Preparing a brief for a clothing manufacturer

References: show first, then explain

Start with pictures. Mood images, photos of garments you have sold well, a physical sample, or a flat sketch all help, and a sample garment is the most useful of all because it shows weight, finish and size in one go. The trick is to say what each reference is for: “shape from image one, sleeve from image two, embroidery density from the sample”. Without that, a maker has to guess which of ten details you actually care about.

If a reference is another label’s design, use it for direction rather than as something to reproduce. Development works best when the starting point is your own idea, refined with us. Our article on describing an outfit design in words has useful phrasing for details a picture does not show.

Technical details for each style

For every design in the range, set down the points below. A table per style is easier to read than a long email.

• Garment and pieces: for example, abaya with matching scarf, or kameez, trousers and dupatta.
• Silhouette and lengths: straight, A-line, flared; finished length at centre back; sleeve length.
• Neckline, sleeves and closures: shape, depth, cuff finish, buttons, press studs or zips. The necklines and sleeves guides give names for common shapes.
• Lining and finishing: lined or unlined, hem depth, how inside seams should look.
• Measurements for the base size: a garment measurement chart, not body sizes, with the points measured named clearly.

Fabric and embroidery

Describe the fabric by what it must do: its weight, drape, opacity, how it should feel, and the colour, ideally with a physical swatch or a colour reference you can post. Say whether you want us to source the fabric or will supply it yourself. If you supply it, tell us how much you have per colour.

For embroidery, send a placement map for each style showing where the work sits and how dense it is, and say which method you have in mind: hand, machine, zari, beadwork or sequins. Suitability depends on the fabric, the construction, the density and the placement, so the method is confirmed for each design rather than assumed. Our custom embroidery page shows what is involved, and choosing embroidery placement for a suit helps when planning a full outfit.

Samples and sign-off

Treat the first sample as a starting point rather than a finished product. When it arrives, check it against your brief point by point, measure it against your chart, and send your comments in writing, numbered so each one can be answered. Photos of the sample on a person, front, side and back, show far more than a description. Development work, including any samples, is part of the project quote; samples are not free, so a tight brief keeps the number of rounds down. Once a sample is approved, it becomes the reference the production run is checked against.

Sizes and quantities per design

List the sizes you sell and give the garment measurements you want for each one. A size chart from your own range is better than a general one, because it reflects your customers. Then set out quantities as a grid: each design, each colour, each size, with a number in every box. Totals alone are not enough to plan fabric or cutting.

Quantities, development costs and timelines are quoted per project, so there is no standard figure to plan around in advance. Tell us what you have in mind and why, for example a first small drop to test a style, and we work it out together.

Labels, packaging and target dates

Say which labels go into each garment: your brand label, size labels, care labels, and where each should be stitched. Tell us whether you will send them or want them arranged. Packaging is agreed per project too, so describe what you need: folded and bagged, hung, tagged, or packed by size or by store.

Finally, give your dates: when you would like to see samples, when stock needs to arrive and when you launch. Timelines for brand orders are quoted per project, and the 5 to 7 working days we publish for individual custom orders does not apply. Everything is made in Pakistan and shipped internationally, so brands in the UK, the Gulf and elsewhere work with us online.

A one-page checklist

Before you send your brief, check it covers these:

• Who you are, where you sell and who your customer is.
• References for each design, with a note on what to take from each one.
• Technical details and a garment measurement chart per style.
• Fabric description, colour references and who supplies the fabric.
• Embroidery placement maps and preferred methods.
• Sizes, and quantities per design, colour and size.
• Labels, packaging and your target dates.