Fashionable Friday: Factory Tour JS apparel

Ever wanted to know how your clothes are made? Well, I had the opportunity to find out when I went on a factory tour of JS Apparel in LA. Turns out it's actually a very intricate process. JS Apparel works with exclusive clients such as American Eagle and Hurley.  Here is the typical life of a garment starting from incubation and ending up with the finished product you see in the stores.

                                                            image curtsey of www.jsapparel.net

The process starts out with a concept. A client comes in and meets with someone at the factory to discuss their idea. In the showroom we saw a new idea for a leather T-shirt still in the sample stage.
They also take measurements for a fit model in this room using a 3D scanner, the latest technology in manufacturing. The 3D scanner takes all body measurements from head to toe, streamlining the pattern making process.  Next we headed over to the pattern maker's office.

The pattern maker works with the clients to create a pattern for the design. The patterns are created using the measurements from the 3D scanner in a digital program and sent to the initial sewing team.
The first sewing team uses the pattern to create the initial sample made for the fit model using exact measurements obtained from the scanner. The garment is tried on the fit model in the next meeting with the client. A few tweaks are made and sent to the pattern maker and the garment is on its way to production.

First all the fabrics for the garment are selected from the giant fabric storage room in the factory. The client is responsible for sourcing the fabric themselves, a whole other process in itself (if you liked this article keep an eye out for my next one: Adventures in fabric sourcing in downtown LA).  Many clients find it is easier and faster to manufacture in the U.S. and they can be more involved in the process. The chosen fabrics are then sent to the cutting table where expert cutters use extremely sharp knives held in machines above the fabric table. Sometimes cutting four or five layers of fabric at a time. Watch your fingers!


Next the pieces are headed to the sewing floor where skilled seamstresses sew the pieces into an item of clothing in record time. Finally the clothes are sent to the quality control table where they are carefully checked over for irregularities. After passing the inspection the clothes are loaded up and shipped off to a store where we are impatiently waiting for the next order of our favorite graphic tee. So now you know what a journey your clothes take before they arrive in your closet. I know I certainly appreciate my clothes more now that I know how much work it takes to make a garment. Interested in learning more about the apparel manufacturing process? Visit www.fashionbizinc.org and www.jsapparel.net for more info!