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The Apparel Process

When you are getting started developing your apparel line,  you should have an understanding of the apparel process.

1.     Develop your line: start with a small line the first season. Plan you season about a year in advance, or so, depending on when you plan to launch your line. I advise starting small, as, each style could cost approximently $1,000 to fully develop.

2.     You will need to do your costing and sourcing now.

3.     After you develop your line, you will go to  a pattern maker and get patterns made for you styles.

4.     Then you will go to a sample maker, or, you can sew the samples yourself.

5.     You will then need to get the samples fitted on a model who meets your size standards.

6.     The patterns will be revised, and the samples sewn again. This process could take many times to get the fit right.

7.     Then, depending on how you are going to present the line to stores, or other outlets, you may need to get several sets of samples prepared to send to your sales force.

8.     You will present your line at market, or, through other outlets with your “reps”.

9.     After you get orders for your line, you will then get the styles  graded. This means that you will have determined the size chart for your sizes, and grading means that you will have the grade rules for all the sizes, and your will have patterns for all the sizes.

10. After you get the patterns, you will then be ready to start fulfilling your orders.

11. Then you will need a marker. This is where you have  determined how many pattern pieces you need, for the order and sizes that you have orders for. The marker is how the pattern pieces are laid out on the fabric, as to not waste any fabric.

12. Then you will go to a cutter and have the fabric cut.

13. Then you will go to  sewer and have the styles sewn.

14. Then distribution to the stores, or other outlets.

15. Costing should be done 4 times during this process, to determine whether or not you can offer this style again next season.

16. NOTE; during this entire process, you are working on the NEXT season at the same time!