How to Cost Fabric Material

Starting a fashion business has several aspects and details that are essential to the overall picture of success, especially in regard to fabric. Costing your styles within a competitive price range is the key to setting up your business for strong sales and away from a vast inventory list. By starting with preliminary costing basics with the point of production fabric purchase, you will be able to avoid many production pricing pitfalls, price your styles economically for the buyer and create profit margins for your business.

Things You'll Need

• Production fabric
• Fabric pricing chart breakdown

Instructions

1. Select your production fabric. Most textile mills sell fabric by the roll. If your styles are made up primarily of knits, you can buy tubular knit fabric from the mill. Fabric rolls usually have open fabric with selvages at each end. Each fabric type contains different yardage amounts on each roll. Ask your textile mill sales representative how many yards are on each roll.

   Tubular goods are knitted in a circular pattern. Although most associate rib knits with tubular goods, there are mills that will weave cotton knits, such as jersey or interlock, in this fashion. Distinguish this information upfront with your mill representative in order to cost your fabric correctly. Once the mill cuts the fabric, it will not accept returns.

2. Ask for the exact fabric width. Certain fabrics are 58 inches wide from selvage to selvage, but this measurement varies between each fabric. Some tubular goods can be 27 inches wide. The width difference is the key to your cost for production. It impacts pattern placement and effects the final production fabric cost. For example, if you are purchasing solid fabric, you will be able to place more patterns on one yard of 58-inch width fabric than on 27-inch width goods. Your garment yield increases with the width, because the factory will be able to construct more garments from wider goods than from a narrow width.

3. Ask for the textile mill's fabric pricing chart. This chart is extremely helpful and will have pertinent cost information. The chart includes the fabric style number, fabric name, fabric content, yarn count, fabric weight, yardage breakdown, fabric weight by the pound and fabric cost breakdown. Fabric weight by the pound is pertinent for manufacturers that send out knits such as fleece for dyeing. The dyeing mill generally calculates dyeing costs by the pound.

   The fabric cost breakdown is crucial to your costing. Fabric is sold in three ways, and the breakdown must have three separate sections. The first section is the gray goods cost, which is also known as greige. This means the fabric has not been treated with any chemicals. Although it is the most inexpensive way to purchase fabric, you will have to have the fabric treated at another mill in order to prepare the fabric for dyeing. The second section is PFD goods, which means prepared-for-dye. The mill has treated the fabric, but has not sent it out for dyeing. The last cost is dyed goods, which is the most expensive. You are paying the mill for the dyeing process in the colors you designate. Although this sounds as if it can save you time, it is very costly. Color minimums are raised significantly, and each time you reject a color lab-dip, you will be charged extra.

4. Cost your fabric by the yard. If each roll has 80 yards of fabric and the cost is $389.60 per roll, divide $389.60 by 80 yards. Each yard will cost you $4.87. However, if your production order calls for 1,000 yards of fabric, the mill will have a separate breakdown for increased quantities and offer each yard at a lower cost. For instance, if the mill charges you $4,000 for 1,000 yards, your per yard cost dropped to $4 a yard. This will impact your production cost per garment.

   Keep in mind that a mill is always willing to negotiate cost and terms when you order significant quantities of fabric. It is easier for a factory to produce more yardage than less.

5. Break down your fabric cost by the type of fabric you are purchasing. Solid fabric will yield more pattern parts than a specialty fabric or a printed pattern. Some specialty or novelty fabrics, such as lace, are available in narrow widths. This is important to know when selecting production fabric for your styles. Most prints have the pattern set in one direction, which impacts your pattern placement. This guarantees fabric waste, which in turn translates to more fabric needed in order to produce the style. The result is a higher cost for your fabric and materials. Some manufacturers replace one-way prints with a two-way print. This type of print allows the factory to fit as many parts as possible within one yard of fabric.

References

• "Basics Fashion Design: Textiles and Fashion"; Jenny Udale; 2008
• "Basics Fashion Design: Research and Design"; Simon Seivewright; 2007