January 11, 2019

So reading this article brought something interesting to mind for we sewists, and although this group who subscribes to my weekly  report most likely doesn't need to hear this, it's good to check in on this subject periodically.  Why?  Because sometimes we need to understand some basics that we might have forgotten or at the least, not think of that much.

There were several precepts here that caught my eye:

"The apparel business is becoming more competitive and the customers expect higher quality for fewer prices."

Well, first of all, this is an impossible scenario, and at some point there has to be a breaking point.  It's like stretching a rubber band, and at some point the rubber band will break.  In essence, it's simply waiting for the break to occur.  This particular break will be dramatic, as the fashion industry seems to be clueless to the fact that working for higher quality can bring about lower priced items for the consumer.  This simply doesn't work. 

Putting this into perspective for we sewists, this is like us only purchasing enough fabric to make the outfit we want - say to the inch.  So that means we would know our alterations, variations and exactly how and what we were going to make up to keep from having any fabric scraps.  Well, that's a fine nothing, but garment pieces do not and will never fit together perfectly on a flat piece of fabric.   After all we are using a 2D pattern to make a 3D garment.  That requires curves, darts, seams and other fitting mechanisms to make the garment fit or at the least have shape. 

Bravo if the clothing industry can do this, but what are they willing to sacrifice to do this?....fit?....shape?....style?  One might even think that's already been sacrificed.  For the clothing industry to seek a method, process, business model or way to sell a higher quality item for less money and for this to increase (higher quality than last year's model) and decrease cost can't happen - the system will eventually break.  


"To survive and perform in this business scenario, manufacturing companies have to reduce the costs...."

OK so what are they going to reduce?  In this article this is mostly relegated to their waste and how to reduce their waste to be more cost efficient.

Their cost wastage is categorized thusly:

1.  Left over raw materials due to raw materials left unused as in the end of spools of yarn.

Not that many of us waste a lot, but I will confess that I purchase fabric is set amounts and that I probably do have a little more waste than if I were to purchase a piece of fabric for a specific pattern.  Believe it or not, I often change my mind about how to make up the fabric and that may call for a couple of more inches or feet in the fabric to do that, and I don't want

2.  Scraps from production - Due to machine breakdown, cutting, shaping and/or finishing that can't be reused. 

I categorize this when the sewists is working as mistakes or having to cut out another piece for one reason or another, which happens, but what's the alternative?  Throwing away what you've already worked on?....trashing not only the fabric, but the time you've spent working on the garment?  It is far more wasteful to throw all that away, than to have extra from the fabric to cut out a piece to make the whole garment work. 

3.  Rejections - production units that do not meet the product specifications or standards.

So this could be also classified as #2, but more than likely this doesn't happen.  I'm not saying in never happens, but it's not the norm when a sewists is sewing a garment.  We do actually get better and better the more we sew, and this reduces this waste as time goes on. 

4.  Trial run quantity - this refers to the test run of a garment to see how it will work out in reality - does there have to be refinements, editions, deletions, additions to the run to make it more efficient and timely?  That sort of thing.

Well, since we're not doing bulk manufacturing of our unique, individualized garment, this is practically non-existant for us.

5.  Waste from poor material handling.  Buttons, labels lost, maybe other notions lost.

Although this can happen more than we sewists would like, most often it doesn't. 

OK - so why the comparison between manufacturing clothing wastage and sewists wastage?  Mostly to show the lack of waste that we as sewists produce, as compared to the manufacturing business.  Sure they are larger, and their wastage is going to be monumentally much larger than ours.  But there are two things to consider here.  1. because we are making a far more quality-oriented garment, we won't be doing the same garment every 6 weeks or so, we won't/don't have that sort of wastage because we're not making a garment to last for 6 weeks or so, and 2. to make clear that sewists sewing is not only far more economical (it last longer, therefore is cheaper in the long run), but it far less wasteful. 

Finally, the most important thing to consider here is that your sewing, albeit might not be perfect in every aspect, or even in a couple of aspects, it is far superior than what you can purchase.  Not only is it far superior but because it is made from far better components and quality assembly, it will last  from 20 to 100 times longer than the store bought items. 

So for the new year, promise yourself:

• To appreciate your work more
• If there's something you don't like about your work, practice it on muslin - flap pockets, buttonholes, plackets - anything like that.  All this takes is practice
• Do not prejudge yourself - truly - go out and look at what's sold and you will be amazed at not only the quality of products you are working with but the much better assembly quality. 

Your work really can't compare to what you purchase.  Maybe in the 70's or as late as the 80's, it might, but today - there is no comparison.  Your work is far superior!
 

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