Apparel Production

Garments factories are classified according to their product types are as follows:
Garments Factory:
1. Woven Garment Factory.
2. Knit Garments factory
3. Sweater Garments Factory

Garments Manufacturing Process: Stepwise garments manufacturing sequence is given below:

1. Design/ Sketch: For the production of knit garments, or woven garments a sketch of a particular
garment including its design features is essential to produce on paper so that after manufacturing of that
garment could be verified or checked whether could be done manually or with the help of computer.
2. Pattern Design: Hard paper copy of each component of the garment of exact dimension of each
component is called pattern. The patterns also include seam allowance, trimming allowance, dirts, and
pleats, ease allowance, any special design etc affairs. Pattern design could also be done manually or with
the help of computer.
3. Sample Making:
The patterns are used to cut the fabric. Then the garment components in fabric form are used to
sew/assemble the garment. Sample garment manufacturing is to be done by a very efficient and
technically sound person.
4. Production Pattern: The patterns of the approved sample garment are used for making production
pattern. During production pattern making, sometimes it may be necessary to modify patterns design if
buyer or appropriate authority suggests any minor modification.
5. Grading: Normally for large scale garments production of any style needs different sizes to produce from
a set of particular size of patterns, the patterns of different sizes are produced by using grade rule which is
called grading.

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6. Marker Making: All the pattern pieces for all the required sizes are arranged n the paper in such a way
so that maximum number of garments could be produced with minimum fabric wastag4e. Markers are
made for 6, 12, 18, 24 etc. pieces. Marker is also useful to estimate fabric consumption calculations.
7. Spreading: It is the process of arranging fabrics on the spreading table as per length and width of the
marker in stack form. Normally height of the lay/fabric is limited upto maximum six inches high. But 4 inch
to 5 inch height of the lay is safe.
8. Fabric Cutting: On the fabric lay/spread the marker paper is placed carefully and accurately, and pinned
with the fabric to avoid unwanted movement or displacement of the marker paper. Normally straight knife
cutting machine is used to cut out the garment component as per exact dimension of each patterns in stack
form, care must be taken to avoid cutting defects.
9. Sorting/ Bundling: After cutting the entire fabric lay, all the garments components in stack form is
shorted out as per size and color. To avoid mistake in sorting, it is better to use code number on each
pattern.
10. Sewing or Assembling: It is the most important department/ section of a garment manufacturing
industry. Sewing machines of different types are arranged as a vertical line to assemble the garments.
Sequence of types of sewing machine arrangement depends on sequence of assembling operations.
Number of sewing machine per line varies from 20 nos to 60 nos depending on the style of the ga4rmnet
to be produce. Production pr line pr hour also varies from 100 to 150 pieces depending on specific
circumstances. Number of sewing machine arrangement per line may be upto 60 depending on design and
output quantity of garment.
11. Inspection: Each and every garment after sewing passes through the inspection table/ point, where the
garments are thoroughly and carefully checked to detect/find any defect if present in the garment. The
defects may be for example variation of measurement, sewing defect, fabric defects, spots etc. if the
defect is possible to overcome, then the garment is sent to the respective person for correction. If the
defect is not correctable, then the garment is separated as wastage.
12. Pressing/ Finishing: After passing through the inspection table, each garment is normally ironed/
pressed to remove unwanted crease and to improve the smoothness, so that the garments looks nice to
the customer. Folding of the garment is also done here for poly packing of the garments as per required
dimension.
13. Final Inspection: It is the last stage of inspection f the manufactured garments on behalf of the
garment manufacturing organization, to detect any defective garments before packing.
14. Packing: After final inspection, the garments are poly-packed, dozen-wise, color wise, size ratio wise,
bundled and packed in the carton. The carton is marked with important information in printed form which
is seen from outside the carton easily.
15. Dispatch: The cartons of the manufactured garments are delivered or placed in the dispatch
department or finished product godown, from where the garments lot is delivered for shipment.
Garment / Apparel Patterns Instruction:
Following instruction must be marked on apparel pattern, to enable the garment to be made up correctly: -
1. Style Number.
2. Name of the part
3. Size ( it will show you how to find your size on a pattern finished garment measurements)
4. Grain Line: All patterns must have grain lines. It indicates the length direction of fabrics, i.e. during
marker making all patterns must be placed to the length direction.
5. Balance Mark: Used to ensure patterns are sewn together at the correct points.
6. Construction Lines: These include buttonholes, pocket placing etc.

