Fabric Fashion Trends for Winter 2008 – 09

So what all are you wearing this winter? The markets are generally stuffed up with the fabrics with patterns and designs most in demand. Also fabric manufacturers continuously bring changes in their production process to add or introduce fabrics that stand apart from the crowd. This is but essential for them to survive in the dynamic fashion industry. Lets have a look at what are in things in this winters fabric and fashion arena!

Fabric Patterns

This winter, subtle prints with focus on the surfaces of fabrics is the major trend. Fabrics with pleats, over stitches, wrinkles, blistered and ruffled effects can be easily found. New structural designs and multi-dimensional surfaces have fusion of natural and artificial fibers. Traditional fabrics are getting new looks as they are dyed with metallic tint. Fabrics embellished with prints in paisley, skin prints, floral designs, and embroidery other than softer looking graphic patterns are in vogue. Geometric patterns, metallic wefts, polka dots, sports mesh, animal prints, and polyamide designs are also being used.

Tweeds, pinstripes, jacquards and checks are being frequently used for masculine patterns. For sheer feminine feel, delicate and fancy winter designs in pastels right from pearl to rose are there to attract everyone.

Fabric Texture

Wool is the main fabric but in featherweights or in cottons that are reworked. Fake furs this season are extra hairy to match with the ongoing wild spirit. Denim is coated with metallic oxidized effect having a little sheen. Truly a season of sophisticated finishes and effects! Smooth structures, double fabrics, velvet, fabrics having three dimensional effects and fancy weaves are all preferred by apparel manufacturers thus they are more than likely to be seen in markets. Concern for environment has led to the expansion of recycled clothing market. So, Green Apparels made from recycled materials like soda cans and pop bottles can also be found with ease.

Stretchable fabric with micro-structures in the weave are used for menswear fabrics. Wool, crepe, and cotton with seersucker effect and transparent weaves are favored for skirts.

So, What are you waiting for now? Just select your favorite fabric patterns and texture and go for a warm trendy wardrobe this season!

Kitchen Linen- for Joyful and Safe Cooking

In one of my previous posts, I had introduced you to the amazing world of textile where not only dresses are sewn but also a varied range of items are made with the simple and all pervasive- textile fabrics! Can you name one very important portion of your house, which is, of course not wholly dependent on fabrics but where the application of textile products are as essential as in any other part of the house? I guess, you will get it right! After all you have read the title before you started reading the article- yes of course, it is kitchen Linen- one of the most desirable home furnishings.

Tips for buying Kitchen Linens

The market is flooded with various types of aprons, kitchen gloves & mittens, kitchen towels, pot holders, and everything loved by your kitchen. Here are certain tips for your ultimate kitchen friends- the kitchen linens!

Apron: Go for the standard barbecue apron, not very short or long, just mid length, to help keep spills off from your clothes. One that ties at neck and waist will be great- neither pushing off nor holding you from free movement. Remember to check the pockets- center-stitched bottom compartment pouches are good for keeping tools and recipes handy and for easy reach. Washable and durable Linen or cotton material is desirable and if made of flame resistant fabric, nothing compares it.

Pot holder: Round or square with traditional or modern designs, these fabric pads for handling hot cooking utensils must have plenty of insulation for resisting heat and should be moisture resistant. Just check the average size of your kitchen utensils and go for pot holders of complimentary sizes. Very large or very small will not fulfill any purpose. Give preference to cotton, linen and fire resistant fabric.

Kitchen Towels: Keep handy kitchen towels of different sizes within easy reach for drying dishes and just-washed hands. Ensure that they are made of easily washable & dried, highly absorbent, and durable fabric material such as cotton, linen, terrycloth, or microfiber.

Cheese Cloth: Handy cheese cloths for multipurpose kitchen uses such as basting, stuffing poultry, canning, straining, wrapping cottage cheese, wine making, or hanging curd are great if made of high quality woven cotton or linen. Both, fine and coarse cheese cloth are desirable- fine one to drain soften cheese, yogurt, & butter and coarse one for draining curd, lining cheese shaping molds & cheese press.

