Effect of Bleaches and Solvents

Cotton fabric is unaffected by chlorine bleach. However, repeated chlorine bleach launderings will destroy the flame-resistant finish. Chlorine bleach must not be used on durable flame retardant treated cotton fabrics. Detergents containing bleach alternatives (sodium perborate) are acceptable for home laundering. Industrial laundry detergents containing hydrogen peroxide must not be used. Effect of Mildew, Aging, Sunlight and Abrasion Cotton has relatively poor resistance to mildew, aging, and sunlight. Nylon in the blend improves abrasion resistance. Direct exposure to ultraviolet rays in welding causes actinic degradation resulting in fabric strength and color loss.

what is the difference between twill fabrics and drill fabrics?

Drill fabric IS twill fabric, both of which refer to the weave. Normal twill’s are a diagonally woven fabric. Usually a 45% angle but can be any where from a 15% to 75% angle. Referred to as steep or reclining. Right hand twill’s include materials such as Cassimere, gabardine and tweed, Left hand twill’s include denim, ticking and DRILL.

 

 

Twill is a widely used weave construction to make variety fabrics like gabardin, denim, jeans, drill etc.

How to make the most of workwear trade shows

Workwear trade shows

 

Workwear trade shows are highly important when making contacts in the industry as well as meeting potential clients. Getting the most out of a trade show can only benefit your business, but it is a huge planning feat. Here in our guide, we’re breaking down the tasks which can make your trade shows go successfully for your business.

 

 

What to do before the trade show

 

Being organised and well researched before is crucial in order to make the most out of a great opportunity.

 

But first things first, ask the hosts if you can get some information about the people attending. Finding out who the potential customers are, the competitors and the potential collaborators are can only give you advantage.

 

It is also worth asking where you will be positioned in the trade hall. If you’re stuck in a place where you think you might not get a lot of attention, then ask to be moved! At workwear trade shows you might need to be focussing on certain products like hi-vis items which might need darker areas.

 

Planning what you need to take with you and what materials you need to have prepared is also key. Having a rough plan of your exhibit, as well as planning a smart outfit can make you look very professional.

 

You then need to think about who should be going to the event with you. If you’re planning on doing a demonstration, take along a specialist member of staff. At workwear trade shows this is crucial as workwear can save lives! Make sure to brief those who are going along, so you’re all giving potential customers the same information.

 

 

What to do at the trade show

 

Make yourself presentable and position your marketing materials appropriately. If you make sure to stand at the front of your stall and look engaged, the more likely you will seem to be approachable.

 

Don’t be afraid to change your strategy if you need to, sometimes a risk can pay off.

 

 

What to do after the trade show

 

Using the contacts you made, organise your notes on them and get in touch to find out if they are truly interested whilst you’re both still fresh in each other’s memory.  Also ask what they liked, disliked about the event – it’s a great opportunity to get some general feedback to improve what you do at the upcoming workwear trade shows.

Previous post:How should Zhuocheng take root and be flourish in the future’s fabric market?

How should Zhuocheng take root and be flourish in the future’s fabric market?

In the increasing competitive environment, we should not only be content with the present.The primitive accumulation of capital has long been unable to adapt to the competitive society. How can we seek to survive and thrive in the changing world. In the consumer market ,the first thing we need to do is good service.The second is the quality of the product.But only the novelty of products can make customers more like us.What’s more,the strong brand strategy is the easiest to conquer customers,

 

Hope Zhuocheng will continue to innovate to lead workers around the globle on the road to safety ahead!

sourcing fabric for production

When it comes to sourcing fabric for production, there are a number of important things to consider.

First steps:

During the initial design concept phase, identify what you are looking for (colors, fiber content, performance needs, intended use, etc.). Material sourcing should take place before moving into the patterning and prototyping phase. Don’t set yourself up for a futile search for the perfect fabric you envision; explore fabric options first and realize that as a startup sourcing small quantities, your selection will likely be limited.

 

Before you begin contacting fabric suppliers, you should have an official business entity with a resale tax ID number that allows you to set up and order through wholesale accounts. Try to avoid buying at retail (many websites that claim wholesale prices to the public are still retailers or jobbers); this can cripple your margins and most of the time you cannot reorder fabrics down the road. At the very least, request a tax exemption on retail purchases.

