Building Quality into Garments (1984)

in the manufacturing of apparel quality begins with the designers concept of the garment and is incorporated in all stages of production every manufacturer must establish the level of quality needed in order to satisfy the target market quality is directly related to the value of the raw materials production costs standards and skills it must be built in throughout the manufacturing process it cannot be achieved during the final inspection quality control is the process of maintaining standards and allowable tolerances for a specific quality level it must be an ongoing process that takes place in each stage of production a good quality control program will help eliminate factors that may increase production costs as waste rejects and difficulties and production on the other hand quality control measures also require extra time and procedures that create additional costs it is important to set standards that are reasonable and reflect the level of quality that the target customer will accept the following examples show the production standards used in the making of a high-quality garment flat smooth seams with perfectly matched plaids are an important quality standard matching stripes and plaids requires special attention and care during spreading cutting and sewing the procedures are slower require more operator skill and thus increased costs each step depends on the previous one being done correctly this operator manipulates the fabric and monitors the match through the length of the seam each seam is inspected by the operator as it is finished this company requires that fabric design must match exactly pleats in a quality garment are precision cut and sewn the type depth and number will vary with the design of the garment regardless of the design correct grain must be maintained exact placement of each pleat has been previously marked the accurate pleat width is assured by placing the fabric over a guide before it is stitched notice the care with which the operator matches the markings and secures each pleat stitching across the pleats at the seam line prevents distortion when the waistband is set this is an extra step to ensure proper hang of the pleats seemed busting is used with open seam construction to produce a flat smooth appearance pressing during production is an integral part of quality garments pressing at this stage requires additional handling and more equipment but achieves a result that is impossible with only a final pressing lining adds esthetics comfort and durability when cut and sewn with precision a fully lined garment represents a higher quality level durability of a lining is related to the fiber content fabric construction and application a lining must be carefully applied to avoid distortion of the outer garment notice the care and precision with which the operator is applying the lining to the skirt vent she measures to make sure the sides of the slit are the same length and the fabric design matches she ensures this position with a small clip at the fold of the him the lining is positioned by matching at the top of the vent and the him extra time is involved to ensure accurate placement the vent is stitched in two steps to create a sharp flat upper end to the slit this is much more time consuming than a continuous seam the triangular fold made at the lower corners of the lining helps prevent traveling and concealed raw edges the vent is completed with edge stitching notice how the operator rolls the seams to the inside to hold the lining in place here again we see the operator inspecting her own work to ensure it meets quality standards neat accurate top stitching as a highly visible indication of quality good quality top stitching is related to operator skill and machine adjustment this is obviously a very skilled and efficient operator notice how she manipulates the enclosed seam allowance and rolls the seam to the inside for a sharp accurate edge although she works rapidly she does not sacrifice accuracy a well-set sleeve has adequate ease evenly distributed the operator achieves this by using numerous match points and careful manipulation of the fabric other ways the quality is built into this operation include attaching the lining in a separate operation to prevent shifting matching bundle numbers to avoid color shading and taking precautions to keep garment seams open and flat as the sleeve is set capping the sleeve shrinks out fullness notice the amount of time spent to ensure a smooth neat hang to the sleeve from the inside the sleeve is steamed around the entire arm sigh this is called capping this process sets the seam and creates a smooth rounded cap line this operation involves a lot of time handling and special equipment but is necessary for a proper drape to the sleeve accuracy of button placement is important to the fit and hang of the finished garment in this process the operator carefully positions the waistband in order to chalk mark the correct placement for the button in relation to the buttonhole no tolerance is allowed in matching buttons to buttonholes in this particular plant accuracy is achieved by spending the additional time required to precisely mark the button position this inspector uses a template for accurate and uniform button placement on the sleeves and aligns the jacket fronts before chalk marking through each buttonhole inspectors carefully monitor the quality throughout the construction process operators inspect their own work as well as that of the previous operator if defects are found corrections are made by the operator before the garment is advanced along the production line the final inspection is the last checkpoint before the garment leaves the plant inspectors look for flaws in construction color shading and fabric matching loose threads are carefully removed and garments are examined inside and out notice the amount of time invested in this Quality Assurance procedure from the design board to final inspection maintaining quality is an ongoing part of the production of a garment the examples you've seen represent only a small part of the overall process at this plant quality control and satisfying the customer is a major concern you