Kitchen Glove & Mitten: Mittens made of linen or cotton should be thick and insulated enough so as to resist heat properly. However, too much thickness sometimes hinders easy operation so extremity should be avoided. Again, flame resistant material is ideal.

Hope you have a joyful and safe cooking everyday and enjoy the delicious home made dishes with family and friends!

Herbal Textile- Give Yourself a Healthy Style

As if today's fast and stressful life is not enough, there is environmental pollution everywhere to aggravate the health problems. We do physical exercises, opt for a healthy diet, try to follow a stress free life, then also suffer from one or the other ailments. In such a situation, textile industry has also become somewhat conscious about its negative contribution to the environment pollution through the textile chemicals uses in its various manufacturing processes. As a result many textile manufacturers have opted for non polluting ways of producing textile and garments. One of these solutions are the Herbal Textile.

What is Herbal Textile?

When the textile is dyed with the extractions obtained from various herbs, they are referred to as Herbal Textile. No chemicals are used in its dyeing process. Some of you may equate herbal dyes with vegetable dyes but they are different as the herbal dyes also carry some or the other medicinal value. Moreover, while dyeing with vegetable dyes, some chemicals are used as catalysts, where as when dyeing with herbal extractions, none of the chemicals are used. Herbal dyes also come in almost all the colors and shades.

The Healing Value

Now you can get herbal textile on your list of items for healthy lifestyle. Why...? Herbal Textile helps us in fighting many common and prevalent diseases such as hypertension, heart ailments, asthma and diabetes. If you have any doubt just go through the herbs used for making these textile! Indigo and Turmeric fights skin diseases, Cuscus grass is good for asthma patients, Sandalwood, with its mild fragrance makes you stress free avoiding hypertension and diabetes....! In fact, the native Americans used only herbs to dye, which was truly a natural and healthy way to dress up!

So, now you can start searching for apparels, bedsheets, undergarments, blankets etc. made of herbal textile to make you feel cool! More these clothings and other items stay close to your skin, more your health will be fine!

Colors, Clothes and Personality- Part II

I am back with the impacts of colors on moods and personality. I hope you enjoyed reading the part I of this article where I had explained the effects of the colors red, blue, green, black, yellow and pink. So, what color are you wearing today? One of these, or some other color!

Well! before moving on to the analysis of other colors for your clothes, I'll just share some more information about how colors are applied to the fabrics. Of course, you know that textile or a garment is dyed for imparting colors to them, but do you know what are the exact textile chemicals used for the purpose? You will be amazed to know the wide variety of dyes, pigments and chemicals used for dyeing our clothes. The sad aspect of this is their polluting effect on the surrounding environment. But, textile industry has found out solutions for this also by finding out herbal dyes. In fact, if you are one of those who are conscious about the environment, you can yourself grow herbs for home dyeing some of your fabrics, just for experiment and adventure too- adventure of finding your favorite color naturally!

More Colors for Apparels

Gray: The color of seriousness, dependability and stability, gray is considered to be brainy. It reflects a balanced personality. Wear gray in job interviews to show how responsible you are but all gray is boring so compatible accessories will make it more elegant.

Violet: The combination of red and blue, violet is the color of purpose, royalty, and imagination. Red is passionate hot color while blue is cooling and calm. Other accessories have to be chosen selectively when wearing this color as it also reflects sensuality, desire and mystic. Shades should also be selected cautiously so that the wearer doesn't appear too flashy. Light purple reflects femininity and romantic feelings while dark shades are somewhat gloomy and sad.

Brown: Sometimes considered dull, brown reflects simplicity, friendliness, and dependability. Its lighter shades act as excellent backgrounds for other colors appear richer and brighter. It is a color of autumn and fall season. Dark browns can also replace black for a slight warmer tone.

Orange: The combination of red and yellow, the vibrant orange reflects enthusiasm and creativity. Having resemblance with autumn leaves, this color represents transition. It is mentally stimulating and attracts people. The right color for parties! But be cautious, screaming orange can even alienate people.

