The Garment Production Process at a Glance
Clothing manufacturing is a chain of connected steps, and the quality of the final garment depends on every link. Development, which covers design, tech pack, pattern and sampling, happens before any bulk fabric is cut. Bulk production, which covers fabric, cutting, sewing, finishing and packing, begins only after the brand has approved the samples. Understanding this split is the single most useful thing a new brand can learn, because mistakes are cheap to fix during development and extremely expensive to fix after the fabric is cut.
If you are new to the sequence, you may also want our guides to garment sampling and production lead times, which cover two of the stages below in more detail.
Step 1: Design and the Tech Pack
Production begins with a design brief: sketches, reference images, target fit and price. The factory cannot work from a mood board alone, so the brief is turned into a tech pack, a technical document that specifies the construction, measurements, fabrics, trims, labels, colours, artwork and packaging. A thorough tech pack removes guesswork and is the single best protection against misunderstandings and disputes later.
Step 2: Fabric and Trim Sourcing
The factory or brand sources the fabric and trims, such as zips, drawcords, buttons, labels, hangtags and packaging. For knitted garments, the fabric may be knitted, dyed and finished in a vertically integrated factory; for woven garments, it is usually bought from a mill. At this stage you approve fabric swatches and colours, often via lab dips: small dyed samples checked against your colour reference. Fabric choices drive both cost and quality, as explained in our guides to hoodie fabric and T-shirt cotton.
Step 3: Pattern Making and Prototype
A pattern maker converts the design into flat paper or digital pattern pieces for every component of the garment. A first prototype (or proto sample) is sewn, often in a similar fabric, to check the shape, proportions and construction. Brands review it, note changes, and the factory revises the pattern. Several rounds may be needed, and each round should be tracked in writing against the tech pack.
Step 4: Fit, Pre-Production and Size-Set Samples
The sequence of samples usually runs as follows:
- Prototype: checks the design and construction.
- Fit sample: made in the real fabric and base size to approve the fit.
- Size-set sample: checks the graded sizes, so the pattern scales properly. See our guide to garment grading.
- Pre-production sample (PPS): a final sample made on the bulk line in bulk fabric. Once you sign it off, it becomes the standard against which production is checked.
Skipping or rushing this stage is the most common cause of expensive problems. Do not approve bulk until you are satisfied with the pre-production sample.
Step 5: Marker Making, Spreading and Cutting
Once the order is confirmed and materials arrive, the factory plans the cutting. A marker is the layout of all pattern pieces on the fabric that uses material as efficiently as possible. The fabric is spread in many layers on a long table, and the pieces are cut with a straight knife or an automated cutter. Cut pieces are numbered and bundled so that every part from the same fabric roll stays together, which helps avoid shade differences within one garment.
Step 6: Printing and Embroidery
Where a garment has decoration, this usually takes place on cut panels before sewing, or on finished garments, depending on the method. Screen printing, embroidery, heat transfers, appliqué and woven patches each have their own set-up, costs and placement rules, which we compare in our guide to screen printing vs embroidery vs DTG. Approve artwork, colours and placement on a sample before bulk.
Step 7: Sewing and Assembly
Sewing is the heart of the process. In a typical factory the garment is divided into many small operations, such as attaching a pocket, joining shoulders or setting a sleeve, and each operator performs one or a few of them in sequence along a production line. This progressive bundle system or a modern flow line makes output fast and consistent. Supervisors check quality at points along the line (inline QC), catching problems such as skipped stitches and uneven seams before they multiply.
The type of machine and stitch matters: overlockers finish and join knit seams, flatlock stitches create flat seams on activewear, and bar tacks reinforce stress points. Your tech pack should specify stitch type and density wherever it matters.
Step 8: Washing and Finishing
Many garments are washed or treated after sewing. Denim may be stonewashed, enzyme-washed or laser-finished; knits may be softened or garment dyed; and nearly all products are cleaned of loose threads, spots and marks. Washing also affects shrinkage and measurements, so washed samples should be approved rather than unwashed ones. The factory then presses or steams the garments, attaches hangtags and labels and checks them one by one.
