The 5 things your manufacturer needs to make your trim
Get your trim made right the first time by following this simple guide
You know that moment where you wish you had a time machine so you could go back in time and stop yourself from making a decision?
Like the time I attempted to pour grease into a container straight from the pan because it seemed easier than using a funnel?
It seemed like a good idea at the time. I would have saved about 30 seconds!
But what actually happened is I spilled the oil everywhere and spent the next half hour wiping down the counter and mopping the floor.
Those 30 extra seconds didn’t seem so important anymore.
I have a friend who calls this a “longcut.” It’s a shortcut you take that ends up costing you more time in the end.
The same thing applies when you take shortcuts when you’re developing trims with your manufacturers.
But let’s back up a minute.
What are trims in fashion?
When we’re talking about trims in fashion we mean things like buttons, zippers, thread, tapes, etc. Basically, anything that goes into the garment that’s not fabric.
How are you developing trims now?
My guess is you’re sending your manufacturer a trim you like and asking them to make some changes to it for you via email or a call.
That might be fine if you don’t have a lot of products and don’t plan to grow.
But if you want to keep your product high quality and consistent, and save yourself an organizational headache down the road, the best way to develop your new trim is by using a trim development card.
It’s like a mini tech pack for your trim. It keeps all the info in one place which makes it easier for you and your manufacturer.
So what information does your manufacturer need to make your trim?
Here are the five pieces of information you need to include on your trim development card:
Sizing info (ex: 24L button)
Material info (ex: faux corozo)
Image of a original reference sample if you have one (ex: an image of a button you want to use)
Artwork if you have it (ex: Adobe Illustrator sketch of your logo mocked up on a button)
A place for comments and approvals (ex: “second submit is approved”, or “please resubmit using correct font”)
Including all these things in your trim development card makes sure that you’re giving your manufacturer all the info they need all up front.
You’re not losing days going back and forth with questions.
You’re not getting any surprises because your manufacturer had to guess what you wanted.
You’re not digging through email to see what comments you made, or what you approved, or if you’ve even received a submit yet.
Because it will all be tracked in one central location – your development card.
You’re not going to wish for a time machine because it turns out you took a longcut.
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