8 Key Pointers That’ll Help You Judge Fabric Quality Before Buying

If you’re among the rising garment manufacturers in India, you know the importance of choosing the right fabric for your garments. From ensuring that the garment's durability is optimal to keeping your production costs in check, getting the right fabric can help you in many ways. But how do you choose the right fabric?

Considering the garment industry is highly competitive today, choosing a fabric that is better performing than your competitors can make a world of difference in your brand’s market performance. However, there are several crucial factors that you must know about and acknowledge before you can make this crucial choice. What are these factors? Let’s find out.

8 Key Pointers Garment Manufacturers Must Check Before Purchasing Fabric

1. Monitor Fabric GSM & Weave/Knit

The Grams per Square Metre or GSM of a fabric is an important indicator of quality. The weight of the fabric can make or break the readymade garment, so it is crucial that you understand your requirements and choose accordingly. A higher GSM with a tighter weave may be better for durability while a lower GSM with loose knit may be better for flow and fit.

2. Learn About Fabric Certification

If you’re working with organic and natural fabric, it is crucial that you check out the required fabric certifications. Relevant authorities such as OEKO-TEX, GOTS, or BCI label organic and natural fabrics to ensure that they are of a standardised quality. Make sure you check out these certifications before making a purchase, as they are crucial for the quality control of your garments.

3. Ask About Fabric Durability & Tensile Strength

There are specific tests that can help you understand fabric durability and determine the tensile strength of a fabric. The key is to perform these tests on sample fabric and ensure you get the result you want. The tests are namely a tear test to check whether or not the fabric is returning to its ideal state even with significant stretching. If the fabric tears, it may indicate low-quality manufacturing.

4. Check Fabric Dyeing Quality

Colour fastness is one of the most crucial steps to monitor when buying fabric. Bleeding colours during washing or not having even dyeing on the fabric can significantly impact your end product. Perform a rub test by rubbing a white fabric over the sample; if there’s any colour bleed, it can mean poor dyeing quality. Additionally, you should also ask for a wash test to check for colour bleed after washing.

5. Monitor The Fabric Texture & Feel

All the technical aspects discussed aside, the feel and texture of the fabric are some of the most crucial pointers that determine its suitability for your garment manufacturing requirements. If you want to manufacture long-flowing women’s dresses, a fabric that’s very rough on feel would not suit your needs. Make sure you focus on this part specifically if you want to manufacture the best readymade garments in India.

6. Check Fabric Shrinkage

Fabric shrinkage can be caused by washing, and it can alter the fit of your garments. This is an important pointer you must check out before purchasing the fabric. Manufacturers often have detailed data on the shrinkage information of the fabric, so make sure the shrinkage is minimal to ensure the fit of your garments is not compromised post-wash.

7. Ask About Special Features of The Fabric

Often, manufacturers include useful functionality features in fabrics that can improve the desirability of your garments to consumers. Features like moisture-wicking, hypoallergenic fabric, UV protection, or anti-wrinkling can improve the functionality of your finished garment. So, make sure you talk to the manufacturers about these benefits and also get clear information regarding whether these features are temporary or permanent.

8. Ask For Test Results (if required)

Even though the manufacturers provide lab test data for fabric durability and shrinkage, you can still ask for independent test results if you’re going to be buying fabric in bulk. Shrinkage data is especially crucial to monitor because it can ruin the user experience of your garments. So, make sure you test the supplier’s reputation and ask for independent results if required before making a purchase.

Conclusion

The steps mentioned above are in line with the due diligence required from your end as a garment manufacturer to ensure you get the best possible fabric for manufacturing. The fabric quality can make or break the market performance of your garments, so make sure you follow all the steps without fail, especially if you’re interested in exporting your readymade garments. 

As one of the top export house in Jaipur, CheerSagar can help you learn more about fabric quality assessment and understanding the export requirements for readymade garments to foreign markets. You can check out the official website to learn more about garment manufacturing from a leading garment manufacturing and export company in Jaipur.