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Different Sections of Garments/ Apparel Industry & Their Functions
1. Sample Section: It is the first section of garment manufacturing process. This section is used in
apparel industry for-
a) To make sample garment for approval.
b) To make pattern sets for bulk production when needed.
1. Cutting Section: It is the second section of apparel manufacturing. In this section the following
works are completed-
a) Marker Making
b) Fabric Spreading
c) Fabric Cutting
1. Sewing Section: Garment’s cut parts are assembled here.
2. Finishing Section: It is the last step of garment making. All of the finishing processes are done here.
Kinds of work carried out in this segment are-
a) Pressing/ Ironing
b) Packing
c) Cartoning &
d) Arranging final inspection and shipment.

Defects in Garments
For the textile and apparel industry, product quality is calculated in terms of quality and standard of
fibers, yarns, fabric construction, colour fastness, designs and the final finished garments. Quality
control in terms of garment manufacturing, pre-sales and posts sales service, delivery, pricing, etc are
essential for any garment manufacturer, trader or exporter. Certain quality related problems, often
seen in garment manufacturing like sewing, colour, sizing, or garment defects should never be over
looked.
1. Sewing defects
Open seams, wrong stitching techniques, non- matching threads, missing stitches, improper creasing
of the garment, erroneous thread tension and raw edges are some of the sewing defects which can
affect the garment quality adversely.
2. Colour defects
Variation of colour between the sample and the final garment, wrong colour combinations and
mismatching dyes should always be avoided.
3. Sizing defects
Wrong gradation of sizes, difference in measurement of various parts of a garment like sleeves of XL
size for body of L size garment can deteriorate the garments beyond repair.
4. Garment defects
Broken or defective buttons, snaps, stitches, different shades within the same garment, dropped
stitches, exposed notches and raw edges, fabric defects, holes, faulty zippers, loose or hanging
sewing threads, misaligned buttons and holes, missing buttons, needle cuts or chews, pulled or loose
yarn, stains, unfinished buttonhole, short zippers, inappropriate trimmings etc. all can lead to the end
of a brand name even before its establishment.

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Major players in the Indian RMG Industry are profiled as follows:
1. Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited
Incorporated in 1987 under Mr. Kishore Biyani; went Public in 1991. ‘The Pantaloon Shoppe’
exclusive menswear store was set up in 1994; ‘Big Bazaar’ under the hypermarket concept
started in 2001. Strategy adopted in of opening smaller versions in its flagship stores like
‘Big Bazaar’ and also opening larger independent stores. Currently adopted retail formats
are:
- Lifestyle segment (Pantaloon; Central)
- Value segment (Big Bazaar; Food Bazaar)
- Private Labels (John Miller shirts; Lombard; Bare Leisure; Annabelle and Akkriti)
- Major Strategic Alliances (PRIL has 50:50 JV with Ginni & Jonny; Sole Franchisee of Marks
& Spencer, Guess and Women’s Secret in India; PRIL has 51% stake in JV with Liberty
shoes called FootMart and runs the store under the name of ‘Shoe Factory’ )
2. Shopper’s Stop
Established in 1991 by K Raheja Group. Principal Fascia – Shopper’s Stop, Crossword,
HomeStop, Mother Care, MAC
Private labels like Stop, Kashish, Vettorio Fratini, Elliza Donatein. The store offers
concessionaire space to brands, where employees of the concessionaire manage the space.
Offers apparels, accessories, footwear, cosmetics, music, books, leather products,
furnishings, etc.
Value retailing segment ‘Hypercity’ and Niche retailing as well.
Brands – Mother Care (franchise agreement with UK based Mother Care marketing baby
clothes, toys, baby care products and maternity clothes); HomeStop (furnishings and
furniture); MAC (ctie-up with cosmetics major Estee Lauder); Crossword (bookstore in three
formats – Corner Store, Brand Stores and Flagship Stores)
3. TATA Trent Ltd.
Established in 1998 as a part of Tata Group.
- Westside stores (apparel for men, women and children, mix of clothes and footwear)
- Landmark (books and music)
- Star India Bazaar (staples, perishables, health and beauty products)
- Infinity Retail Limited (Croma – sells electronic consumer durables)
4. Globus Stores Pvt. Limited
Set up in 1998 as a part of Rajan Raheja Group
- Private labels (Globus and F21; F21 targets youth)
5. Piramyd Retail Limited
Promoted by Ajay Pirmal Group in 1998.
- Lifestyle retail – Piramyd Megastore
- Supermarket - TruMart
6. Arvind Brands Limited
Subsidiary of Arvind Mills.
- Has own brands like Flying Machine, Newport and Ruf & Tuf; Excalibur (in shirts)
- International brands like Lee, Wrangler, Gantt, Arrow and Tommy Hilfiger
- 40:60 joint venture with VF Corporation (US based apparel maker) which owns Lee,
Vanity Fair, Wrangler, Nautica, Jan Sport and Kipling
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 - Excklusive franchise of Gantt.
- Sells through Multi-Brand Outlets (MBO’s) and Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBO’s)
7. Provogue (India) Limited
Incorporated in 1997 as ACME Clothing Private Limited.
- Fashion brand – Provogue; stores operate under name ‘Provogue Studio’
- Stores directly managed through the company or through contract. Also have space in
other departmental stores on a shop-in-shop basis.
8. The Raymond Group
Incorporated in 1925
- Garment manufacturing through ventures like Silver Spark Apparel Limited (for tailored
suits, trousers and jackets); EverBlue Apparel Limited (Jeanswear); Celebrations Apparel
Limited (shirts)
- Retails through – Exclusive stores (the Raymond Shop); Stand alone stores for Manzoni
(Luxury boutique), Park Avenue (premium lifestyle), ColorPlus (smart casuals), Parx
(cool, trendy office look), Be (international fashion) and Zapp (for children).
9. Madura Garment
Established in 1988 as Indian subsidiary of Coats Viyella (UK). Acquired by Aditya Birla Group
in 1999, now known as Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited
- Company owned brands – Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, SF Jeans and Peter
England.
- Tie-up with Espirit (International lifestyle brand)
10. Reliance Retail Limited
Wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited.
11. Wills Lifestyle (Lifestyle Retailing Business Division, ITC)
ITC’s Lifestyle Retailing Business Division
- Wills Sport
- Wills Classic (formal wear)
- Wills Clublife (evening wear)
12. Murjani Group
Founded in 1930 by B K Murjani. Multi-brand retail platform
- Long-term exclusive rights to 6 international brands – Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Calvin Klein,
French Connection, Tumi, Build A Bear.
13. Landmark Group
Introduced two international brands – Kappa (Italian sportswear brand); Bossini (Hong Kong
based casual wear brand)

