What is a manufacturer of clothing?
| CMT | FPP |
| √ Cutting | √ Product Development |
| √ Trimming | √ Pattern Making |
| √ Sewing | √ Fabric Sourcing |
| √ Cutting | |
| √ Trimming | |
| √ Sewing | |
| √ Packing & Shipping |
A clothing manufacturer is a company that produces clothing and other textile products. The process of manufacturing clothing involves several steps, from designing the garments to stitching them together to finishing them.
Clothing manufacturers may produce garments for both men and women and children’s clothing. Some apparel manufacturers focus on creating a particular type of clothing, such as outerwear, while others have a wide range of clothing items.
To be successful, apparel manufacturers must have a good understanding of the latest fashion trends and be able to produce high-quality garments at competitive prices.
Typically, there are two types of clothing manufacturers: CMT and FPP.
CMT (Cut, make, trim)
In any fashion design, three essential elements must come together ideally for the garment to look its best: the cut, the make, and the trim.
- The cut of a garment is the most crucial aspect, as it determines the basic shape and silhouette of the piece.
- The make of a garment refers to the construction and stitching, which must be done precisely to maintain its shape and integrity.
- Finally, a garment’s trim gives it that finishing touch, whether it‘s a simple hem or something more elaborate like beads or sequins.
When all three elements are executed well, the result is a beautiful and well-made piece of clothing that will last for many years.
However, if even one element is off, it can ruin the entire look of the garment.
That’s why it‘s so important to choose a skilled and experienced clothing manufacturer who knows how to achieve the perfect balance of cut, make, and trim.
Benefits of CMT
CMT has several advantages for clothing retailers. One is that it can help to save on costs. Retailers who use CMT do not have to invest in their own factories, sewing machines and equipment. They also don’t have to pay for electricity and other overhead costs associated with a factory.
Another advantage of CMT is that it can help clothing retailers to speed up production. Factories specializing in CMT can often produce garments faster than retailers making them in-house. This can be especially beneficial for retailers who need to quickly restock their shelves or fill customer orders.
Finally, CMT can also help clothing retailers to ensure consistent quality. When garments are produced in-house, there is always a risk that quality will suffer if employees are not adequately trained or if machines are not well-maintained. But when garments are made by experienced factory workers, retailers can be confident that they will meet high standards.
Overall, CMT is a manufacturing process that offers many benefits for clothing retailers. By outsourcing production to factories, retailers can save on costs, speed up production and ensure consistent quality. As a result, CMT has become increasingly popular in the fashion industry in recent years.
Drawbacks of CMT
These are some of the more common drawbacks to CMT production:
- Lack of Flexibility: Once a clothing brand has committed to working with a particular factory, it may be limited in terms of what changes it can make to its product.
- Inflexible Scheduling: CMT production typically requires longer lead times than other methods, making it difficult to accommodate last-minute changes or adjustments.
- Higher Costs: Although CMT production can save brands money in the long run, the upfront costs can be significantly higher than other methods.
- Risk of Error: Because factories are working with an existing tech pack, there’s a greater risk that errors will be made along the way.
Overall, CMT production can be an excellent option for brands with experience in production and a solid tech pack. However, it’s essential to be aware of the potential disadvantages before committing to this method.
FPP ( Full Production Package )
Full production package (FPP) is a garment manufacturing process in which the manufacturer handles every stage of clothing brand products, from start to finish. These stages include but are not limited to:
Stages of FPP
- Pattern making;
Pattern-making refers to transforming clothing design patterns and other related information into samples or drawings that factories can use to produce clothing. This step is usually done by a professional plate maker.
- Fabric and trims sourcing;
Once the pattern or drawing is completed, the fabric and other accessories can be purchased. Fabric buyers will determine the type and minimum order quantity of fabrics to be bought based on the information provided by the pattern maker. For other accessories, the parts to be purchased are determined according to the specific design of the garment and purchased from the corresponding suppliers.
- Sample making;
After sourcing fabrics and other necessary components, sample-making can begin. Sample-making aims to prove the feasibility of the garment factory‘s production process and ensure that the final product can meet the designer‘s requirements. Typically, samples are made at the factory and sent to fashion designers for review.
- Final garment production.
Once the sample is approved by the fashion designer, the production of the final product can begin. In most cases, this step is done at the factory, and the garments are delivered to the client for sale.
Benefits of FPP
The benefits of Full Production Packages (FPP) in garment manufacturing are numerous.
- Factories can better quality control, turnaround times, and costs by having all production stages completed in-house.
- In addition, FPPs provide a more streamlined and efficient workflow and greater flexibility to respond to changes in demand. As a result, factories that utilize FPPs can produce higher-quality garments at a lower cost, making them more competitive in the marketplace.
- FPPs also allow factories to better utilize their workforce, as all workers can contribute to the production process.
In sum, the benefits of Full Production Packages make them an essential part of any modern garment factory.
