APPAREL PRODUCTION

APPAREL MANAGEMENT
THE MOOD BOARD
What is Mood Board

• A Mood Board is a summary of a collection’s inspiration

and theme.
• It’s a design tool that will help designers remain focused
and consistent as their line develops.
• It’s also a great communication aid when explaining
your vision to others (retailers, media etc.).
• Magazine tears, fabric swatches, old photos, buttons,
ribbons; basically any visual reference you desire are
mounted onto a hard board.
• Story board should have a title, to emphasize the
inspirations compiled.
How to Develop
 Research: get inspiration from galleries, exhibition,
entertainment program, fashion geography shows, street
fashion, design magazine (fashion, architecture, interior),
retail market.
 Take objects or scenes that relate to the theme
 Write thematic key words and modify to create something
new.
 Use cut out of relevant images from magazine, print outs
and 3D elements.
 Select close related elements to have a strongly themed
presentation, e.g. Summer breeze, light fabric, coconut
shell, parasol, shade of blues
How to Develop Cont.

 Use large size board to layout images, color

and fabric swatch and other inspiration
materials.
 Analyze to ensure your inspirations material
match your title and theme
 Present mood board to others that are not
involve and evaluate their comments.
Range Planning

 An overview of a collection with all of the design

and financial parameters set out.
 The plan outlines the specifics of a
collection; from how many styles you will have,
to what fabrics and color ways will be used. 
 It is used before large scale production started.
 Most importantly, it gives potential buyers a
clear understanding of your vision.
The Elements
 Total number of garments
 Illustrations or flat drawings of every garment
 Proportion of different garments types
(Tops/bottoms/dresses)
 Specific garment styles
 Different fabrics and colourways for each garment
 Cost price per garment
 Selling price per garment
 Order quantities per style
 Sizes
 Manufacturer details
Garment Production Process
Pattern Design Sample Making Production Pattern

Spreading Marker Making Grading

Cutting Sorting/Bundling Sewing/Assemblin

g

Final Inspection Pressing/Finishing Inspection

Packing Shipping
Pattern Design/Basic Block
 Create a pattern for a garment or an apparel product
with design details consideration.

Flat Pattern- A pattern is created by using an existing

foundation pattern known as a sloper or a block.

Sloper (Home Sewing Industry term) or Block (Apparel

Manufacturing Industry term) - custom fitted basic
pattern based on individual or companies standard size
measurements from which other patterns can be made.
Types of 2D Pattern Making Methods

 Drafting a Pattern- Patterns are created by

using measurements of an existing garment,
an individual, or body form. Pattern is then
drawn on paper utilizing the body
measurements.
 Reverse Engineering a Pattern- Patterns
are created by deconstructing an existing
garment. It is taken apart, analyzed, and new
pattern pieces are created.
Types of 3D Pattern Making Methods

 Draping- A garment is created

by molding, cutting, and
pinning fabric on an individual
or a dress form. It is the oldest
method of pattern making.
 Computer Generated
Patterns- Computer-aided
design (CAD) software is used to
produce patterns for textiles,
apparel and other products.
Sample Making
 Select the materials
(fabrication and trims)
 Construct the sample
(prototype)
 Fit, revise and finalize the
sample.
 Preliminary costing is
completed to insure
profitability.
 Costing Considerations-
fabrics, trims, design
details, and labor costs.
Production Pattern
 Once a sample pattern has
been approved for size,
costing, availability of
materials, and potential
profit; it is used for
production samples and
samples for sales
promotion, pattern for mass
production prepared.
 Create an apparel technical
design pack for production
guideline.
• Detailed flat sketch with front
and back views. Should
include topstitching, pocket
and button placement,
placement of contrast
fabrications, hem and band
widths, label placement etc.
• Directions for any special
fabric direction or matching.
For example borders, napped
fabric etc.
• Any special seam allowances,
decorative or standard
topstitching, stitch length,
thread type and color.
• Include samples of fabrics and
trims. Clearly indicate what is
Self, Contrast, Trim, and
Lining fabrics.
• Measurement details.
• Care Instructions for labeling
• Color details and season
information
Grading
 The approved pattern
(size M/10) is graded
into smaller and larger
sizes usually by
computer but can be
done by hand.
 Final fabric selections
and trims are ordered
by suppliers.
Marker Making
 Process of determining a
most efficient layout of
pattern pieces for a style,
fabric and distribution of
sizes.
 Marker making is mostly
done by CAD systems
which give accuracy,
increase control over
variables and reduces time
required in making
markers.
Spreading
 preparatory operation for cutting  Types of Spreading:
and consist of laying piles of fabric
one on top of the other in a 1. Flat Spreading
predetermined direction and 2. Stepped Spreading
relationship between the right and
the wrong side of the garment.
 The number of piles of each color
is obtain from the cut order plan.
 Number of piles depend on:
1. Capacity of the cutting machine
2. Volume of production
3. Type of fabric itself (rough or slippery)
4. Thickness of fabric
Cutting

STRAIGHT KNIFE

 Vertical blade
 Reciprocates up and down
 Corners and curves can be cut accurately
 Most versatile and commonly used
Blades length - 6 to 14 inches
 Spread depth depends on blade length
adjustable height of the blade guard
 All of the pieces cut from a lay are
identical
Cutting Cont.

ROUND KNIFE

 Popular, light and fast. 

 Suitable only for cutting in straight lines or
very gradual curves, in depths of about 15cm
 Larger blade cuts up to 2" of soft or bulky
material, or lower lays of harder material
such as shirts
 Small blade cuts single layer
 A round blade contacts the spread at an
angle; thus, the top ply is cut before the
bottom ply
Sorting/Bundling

 Batches of cut fabric move from

one work station to another in
systematically, with bundle ticket,
consist of e.g.
 Order no. 6015
 Bundle no. 1430
 Quantity 12
 Style no. 3145
 Size 12
 Section collar
Sewing/Assembling
Make Through System
 When a tailor alone makes a
complete garment, then it is
called as make though
systems. The tailor even
makes pattern (use ready-
made pattern), cuts fabric
and does finishing of the
garment. For example, tailors
in the tailor shops do all jobs
from cut to pack. In this
system tailors are not
depended to others.
Sewing/Assembling Cont.
Progressive Bundle System 
 In Progressive bundle system, each
operator does different operations of
a garment. All sewing machines
needed to make the garment are laid
in a line. Cut parts are fed in a bundle
form. When an operator receives a
bundle of cut components, she opens
the bundle and does her operation
(job) for all pieces of the bundle. After
completing her job she moves the
bundle to the next operator who is
doing next operation. Numbers of
people are involved in sewing a single
garment.
Sewing/Assembling Cont.
Modular Production System
 In ‘Modular production system’
sewing operators work as a
team. Neither they sew
complete garment nor do they
sew only single operation. Multi
skilled operators form a group
and each of the team members
do multiple operations. In
modular system, operators help
each other to finish the
garment quickly and team is
fully responsible for quality and
production.
Look Book Development
Look Book

 Considered to be like portfolios, except

they represent a product line rather than
providing visual samples of one’s work
history. The term is relatively new. It came
out of the colleges.
Most companies provided both line sheets and a
look book of the current season.
The line sheets used flat drawings or pictures
of the clothes flat on a surface.
The look books were
given less frequently
and were much more
expensively done-
glossy, heavy paper,
beautiful graphics, etc.
They almost always had clothed models and
seemed to promote the brand and style of the
company or collection
What is this company saying
about their jeans?
Give your look a style name
What would you call this look?
Or this look?