White: The union of all colors, simple and pure white represents wholeness and completion. It is soft and when combined with any other color, it makes you distinct wherever you are, in social gatherings, parties, or corporate meetings. It reflects innocence, purity, kindness, truth and a new beginning, why else it be preferred by the brides!

What a colorful combination! I felt great while writing this article and am hopeful you too find it interesting to read!

Colors, Clothes and Personality- Part I

Do you enjoy watching movies? May be yes or it can be no too! Anyway, I am sure, in your whole life, you must have watched some. Just try to recollect certain scenes from the movies you have watched- happy scenes, sad ones, hilarious and the emotional scenes! Do they differ in color scheme? Do the actors wear colors matching to the moods of the scenes? Have you ever thought that a particular other color would have matched more suitably to a scene? Hope, you have understood the importance of colors on our clothes, and surroundings that do affect our moods and personality.

Dress Colors and their Impact

All the colors have special significance. There are certain colors that suit our skin color more than the other ones. Just watch for the compliments you get occasionally and you'll soon get to know what colors suit you the most! Then there is the factor of our moods that subtly influence our decisions about wearing a certain color on a day. It is this importance of colorful clothes that inspires the textile industry for investing time and energy in tedious dyeing process and give the clothes a variety of colors.

Red: The color of passion, sensuality and boldness, suits the outgoing personalities who want to be noted by everyone everywhere. To tone it down, it should be paired with somewhat soft hues- e.g. red with blue or gray. Avoid wearing it on very formal occasions and where chances of conflicts are higher.

Blue: The color of tranquility, sensitivity, warmth and trust, soothes the nerves and is effective in settling down any sudden bursts of emotions. Its darker shades are great for formal events while lighter ones will suit the casual settings.

Green: The color of nature, life and growth, brings order and balance. Jewel tones are good for dates and evenings. The softer, pastel shades are for daytime. Lighter shades of green are also healing, just check at any hospital.

Black: The color of power, elegance, sophistication and even mystery. Black suits are most popular for formal gatherings and parties. Its a boon to the fat as black make them look slimmer. Match it with any color and bring elegance to your personality.

Yellow: The color of youthfulness, joy, and alertness of mind, is sometimes considered too bright but its different shades from pastel to dark ones can be combined with any other color to bring cheer at any fun event.

Pink: The color of love, affection, gentleness, femininity and calm mostly loved by the girls. It is the perfect color for romantic dates.Those were some of the basic colors our clothes have on them.

I'll bring some more colors to you on my next post. Meanwhile, you'll love to take a color personality test.

Stage Curtains

Stage is synonymous to expression of arts. Fabric too is used artistically on stage to help express arts in effective ways. Fabric is used primarily in making of stage curtains and backdrops. There are various types of stage curtains that can be made of different types of textile fabrics. There are Proscenium Curtains which are mainly used as a divide between the audience and the artists. This one category of stage curtains is divided into many other classifications based on their looks and methods of manufacturing. Then there are Masking Curtains whose purpose is to hide the off stage area, divide the stage, and provide access to the main stage area. There are again many classifications of these masking curtains. The backdrops made of fabrics are used for scenic elements on the stage or for lighting effects or projection. They can be painted or printed by various methods.

We are introduced to stages right from our childhood when we see them in churches and schools but as we grow up and see many more stages either in concerts or performance shows, we never think of the unusual tasks performed by the stage curtains

Right Bag for Right Purpose

Bags are for our comfort, for carrying different items in an organized way so that we may execute our work with ease. Bags also give style to our personality. However, if we only carry a bag for style and neglect its functionality, we might face embarrassing situations anytime! So what are the facts that must be considered while selecting a bag?

Simple Tote Bags: If a bag is needed for holding personal items of daily necessities, as required by beach goers or college students or for shopping, picnicking, etc., a simple tote bag made of fabric or leather is good enough. Fabric tote bags are tough and durable, thus ideal for daily heavy use. Canvas, nylon, cotton, jute, jacquard, suede, etc. are mostly used for making fabric tote bags. Leather tote bags, apart from being useful, are stylish and have a luxurious appearance. They are ideal for formal occasions. Fabric totes are generally cheaper than leather ones.

