Online Clothing Study

Today, I am not going to share any tips or not going to teach you any lesson on IE or Quality control or production management. Last week I participated in the Tantu Seminar. To me, the day was for networking with industry professionals and reconnecting with alumnus, teachers, friends and getting inspiration from the speech of the start-up founders and from the business leaders.

I have captured the eventful day in pictures. Let me tell you that I was part of the seminar organising committee and I was the editor of Tantu Annual Journal.

In the seminar, we had 10 speakers and 7 presenters from the industry. The panel discussions and presentations were primarily on denim and jeans manufacturing, its supply chain, sustainability and circularity in the fashion industry.

The day was eventful to me for many reasons.
Networking and Reconnecting On the day, I met many industry professionals, my friends, ex-colleagues, media friends, students and junior. Few names I like to add to my diar…

There is no more secret in Standard Minutes Value (SMV) calculation. Now, SMV is a common language between fashion brands and manufacturers for discussions on cost, time and floor capacity. Most of the garment manufacturing companies calculate the SMV of their garments. Industrial engineers take responsibility for measuring standard time for the given garment samples. Let me define SMV, the most critical factor, widely used and much talked about term in the garment industry.


Definition of Standard Minute ValueStandard Minute is the time value arrived at for a task based on the average rate of output which qualified workers will naturally achieve without over exertion provided that they know and adhere to the specified method and provided that they are motivated to apply themselves to their work. 
- This definition is written in the ILO work study book.

Operation cycle time or average time, taken by an operator completing an operation is not the Standard minute value. SMV is the give…

This is the first time, I wear a stitch-less T-shirt. And I thought of writing a short write-up on this. I will introduce the stitch-less garment and then share a few notes on the stitch-less t-shirt.
What is a stitch-less garment? As the name says, a garment that is made without using stitches is known as a stitch-less garment. A garment that is made of components, but garment components are joined together without using a sewing machine and stitches. Instead, garment components are joined together by means of heat sealing and bonding technology. It is also called a stitch-less seam and the technology is known as sew-free seaming.

What is the difference between a Normal T-shirt and a Stitch-less T-shirt? In normal t-shirt manufacturing, fabric cut components are sewn together by means of stitching machines. On the other hand, a stitch-less t-shirt is made by using a heat sealing machine and adhesive tapes. A t-shirt is made of a number of fabric patterns, normally all knitted fabric…

Just-style.com has recently launched e-Magazine. As per just-style, the online magazine focuses on the key developments in apparel manufacturing, sourcing trends and sustainability, and has been designed to provide an enjoyable reading experience whatever your device.

You can read the e-Magazines online and get the latest updates on the key development in the apparel supply chain.

Following two issues are available for free access.
Issue 01: Fixing the Fast FashionIssue 02: Costing the Earth I have skimmed through these two online magazines and found interesting coverage. I think this would be a good addition for learners, students and apparel industry professionals.
Also Read: 10 Small business ideas in the garment industry

You already know what the standard time is.

You might be also knowing how the standard time of a garment style is calculated using PMTS data or through time study method. You have standard time for all the products and styles you are making in your factory.

Now the question is how to reduce Standard Time (SAM) of a Garment Style?

I don't need to mention the importance of reducing the standard time of your styles for a garment factory. After the reduction of the existing garment SAM, you will get a new standard time for the same product. The reduced standard time will result in reduced direct labour cost and increased labour productivity.

I am considering that you are already using sewing machines attachments, folders and guides and you have using the correct standard time. Even after that, there are two ways of reducing the standard time of a garment.

