The Most Common Factory Misconceptions
When I talk with startup brands there seem to be a lot of misconceptions as to what a factory will and will not do for you. I think sometimes people can be embarrassed when I have to gently correct these assumptions, but you don’t know what you don’t know! The goal is for you to be confident and sure of what needs to happen when you produce your clothing line.
Today I am addressing the most common misconceptions that I get and sharing them with you so you have a better understanding of what will happen when you work with a factory.
Not all factories are one stop shopping
It’s actually pretty common for new designers to assume that all they need is a dream and a dollar- aka a picture of what they want to make and the money to make it happen. If it were only that simple! Finding a factory doesn’t mean that you are automatically set up for success for a number of reasons:
Not all factories make all types of garments- Factories invest in the machines for the garments they are making. For instance, a tshirt factory will have very different machines and workflows then a suit factory.
Not all factories can make the patterns- Pattern making is a specialized skill. I can’t tell you how many hundreds of patterns I have fixed from factory pattern makers who can make the first draft, but then have no clue on how to get the fit right after the first sample. This was literally a full time job that I had at one point!
Not all factories can source the supplies for your project- This means fabric, trims, labels, etc…But really how much do you want to leave these critical components in someone else's hands? Taste and a shared point of view is required.
Not All factories will supply what you need
Assuming that you supply the fabric and the pattern is enough is another common misconception. For instance, if you are making athleisure leggings that require elastic, it’s not up to your factory to supply the elastic. The same applies for labels, polybags and any other trims that are needed.
It’s best to ask what they can supply for your project. But even if you think these are minor details that are standard, well my friend, there is no such thing as standard. You could find that you let your factory choose the elastic, but it’s really loose or dissolves after a year. In this case you would need to find your own supplier and source what you think would work best. Similarly, a factory may supply the thread, but will you leave it up to them to choose the correct thread color? Everyone has their own interpretation of color. For example, you could have really dark dark blue fabric, but someone chooses a black thread and in the right light it just doesn’t look right. I know many factories will send you thread approvals so they can do the bulk order and have the correct quantity on hand. If no one mentions this, make sure you do.
Finding the cheapest option is not the way to go
Your cost of goods is critical to your bottom line and how much you can sell your product for. It makes total sense to find someone that can make your product the cheapest. But cheap is not always better and the old adage plays true “you get what you pay for”.
Let’s say that you find a super cheap factory. They make you all sorts of promises that they will take care of everything you need! More than likely they will be an overseas factory and the only one you will ever get to email back and forth with is the only person who can write a spattering of English and no knowledge of factory processes.
Additionally, if they are sourcing materials for you, they will not always choose the best option. Chances are it will be something stock and cheap so they can keep costs low as well. (Can you blame them?)
Because they can offer you such a discounted price for your tiny order this means that they will take on many, many similar orders so you are not a priority until you are up next to work on.
If all this sounds harsh, it probably is… it’s been a rough week for a few of my clients that has made me a little short.
Not all factories will do the sizing for you
As a beginner, a common misconception is that you work with a pattern maker and get your final digital files and you are done with them. It's one more thing to check off the list. From here you give your digital pattern to the factory and let them take care of the sizing. Let’s be clear on this, sizing shouldn’t be an after thought that you pass off to someone else to use their judgement on. Sizing should be something that you have planned for and have been thoughtful about.
Sizing is not standard. As much as that would make everyone's lives easier, truth be told there is variation in sizing so it can be customized to your customers needs. It really pays to be thoughtful and consider how you want to set it up. I’ve seen too many brands start out with one sizing and then realize it’s not working. They end up with an inconsistent sizing message to their customers. But I digress….
Yes, there are factories that offer grading (sizing) services, but if they aren’t asking questions and just doing their own thing, I would be concerned. Factories are good at producing. This does not make them sizing experts unless they have invested in the right individuals. Not all factories prioritize patternmaking and grading knowledge. But you could get lucky!
Hand Sewing is a no-go
For those of you who sew your own garments, hand sewing tricky bits may be easy for you. It’s easy for you to thread up a needle and do touch ups that take up 20 minutes. But If there is one thing that factories hate and will try to avoid at all costs, it’s hand sewing. Factories make money by quickly turning out products. Nothing about hand sewing is fast. Now this may seem like a big deal to the home sewer but it’s important to keep in mind that factories need efficiency and if it can’t be done via machine, more than likely it’s not going to be done.
Even operations that you may associate with hand sewing have specialized machines designed to take out the hand work. The most common example are machines that sew buttons on. I’ve even worked with suit manufacturers that have special machines that tack the shoulder pads in. Granted, these are specialized machines and therefore costly, so it’s not the norm.
Hand sewing also requires a special skill set and sewing knowledge. Training someone to work a sewing machine is totally different from training someone to have the tactile expertise of sewing by hand. If you have ever tried hand embroidery, you know what I mean. It’s a special skill to sew perfectly by hand, no matter how simple or complex the item.
Now you may have garments that actually require hand tacking on pieces of trim of specialty construction. But if so, be prepared to pay for it.
Garments are not treated as individual pieces
In a factory there is generally not a single person who sews up a single garment, unless they are a specialized sample sewer. Instead, different seams are sewn by different individuals. This means that making a tshirt will mean there is someone sewing the side seams and shoulders. Then they pass it to someone who sews the sleeves. The next person is the one who sews the neckband and then they pass it to someone else to apply the hems to the sleeves and bottom. There may be some variance to this, but it serves my point that are garment is broken down into different processes done by different people.
What all this means is that there isn’t someone looking at each garment individually and making adjustments to the look/fit as they go. I once had someone assume that a factory would make their garment, put it on a dress form and then place the patch pocket according to what looks good. Oh no! I can 100% guarantee you that none of your production garments will be reviewed individually on a dress form. I think it's even safe to say that you shouldn’t count on a factory having a dress form.
Another example is hemming a garment. In the world of home sewing, we are taught that when making dresses or skirts, the best practice is to mark the hem while being worn and then trim off excess accordingly. This isn’t wrong because it tailors the hem to the individual. But in a factory setting this is extremely tedious and out of the question. A factory is not set up for this type of procedure and relies on the hem levelling to be done at the pattern making level.
Cutting doesn't happen on the fold
Now as a pattern grader I don’t mind being given a pattern that is cut on the fold. Meaning, this is half of a pattern piece intended to be placed along the fold of the fabric so it is automatically mirrored when cut. For me, I just digitize as is and then do the mirroring in my professional grade software that mirrors any changes I make to one side of the pattern to the other.
Cutting on the fold is strictly a home sewing timesaver. When you are cutting a single garment it’s better to do it this way. However a factory never cuts on the fold. There are a few reasons for this:
Cutting on the fold uses a lot more fabric than cutting a single ply of fabric.
You can get a better yield by setting up markers (cutting layouts) that contain a mix of sizes specific to each order, optimally placed for the most minimum of fabric waste.
Fabric is shipped on a roll so it will be spread over a very long table with as many plies as required to meet the number of garments on order.
Factories have special cutting machines that are designed to cut within the parameters of the selvedge on each side of the fabric. If you cut on the fold, ensuring this is consistent for all sizes and plies would be very tricky.
Now this isn’t a huge deal to fix, but I don’t want you to look amateur and put “cut on fold” in your cutters must. But if you are supplying the pattern it’s totally fine to label fold for any piece that needs to be mirrored.