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Apparel Production : Terminologies of Apparel Production in 2024

apparel production

Knowing about apparel production is the most necessary step before starting a clothing business. We are going to go through 10 fashion manufacturing terms that you should be familiar with if you’re going to start apparel production. Many people have trouble understanding terminology, especially if they’re new to the fashion industry. And it’s critical to know what your manufacturer is talking about and what you’re agreeing to. Don’t worry if you’ve ever been perplexed by apparel production terminologies.  

Today we are going to go through 10 terms that are randomly used in apparel production. Let’s start …

1. Bulk

apparel production

Bulk, also known as “go to bulk” or “approved to bulk” refers to the completion of your sampling, satisfaction with the results, and readiness to move on to your main order. The ultimate order of your products is referred to as bulk. The phrase “go to bulk” or “approved to bulk” refers to you providing your approval to the factory. You’re indicating that you’re pleased with the results of the samples and are ready to commit to the final order.

2. CMT

apparel production

CMT stands for cut, make, and trim. And it’s the second term we are going to introduce to you. This means that the factory may cut out the fabric, stitch it together, and add any necessary embellishments, such as buttons, labels, zips, and so on. So if your estimated state is CMT only, it means the factory isn’t going to provide any of those fabrics, and you’ll have to source them yourself. 

3. CNY 

The next term is CNY, which stands for Chinese New Year. And you’ll hear it a lot if you work with Chinese suppliers or manufacturers. During the Chinese New Year celebrations, many industries remain closed for up to six weeks, and there are often delivery delays. Because they’re hurrying to finish everything before Chinese New Year, and because there are absolutely no boats or goods leaving China during CNY. After CNY, when everyone is heading back to work, many factories have concerns with employees not returning to work, resulting in a big problem that lasts for months. Despite the fact that the New Year’s Eve party is substantially shorter. This is something to keep in mind during the months of January, February, and March. The dates of the celebrations vary from year to year, though they usually fall around those dates. 

4. Ex-Factory 

The ex-factory date is the day when the majority of the product will depart the manufacturer. However, when it comes to delivery dates or interactions with your manufacturer regarding dates, you must be extremely clear about what you intend. In most situations, the ex-factory date will differ from the shipment day. Because you must account for the distance between the factory and the port, as well as the time it will take to travel by road. So make sure you understand exactly what’s going on with any delivery dates. Thus you don’t miss any shipping, freight, or other slots that you’ve scheduled. 

5. FOB

The number five is FOB, which stands for free on board, and this may show up when you get estimates from vendors. It usually indicates that both the cost of shipping the items to the nearest port and the cost of making the clothing are included. Fabrics are usually included in this. Do double-check, and we say this because that’s what it’s supposed to mean, but manufacturers have a habit of twisting quotes in their favor. As a result, you’ll have to double-check that the quote has everything itemized and comprehensive. It usually excludes the real delivery charge as well as any additional fees like taxes, import duties, insurance, and so on. 

6. Grade Rules

apparel production

Grading, often known as grade roles, is number six. Grading is the difference in measurements between each size, and grade rules inform the factory how much of a difference there should be between each point of measurement and each size you’re making your range in. Now, your tech pack or spec sheet contains the grade guidelines. Further they’ll tell the factory what measures to use. It will be for each point of measurement, and they will differ between different styles and positions within that style. Make sure these are made specifically for each style, rather than being a hasty copy/paste job. Some of them will be the same, but they must be double-checked at each measurement point. This must be done manually to ensure that you account for all of the varied sizes you’re producing. 

7. Lead-time

The seventh factor is lead time, which is the time between when you confirm your order with the factory and when you receive the completed goods at the distribution center. This can be tricky once more. This can be tricky once again. As we previously stated regarding dates, the factory may list their lead time as when the order leaves them. In this instance, you must also speak with your courier or whoever is delivering your goods to obtain the true lead time from start to finish. And in many circumstances, you may need to contact a few different people in order to get that date. 

8. MOQ

The MOQ is the eighth item on the list, and it is the most important. If you own a small business or a startup, you’ll hear this all the time. It refers to the minimum order quantity, which will be applicable for a variety of items. So it may be the bare minimum of clothes that the factory is willing to produce, or the bare minimum of fabric that you can purchase, or the bare minimum of trims, labels, barcodes, bags, or whatever it is. By paying a premium, you can sometimes get around the MOQ. Obviously, this has a significant impact on your costs. Minimums will apply to almost every business you work with on a retail business to wholesale business. And while the minimums are sometimes manageable, such as 50 units or 50 meters of fabric, they can also be as high as 10,000. As a result, the MOQ has a significant impact on who you can do business with.     

9. Tolerance

Tolerance is number nine. The amount of variation you’re willing to allow on a certain portion of a garment is referred to as tolerance. It’s a little difficult to grasp at first, but hopefully this example will help. So, if a specific measurement on a garment we are working on is expected to measure 40cm and we’ve applied a 1cm tolerance, the factory might produce the garment in 39cm or 41cm without any issues or fines. If the measurement was, say, 45cm, there would be a 5cm difference, even if we only requested for 1cm. So that’s when you approach the factory about remaking or repairing the problem, or having sanctions imposed. The tolerance should be clearly stated on your tech pack so that you can maintain quality control. 

10. Critical Path 

The critical path is a document, usually an Excel sheet, that you use to track the progress of your production and keep track of any samples, lab dips, strike offs, or other items that have arrived. It’s critical for keeping manufacturing schedules on track. It’s crucial to understand that the critical route is just as much your responsibility as the factories. You must be on top of the vital path at all times. 

Now you have become known to the basic terms of apparel production. You can now make conversation fluently with the clothing manufacturers like Beautiful Connection Group for your apparel production. They are one of the best clothing manufacturers in the USA. They have been working with customers all over the world. Their consistent honesty & integrity in either business or society relations are key factors that make the local and international reputation of their company.