What are the Types of Clothing Manufacturers?
Learn the two main kinds of manufacturers and what they do and don’t do
Not all clothing manufacturers work in the same way and many new designers don’t realize this. Understanding their differences will improve your production process and save you time and money.
There are two types of sewn goods manufacturers, Cut, Make Trim (CMT) and Full Package Production (FPP). If you are looking to retain overall control of processes, working with a CMT factory is likely the best option. However, if you require assistance in all aspects of the production process, an FPP factory could be suitable for your brand. Both types of manufacturers can be found in the US or overseas and both will accept tech packs.
Full Package Production Manufacturing
This type of manufacturer offers the full manufacturing process from design concept to labeled and packaged garment with shipping.
FPP manufacture services include:
Design
Pattern making
Pattern grading
Sourcing fabrics and trimmings
Sample making
Production
Packaging and shipping
Custom finishing such as embroidery or screen printing
The advantages of FPP are great for those without technical knowledge or limited time. Apart from sewists, FPP manufacturers have designers, pattern makers, fabrics and trimming specialists, and other experts under one roof. They can source all the materials and supplies you need and get them in quantities that make sense for the size of your order. An FPP manufacturer will guide you through the entire process of getting your concepted launched, but be doing all of the leg work for you.
In the long run, they may actually be cheaper and leave you plenty of room to grow, but the entry level cost is much more than new designers can usually afford and many want to be a bigger part of the development process. They have much larger minimum order quantities (MOQ’s) to offset all that support they offer under one roof. Expect to make at least 300 pieces to start, but the good news is that you don’t need a tech pack. If you have one, though, you can get into production quicker and at a lower cost.
FPP manufacturing is a great option for you if:
You or no one in your team have good design, patterning or other technical skills specific to sewn goods.
You have the capital to produce a high number of garments and/or lack time
You want to scale into the thousands more quickly
You don’t want or need a tech pack
You have very specific custom work
Cut, Make, Trim Manufacturing
This type of manufacturer only cuts, sews and trims your designs into the full garment piece
CMT Manufacturers are great because:
They can do small runs more quickly
There are probably several right in your area, so they tend to be more accessible.
They can shift production quickly
Smaller batch is usually an option
You can be more involved with the process of getting your own product to manufacture
Using a CMT factory allows you to retain control over all your materials and trims selection, as well as aspects such as tags, labels and any extra packaging. Using this production method can also give you an advantage in terms of tightening lead times and lower quantities, which can be nice if you have a lot of design ideas.
CMT factories have many advantages over FPP but mostly if you are a new to sewn goods and/or have limited capital. This manufacturer will not only require sew by samples, patterns, tech packs, fabrics and trims, they will also need to sew a sample of your design first before giving you costing for any amount of production. Be prepared to provide them with a full and complete tech pack, though, so any technical experts you’ve hired should remain on your payroll and be available to revise your tech pack, or make a new one!
