I help influencers get their merch made in Vietnam

Fabric is the most important part of a garment and the factory will ask you many questions about your fabric. If you are not familiar with textile engineering then here are some tips.

Be prepared to answer the following:

Are your garments made from woven or knit fabrics?
What is the fiber composition?
What is the color of the fabric?
What is the weight of the fabric?

Sewing factories either produce garments made with woven fabric or garments made with knit fabric. Make sure you know the difference between woven and knit so that you make a good impression on the factory.

The best example of a woven fabric is a men’s dress shirt. The best example of a knit fabric is a t-shirt. Woven fabric does not stretch. Knit fabric stretches. There are hundreds of fabric variations that will make your head spin; at a minimum you MUST be clear about this simple distinction: Woven vs Knit. If a factory asks you, “is your fabric woven or knit” and you answer with, “I am not sure” then they will know that you are a beginner.

Woven fabric is made on a loom and does not stretch (unless it has spandex.) Examples of garments made with woven fabric are: toga dress, blazer, wedding dress, dress shirt, jeans, and surf trunks.

Knit fabric is made on a circular knit machine or flat knit machine. Examples of knitted fabrics are: T-shirt, polo shirt, hoodie, sweater, beanie hat, and socks.

Boxers can be made with either woven or knit fabric.
Cardigans can be made with either woven or knit fabric.
Pencil dresses can be made with either woven or knit fabric.
Pajamas can be made with either woven or knit fabric.

A fabric has a “structure”. There are two sub-groups of knit structures: weft vs. warp. Woven fabric has many structure variations. Here are some examples:

Weft knit clothing fabric stretches in one direction.

Some examples of weft knit structures are:
• Single Jersey
• Interlock
• Pique
• Rib
• Ponte Roma
• Jacquard

Warp knit fabrics stretch in two directions

A classic example of a warp knit fabric is bathing suit fabric.
Some examples of warp knitted structures are:
• Tricot
• Milanese
• Rachel

Some examples of woven fabric structures are
• Twill Denim
• Rib Weave
• Chiffon
• Oxford
• Basket Weave

Do you know the fiber composition of your fabric?

Now that you know the knitting or weaving structure of your fabric, the next step is to inform the factory what the fiber composition is. Yarn and fiber are synonymous in this context. Here are the options.

a. Natural Fibers
i. Cotton, Viscose, Bamboo, Linen, Silk, Wool, Hemp

b. Synthetic Fibers
i. Polyester, Acrylic, Nylon, Acetate, Spandex and Kevlar

Once you choose your fibers/yarns then specify the percentages like 95%/5%.

When it comes to discussing the fabric, you have two options. You can tell the Vietnam factory the exact fabric composition or give them a physical sample of fabric to copy.

Factories expect to hear a Pantone number when you speak about color. The Pantone color scheme is an industry standard way to indicate exact colors. Fashion designers, merchandisers, and dye-houses use Pantone colors to be on the same page. A good factory will have a light box where you can compare two pieces of fabric to the Pantone color card. Be sure to study up on the Pantone color system before you approach the factory.

T-shirt-fabric-weight ranges from 100 g/m2 to 280 g/m2. 100 g/m2 would be a light weight t-shirt. 280 g/m2 would be a heavy fleece. Denim fabric typically weighs 270 g/m2. Weighing relaxed-fabric versus not relaxed fabric can give different results. Moisture content in the fabric can affect the weight. Usually clients need to give the desired weight within a tolerance of +- 5%. Weight is important because it will effect the price and the “feel” of the garment.

In Conclusion: These are basic fabric topics that will arise during your discussions with a factory in Vietnam. The more informed you are, the easier it will be to work quickly with the factory. Getting the fabric right is half the battle.