Step 9: Quality Control and Final Inspection
Quality control runs through the whole process, but a formal final inspection takes place when the order is substantially finished and packed. Inspectors use a sampling plan such as AQL, count the defects and compare them with the agreed limits. Read our AQL inspection guide to understand the standards, and consider adding laboratory testing for shrinkage and colour fastness.
Step 10: Folding, Packing and Shipping
Approved garments are folded, bagged and packed in cartons according to your packing instructions: assortment of sizes and colours per carton, barcode or SKU labels, carton marks and weights. Packaging can be an opportunity to cut waste, as covered in our sustainable packaging guide. The factory then hands over to a freight forwarder or delivers to the port, and the paperwork for export and import begins; see our guide to importing clothing from Bangladesh to the UK.
Knit vs Woven: How the Process Differs
The sequence above applies to all clothing, but knitted and woven garments differ in the early and middle stages. Knitted garments such as T-shirts, polos and hoodies often begin with yarn that is knitted into fabric on circular or flat knitting machines, then dyed, finished and compacted in the same factory group. Because the fabric is made close to the sewing floor, lead times can be shorter, and the factory has more control over weight and shrinkage. Knit fabrics stretch, so the pattern allows for it, and cut pieces are often left to relax before sewing.
Woven garments such as shirts, trousers and denim jeans usually start with fabric bought from a weaving mill. Woven fabric is more stable, so cutting and sewing tolerances are tighter, and it fits structured designs with pockets, plackets and collars. Denim adds further steps: washing, whiskering, abrasion and finishing, all of which affect cost and lead time. See our guides to denim fabric development and jeans manufacturing for more.
Common Production Problems and Their Causes
- Size and fit variation. Usually traced to an unapproved grade, inconsistent cutting or washing that was not accounted for in the sample.
- Shade variation between panels. Caused by cutting from different fabric rolls or dye lots without sorting; fixed by shade-banding and bundling by roll.
- Seam puckering and twisting. Result of wrong stitch tension, unsuitable thread or fabric that was not relaxed or pre-shrunk.
- Late delivery. Nearly always due to late approvals, missing trims or a delay in fabric delivery rather than sewing capacity.
- Print and embroidery misplacement. Result of unclear placement measurements or no approved strike-off.
Most of these problems are prevented in development, which is why the approval steps in this guide are worth the time they take.
Typical Timeline
| Stage | Indicative duration | What can slow it down |
|---|---|---|
| Tech pack and quote | 1–2 weeks | Incomplete specifications |
| Prototype and fit samples | 2–6 weeks | Multiple revision rounds, slow feedback |
| Fabric sourcing and lab dips | 2–5 weeks | Custom colours, mill minimums |
| Pre-production sample approval | 1–2 weeks | Late sign-off |
| Bulk production | 4–8 weeks | Order size, factory load, trims delays |
| Inspection, packing, shipping | 1–2 weeks plus freight | Failed inspection, port congestion |
These ranges are indicative only and vary by factory, product and season, but the pattern holds: most delays happen in development and approvals, not in sewing.
How to Keep Production on Track
- Give complete, written specifications and respond to sample comments within days, not weeks.
- Approve materials and colours before bulk, and do not change them afterwards.
- Agree a production calendar with milestone dates for cutting, sewing and finishing.
- Arrange independent inspection before you pay the balance.
- Allow buffers for shipping and customs, especially in peak season.
How Ruhrose Manages the Process
Ruhrose manages the production process end to end for brands working on low minimums from 500 pieces per style and colour: tech pack support, sampling, bulk production, inline checks and pre-shipment inspection, with a UK-facing team to keep you informed. Start a product enquiry and we will map the timeline for your range, or see how the model works in our guide to test and scale manufacturing.