Work Bags: If a bag is needed for office purpose, a complicated tote bag with zippered pockets and compartment, fully-lined interior, cellphone holder, pen loop and other such features, is required. If laptop is one of the items that has to be carried then more care has to be taken while choosing a bag which should be according to the size of the laptop. Padded laptop compartments are great for reducing shock damage. Padded or soft wide shoulder straps are good for heavy burdens while non-padded or narrow straps are proper for carrying lightweight items.

Custom Tote Bags: If a cheap option for promoting one's business is needed then custom tote bags with unique logos or messages are the best. They are also good for trade show giveaways, grand openings, institution anniversaries, product promotion and so on. These personalized tote bags are generally made of cotton, canvas, etc. Personalized tote bags as gifts to loved ones are good for enhancing relationships too.

Storage Totes: Whether the toys and tools around the yard have to be picked up, off-season clothes have to be stored or the frequently used small items have to be collected, storage totes are needed everywhere- at home and in offices or industries. Their capacity ranges from about 5 gallon to 45 gallon or even bigger. Some of these totes have two or four wheels for easily moving heavier items. Strength and durability are the main concerns while choosing a storage bag. Weather resistant plastic and fiberglass models are good for general household or industry use. Canvas storage totes are best for indoor use in offices, bedrooms or bathrooms.

Garment Bags: When the clothes have to be effectively prevented from wrinkle, damage or odor, garment bags have no match. They can be easily placed in wardrobes or traveling bags. Leather

garment bags, stylish and functional, are the most expensive ones. Vinyl garment bags, relatively new, are easy-to-clean and dust and moth resistant. They cost less than leather garment bags but more than nylon bags which are plain and mostly expandable with multiple compartments to hold clothes. Vertical garment bags, designed for long travels, have one or two huge main compartments and several other smaller sections. Easy-wrinkling clothes can be hanged in it and many other items of different sizes can be stored.

Tips for Women's Clothing

The list of most adorable things in a woman's life definitely includes her clothings. Women and fashion are complimentary to each other. This is a very desirable approach too. After all, the fashion conscious women bring color and life everywhere. Just imagine a world where no woman takes care in selecting her apparels. How lifeless the surroundings will be! But women should also think about the quality and comfort of the dresses they wear. Fashion, quality and comfort should go together. Then only the ultimate purpose of womens clothing will be fulfilled.

What to do when Buying Clothes?

When you are a little careful and are ready to spend a little more time when buying clothes, you will get quality clothings and will feel good after wearing them.

Plan before Shopping

Plan what do you want- casual wear, business apparel or a party wear. Also important is to decide what style and trend work better for you? Are you comfortable with bold types or the conservative styles? What is your budget? What are the colors that suit you the most? and what are the basic styles that suit your body type? answers will definitely help you in finding the right stores according to your needs.

Select Quality Clothings

Its always better to have smaller better quality wardrobe than to have a large number of low quality clothings. The second option can put you in embarrassing situation anytime. So be careful while checking the quality of the clothes.

Examine the fabric: If you see the fabric in sufficient light, you can make out the flaws and pulls in its structure. Learn to differentiate between high quality and low quality fabrics. One of the ways to develop this quality is to visit high-end women's fashion boutique. Touch the fabric on the higher end designer clothing and feel their texture. Next, visit a lower end fashion outlet and do the same exercise. You'll soon develop an ability to determine fabric quality.

Check the finish and the accessories of the clothing: Check the stitching that should be in straight line with an average of ten stitches per inch. Check the belt, if there's any. Cheap, thin, or flimsy belts will mean that the entire garment might be of lower quality. Zippers should mix in with the color of the garment and should not be obvious. Move the zipper up and down to ensure its proper working. High quality women's clothing generally have smooth, finished buttonholes which fit neatly over the button. The hems should be hand sewn and invisible f

rom the outside of the garment.

