Garment Manufacturer FAQ — Archive 3

What are the three inspections?

Incoming fabric before cutting, inline inspection while sewing, and finishing with measurements. Each catches different problems.

Do you measure every size?

Yes, size by size, against your spec with an agreed tolerance. Not 'the medium looks right' — actual numbers, recorded.

What happens if defects are found?

Reworked or remade immediately, within the production timeline. We'd rather find it than have you find it through a customer return.

Do you do a live model fitting?

Yes — live model try-on plus a mannequin form check, per size. Measurement alone misses how a garment actually sits.

Will I see my shipment before it ships?

Yes. Every shipment is filmed before the cartons close, so there's evidence of what was packed.

What colour tolerance do you hold?

Delta E under 1.0 against the approved standard. Under 1.0 is invisible to the eye; above 2.0 anyone can see it.

How do you stop fabric being substituted?

We weigh and measure every incoming roll — weight per square metre, width, composition — against the approved spec. Caught after cutting, it's too late.

Do you run lab tests?

Wash, rub, and pull tests are available, and we recommend them on a first run with any factory. They cost little compared to a failed season.

Can I supply my own fabric?

Yes. Many clients nominate their own mills and we handle receipt, inspection, dye-lot matching, and inventory. If your supplier fails, our Guangzhou network is the backup.

Why is fabric MOQ higher than garment MOQ?

Mills run dye vats and a small vat is uneconomical. Their minimums sit at 500–1,000 metres regardless of how few garments you're making.

How long does fabric take?

2–4 weeks, starting when the mill confirms your order. We don't book the production line before then, because that date would be a guess.

What fabrics do you work with?

Silk blends, wool blends including Super 120s, cupro, sequins, cotton-linen, and premium satin. Silk and wool are where we're strongest.

Where do you source fabric?

Wool from Biella in Italy, silk from Suzhou, cupro from Osaka, plus a long-standing network of mills in Guangzhou.

Can you verify fabric origin?

We check mill documentation at intake and trace the lot. Certificates can be faked, so verification has to happen before cutting.

Do you work with deadstock fabric?

Yes, but go in knowing the limits: one shot at the quantity, no reorder, no second dye lot, and often no composition documentation.

How much extra fabric should I order?

Add 3–5% for cutting waste. And check usable width, not nominal width — a fabric sold as 140cm can measure 114cm between selvedge flaws.

Can you match a colour I send?

Yes, via lab dip. One caution: approve bulk against a production standard, not the original lab dip. They won't be identical.

What if two rolls don't match?

It happens — dyeing is a continuous process with a head and a tail. We test every roll against a sealed standard before cutting and reject what fails.

How long does production take?

6–10 weeks after sample approval and fabric confirmation. Volume and fabric complexity are the two variables.

What's the total timeline from first email?

Around five to six months if you sample properly. Tech pack, 2–3 mock-up rounds, final sample, fabric, production, then shipping.

Why did my last factory miss the delivery date?

Usually because the line was booked before the mill confirmed fabric. A factory that commits before fabric is confirmed doesn't control the date.

Can you handle a rush order?

Sometimes. It depends on fabric availability and line capacity. Ask us directly and we'll tell you honestly rather than promise and miss.

What's the smallest order you'll take?

30 pieces per style per colour. Below that we'll quote, but the maths usually doesn't favour you.

Can you scale from 50 to 1,000 pieces?

Yes, and the QC standard doesn't change. Every garment gets three inspections whether the order is 50 or 1,000.

Do you give production updates?

Yes — live order tracking plus progress photos at each milestone. Chasing updates by email is a symptom of nobody knowing.

What if my fabric arrives late?

We tell you immediately and re-book the line. It's exactly why we don't confirm a delivery date before the mill does.

Can you recover a project that failed elsewhere?

Yes, we've done it several times. Fresh start: rebuild the tech pack, re-grade the patterns, run dedicated mock-up rounds.

What happens after my order ships?

You get a written debrief — what worked, what to change next season. It's the thing that makes season two cheaper than season one.

Where are you located?

Guangzhou, China. We're a Guangzhou Zitong Fashion Co., Ltd operation, trading as UP Fashion, running since 2016.

Do you work with UK and European brands?

Yes. The UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, France, and Poland are core markets for us.