When does a fabric choice become final?
A fabric choice becomes final when the finished fabric is approved, its details are recorded and the quantity needed is confirmed, with a further check before cutting.
Quick answers from this guide
When does a fabric choice become final?
A fabric choice becomes final for ordering when the finished fabric is approved, the details needed to make it are recorded and the required quantity in each colour is confirmed. Keep the approved fabric sample with that record. When the fabric arrives, its condition and quantity still need checking against what was agreed before the maker starts cutting.
Does approving a colour sample approve the whole fabric?
Approving a colour sample settles the colour direction. The finished fabric still needs approval because the way it is made and treated can affect its colour and feel. A later treatment can change how an approved shade looks. Keep the approved colour sample alongside the finished fabric sample so the maker has both references for the order.
Is fabric already in stock ready to use?
Fabric already in stock still needs checking before it can be treated as ready for the clothes. Confirm the available colour and quantity, along with its width and any treatment it needs. Ask what the sample represents and what will be supplied for the order. The amount needed may require a further run of fabric.
What needs checking if the fabric changes after the fit is approved?
If the fabric changes after the fit is approved, recheck the measurements, the amount of fabric needed and the dates for making the clothes. Changes to fabric weight, width, shrinkage or treatment can affect the shapes used to cut the clothes and how much material they use. Record the revised decision and check which later steps must move.
On this page 5 sections
A fabric choice becomes final for ordering when the finished fabric is approved, the details needed to make it are recorded and the required quantity in each colour is confirmed. There is another check before cutting: the fabric that arrives must be checked against that agreement.
Choosing a small piece of cloth starts the decision. Approval closes the questions that would otherwise leave the maker deciding what the clothes should be made from. The useful distinction is between a fabric selected for a sample, a fabric approved for the order and fabric checked and ready to cut.
01A fabric sample does not settle the whole order
A small piece of fabric can show the intended look and feel without confirming what is available to buy. Ask what it represents. The fabric may already exist in the required colour, or it may be an example of cloth that still needs dyeing or another treatment. The available amount also needs checking.
Fabric that the fabric maker already produces can still need work for this order. The required colour may be unavailable, or there may be too little fabric for all the clothes. A further run changes the work that must happen before delivery. Record what is available now and what must still be made.
A changed version of an existing fabric needs its own approval too. A different weight, print or surface treatment can require another sample. Ask the maker to identify those steps before setting the dates for making the clothes.
02Approve the colour and the finished cloth together
Colour approval is one part of fabric approval. A small dyed sample gives the fabric maker an agreed colour to work towards. It does not settle how the complete fabric will look and feel after every treatment has been applied. Keep a physical colour reference: it gives a clearer target than an image on a screen.
Review the finished fabric for the clothes it will become. A treatment can change its feel or surface appearance, and it can also affect its width and weight. An approved colour may look different after that treatment. If the final result needs a correction, the colour decision may need to be opened again.
Give the maker one combined response to each sample. State whether it is approved, needs a specific correction or needs a new option. Conflicting comments and changes to the reference used for judging colour can delay the next sample. Keep the approved colour reference with the approved finished fabric so both parts of the decision remain available for comparison.
03Record what the maker must make and how much
The finished sample needs a written description alongside it. Record what the fabric is made from and how it is woven or knitted. Include its target weight and width, the agreed colour and any treatment. Describe the intended feel. For knitted fabric, include how it should return to shape after stretching where that matters to the clothes.
Agree the checks needed for the fabric's intended use and what results will be accepted. Record the expected shrinkage as well. A picture or a garment sample can help communicate the intended result, but the fabric maker still needs enough detail to make the cloth. If using an image, identify which qualities are visual guidance and which must be matched.
The amount to order also has to be settled. Confirm the number of clothes in each size and colour, then confirm how much fabric those clothes require. The shapes used to cut them affect that amount, as does the fabric's usable width. A change to either can change the order. Check the minimum the maker will run for the chosen fabric, colour or treatment before treating the quantity as agreed.
04A change after approval reopens the affected decisions
Final approval gives the maker a settled instruction for planning materials and work. A later change needs its consequences checked before that instruction is replaced. Changing the weight can affect how the fabric feels and shrinks. Changing its treatment can affect the clothes' measurements. A revised width can alter the amount needed to make them.
If the fit has already been approved, recheck the measurements and fabric requirement when the fabric changes. The dates need reviewing too. An altered number of clothes in each colour can change the fabric order after materials and time have been planned. Record what changed, who will approve it and which later step is waiting for that decision.
Build the calendar backwards from when the finished clothes are needed. Allow for fabric arrival and checking before cutting, with fabric making and approval before that. Leave room for the samples needed to reach approval. There is no single number of weeks that fits every fabric: the work still required and the fabric maker's available time both affect the dates.
05Check the delivered fabric before cutting begins
Keep the approved finished sample and written fabric details with the colour reference and the calculation behind the order quantity. When the rolls arrive, check their condition and quantity against that record before allowing the maker to cut them into clothes.
Where the fabric maker and the clothes maker are separate, agree who checks the delivery and reports a shortage or visible problem. Name who can authorise cutting. Approval to make the fabric and permission to cut the delivered fabric are separate decisions, with different evidence available at each point.
An approaching delivery date does not remove the need for that check. Cutting fabric that has not been approved carries the unresolved issue into the clothes made from it. Keep open fabric decisions visible while other ready work proceeds, and update the calendar when an approval moves. The order should follow the approved fabric, and cutting should follow the delivery check.