Although expensive and branded apparels are usually of high quality but if your budget does not allow to go for such kinds, you can explore ways to buy high quality clothes at cheaper rates. You can wait for the holiday sales by the brands to shop for the coming seasons. Another way is to shop online. Many internet stores offer women's clothing at low costs so that they may save the cost of running a physical store.

So now you know what all is required to have a good wardrobe! Why wait? Start planning for your next buy!

Wear Suits According to Your Body Type

Some men look good all the time. Others look good sometimes. There are certain men who don't look good at all. What's the reason behind this? The answer is the kind of suit they wear. The people who listen to their body types and wear suits accordingly will definitely look attractive. For some of the men, it comes naturally but there are others who have specific requirements about their clothing that will force people to look at them! Here are some do's and don'ts for your body type!

Tall and Thin

Go for heavier fabrics to give some additional weight to your body. Tweed or a heavier weight worsted wool are perfect.
Choose lighter colors as they make things appear bulky. Such colors as khaki or gray will do.
Suits with three buttons will make you look attractive. If you choose a two button jacket then ensure that the button stance is closer to your celiac plexus than your navel.
Vents are the slits at the back of the jacket for allowing easier movement. You can either go for no vent or a single vent as you don't have much of a rear to make room for.
The rise of the pants is the distance from the waistband to the crotch. Ensure that your pants have a regular rise which will help bring balance and symmetry to your already long legs and torso.

Warning: Avoid vertical stripes and dark colors.

Muscular and Weighty

Go for lightweight fabrics as you already have a fuller frame with much bulk. Soft, worsted wools are fine.
Use dark colors, such as dark navy or black, as they give an impression of being slim. Same color from top to bottom makes a person look taller and thinner as they don't divide you in half at the waist by bringing attention to your belly.
Solids or vertical stripes are best for making you look slender. You can even choose tiny and innocuous patterns for a bolder look but go ahead cautiously.
The two-button jackets will be fine for you as they don't draw attention to your bulky frame.
Single-vent jackets are good for you as they give you extra room you need devoid of any extra attention.
Warning: Avoid loud patterns and double-vented jackets

Short Guys

Go for subdued patterns.
Vertical stripes are good as they will make you look taller.
Jackets with one or two buttons are best for you. Lower button stance will give a proportionate look to your frame and will make you look some taller.
Double vents will create a longer silhouette that will go well and give some length to your frame.
The lower the rise of the pants, the longer your body will look. So, go for low rise pants.
Warning: Avoid loud suit patterns, such as houndstooth, herringbone, glenurquhart check, windowpane check, etc. Also avoid cuffs on your pants as they will shorten your legs.

So, what do you feel now? Does your wardrobe requires a change? Stay well and look good!

Prerequisites for Fiber, Yarns & Threads Industry

The Fiber, Yarns & Threads industry is an important part of the overall textile industry. This industry is divided into many sub-parts:

1. The fiber companies or yarn companies that are engaged in the activity of spinning yarn.

2. Any thread company, that is manufacturing thread out of any fiber.

3. Such wholesale yarn, or wholesale thread dealers who are engaged in texturizing, throwing, twisting, and winding of purchased yarn or manmade fiber filaments.

All these yarn companies , fiber companies, and thread companies manufacture fibers, yarns, and other threads for the use by downstream apparel, fabric, and other textile manufacturers. All of them require to keep themselves updated about the happenings within the industry.

Fiber, Yarn & Threads Industry Overview- Why is it Essential?

Any industry faces certain risks. To counter the risks, one should know about them so that a right strategy can be framed. Fiber, Yarns & Threads industry is no exception. It too has many challenges to face. There are challenges arising from within the industry which can be called structural challenges. Further there are growth challenges arising from the expected future performance of the industry and external sensitivity challenges arising from forces external to the industry. Thus, one who is in fiber industry has to do fiber analysis, those in yarn industries have to do yarn analysis and the one who is in thread industry has to do thread analysis to know the risks of their respective industries.

How to become a big name in Fiber, Yarn & Threads Industry?

All the people in this world strive for success. Those who beat challenges come out as winners. If any Fiber, Yarn or Thread Company takes calculated risks and prepare itself for the future challenges, it can go places. Certain issues should always be considered before taking any industry related decision.

