Fibre and yarn
Start with the fibre blend and yarn requirements. Fibre influences hand feel, strength and moisture behaviour. Yarn count and ply affect coverage and the appearance of the finished fabric.
KNOWLEDGE / SOURCING
Textile resources
Use these practical guides when comparing fabric options or writing a sourcing brief.
TEXTILE FIELD GUIDE
Fabric sourcing essentials
Weave and construction
Plain weave alternates warp and weft at each crossing. Twill has a diagonal line. Pile constructions such as corduroy add a raised surface. Compare the face and reverse of physical swatches before approving.
Weight and usable width
GSM measures grams per square metre. Check the usable width excluding selvedges and request tolerances for both measurements. Both affect consumption and costing.
Colour and finish
Yarn-dyed fabrics use yarns coloured before weaving. Piece dyeing colours fabric after construction. Ask for a lab dip or reference swatch, and confirm which wash or finish the specification describes.
Sampling and quality
Agree on sample length, approved colour reference and test methods. Depending on the end use, ask about dimensional change, colourfastness, pilling and strength before bulk approval.
Preparing an enquiry
Include end use, composition, construction, target GSM, usable width, colour or artwork, finish, quantity per colour and requested delivery date. Attach or describe a reference swatch if available.