As an apparel brand owner, one of the biggest challenges you face is finding the right fabric suppliers. With so many options on the market, it can be difficult to know where to start your search. However, China is one of the leading countries for textile production, making it an excellent choice for sourcing fabrics.
In this blog, we will explore different fabric qualities such as knit, woven, yarn dyed and printed, and various methods of knitting, weaving and printing. We'll also cover a general guide on how to source fabric for your China apparel collection so you can create high-quality garments your customers will love!
Sourcing Fabrics in China
What is Fabric Sourcing?
Fabric sourcing is the process of identifying and selecting the right fabric. It includes sourcing and evaluating potential suppliers, negotiating prices and terms, and ensuring that selected fabrics meet desired quality, color, texture, and other specifications.
Fabric sourcing is an important part of the textile and fashion industry, where the quality and appearance of fabrics play a vital role in the success of a product. It involves researching the latest trends and materials, as well as understanding the manufacturing processes, environmental impact and ethical considerations associated with different types of fabrics.
Fabric sourcing can be done through a variety of channels such as visiting trade shows, attending fabric mills and suppliers, working with agents and middlemen, or conducting online research. The ultimate goal of fabric sourcing is to get the right fabrics at the right price while ensuring they meet quality, performance and sustainability requirements.
Basics of fabric construction
A key aspect of the design process is understanding the structure of the fabric and determining which type of fabric is best for the product being created. There are various methods of fabric construction, but knitted and woven are the two most commonly used.
Woven and knitted materials
knitted fabric
Knitted fabrics are often favored for their light, comfortable feel, and their resistance to wrinkling and low maintenance. Due to their elastic properties, these fabrics are a popular choice for designing soft and comfortable tops, pants and underwear, and are ideal for sportswear. Currently, knitted fabrics are available in a variety of fibers such as linen, silk, wool, tencel, polyester, cotton and cotton blends.
There are two main methods of making knitted fabrics:
Weft-knitted or hand-knitted fabrics are constructed by successively winding individual yarns to form horizontal rows. Each row builds on the previous row.
Warp knitted fabrics are produced using multiple parallel yarns that are interwoven vertically to form a fabric. This process happens simultaneously.
Woven fabric
Woven fabrics are produced by interweaving two or more sets of yarns in a vertical fashion using hand or power looms. It is known for its opacity, abrasion resistance, and anti-pilling toughness. The quality and strength of a woven fabric is directly proportional to its yarn count – higher count means better quality and strength. Woven fabrics are widely used to make denim and dress pants, button-down shirts and jackets.
Woven fabrics are divided into two categories:
Basic weave: including plain weave, twill weave, satin weave and other simple patterns.
Intricate Weaves These weaves feature intricate designs such as dobby weaves, jacquard weaves, and piqué weaves (as seen in men's polo shirts), among others.
Types of Fabric Suppliers
Securing reliable fabric suppliers is an important aspect of launching a clothing brand. It is important to find a partner who can ensure the necessary stock is available and delivered in a timely manner.
There are three types of fabric suppliers that differ in the way they operate and the types of fabrics they offer.
Fabric Mills: Offer custom fabrics, often with large minimum order quantities (MOQs).
Processor: A company that purchases unfinished or raw fabrics from fabric mills and then processes the fabrics by dyeing, printing, or washing.
Wholesalers: Usually stock a limited selection of surplus fabrics from processors and mills. They may sell these fabrics at a discount and may not restock when the fabric, color, or print is sold out. Be careful when dealing with such fabric suppliers as it may not be possible to order the same fabric repeatedly.
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Sourcing Fabrics: Where can I find fabrics in China for your clothing line?
Sourcing fabrics for apparel collections in China requires careful consideration of fabric quality and cost. Different regions in China offer a variety of fabrics at different prices.
Factory: Many garment exporters source gray fabric, which is then dyed or printed in local factories to save costs. Factory sourced clothing materials offer higher quality fabrics, but at a slightly higher price.
When sourcing fabrics in India, it is important to weigh the trade-off between cost and quality in order to find the right solution for your clothing line.
Sourcing Fabrics: Questions to Ask Fabric Suppliers
Sourcing the best fabrics for a clothing line is critical and requires careful consideration. Spec sheets are a useful tool for listing specific information about the quality of each fabric, and can be created by a brand or provided by a supplier. Here are 10 questions to ask your suppliers during the fabric sourcing process:
Fabric Item or Item Number: This number is used by suppliers to identify the quality of each fabric and can be found on fabric hangers. Make a note of this number for samples and bulk orders.
Fabric Weight: Consider the weight of each garment you design as it affects drape and fit. Fabric weights are listed in grams per square meter (GSM) with examples of common weights for different types of knitwear: Activewear 200-300 GSM, Lounge Pants 180-250 GSM, Standard T-Shirts 130-180 GSM, Light Quality T-shirts are 130 GSM or less. These are guidelines only and may vary with your clothing line.
Fabric laboratory testing: This is the process of testing the physical and chemical properties of fabrics to ensure that they meet the required quality and safety standards. There are many different types of fabric laboratory tests, including physical tests (such as tensile strength and tear resistance), chemical tests (such as pH and formaldehyde content), and performance tests (such as abrasion resistance and moisture management). This can help identify any potential problems or defects in the fabric that could affect its performance or appearance.
Fabric Construction: The process of converting yarns or fibers into fabrics and determining their properties through the materials and methods used (such as weaving or knitting).
Fabric Width: The edge-to-edge measurement of a roll of fabric, as provided by the supplier, with two points of measurement: total width and cuttable width. The cuttable width measures any skewing or damage to the fabric edge during production and shipping.
Fabric Price: Depending on market conditions and resource costs, the cost per yard or meter of fabric may vary from year to year. To stay within your budget, base your target price on each fabric based on your garment's target retail price and fabric production. Buying fabric in bulk is often a better deal than buying sample sizes, and can cost you $3-5 more per yard, or even double the bulk price. Ask suppliers for samples and bulk pricing.
Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ): The minimum size of fabric a supplier requires per order may vary from supplier to supplier. The MOQ for sample size is usually 5 yards, while bulk MOQ may be higher. Suppliers may offer to apply bulk MOQs to multiple colors of the same fabric quality, or require each fabric, each color. For example, if you cannot purchase 500 yards of one color, consider maximizing your purchasing options by applying a MOQ to multiple colors.
Fabric lead time: Fabric lead time refers to the time from when you place an order to when the fabric is delivered to the factory. Some suppliers have stock so lead times are fast, while others may have lead times of 4-8 weeks. You can ask the supplier for sample and bulk yardage lead times. In most cases, lead times for sample sizes are shorter.
Country of Origin (COO): The country of origin refers to where the fabric was produced and shipped. Knowing this information is very important to the labeling requirements of the garment, and it can also affect the cost of the fabric.
Fabric Care Instructions: These instructions provide washing and care recommendations based on the composition and construction of a specific fabric. Different fibers may require different care, such as avoiding high heat or dry cleaning. These instructions are provided to ensure the longevity of your fabric.