 

Minimums:

The minimums required by many large textile and trim suppliers are often higher than what an emerging designer can produce by several hundred yards. Fortunately, the industry is changing and there are a number of companies who now cater to independent designers and offer minimums anywhere from one yard to 1 roll; some also offer sample yardage.  Custom dyed fabric typically requires 300-500 yards per dye lot, custom prints may be 500-1000+ yards, and completely custom fabric can be 2000+ yards. There are some digital and other smaller volume printing and dyeing options, but expect to pay a premium whenever you are dealing in low volumes.

 

Timelines and Continuity:

If your business operates on a traditional seasonal development and production model, you could be sourcing materials a year or more before the finished product is for sale at retail. When you consider that samples are presented to wholesale buyers 6 months before the retail selling season, you have to source sample yardage several months before that to make patterns and samples, then you have to order production yardage to fill orders after several months have passed. This is why it’s important to consider continuity, which is the ability to order and reorder the same fabric. Look for suppliers who have “in stock” selections. 

 

Identifying and Contacting Suppliers:

When contacting fabric suppliers, be professional and prepared. Remember that you are trying to establish business to business relationships. Many wholesale suppliers will try to weed out amateurs, as they do not sell to the general public. Represent yourself as a manufacturer of a specific niche product, rather than identify yourself as a designer or startup; suppliers will be more likely to take you seriously. 

 

Attending a fabric trade show can be a great way to identify potential suppliers and examine their offerings firsthand. While more companies are beginning to establish a web presence, it is often best to contact suppliers directly, as they typically have a far more extensive selection available than what is represented on their website. The DG Expo is a great show for startups, as it showcases many low minimum suppliers.

 

Be prepared to answer these questions:

 

• What is your desired fabric? (fiber content, weave, finish, etc.) 
• What colors, prints, or designs do you want? 
• What weight are you are looking for? 
• Is there a specific width you need? 
• What will the end use be? 
• When do you need the fabric? 
• How much do you need? 
• Where will you need it shipped? 
• How much do you want to pay for it? 
• Is continuity (ability to reorder months or years down the road) important to your collection? 

 

Swatches and Samples:

Request swatches if possible to narrow down the selection process before committing to sample yardage (typically 3-10 yards), and hold off on committing to production quantity yardage until after you have a chance to evaluate and test samples. You must allow plenty of time for this process. It is important to choose several more fabrics than you will eventually need, with the intention of narrowing down your options.

 

Try to limit your collection to 2-5 fabrics in a limited color palette that can be used across several styles; this will make it easier to meet minimums and save you time on testing. It also adds continuity and coordination to a line, allowing for a more cohesive look when merchandising the collection. Solids tend to sell better than prints, so be conservative with the number of prints you choose. Also consider colors in terms of saleability; it is important that your collection merchandises well and is straightforward for buyers. Simplifying your fabric selections will save money and streamline this entire process.

 

Sticking to one product category will also simplify the sourcing process.  Consistency in material types will reduce the amount of time spend calibrating machine tensions in production, and fewer color choices will reduce the need to switch out thread. You may also want to consider labels – can you use the same care/content labels across several styles or will you need different ones printed for each style and fabric?

 

Testing:

Wash and dry clean; check for shrinkage, colorfastness, ease of handling, etc. You are much better off if you can identify any problems early on and eliminate a fabric, rather than going into production on something that generates issues and produces a high volume of returns, which could severely damage your company’s reputation.

Chinese textile and apparel enterprises’ low-cost expansion through the “One Belt, One Road” Initiative

Sluggish global trade growth, declining demand in overseas market and continuous rising of domestic labor costs are just a few of the numerous difficulties and challenges Chinese textile and apparel enterprises are currently facing. To be able to grow in such an adverse environment, some Chinese enterprises have either shifted their production facilities to inland regions where labor cost is lower, or have chosen to expand overseas to cut domestic labor costs.

The “One Belt, One Road” Initiative (the Initiative) has presented tremendous opportunities to Chinese textile and apparel enterprises to fully utilize already available resources in the countries along the route of the Initiative, including growing cotton in Africa, setting up production base in Southeast Asia and South Asia, and establishing logistics network overseas.

 

Just as Liu Yaozhong, Deputy Director of Trade Promotion Department of the Textile Industry Sub-council under China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, put it, the Initiative would enable Chinese textile and apparel enterprises to expand overseas at a lower cost, help mitigate the political risks such enterprises face when “going global”, as well as boost trade with countries along the route of the Initiative.