Cutting and Pattern Development for Custom Apparel
A pattern is where a design becomes a garment. Most fit problems that appear in bulk were decided earlier, at the pattern and cutting stage, which is why both are treated as development work rather than as the start of production.
From Your Reference to a Working Pattern
Development starts from whatever you have: a tech pack, a physical sample you like, a photograph plus measurements, or a size chart from a previous supplier. The first task is to turn that into a pattern that can be cut consistently at volume.
Where the reference is a garment rather than a file, the measurements are taken from it and the construction details are recorded: seam types, ribbing depths, pocket placement and finish. Those details are what keep a copy from drifting away from the original.
Size Sets and Tolerance
Sizes can be mixed within one colourway, so the size set is agreed as a curve rather than as a single measurement. Each grade is checked against the tolerance you accept, and that tolerance is applied at cutting and again at finishing.
Agreeing tolerance early is what prevents the usual complaint that a size run feels inconsistent: two identical-looking garments that measure differently are a grading problem, not a sewing problem.
Cutting for Consistency
Cutting decides whether the panels of a single garment come from the same shade and the same direction of weave. Shade grouping at the table is what stops a jacket collar and body reading as two different colours under daylight.
Panel count also drives cost and lead time. Extra pockets, yokes and contrast panels add cutting and assembly passes, which is why a simpler construction runs faster than a heavily panelled one at the same volume.
What This Means for Your Launch
Development done properly means fewer surprises during bulk and a reorder that behaves like the first order. Sampling typically takes around two weeks and is quoted separately and upfront; bulk production typically takes three to four weeks after the sample is approved.
Send us the reference and the size range you sell, and we will tell you what can be produced as specified and what needs a decision first.
Minimums and Timelines
Our standard minimum is 100 pieces per style, per color, with sizes mixable inside one colourway and each colour treated as its own order. Sampling typically takes around two weeks and is quoted separately and upfront; it may be credited against the bulk order only where the bulk quantity is large enough.
Bulk production typically takes three to four weeks after the sample is approved, and reorders carry the same minimum. Shipping by sea, air or land is quoted as its own line, so the transit cost is visible before the goods are finished.
About INFULLSAIL
INFULLSAIL is an OEM and ODM apparel manufacturer based in Dongguan, China, with more than 20 years of garment production experience. We reply to inquiries within one working day.
Talk to Us About Your Range
Before you specify a finish or a size curve, our guides on the sampling and bulk timeline and the how the 100-piece minimum works cover the questions worth settling first. You can see completed work in our streetwear range, or contact our team with your brief, quantities and target dates.