Drawbacks of FPP
Because FPP apparel production benefits multiple stages of product development, brands who invest in it see significantly higher returns.
However, apparel manufacturers who want to offer this type of production must make sure they have the right resources and personnel on staff, including pattern makers and grading specialists with fashion expertise.
There are several stages to the production process of garment manufacturing.
The garment manufacturing process
The garment manufacturing process – CMT or FPP – always entails these stages.
Production planning
Production planning is the first step in clothing production. It involves determining what type of garment to produce, how many pieces will be made, and when they should be ready for market. This stage also determines the raw materials and processes used during garment production.
- Order received
This is the first step in the garment production process. After receiving an order from a customer, the company needs to quality check the accuracy of the order to produce the correct quantity of final products for the customer.
- Check the capacity
Secondly, the company needs to check the current production capacity to ensure that the order can be completed within the specified time. If the company‘s current production capacity is insufficient to complete the order, it needs to consider increasing the garment production line or finding an outsourcing company to help meet the demand.
- Delivery date:
Finally, determine a reasonable delivery date for the customer according to the production capacity and garment production cycle. The above is the basic garment manufacturing process. With proper production planning and execution, companies can efficiently fulfil high-volume orders without compromising delivery times.
Checking availability
Before production begins, it is crucial to check the availability of all necessary raw materials, trims, and notions. This ensures that the garment manufacturing process can proceed smoothly without any delays. Here is a list of some of the most important things to check:
- Materials
All the cloth, fabric, and other raw materials required for the garment should be checked for availability. The fabric should also be checked for its quality and texture.
- Trims/Notions
To avoid delayed garment production, carefully check that all required trimmings (e.g. buttons, zippers) and notions (e.g., thread, interfacing) are available before starting the project; additionally, confirm that trims are of good quality and compatible with the chosen fabric/garment.
- Patterns
The company should check the pattern availability used to construct the garments. If it has its own pattern maker, it should find a freelance or contract pattern maker who can finish the job within the required timeframe.
Checking time frames
Time frames can significantly impact the garment production process, so it is essential to check that all deadlines are realistic and achievable. Production should be planned out in detail to avoid delays or last-minute problems, and all stages should be checked for accuracy before starting the project.
- When ordering fabric, you must check the time frame in which you will need the material. If you are working on a project with a tight deadline, choose a fabric already in stock. However, if you have more time consuming to work with it, you can order a custom fabric that better suits your needs.
- When ordering trims and other raw materials, it is essential to check the time frame. Some materials may take longer to ship than others, so you must plan accordingly.
- Finally, when making samples, it is essential to factor in the time consuming it will take to receive the materials. If you are working with a limited timeline, you may need to make do with whatever materials you have.
Keeping an eye on project deadlines helps ensure that your work stays on schedule.
Confirming delivery date with the client
It is always important to confirm the delivery date with the client before starting production on any clothing order. There are a few key steps that need to happen first, including:
- Sample Approval
After the product has been designed by the designer, produced by the sampler, and reviewed by the technical director, the supplier needs to send the sample to the customer for approval.
- Final review
After the customer approves the sample garment, the supplier must send the production documents (including bulk fabrics, accessories, craft sheets, dimensional tolerances, etc.), approval letter, fabric label, washing water label, etc., to the customer for final review.
- Delivery date setting
After the customer passes the final review, the supplier needs to communicate with the customer to determine the product‘s production time consuming and delivery date.
Managing departments
In any clothing production company, big or small, a few departments need to be managed for the business to run smoothly. These departments include communication, monitoring, and re-planning, among others.
- Excellent communication is essential in any workplace but critical to a clothing production company. This is because there needs to be a clear line of communication between the designers, who come up with the clothing designs, and the manufacturers who create the clothing. If there is miscommunication between these two groups, it can lead to delays in production and ultimately result in lost profits.
- Another important department in a clothing production company is monitoring. This department is responsible for keeping track of production timelines and making sure that they are being met. If there are any production delays, it is the job of the monitoring department to investigate and determine what caused the delay.
- Lastly, there is the re-planning department. This department is crucial for making sure that the company‘s production plans are flexible and can be easily adjusted if needed. The re-planning department will also come up with new plans if any changes need to be made to the existing ones.
These are just a few departments that must be managed for a clothing production company to run smoothly. The company can avoid production delays and ultimately achieve its goals by ensuring that these departments are running efficiently.
Wrapping up
A thorough understanding of the different types of clothing manufacturers and stages of clothing production is essential for any business specializing in the fashion industry.
Lezhou garment, with over 18 years of experience in the industry, has developed a comprehensive system that caters to each customer’s needs. Our knowledgeable team is committed to making sure that every order is produced with precision and accuracy for the perfect fit.
Contact us today for more information about how we can make your clothing production process easier and more efficient. We look forward to hearing from you!