Case Study: Custom Brocade Fabric for a Workwear Distributor in the United Kingdom
Source:Rustic Wood Picture Frames /
Time:2026-09-18
Brocade Fabric for a Workwear Distributor in the United Kingdom
A Workwear Distributor approached us with a brocade fabric requirement for the the United Kingdom market. The brief was specific: a defined look, a hard launch date and a unit cost that had to survive freight and duty. This case study records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order was delivered.
The challenge
- Elastic that lost recovery after three washes
- Cartons packed to the factory ratio instead of the buyer's size ratio
- Shade drift between the approved lab dip and the bulk lot
What we specified
| Item | Brocade Fabric |
|---|---|
| Client type | A Workwear Distributor |
| Market | the United Kingdom |
| Order volume | 5,000 pieces across 4 specifications |
| Base material | Aluminium |
| Standard size | 140 gsm |
| Finish | Gunmetal Finish |
| Sampling rounds | 3 |
| Delivery window | 10 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | ISO 14001 |
How it was resolved
- We rebuilt the specification around Aluminium and locked the tolerance before bulk.
- The finish was moved to Yarn-Dyed Finish after strike-off tests showed better durability.
- A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
- Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
- Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.
Result
- 5,000 pieces delivered inside the 10-week window.
- Unit cost held within 1.5% of the original quotation.
- Inspection-related rejection stayed under 2.0%.
- The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.
What we would repeat
Fix the specification count early. Adding variants after production starts is the most expensive change a client can request.
Planning something similar?
Tell us the item, the quantity and the delivery window. We will quote it with the sub-processes named, so the lead time you approve is the lead time you get.
