Apparel Production
Cupro fabric is a regenerated cellulose textile made from cotton linter, the short fuzz left on cotton seeds after ginning. Chemically, it is a cousin of viscose, modal, and lyocell. In practice, cupro fabric is prized for a silk-like drape, a cool and smooth hand, and good breathability, which is…
Linen fabric is a woven or knitted textile made from flax, a bast fibre taken from the stem of the Linum usitatissimum plant. In practice, linen fabric is cool, strong, and absorbent, but it creases easily and can shrink several percent if it is not pre-washed. That combination makes it…
The inventory turnover ratio measures how many times a business sells and replaces its stock in a year. You calculate it by dividing cost of goods sold by average inventory at cost. For apparel, a higher inventory turnover ratio usually means fresher product, fewer markdowns, and less cash tied up…
Fabric pilling is the formation of small balls of tangled fibre on the surface of a fabric after wear and washing. For a consumer, it makes a new sweater look old. For an apparel brand, however, fabric pilling is a measurable quality property. Labs test it and rate it from…
Keystone pricing sets a retail price at exactly double the wholesale cost. Specifically, a $20 wholesale garment becomes a $40 retail price, no other math involved at all. It’s the oldest, simplest markup rule in retail. Apparel brands still lean on it constantly. However, it doesn’t fit every product or…
A minimum advertised price, or MAP, policy sets the lowest price a retailer can advertise for a brand’s products. Without one, a single retailer can slash prices online, and every other retailer carrying the line feels pressure to match. For a wholesale apparel brand, that race to the bottom can…
Minimum order quantity, or MOQ, is the smallest number of units a factory or fabric mill will accept per order. For apparel brands, that single number decides which factories are even reachable. A 500-unit MOQ is routine for an established label. For a founder testing a first collection, it can…
Quality control management software is a system that logs inspections, captures defects, and enforces pass or fail decisions at every stage of production. It replaces paper checklists and scattered spreadsheets with one shared record. Most apparel brands already run quality control in some form. Far fewer run it in a…
A sourcing agent finds, vets, and manages factories on behalf of an apparel brand. In exchange, the agent earns a commission on the order value. Most agents charge 5 to 10% of the FOB price. However, the rate shifts with order size. A small trial order often pays more. A…
PLM for kids apparel brands has to manage three things an adult-focused setup can mostly skip. First, federal safety rules that apply only to specific size ranges. Second, a size grading system that splits into several unrelated age bands. Third, licensing or collaboration approvals that can block a style until…
