Garment Quality Assurance: why does it matter?

Quality assurance and control is a very challenging and complex part of the apparel and garment manufacturing industry. There always has been a debate on the importance of garment quality and if product quality has an edge over product price with regards to customer satisfaction. 

Quality of a product is undeniably a prerequisite for building customer trust, retention and boosting your ROIs. If a product fails to meet the quality benchmarks of a customer, it basically fails to retain that customer. While a good quality product helps you earn higher ROIs due to fewer defects and field failures. It also means lower manufacturing and service costs. 

But what parameters define the quality of a garment? Are garment quality and quality assurance the same? What is the acceptable quality limit? What should you know about fabric quality? 

Keep reading to know the answers to the above. 

Why is quality important? 

According to a report by First Insight, 53% of the surveyed consumers rated quality as the most important factor when making a product purchase decision.  

Product quality is a competitive market for apparel brands that can affect their consumers purchasing decisions and thus their company’s profitability. 

A good quality product helps businesses build trust with their customers. A poor-quality product can result in the loss of countless potential sales as the brand fails to establish a connection with the end customer. A product that matches the quality standards fuels positive word of mouth and social media recommendations for your product. 

You also face fewer customer complaints and product returns. But the most important point that strengthens the case for garment quality is its connection to profitability. High quality produces a higher return on investment at any given market share. 

This is the reason why garment quality and assurance are becoming important for apparel manufacturers and women clothing exporters. 

Garment quality assurance and quality control

When it comes to the apparel industry, two terms are often coined together – garment quality assurance and quality control. Quality assurance is not the same as quality control, but quality control is an inherent part of quality assurance. 

Quality assurance takes care of quality at every step of the manufacturing process. This includes the initial design concept stage, production, and final product completion stage. 

Quality control accesses the quality of the garments after they have been manufactured and sorted into categories. All apparel and women’s apparel manufacturers assess quality in the pre-manufacturing phase, during manufacturing, and final inspection once the product is completed. 

Things to consider when it comes to fabric quality control 

When analyzing fabric quality, one needs to understand the acceptable quality limit. It is the worst tolerable quality level i.e. the maximum number of quality defects that are acceptable during the random sampling of quality inspection. 

Fabric quality can be accessed by considering its comfort, colorfastness, and durability. 

Comfort is checked in terms of elongation, elasticity, heat retention, conduction, moisture absorbency, waterproofing, water repellency, air permeability, etc. 

Colorfastness defines how well the fabric is able to preserve its color and appearance against time. When testing for colorfastness the fabric is exposed to different acid and alkali solutions and other environmental conditions. 

Durability tests the performance of the fabric under different conditions. 

Takeaway

As an apparel brand, you cannot overlook the aspect of garment quality. Choose a garment or women’s apparel manufacturer who can give you complete garment quality assurance. You should also communicate your product measurements and acceptable quality limits to the manufacturer. 

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Tips to find high-quality clothing manufacturer for your apparel brand

The fashion industry is one of the most competitive niches in the eCommerce and no wonder it’s a difficult one to break into, especially if you’re new to the industry.

Whether you’re a budding fashion designer or a well-established firm looking to expand into the clothing business, starting a clothing brand may seem difficult.

The clothing industry is highly-competitive with big brands with big budgets already ruling the ground. But as the modern customer’s choices in fashion evolve, we see the emergence of various online fashion brands and private label clothing brands.

With the right quality and perfect timing, you can break into the fashion industry and earn customers’ trust and credibility. 

If you are reading this blog, we believe you already have a design idea for your clothing brand in mind or at least are thinking of starting one. We can help you get rid of the first roadblock in your journey to take off your business i.e. to find a perfect clothing manufacturer for your brand. It is a prerequisite for building your brand. If you stumble upon this stage, your idea will be far from getting turned into reality.

Check out the best tips to find high-quality clothing manufacturers for your fashion label.

Ask whether they can make your product

This seems to be the most obvious question but an important one. Not all manufacturers can produce all types of products. Say you want to manufacture sustainable clothing products for women. It is important to find a women’s clothing manufacturer who is into sustainable or conscious clothing manufacturing.

Are they a domestic or overseas manufacturer?

Next, you need to decide whether you want to work with a local manufacturer or an overseas manufacturer. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. While with the domestic manufacturer, you can inspect the factories and easily communicate, overseas manufacturing is viable in terms of cost. So, do your homework before you choose one.

What is their MOQ?

MOQs or minimum order quantity is another important criterion to consider. As a startup brand, you might have financial restrictions and would not want to manufacture in excess quantity. You need to ask the manufacturer the MOQs they allow. We recommend going for manufacturers who are flexible to offer small order quantities to support your production economies.

Can they provide samples of your product?

When you select a clothing manufacturer for your apparel brand, you will have to share a design idea of the clothes you wish to manufacture. Ideally, the manufacturer must provide a sample of the product before they send it for bulk production. This ensures that any loophole or design error is corrected immediately.

What is the production capacity?

As a startup brand, initially, you would like to start small and offer fewer quantities of your product. As soon as you start realizing profits, you would like to scale up your business. Thus, you would ask the manufacturer to produce more quantities of the product. There is no point in first working with a small batch manufacturer and then changing the manufacturer when your requirement increases. Instead, go for one who supports both small and large batch manufacturing.

What about quality? 

Quality is of utmost importance. Your product can earn a good reputation only when it excels in terms of quality and finish. Ensure that the manufacturer you choose conducts stringent quality checks at each stage of production. 

We hope our tips can help you in finding a high-quality clothing manufacturer for your brand.

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