The Textile Industry
Objectives
• To understand the textile industry as the
primary material source for the apparel,
interior furnishings, and industrial products
industries
• To know the various segments of the
textile industry
• To be able to follow the channels of
distribution of textile products
• To be aware of the careers requiring a
professional knowledge of textiles
General Fields of Textile
Products
• Three Large Groupings
– Apparel
• Textiles used in clothing
– Interior Furnishings
• Textiles used in furniture, bath, kitchen and
bed
– Industrial
• Textiles used in luggage, flags, boat sails,
gauze, bandages, dust filters, and so on
Major Textile Production
Segments
• Fibers
• Yarns
• Fabrics
• Dyeing and Printing
• Finishing
• Textile Put-Up
Fibers
• The smallest part of the fabric
• Fine, hair-like substances,
categorized as either natural or
manufactured
• Cotton and wool are natural fibers
• Acrylic, nylon and polyester are
manufactured fibers
Yarns
• Continuous thread-like strands
composed of fibers that have been
twisted together
• There are various types of yarn, from
flat and dull to slubby and lustrous
Fabrics
• Made from yarns and are either
woven or knitted
• Springs Industries and Milliken &
Company are two of the largest U.S.
mills
• The range of fabric types and
weights is tremendous, fulfilling a
variety of consumer demands
Dyeing and Printing
• Color is usually applied to the woven or
knitted fabric by either dyeing or printing
• Dyeing is the process for imparting a solid
color to textiles
• Printing is the process of imparting designs
to textiles
• The purpose is to make the fabric more
appealing
Finishing
• Most fabrics need additional
treatments called finishes before
they can be used
• For example, special chemicals are
used to make a fabric waterrepellent and suitable for a raincoat
Textile Put-Up
• Put-up is the term used to indicate
the way fabric is packaged when it
is sold
• Most fabrics sold to garment and
other manufacturers are in a rolled
put-up, where the fabric is wound
around a cardboard tube
Primary Sources of Fabric
• Mills
– A company that owns textile machinery and
makes fabric
• Converters
– An individual or organization that buys greige
goods (that is, unfinished fabric)
• Importers
– Direct Importer buys fabric or manufactured
textile products
– Import Mill is a foreign company that owns
machinery and makes the fabric and then
exports it to the US
Secondary Sources of
Fabric
• Jobbers
– Buys from mills, converters, and
garment manufacturers
• Retail Stores
– Home sewers purchase fabrics sold in
retail stores
• Overseas Agents
– A person or company that represents
an exporter or importer in the countries
overseas where it conducts business
Buying and Selling Fabric
• Fabrics are purchased either according to
written specifications or from a sample
• If it is according to specifications it must
be exact.
• Specifications: yarns per inch, width,
weight, thickness, breaking strength and
degree of colorfastness
• If fabric is purchased from a sample, the
seller is required to deliver a fabric almost
identical to the sample
Buying and Selling Fabric
• Fabric is sold either as greige or as
finished fabric
• Frequently fashion designers or other
end-product designers work closely
with textile mill designers to create
specific fabrics to meet their needs
Private Label
• Very large quantities of textiles are sold
directly to department stores, mail order
houses, or discount chains for
manufacture by the retailer or a
contractor into private label clothing
• A private label is a retail brand in which
apparel or other sewn products are
manufactured specifically for a retailer
and sold exclusively by that retailer
Market and Production
Planning
• Each segment of the textile industry must
plan well ahead of the next selling season
• Unless schedules are maintained and
deadlines met by the fiber producers,
fabric mills, and other textile companies, it
may not be possible to ship products when
the buyers are ready to buy
Seasons
• The two main selling seasons for
apparel are fall and spring
• Fall season starts around August 1
• Spring season starts February 1
• The other seasons are summer and
holiday
Environmental Problems
• Air and water pollution
• Disposal of waste products
• Health of workers in mills
• Possible water pollution from home
laundering
Recycling
• Recycling must be an integrated
effort between consumers, retailers,
manufacturers, recyclers and the
government
• Recycled products include fibers,
yarns, fabric, garments, and used
chemicals
International Trade Shows
• Interstoff - (Fabric Exposition)
• SEHM - The Salon International de
l’Habillement Masculin - (Men’s and
Boys Fashions)
• Techtextil - (Technical Textiles)
• Heimtextil - (Home Textiles)
• ITMA - International Exposition of
Textile Machinery
Domestic Trade Shows
• ATME - American Textile Machinery
Exhibition
• IFFE - International Fashion-Fabric
Exposition
• Magic Internations (Men’s Apparel)
Textile Careers
• Nearly every country in the world is
involved with textiles
• Requires areas such as design,
creative talents, technology,
merchandising and management
• Combines art, structured
engineering, technical styling,
marketing, and business
Textile Careers
• Administrative
Assistant
• Consultant
• Converter
• Coordinator
• Education
• Environmental
Protection
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Forecasting
Museum Curator
Production
Public Relations
Quality Assurance
Reporter
Sales
Sourcing