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The Technical textiles may be classified into following categories :
 Agrotech : Agro Textile are used in gardening, landscaping, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry etc.
 Buildtech: Construction textile used in the construction of buildings, sport arenas and halls.
 Clothtech: Functional textile used in clothing and footwear
 Geotech: Geo Textile used by the civil engineering industries like roads, bridges, tunnels and dams to provide
support and stability below the ground level.
 Indutech: Industrial Textile used for purposes such as filtration, cleaning, mechanical engineering, sealing,
sound insulating, etc.
 Medtech: Medical Textile used in health and hygiene applications for the medical markets.
 Mobiltech: Transport Textiles used in the construction, equipment and furnishing of passengers and goods
transportation (land, sea, air), civil and military.
 Hometech: Home Textile used in the manufacture of furniture, upholstery, floor coverings and carpets.
 Oekotech: Eco Textile used in environmental protection, waste disposal and recycling.
 Packtech: Packing Textiles used for carriage, storage and protection of industrial, agricultural and other
goods.
 Protech: Protective textiles used in personal and property protection.
 Sporttech: Sports textile used for sport and leisure products .
Apart from these the Global Market for Smart Fabrics and Interactive Textiles (SFIT) has developed significantly in
recent years. These textiles provide interactive properties such as electrical conductivity, ballistic resistance and
biological protection. Electrically heated seat kits which have been a major commercial success is a fine example of
this type of textile.

