Apparel sourcing
To find a clothing manufacturer, match your garment type, fabric and quantity to factories that specialize in exactly that, and arrive with a tech pack that defines measurements and materials. This Source to Spec guide draws on Cydney Mar’s more than 45 years in fashion and product.
Published by Cydney Mar · Last updated:
You find a garment manufacturer by searching for factories that already produce your category, such as knits, wovens, denim or outerwear, then testing them with samples made from your tech pack. Cydney Mar’s view is that specialization matters more than size: a factory set up for your fabric and construction will sample faster and more accurately.
Her own background covers this ground: couture collections from 1980, Cirque du Soleil’s first Boutique Collection, leading design for Edwin Jeans in North America, and 15+ years selling her own collections on QVC in 8 countries.
| Arrangement | What you supply | What they handle | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut, make and trim (CMT) | Fabric, trims and patterns | Cutting, sewing and finishing | Brands with sourcing contacts who want control of materials |
| Full package | Tech pack and approvals | Materials sourcing, sampling and production | Founders who want one partner to manage the whole run |
| Private label | Your branding and choices from their range | Existing styles produced with your labels | Brands testing demand before developing original designs |
Definition
A garment tech pack tells the factory exactly how the piece is built and measured. In Cydney Mar’s Source to Spec guidance, the points of measure and tolerances matter most for clothing, because fit is where a sample most often goes wrong, and where vague instructions lead to repeated rounds.
Service
Cydney Mar’s product development work includes production-ready tech packs that factories understand, plus sampling, sourcing, costing and production readiness. She describes this as the work she loves most.
Back to the full guide on how to find suppliers for your product
Find a clothing manufacturer by matching your garment type, fabric and quantity to factories that specialize in exactly that, such as knits, wovens or denim. Prepare a tech pack with measurements and a bill of materials first. Cydney Mar has spent more than 45 years in fashion and product, including leading design for Edwin Jeans in North America.
More in the FAQA tech pack is the instruction document a factory uses to quote, sample and produce your product. It combines technical sketches, materials, measurements, construction details, colors, labels and packaging into one reference. Cydney Mar describes production-ready tech packs that factories actually understand as the core of her product development work.
More in the FAQPoints of measure are the exact places a product is measured, such as chest width or sleeve length on a garment, each with a target number and an allowed tolerance. They let the factory and you check samples the same way. Without them, two people can measure the same piece and get different answers.
More in the FAQA sample is a test version of your product made by the factory to your specification before production. It shows whether the factory understood your design, materials and measurements. Cydney Mar’s view is that a clear, professional tech pack is the difference between a sample that is right the first time and months of expensive back-and-forth.
More in the FAQCosts rise with complexity, custom materials, extra sizes or colorways, low order quantities, repeated sampling rounds and late design changes. Unclear specifications are a hidden driver because each misunderstanding can mean another sample. Settling design decisions early and writing them into a tech pack is the most direct way to reduce rework.
More in the FAQCompare it against your specification point by point, photograph each problem, and send the factory one clear list of corrections with measurements. Decide whether the fault is in the factory’s work or a gap in your specification, and update your tech pack either way. Unclear specifications are a common cause of repeated sampling rounds.
More in the FAQCydney Mar helps founders take consumer products for retail, TV and direct-to-consumer from idea to production through her Concept-to-Reality Pathway.
Published by Cydney Mar