A Guide To Sourcing Fabric For Your Designs

May 2, 2023

If you want to launch a fashion line, one of the first things you will have to do is choose the right fabric for your apparel. Sourcing fabric is a process in which designers and manufacturers research and buy fabrics from textile suppliers to make apparel.

While established designers have connections and understand the know-how of the industry,  new designers often struggle with finding the right supplier. This blog will serve as a guide for new designers looking to source fabric.

1. Fabric That Suits Your Fashion Line

If you are looking for a supplier, you must already have your designs ready on paper or digitally. You want to choose what kind of fabric you want for each item in your line. This will depend on your tastes and the audience you want to target. The two main types of fabrics are woven and knitted fabrics, and both have their advantages.

Fabrics can also be made of sustainable materials, and brands that cater to the conscious consumer should consider these. For example, activewear manufacturers today source from ethical suppliers because of the rising global demand for sustainable fashion.

2. Sourcing Options

After deciding on the type of fabric, create samples to send to suppliers who sell textiles. There are three main types of suppliers in the market. Your business model determines which supplier is right for you.

The first kind is a factory mill that produces textiles, where all other suppliers source fabric. Then there are converters which take semi-finished textiles from mills and process them before selling them. Lastly, you have jobbers who are suppliers that take the garments left over after mills and converters have sold them. The last one is not an ideal supplier if you plan to re-stock your items again since jobbers hardly get the same stuff again.

3. Important Guidelines

Narrow down your search for a supplier after ensuring they can source fabric similar to your samples by giving them some metrics to work with. This includes the fabric weight, article, minimum order quantity, prices, etc.

4. Make A Prototype

Multi-colored fabric hangers.

When a supplier meets your requirements, order a small amount of fabric to create prototypes of your items. This process may take a few iterations to finalize a prototype you are satisfied with.

5. Bulk Order

Once you approve a phototype, order fabric in bulk to start production.

Sourcing fabric for the first time is challenging, especially for a new designer, so we recommend taking help from your manufacturer for supplier options. Since manufacturers have been in the business for a long time, they can connect you to suppliers that meet your demands.

We are a men’s, women’s, and kid’s apparel manufacturers that helps new designers with sourcing, designing, and producing the fashion line(s) they have envisioned. Our team also connects you to different suppliers and arranges sustainable fabric from ethical sources. Get in touch with apparel manufacturing companies to book an appointment now.

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