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Fabric Sourcing can easily be divided into two areas; Retail and Wholesale. For our purposes, we will focus on “wholesale fabric sourcing” from domestic suppliers and mills; which means you have a plan to manufacture 25 to 50 units per size/per color and have them manufactured in quantities of 100-200 or more total units (that breaks down into 4 sizes of 25 – 50 units per size). This manufacturing model will allow you to find the best pricing (domestically) and lowest minimums for your target market.
If you plan on going into production, I almost never recommend retail sourcing because the pricing is typically prohibitive and the chances of future availability are greatly diminished. When I refer to “retail fabric sourcing” I am talking about a physical retail store or an online store selling at retail price points. When I refer to “wholesale fabric sourcing” I am talking about “buying directly” from a fabric mill or a sales rep who represents the fabric mill.
There is another category to be aware of called “jobbers” and sometimes it’s hard to tell who they are unless you know what to look for. Jobbers have their place in the industry and may be (at times) a great source, BUT if you’re just starting out know this: if you base your line around their products you could be headed for big problems down the road. By definition, jobbers buy “excess yardage from major mills” which could be first quality goods or sometimes goods that are marked as “seconds”. “First quality” goods are what you should look for; “seconds” defines them as having “flaws, marks or slight imperfections” which might be great buy for someone in another industry (there are exceptions to every rule which we cover in the course.) Also know that these goods are typically advertised as “must buy entire roll, as is, or one of a kind” which I interpret as “here today, gone tomorrow” inventory from a major mill.
Early on in the “Idea Phase” when you determined your future goals in children’s wear design, we discussed how to find your market niche; who they are, what they want and how to create the ideal products for them and based on your research you developed your “ideal avatar” or ideal customer. Remember that product success comes when you FOCUS on their needs, wants and desires, not yours. Finding an great fabric sounds wonderful, but if you have your heart set on that particular item because it’s pretty, you could be headed for disappointment if you don’t search for Option B or even Option C. On a positive note, nothing you learn in this process will be in vain; you will be armed with tools to become a great researcher, you’ll learn sourcing techniques to evaluate textiles and gain the confidence to make good supplier choices.
In the apparel industry minimums are typically referred to as “MOQ” or “Minimum Order Quantities” and there are factors that require close consideration when selecting fabrics for your product or product line. I consider MOQ’s the first line in sourcing research and can eliminate suppliers who have large minimums. Large minimums mean lower cost and smaller minimums typically mean higher costs.
There are cases in which you can choose a larger MOQ supplier if they allow you to purchase sample quantities first and then as you grow move into purchasing full rolls at a better price. If you use knits, make swimsuits, loungewear, leggings or sportswear try Sportek International at www.spandexbyyard.com to purchase sample yardage (1 yard is the minimum) and order color cards. Their main site is www.sportek.com where they have the same product listings. The same rule applies here too; smaller quantities are higher cost; full rolls or about 75 yards have lower costs per yard.
I have many favorite suppliers and sourcing websites that I have worked with for over 20+ years and I share that information in my course. Some sourcing sites require a yearly fee or membership and provide access to various industry links.
Here are a few sources to get you started:
Try FabricLink at www.fabriclink.com; an online source for wholesale fabrics and an extensive “fabric dictionary and glossary”.
Another source is Apparel Search at www.apparelseach.com; an extensive list of domestic and OVERSEAS suppliers, mills and trimming sources. If you are looking to expand your business and need to contact “Children’s Wear Buyers” there is a 2022 Children’s Wear Buyer Directory” for $329.00.
For those students who enroll in the Children’s Wear Design Academy course, additional sourcing guides and supplier lists will be shared.
