Case Study: Custom Knitted Elastic for a School Uniform Buyer in Portugal

Knitted Elastic for a School Uniform Buyer in Portugal

A School Uniform Buyer approached us with a knitted elastic requirement for the Portugal 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

• MOQ that was quoted per colourway rather than per style
• A trim that passed sampling but failed in-line because it was never cycle tested
• Cartons packed to the factory ratio instead of the buyer's size ratio

What we specified

How it was resolved

1. We rebuilt the specification around Neoprene and locked the tolerance before bulk.
2. The finish was moved to Enzyme Wash Finish after strike-off tests showed better durability.
3. A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
4. Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
5. Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.

Result

• 5,000 pieces delivered inside the 6-week window.
• Unit cost held within 2.0% of the original quotation.
• Inspection-related rejection stayed under 0.5%.
• The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.

What we would repeat

Approve a pre-production sample made from the actual bulk base material. Substitute material behaves differently in finishing.

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.