Strengthen the company from within: There are certain key indicators that should be kept in mind before launching a company and while managing its operations. These indicators include barriers to entry, competition in the industry, exports, imports, level of assistance that can be achieved, and volatility of industry.

Analyze the future performance of the industry: This can be achieved by study of recent industry growth with the forecast of industry growth. Reasons should be found and analyzed before taking any decision.

Examine the external factors affecting the industry: This helps in determining their significance related to the industry's performance and taking decisions accordingly. Some of the examples of such external factors are exchange rates, interest rates, commodity prices and government regulations.

Be technologically strong: Although fibers, yarn and threads industry is a labor intensive industry yet technology has changed the look and feel of fibers and yarns in the recent years. A company that is technologically advanced will always remain competitive despite the volatile nature of the industry. Just keep track of new fiber, yarn technology.

The Royal Metallic Fiber

While watching a historical movie, do you sometimes want to go back in the past and be born again as a royal personality with all kinds of luxuries including garments made of gold or silver? Its a pure fantasy! But hold on, some part of it may come true! You may not be able to wear cloths made of gold but you can very well dress up yourself in metallic fabrics giving more or less the same look. And this will be made possible through metallic fibers! Yes, fibers made from various metals or with their help at least!

What are Metallic Fibers

Fibers are generally categorized as natural fibers and synthetic fibers. With his natural instinct of creating, man has developed many fibers. One of them is metallic fiber. These fibers are made of metal, plastic-coated metal, metal-coated plastic, or a core completely covered by metal. They can be produced by two methods. The laminating process seals a layer of aluminum between two layers of acetate or polyester film. The fibers are then cut into long strips for yarns and wound onto bobbins. Various colors and other effects are used to make the metallic fiber look more and more attractive. The metalizing process heats the metal until it vaporizes and then deposits it at a high pressure onto the polyester film. This process makes more flexible, durable, and comfortable fibers.

Uses of Metallic fibers

Metallic fiber is not only used for decorating clothings and other fashion accessories. As these coated metallic filaments do not tarnish and when suitable adhesives and films are used, they are not affected by salt water, chlorinated water in swimming pools or climatic conditions, they are most effective for making protective cloths and work cloths. Thus, these fibers are used for both, functional as well as decorative purposes.

• The most common application of metallic fibers are in making upholstery fabrics like lame and brocade which are then used for making luxurious curtains, sofa covers etc.

• Steel fibers are used in making carpets where they are dispersed along with other fibers. These fibers help to conduct electricity so that the static shock is reduced. Such carpets are often used in high volume computer areas where the chance of producing static shock is much greater.

• As they are shock resistant, the metallic fabrics also used in space suits, protective clothing, cut resistant gloves of butchers, and in garments for people who work with risky machinery.

• These fibers are sometimes twisted with other fibers like wool, cotton, synthetic, and nylon to make yarns which give extra attraction to the finished garments.

• Fashion designers often use these fibers to make ultra glamorous apparels for giving that extra edge to their clothing lines. Metallic fabrics of gold, silver and bronze are hot favorites with these professionals.

• When not in cloths, they can be found on other fashion accessories such as handbags, belts, and even shoes.

• These fibers are extensively used for embellishing apparels, braids, draperies, laces, military uniform decorations, ribbons, table linens, etc.

So, now you know, which fiber to go for when you are looking for glamor or even a risk free work environment. Obviously, its metallic fiber!

Business Opportunities with Fabrics

If, for a couple of minutes, I take it for granted that you are genuinely interested in fabrics and want to do something with fabric or related to fabric- some activity that can generate income for you, then what are the options available with you?

Starting a fabric business: If you have interest, experience, formal education in textile technology or entrepreneurial skills- you can well consider to be a fabrics businessperson. But of what kind? Well you can be a fabrics manufacturer, fabrics trader, fabrics wholesaler or fabrics retailer. How you'll decide what you can be? For that, you'll have to assess your resources. If you don't have much capital to invest but have an excellent network in textile market, you can start with trading and gradually move up the ladder. If you can afford a good amount of capital and a retail store or a warehouse, you can be a retailer or a wholesaler respectively. But if you have enough money, you can get into fabrics manufacturing industry directly and produce fabrics! Whatever, you choose to be, you should take your business decisions only after taking fabrics industry overview.