Innovations in Fibers, Textiles and Apparels : Innovations enable a company to differentiate its products and take
competitive advantage in the market. Many innovations have been made in the field of textile manufacturing:
 Fire Resistant textile protects human skin from flames and heat, hot gases and vapors. These are used in
industries like aerospace, construction, defense, fire fighting, engineering, mining etc.
 Smart or Intelligent textiles can think for themselves. They can sense and react to external conditions and
also retain the aesthetic and technical properties of textile material. They are used to measure strain,
temperature, pressure, electric currents, magnetic fields, etc. in defense, aerospace, science and research,
nuclear plants etc.
 Ultra-fine textiles use tightly woven fabrics which have high resistance to dust, water and wind. They also
have extremely soft look and are used in manufacture of fashion garments like suede suits etc. They are also
used in medicinal field for making bandages, sheets, patients' gowns, curtains and bed sheets.
 Electronic textiles or e-textiles are used for manufacturing fabrics that have electronic interconnections
within them. These clothings measure blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature etc. and relay the data
to a computer, cellphone or other device that could signal for help if the wearer experiences a health
problem. Another variation of it may have an MP3 player fitted in it.
 Nano fibers are used for manufacturing protective suits for police, defense, fire fighters etc. These fibers are
the finest fibers in the world and have better mechanical properties than any micro fibers made of the same
material.
 Abrasion resistant fabrics can resist injury, erosion, scratch, extreme weather etc. They are used in defense,
fire fighting, marine, automotive, glass manufacturing, engineering etc.
 Adhesives fabrics ensure a long-lasting bonding between various elements and are used in industries like
aerospace, automobile, automotive, water fabrication, IT, electrical, metalworks, construction, aviation etc.
 Anti allergic and Anti Bacterial textiles can reduce all types of bacterial, fungal allergies like colds and flues
and improve sleep, meditation and relaxation, increases lung capacity, absorption of Vitamins B and C,
relieves from migraine, respiratory tracks and nose disorders, stress, etc.

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  Anti Magnetic textiles and Anti Radiation fabrics offer protection against magnetic pull in areas with active
magnetic field and from Ultra Violet radiations. These textiles are used in industries such as aerospace,
aviation, petrochemical, textile, electronics, machinery and environment protection..
 Anti-static textile prevents damage to electrical components, fires and explosions when working with
flammable liquids and gases.
 Multifunctional Textiles include many properties in one product. These may include functionalities including
waterproof , soil repellent, fire resistance, wrinkle free, anti-U and antistatic finishing and other qualities as
well.
 Auxetic textiles get fatter when stretched and narrower when compressed. These are used for making
Personal Protection Clothing, filtration, Mechanical Lungs, Ropes, Cords & Nets, Medical Bandages, Fibrous
Seals etc.
 Insulating textiles can keep away cold and damp moisture in extreme climatic conditions. These are used in
manufacture of garments for areas which have temperature below 0 degree Celsius- Mountaineering
apparel, Defence uniforms, Astronaut costumes etc.
 Insulating textiles can keep away cold and damp moisture in extreme climatic conditions. These are used in
manufacture of garments for areas which have temperature below 0 degree Celsius- Mountaineering
apparel, Defence uniforms, Astronaut costumes etc.
 Luminescent and reflective textiles can absorb and store light energy when exposed to natural and artificial
light sources such as sunlight, U.V. or fluorescent light and continuously emit stored energy in a form of
visible light. These textiles are used as safety wear for fire men, traffic men and other personnel and for
making warning boards or strips in industries like construction, electrical, mechanical etc.
 Shape memory polymer is a significant innovation in the textile and garment industry. These intelligent
textiles can remember their original shape and return to it after heat treatment like washing or treatment
with steam. They can be used for textile finishing, fiber and film-making and in industries like defence and
aerospace.
 Shape memory polymer is a significant innovation in the textile and garment industry. These intelligent
textiles can remember their original shape and return to it after heat treatment like washing or treatment
with steam. They can be used for textile finishing, fiber and film-making and in industries like defence and
aerospace.
 Soluble textiles can dissolve in water at temperature ranging from 37 to 40 degree C depending on their
composition. They are sterile hygienic materials used to protect patients and medical staff from infections,
surgical garments and drapes, face masks and shoe covers, food industry including food science, agriculture,
ceramics, paper and ink technology and explosives.
Apart from the above innovations many other new textiles have been introduced in the market. Bio-textiles, fitted
with certain enzymes, genetically engineered microorganisms or vitamins etc. have medicinal, therapeutic and
protective characteristics. These are useful in medical and defence industries. Cleansing textiles are used for
domestic, industrial, nuclear plants purposes and also in cosmetic for making skin cleansing tissues and wipes and in
automobiles as dust mapping dusters. Deodorizing or Odor absorbing textiles absorb liquids and even gases. These
are used for making sports wear, under garments, socks, curtains, sheets etc. for hospitals and hotels. Anti Ballistic
Textiles are used in Defence, Police, Fire Fighting, Aerospace & Aviation etc. as protection textiles against heavy
impact, bullets, stabbing etc. Waterproof textiles are resistant to water and are used in marine and related
industries, water sports, sails, protective garments, umbrellas, packaging material, field covers for cricket matches
etc. Windproof textiles are used in making wind-sheeters and jackets for bikers, in defence and aerospace industries
for making special uniforms, and in manufacture of sports wear for adventure sports.

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