1. By using an automated sewing machine.  Install an automated sewing machine (where applicable and automation available). Check a…

In the previous post, I have explained what the fabric grouping is, its importance and major parameters considered in fabric grouping process. In this post, I will share an idea of how garment factories can reduce fabric grouping time.
Segregation and grouping of fabric are a common practice in the garment factories. On receiving fabrics from mills, garment factories perform the following activities to ensure product quality and increasing fabric utilization.
Fabric shrinkage testing done of random fabric rolls Fabric width measurementFabric weight checking (GSM) of different lotsShade band preparation After completing the above tests and activities, fabric grouping is done for marker planning and cutting process. For all these activities, garment factories spend huge amount of time and money. Most importantly this process increases the process lead time.
How to reduce time in fabric grouping process? The original idea came from Ram Sareen of Tukatech. I listened to his speech in …

In bulk garment production, RMG factories purchase fabrics in volume. Garment factories purchase finished fabrics as per style requirement. Total fabrics for an order (style) come in many rolls as each fabric roll can contain up to certain fabric length. Secondly, the wet processing of fabrics, like dyeing and finishing, are done batch-wise as per machine capacity. As a result, there is a possibility of having shade variation between two different fabric batches. Other fabric qualities (physical properties) like fabric shrinkage, GSM and fabric width may vary batch to batch (roll to roll) due to wet processing, and weaving process. 
This article will cover the following topics
What is fabric grouping?Why fabric grouping is necessary? Thumb rules for fabric grouping  What is fabric grouping? When you order bulk fabrics, you get fabrics in many rolls of various length, in different shades, in different shrinkage level and different widths. For better utilization of fabric and cutting ro…

It is not a secret that the clothing industry represents one of the leading global pollutants. When you consider that the population is booming rapidly and that the cycle of supply and demand is rolling faster, it is only logical that the worldwide need for quality clothes will increase.
How do we render this civilizational aspect sustainable in a world that cares only about profits? We have to find a way to preserve our environment, and these are some of the solutions and outlooks.
Start with the fundamental constituents To make a fundamental change in any industry, you have to begin with the cornerstone upon which it rests. In the majority of cases, this cornerstone is the leading material used to create a product. Now, it is true that the range of fabrics used in the clothing industry is fairly eclectic, so it is more a matter of how it is acquired then how it is used. The time has come to switch to green fabrics, and this switch entails the implementation of the recycling process…

Future Finish is a new online personalization experience by Levi Strauss & Co. where consumers can now go to levi.com (US only) to create their own jeans, from the fit down to the patterns, patch and wear. Future Finish allows Levi.com to change the prevailing denim/apparel model from selling what customer make to making what you sell – helping Levi better adapt to consumer demand and deliver the products they want most.

It uses a proprietary laser-powered technology developed through its Project F.L.X. to digitise the design and development of denim finishing, enabling it to take its online customisation experience to a new level.
Consumers can choose an iconic Levi’s® fit – 501® Original and 502™ Taper for men; 501® Short and 721 Skinny for women – in a lighter or darker denim wash, select from three different tints (midnight, black or rose), six patterns (natural worn, bandana, logo, camo or leopard), and add wear (rips or distressing), according to a company press r…

TMU stands for Time Measuring Unit.  In Methods Time measurement (MTM) system, a predetermined time is given to each motion. In motion study the time for each basic element is given in units of TMU.
How many TMU is equal to one seconds and one minute? Conversion of TMU to hours, minute and second

   1 TMU = 0.000010 hr = 0.00060 minute = 0.036 second

Or conversely

          1 second = 27.78 TMU
          1 minute = 1667 TMU
          1 hour = 100,000 TMU
Application of TMU in the apparel industry For establishing the standard time (SAM) of sewing operations by using the PMTS system, motion codes are applied for each motion (movements) and each motion carries time in TMU. In Standard time calculation, initially, standard time is measured and calculated in TMU. Later the total TMU is converted into minutes.
Related: How to calculate SAM using synthetic data (database systems)?

T&A (Time and Action) calendar can act as the backbone of the apparel organisations when it is implemented smartly. Time and Action calendar is a tool that helps in planning what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, by whom it needs to be done, the time it will take and what resources are required to do it. Maintaining and tracking a T&A manually, however, can be extremely tedious and cumbersome.  Hence, here are a few hacks that might provide you an insight on how to use your T&A to its maximum effectiveness. Post implementing these, you might be surprised to find out how powerful your T&A is.
1. Set up milestone activities The tasks and deadlines should focus on some key milestones (e.g. PP Sample approval, Lab Dip approval, Planned Cut Date, Ex-Factory Date). Tracking all other activities against the milestone activities proves to be more efficient than tracking all activities individually. For example, if the deadline set for PCD is met, one day delay in s…