Upgradation of Apparel Manufacturing

Clothing manufacturing is a complex process that includes numerous operations necessary to make a garment. It includes processes like cutting, sewing, and finishing. The whole manufacturing process breaks down into a number of sub-operations needed for constructing a particular garment. Some of these operations vary depending on the type of equipment available, work methods used, and workers’ skills.

Types of Apparel Manufacturers

Apparel manufacturers deal with converting raw materials into finished goods. Apparel manufacturing is highly competitive and becoming more consolidated, with increasing barriers to entry and upgrading. Understanding OEM, ODM, and OBM is an essential step for garment manufacturers and for those people who want to start their importing or exporting business. 

Process of Apparel Merchandising

Merchandising processes differ for individual firms according to business strategies, product types, and technology employed. The primary components of the merchandising process include the following:

Dimension of Product Change in Apparel Merchandising

Dealing with the demand for constantly changing products may be one of the most challenging and interesting aspects of apparel merchandising. Fashion results in customer demand for product change.

Yarn Spinning Processes

Prior to the Industrial Revolution textiles were spun by hand using a spinning wheel. Today most commercial yarns are produced in textile mills, and although the tools and techniques vary from hand spinning most of the processes are still the same. Industrial yarn spinning includes four basic processes and three additional:

Types of Textile Fibers

Any substance natural or manufactured with high length to width ratio and with suitable characteristics for being processed into fabrics is called fiber. It is smallest components of textile which is hair like in nature that can be separated from fabrics.

Materials Used to Make Fabrics

There are various materials and methods for making textile fabrics. Some of the oldest fabric structures consist of yarns used to weave, knit, braid, and knot. Newer methods of making fabrics may use fibers, stitching, solutions, foam, or combinations to make textile fabrics. The structure of the fabric deter­mines its characteristics, such as appearance, texture, end uses, performance, and cost. 

Textile Terms and Definitions

Textile is a term originally applied only to woven fabrics, now generally applied to fibers, yarns, fabrics or product made of fiber, yarns, or fabrics.

Textile Industry Value Chain

Textile value chain is the activities by which a subsector of the industry adds its value through processes to an article.

Fabrics for Merchandisers

An apparel merchandiser should know about fabric as it plays a significant role in apparel manufacturing.  Fabric cost constitutes 60 to 70% cost of the product. So, the selection of fabrics should be accurate to quote competitive prices as well as quality concerns. Effective skill in the selection of fabric and its utilization optimizes garment quality and profits. 

Thread Consumption Equation

Thread consumption may be carried out by an equation that is derived from stitch geometry for various stitch types. The equation is flexible and applicable to any given length of the seam, they are shown for one inch only, and may be multiplied by the length of the seam to determine the total thread consumed. 

Documents Required for Garment Export

Documents that are usually sent by the exporter’s bank to the importer’s bank to deliver to importers against payment and/or acceptance are called export documents. Export documents must include evidence of the merchandise having been loaded onto a vessel. These documents are essential to clear customs and take delivery of imported merchandise.