homework!
If you approach a factory rep without at least a basic understanding of fabric content, weaves, weights, etc., you’re going to run very quickly into a very hard brick wall.
The more specific you can be in your requests, the more satisfaction you’re going to get. For example, if you call up a fabric mill and ask for a “lightweight, flowy jersey, in a pretty blue” you may very well hear a deep sigh on the other end of the phone.
The factory rep wants you to be a lot more detailed, and she/he wants to know you’re a serious customer who at least understands the basics of the business.
A much better way to make your request would be: “We’re making a line of moderate to better wrap dresses for women. We’re looking for poly/span jersey blend in 90/10 to 96/4, and I’ll consider weights from 160 to 200 gsm. We’re looking for a deep navy in the range of (ideally, refer to Pantone Color names). We need delivery of 300 yards by December 1. What options do you have that might work for us?”.
By phrasing the question in this way you’ve pre-emptively answered a number of questions:
- the end use of the fabric
- approximate price range
- a hint about your quality expectations
- fabric content
- weight
- color
- quantity
- date needed
2) Know What To Ask (and what not to!)
When contacting a fabric mill or factory, remember that ideally, you are looking to form a long term business partnership. Treat your potential partners with respect for both their product offerings and their time.
DO:
- Request swatches
- Request a shade card
- Ask about dye-to-match/dye-to-order options if you think you’ll need that
- Ask minimum quantities up front
- Understand their payment methods and requirements
- Ask about delivery timelines
- Have reasonable expectations on all of the above
- Understand that the apparel business traditionally moves very slowly, with long lead times (for more on this, or if you’re in need of accelerated development–contact the Sourceeasy team!)
DON’T:
- Expect them to educate you on the basics of fabric
- Focus only on price
- Ask if they have a fabric that another designer uses
- Ramble on and on; time is money for these folks!
- Ask them to change their policies
- Criticize their product offerings
3) ABS: Always Be Sourcing
Sourcing = Searching, and it’s a never-ending process. Even after you’ve found your initial set of potential partners for the fabrics and trims you plan to use, it’s a good idea to always keep your eyes and ears open for new options. Fashion trends come and go as the industry changes, and staying on top of what’s new and different in fabric and materials can help set your brand apart in a crowded market.
We highly recommend that you invest in attending as many sourcing industry events as possible. The three biggest in the US are TexWorld, held in NYC twice a year, and Magic (Sourcing at Magic), held in Las Vegas once a year, and Indigo, also in NYC once a year. These events are invaluable for connecting with new sources, as well as firming up your relationships with existing partners. If you make plans to attend a show, try to contact each of your sources ahead of time and set up a brief meeting at the show–they’ll be there! Typical meeting times are about 15 minutes each, so be respectful of your partners’ time.
4) Flexibility is Key
Even when you’ve found a potential match between your needs and a factory or textile mill, chances are fairly slim that their offerings, prices and dates will line up 100% with your expectations. Remaining flexible will ensure the best chance that both parties get what they need from the relationship!
Don’t be afraid to consider options such as different fabric contents, different colorways, new prints, etc., that you may not have anticipated. Fabric is a highly subjective product, and you never know what you might fall in love with. Keeping your options open can help you expand your creative vision farther and faster than you ever imagined!
5) Work with a Professional
If all of this sounds like a lot of work, it is! If you’re more interested in focusing on designing your products, building your brand, and creating a solid distribution model and customer base than in learning the intricacies of the sourcing business, it might be time to enlist the help of a professional. There are numerous sourcing agents, whom you can find via a simple web search.
Or, you can contact Sourceeasy, where we have built a team of experienced industry professionals (average 15 years in the industry, from brands such as Gap, Levi’s, Banana Republic and more). Our team is friendly, motivated, and excited to meet all of your technical design, sourcing, and production needs!
At Sourceeasy, our mission is to help you focus on building your brand, while you leave the manufacturing to us.
The post Fashion Business 101: 5 Tips on Fabric Sourcing for your Apparel Brand appeared first on sourceeasy.