Starting home based business of fabric art products: There are many crafts persons who have converted their hobbies into their home businesses. Fabric handbags, dolls, book covers, quilting, embroidered fabrics, or any other fabric art work - whatever is your passion- it can be converted into income-generating hobby. The first thing to consider is how much can you do the work yourself as initially you may not be able to outsource the work. You can start with simple designs and move onto more complicated ones as you improve your skills gradually. To take a class is also a good idea and a wise investment. Now comes the selection of fabrics. What fabrics will suit your craft item and from where can you source them will take a good amount of your time and energy. You can refer to some trade journals, magazines or online information about fabrics for crafts.

Starting a fashion business: If you are interested in fashion and are creative enough, you can opt for fashion design business also. If you feel like, you can be an expert by taking a course too. Whether you create fashion wears for selling through wholesalers or you run your own boutique, you will need a good source of fabric, either from local wholesaler or from companies listed in any online fabrics companies directory. You'll have to ensure certain things including reliability of the fabrics supplier, quantity available according to your requirement, fabrics varieties availability as it is concerned with the dynamic fashion industry, support services especially timely delivery of supplies and competitive pricing without compromising with the quality of fabrics.

One of the very important aspect is the strategy for marketing your products. If your target is the local market only, then you can go for selling through local shops, boutiques, trade fairs, flea markets, etc. However, if you want your business to go places then internet offers a multitude of options. You can set up your own website or can go for online global marketplace and sell your products through auction sites. Further, if your business has grown to such a level that these sites restrict your flight then you can opt for listing yourself in product directory of any textile B2B marketplace.

What and How of Apparel, Clothing & Garments Industry

The apparel industry consists of companies that produce garments, both cut and sewn and knit to shape. The manufactured dresses may include mens clothing, womens clothing, kids wear and infant wear. The clothing industry is very important for the world economy due to its share in revenue and employment generation. Do you know how the dresses you wear reach you? There is a long supply chain for the Clothing Industry which can be categorized as- raw materials, textile plants, apparel plants, export chains, retail stores, and finally you and me- the customers!

What drives the Garments Industry?
Consumer tastes and the comparative manufacturing costs are the two major determinants of demands by the market. Whether a Garment Company will be profitable, also depends upon its operational efficiency and its ability to strike deals with the clothing marketers including clothing wholesale and clothing retail sector. This industry is highly labor intensive and the skilled labor is more so important on whose support even a small garment company can compete effectively with the larger ones.

How the Apparel Industry works?
As different skills and equipment are needed to make different types of clothes, the garment manufacturers mostly specialize in manufacturing only one or two types of apparel. There are different types of apparel manufacturers too. The Integrated Manufacturers design and make garments in their own manufacturing plants and market their own clothing brands. The Licensees have their own manufacturing plants but they market their manufactured clothing under license from the other Brand owners. Then there are Contract Manufacturers who make clothings under contracts from independent designers. These designers market their own brands without any role of the manufacturers. All these Apparel Manufacturers find the markets for trading their finished garments after taking the Apparel, Clothing & Garments Industry overview

What the Apparel Manufacturers do?
The procedures followed by most of the Apparel manufacturers are more or less similar. First of all, design for the clothing is made. They are then made into sample patterns of fabric or are represented in graphical form with the help of computers. Clothes are cut on the basis of markers made according to the generalized sizing measurement of the population for whom the garments are being made. They are then sewn into finished items by workers in the sewing plants. These finished garments are then pressed, inspected and packaged for delivery. The whole process of apparel making is really very interesting.
If the whole description of apparel and garments industry has interested you so much that you want to start apparel manufacturing yourself, then its no surprise to me! After all apparel manufacturing is one of the most sought after businesses today. Starting a Clothing Line Business is definitely a wise decision!