1. The textile and Fabric Industry
Chapter 8 and 9
The textile and Fabric Industry

2. Textile Industry
Produce fibers, yarns and fabrics for fashion and other products
Extremely vital part of overall apparel industries
Very large and vital to the economies of the US

3. Fabric Production 4 main steps in the production of finished fabrics:
1. Fiber production
2. Yarn production
3. Fabric (cloth) production
4. Fabric Finishing:
Processes involve highly specialized machinery and great skill
Firms strive for peak production and maximum quality at lowest cost
Also concerned about not damaging environment

4. Step 1: Fiber Production
Fibers: thin, hair like strands that are the basic units in textiles
Agricultural industries supply natural fibers: cotton, wool, flax, and silk
Chemical companies produce manufactured fibers: rayon, nylon, spandex, acetate and polyester
Most are liquid chemical mixtures that form into thin threads and solidify
Manufactured fiber began in early 1900s grown in popularity

5. Step 2: Yarn production
Yarns are continuous strands, usually of multiple fibers, ready for knitting, weaving, or other processing into cloth
Mills spin fibers into yarns
Sometime several fibers twisted together to make yarns
A lot of yarn production is done the Southeast or in other countries

6. Step 3: Fabric Manufacturing
Fabric is cloth made from textile fibers and yarns
Huge mechanized looms and knitting machines produce great amounts of goods very fast
Cloth is still unfinished: called greige goods

7. Step 4: Fabric Finishing
Done by bleaching, dyeing, printing, or applying special coatings to the greige goods.
This makes the color, texture, patterns, ease of care and other characteristics
Textile Converters: firms who buy greige goods for finishing
Keep tabs on what’s in fashion to anticipate demand from buyers

8. Distribution Sales offices market the finished fabric to:
Apparel and accessory designers
Fabric retailers
Specialist for home and industrial uses
Many firms have showrooms in NYC near the Garment District

9. Other uses for textiles
Textiles are used for home furnishings too
Upholstery, carpets, curtains, drapes
Tablecloths, napkins, sheets, towels, blankets, bedspreads, lampshades
These goods are expected to last longer than apparel items so have to have performance characteristics such as stain resistance, colorfastness, and durability.
Home furnishing trends are much slower to change trends than apparel industries

10. Textile Marketing
Marketing: process of finding or creating a profitable market for specific goods or services
Identifies customers, determines customers’ wants and needs, and provides satisfying products at acceptable prices to those customers
Prices must also give profit to the company
To create and sell fabrics successfully, marketing strategies of the textile firms must ensure that the right fabrics are available at the right time and at the right place

11. Fashion Considerations
Before developing fabrics, companies must:
Come up with early projections of color, textures, designs
Must meet public acceptance at the time they reach the market
Textile Designers make these decisions year and a half before public sees the fabrics

12. Color
Color is the most important factor in drawing a consumer to an item
How do designer pick the colors a year and half ahead?
Logic, research and gut feeling
Best and worst colors from previous season are analyzed
Same color family might be kept in popular (ex- burgundy to purple to pink)
Colors not used in a while brought back

13. Forecasting Services
Business consultants that look about 2 years ahead to predict coming trends
Foresee colors, textures, silhouettes, and accessories for the future Sell this information to companies that subscribe
Present ideas in trend books, color cards, fabric swatches, videos, slides, sketches and on their websites

14. Fashion Fabric Sales
Fabric collections are produced with intended uses: for example children’s wear or men’s sport shirts, or bed sheets.
Collections given distinct names to help market them
Maintain Fabric Libraries in their showrooms for use by the companies who buy from them

15. Technology Important to satisfy the market
Research and Development departments provide new knowledge, new products and improve old products
New machinery
New manufactured fibers
New chemical finishes
Innovation: creative, forward thinking, introduction to new ideas

16. Textiles Worldwide Textile industry is worldwide scope
US manufactures some textiles increasingly brings in fibers, yarns and fabrics from other counties (importing)
Imported because:
1. they have high quality production
2. prices are low
Lower wages for labor and lower factory operation costs
Example: Lace from France, Silk from China, Wool from United Kingdom

17. Exports Firms also export: commercial products are sent out of country
US imports far more than exports creating trade deficit
Negative economic condition because the amounts of imports is greater than the amount of exports
Growing competition mostly from lower prices have cut into the textile industry of the US: large amounts of money and jobs lost, firms and factories closed

18. Future of Textiles
Due to global competition, US textile industry is more innovative and progressive
Adapt rapid changes, higher degree of computer technology
Establishing American owned plants in other countries
Demands for textiles is always in the rise
Experts predict Polyester to be predominant fiber
Cotton will always be popular
Environmentally friendly processing will increase

19. Home Sewing Patterns
Pattern making companies design and make patterns for the home sewing market
Make people have “sewing” skills but very few have “pattern making” skills
Pattern catalogs are in fabric stores ahead of the season for the type of garment
Some companies even offer free sewing patterns online that you can print off from home computer
Guide sheets are printed with the patterns as a step by step illustrated direction for all steps
Notions are listed
Fabric types are suggested too

20. Pattern Companies
Designer Patterns: offered to give home sewers access to some couture designs
Signature lines: have endorsement of celebrities through licensing
Easy to Sew: designs that are simple to cut and make

21. Designing the patterns
Designed the same way ready to wear is done
Designers are inspired by American and foreign fashions
Follow advice from trade publications and fashion magazines
Consider requests from customers
Rough First sketch: Croquis
Shows front and back and any special details
Presented to management for Ok
Then final drawing with suitable fabric drawn for display on cover of pattern envelope

22. Innovations for Future:
Pattern markings and instructions will become bilingual
European Patterns will become more available in Us
More multi-sized patterns (several sizes printed together on one pattern)
More patterns for knit fabrics because the fabric is becoming more popular
Continue to see more computer software to design your own patterns

23. The End 