The next time you receive a bulk order of our gorgeous, high-quality ski jackets, spare a thought for the long and detailed process that goes into making each one. Many different elements go into the creation of each new garment design, and in this article, we are going to break them down into eight simple steps.
Our design and development team is well-equipped to handle this process, and its members have been coming up with new ideas since we established the team in early 2019. Since then, it's grown from one to four full-time staff members who begin thinking about each new ski jacket design by carefully analysing trend forecasts in some of the world's main markets.
The team is helped in this regard by our overseas colleagues, a select group of freelance technical designers from the UK and Germany who have a deep understanding of the European market. By leveraging these links, researching styles, considering emerging trends, thinking about required features, and what's generally popular in the target markets, they gain enough insights to create a fresh range of outdoor clothing designs, and they do this around 150 times a year.
One of the most important properties of a ski jacket is waterproofness. Ski jackets need to be able to repel the rain, wind, sleet, and snow so the wearer stays dry and warm, but they also need to do this cost-effectively. There are plenty of expensive materials on the market like Gore-Tex, but our designers found that by using certain types of polyester and then adding a durable water-repellent (DWR) finish, they could achieve great water resistance without raising the cost too much.
With design and fabric selection confirmed, the team needs to create the technical patterns and specifications for the various components of the ski jacket, ensuring a proper fit and silhouette. Designers have long used traditional paper and card pattern creation techniques, taking body measurements (such as chest, waist, hips, and arm length) to create a well-fitting pattern. These measurements serve as the foundation for the jacket's shape and size. Designers use them to draft a paper or cardboard pattern which serves as a template for cutting the fabric, and specific design features like pockets or cuffs are incorporated into the pattern. Our designers use a mixture of this time-honoured approach with modern pattern making tools including Gerber AccuMark, TUKAcad, PAD System, and more.
This women's ski jacket is sure to be a real head-turner on the slopes thanks to its innovative silvery finish and short-cut puffer-style design. The fabric is windproof and treated with water repellent, and it's well insulated to keep customers comfortable for extended periods on the piste. A snow lock is built into the hem, and the flexible cuffs and adjustable hem and waist give a perfect fit every time.
Then there are standard laboratory tests for waterproofing and breathability. For waterproofing this involves suspending liquid in a 1-inch square tube over the fabric. A 10,000 mm rating means the fabric withstood that height of water before it started to leak.
The breathability test measures how many grams of water vapour pass through one square metre of the fabric in 24 hours.
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This striking look is made from 94% Polyester and 6% elastane, which features in the openings to ensure a tight fit that keeps the snow and wind out. It's breathable, waterproof, well-insulated, and PFC-free. We have taped critical seams to ensure that they are sturdy and robust, and paid great attention to every detail, with stylish accents added for effect:
When we move into the production phase, we tackle the logistics of ordering materials from one or more of our many long-standing trusted suppliers, briefing our skilled and dedicated workers on how to create the design, and scheduling the production run.
We can use a laser cutting machine, 32 auto templating machines, 3 for auto cutting, 3 for fabric or insulation spreading, and 4 for auto snapping, and with our two factories and large skilled workforce of 700 people, we have enough capacity to produce 3 million items per year.
Our CAD pattern-making team inspects the manufacturing process at every stage, including cutting, sewing, and packing, every day. We also use a team of independent quality assurance staff to check product quality on each production line too, so you can be sure that your order will be free from defects.
With garment manufacturing, the branding can be almost as important as the quality of the product. The brand design tells a story about the values of the company behind the product, and it sends important signals to the customer about whether the ski jacket is aimed at them. As an ODM (aka private label) manufacturer, we frequently design and create ski jackets to the customer's specifications and then apply their branding to the finished item. This is a cost-effective way for start-up companies to develop their brands and bring them to market without the need to create their own manufacturing infrastructure too, and this can be a real cost saver in the early stages when they are trying to become established and don't have much spare cash.
