For a workshop doing full package, the question of where to get fabric and when is as important as price. Stock fabric ships quickly, but only in the colours and qualities available. Made-to-order fabric can be any card colour or a special shade, but it needs a minimum quantity and time. The choice depends on quantity, colour, deadline and risk.
What stock fabric means
Stock fabric has already been knitted, dyed and finished and sits on rolls in a warehouse. The main advantages:
- speed: it can be delivered in a few days or collected directly;
- no minimum: you buy exactly the rolls you need;
- no shade risk on order: you see and approve the fabric before buying;
- ideal for samples, pilot orders and fast repeats.
The limits are just as clear: colours and weights are what is available, and the quantity of a given lot may be limited. If you need large quantities of one shade, check how many kilos are actually there and whether they come from the same lot.
What made-to-order fabric means
With made-to-order, the supplier knits, dyes and finishes the fabric specifically for you. The advantages:
- any colour from a card, or a special shade after a lab dip;
- one large, consistent lot for the whole order;
- adjusted specifications: weight, finish, width.
In exchange there is a minimum quantity per colour and a production lead time. For each order, ask the supplier for the current lead time, because it depends on the mill's workload and the season.
Translating the minimum into garments
Many clients do not know whether a per-colour minimum fits their order. Do the maths in pieces. Let's assume a hoodie in 340 g/m² 3-thread fleece with a consumption of about 0.75 kg per piece including losses. At a minimum of 150 kg per colour, you get roughly 150 ÷ 0.75 = 200 hoodies per colour.
If the brand wants 80 hoodies in a colour, made-to-order does not make sense for that colour. The logical option is stock fabric, or a close colour that already exists. If they want 500 hoodies in the same colour, made-to-order becomes worthwhile.
The combined strategy: stock to start, made-to-order for volume
A strategy many workshops use:
- First samples and the pilot order are made from stock fabric.
- If the product sells, the large repeat is made from made-to-order fabric, in the tested colour or an adjusted shade.
- Basic qualities that repeat all year are bought from stock as orders come in.
That way you do not lock cash into colours the market has not validated, and you do not lose early sales to long lead times.
Planning the cold season
Fleece, meaning 3-thread fabric, has a clear season: hoodies, tracksuits and winter uniforms sell in autumn and winter but are produced months earlier. If you wait until September to order fabric, you will be competing with everyone else for the same capacity.
A prudent calendar:
- spring: develop styles and samples for the winter collection;
- early summer: approve colours and order made-to-order fabric;
- summer: production;
- autumn: quick repeats from stock for the styles that sell.
For neutral, steadily requested colours, check stock first. An example is our stone beige 340 g brushed 3-thread fleece, a heavy fabric with a brushed back, suited to winter hoodies and tracksuits in a neutral colour that sells well in minimalist collections. If you find it in stock in the quantity you need, you can start production straight away.
Shade consistency between lots
When you combine stock with made-to-order, or two different lots, the shade can differ slightly. Practical rules:
- do not mix lots within one order, or if you must, separate them by size or by carton;
- compare every new lot with the approved sample before cutting;
- for repeats, ask the supplier to check against the previous lot.
For a clear view of what you can use immediately, ask for our current stock list, and for colours that are not available, choose from our 220-colour card. Made-to-order production starts from 150 kg per colour per article, with lab dips for special shades.
Frequently asked questions
Can I combine several colours to reach the minimum?
As a rule, the minimum applies per colour and per article, because each colour is a separate dye lot. Check the exact terms with your supplier. For low-volume colours, use stock fabric or an existing colour instead.
How early should I order fabric for a winter collection?
At least several months before launch, to leave time for lab dips, fabric production, cutting and sewing. Ask the supplier for the current production lead time and add a buffer, because capacity is in higher demand during peak season.
What if stock does not cover the whole order?
Check whether the remainder can come from another lot of the same article and compare shades. If the difference is visible, separate lots by size or by delivery. Alternatively, use stock for a first delivery and make the rest to order, matched to the stock lot.
