Sustainable Fabric Sourcing: How to Do It Right

Sustainability is no longer a mere buzzword in the world of fashion. It’s a movement. With each passing season, consumers and designers demand it more loudly. Buyers want transparency, and designers want to create collections that reflect their values without compromising beauty or quality.

But a commitment to sustainability doesn’t explain how to pull off a sustainable product line. Executing sustainable fabric sourcing, for example, can be difficult. That’s especially true if you’re an emerging designer with a limited budget. You may have limited resources, a small budget, and no industry connections to lean on.

That’s where working with an experienced company like The Evans Group (TEG) can transform your sustainability plans. With the right guidance, sustainable fabric sourcing isn’t only possible,  but practical. Here’s how.

Why Sustainable Fabric Sourcing Is So Challenging for New Designers

At first glance, sourcing sustainable fabric probably seems straightforward. If you search for organic cotton or recycled polyester online, you’ll find plenty of samples. That’s all you need, right? Unfortunately, the reality of dealing with it all is more complicated than changing the fabrics you order. Consider these challenges:

• Limited access to reliable suppliers. Sustainable fabric suppliers often have high minimum order quantities. And these may be well out of reach for new brands. Finding fabric suppliers who cater to smaller production runs can be incredibly difficult, especially without existing industry relationships.

• Lack of transparency. Let’s say a fabric is labeled “sustainable.” What happens when you dig into how it was sourced, processed, or certified? You may not know. And without clear answers, you risk investing in fabrics that don’t meet your ethical standards.

• Confusing terminology. Understand “organic”? How is it different from “recycled”? Or “Deadstock?” OEKO-TEX certified? Understanding the differences in the terms will help you make more informed purchasing choices.

• Higher costs and longer lead times. Sustainable fabrics are, unfortunately, more expensive than conventional ones. Add longer lead times and limited availability to your inventory and it can potentially cause delays and expenses that new brands aren’t always equipped to handle.

• The risk of greenwashing. “Greenwashing” refers to sustainability claims that don’t hold up under scrutiny. If you become known as a “greenwasher,” your brand’s reputation will take damage before it has a chance to grow.

The Real Costs of Getting Fabric Sourcing Wrong

Sustainable clothing manufacturing isn’t just about doing good for the planet, even if it does. It’s also about setting up your brand for success. When sourcing goes wrong, the consequences can ripple through every part of your business process:

• Ordering the wrong material means you could have a heavy, stiff fabric to go with a “flowing” maxi dress. Yikes. A mismatch like this will lead to costly resampling. An ethically sourced fabric is important; making sure it works for your brand is just as important.

• Choosing unreliable suppliers can mean working with people who overpromise and underdeliver. This leads to late shipments or subpar quality. And inconsistent fabric specs can derail production schedules, leaving you scrambling for solutions. 

• Wasting time and money thanks to sampling fabrics that didn’t get it right is another problem. You may end up investing materials that don’t meet your needs, which makes your process complicated in a hurry.

• Production delays can result if your fabrics are wrong or late, resetting our entire manufacturing timeline. Missed launch dates mean more than missed sales opportunities. They can devastate your young brand’s reputation.

• Damaged credibility when you get sustainability wrong can be a significant blow with the sophistication of today’s consumers. Never underestimate the consumer. They know what they want. If your sustainability claims don’t match your materials, someone’s going to notice. Establish trust upfront, and never let go.

How TEG Makes Sustainable Sourcing Easier (and Smarter)

TEG’s experience can become invaluable when it comes to sustainability. We have years of expertise in sustainable sourcing, which helps you handle the sourcing process with the confidence of a long-established brand.

How? Well, we start with deep vendor relationships. We have access to a trusted network of sustainable fabric suppliers. Many of these even offer low minimum order quantities (MOQs) that are great for newfound brands.

We also make sure to match materials to their purposes. Rather than having you endlessly search through materials, TEG will help match the right fabrics to your design goals, aesthetics, and unique brand values.

Next, we can offer connections to certified options without additional work. Maybe you need GOTS-certified organic cotton, for example. Or recycled fibers. TEG can not only help you find them, but can also connect you to legitimate and vetted sources.

Additionally, TEG will step in with guidance to prevent mistakes from happening in the first place. Whether you’re having difficulty understanding the sustainability certifications or need to avoid fabrics prone to production issues, we can help steer your choices as you develop your new garments.

Ultimately, this leads to streamlined development. In-house sampling and production will help you move seamlessly from one stage (fabric selection) to another (finished garments) with minimal time loss and errors.

Sustainability Meets Practicality: Benefits of Partnering with TEG

You can’t make more sustainable products if you don’t give customers a practical option. And to do that, you need a practical manufacturing process. Partnering with TEG for your sustainable sourcing will simplify every stage of the journey:

• Save time. Since you’re not endlessly sourcing samples or confusing supplier language, partnering with TEG will save you time so you can focus on the more critical stages of your brand development.

• Save money. If you embrace the full learning curve without TEG’s help, you can potentially pay for the wrong fabrics, which can lead to costly sampling errors or other mistakes. 

• Build confidence. Building a sustainable line for the first time? TEG’s help can give you certainty that the materials you’re choosing are aligning with your consumers’ values.

• Strengthen your credibility. With documentation for your sustainability efforts and supply certifications to back up your brand claims, you’ll build trust. That’s critical for any new brand that needs to compete with established brands.

• Enhance your creativity. Using sustainable fabric doesn’t mean you have to compromise on design quality. We’ll help you choose the eco-friendly materials that elevate your creations with as few limits as possible.

TEG’s Track Record with Emerging Designers

TEG has an extensive history of helping emerging designers as they build sustainable brands from the ground up. 

We’ll help you from early-stage concepts so you can avoid making mistakes before they happen. We’ll engage with you on final production to offer support without guesswork. This way, new designers don’t have to guess their way through the complicated world of sustainable fabric sourcing.

We know it’s challenging. Selecting an organic linen perfect for a resort collection? Sourcing a recycled knit with just the right amount of stretch for an activewear line? It’s a lot to work through. But we find that emerging designers who work with TEG can both align their values with their product and avoid sacrificing the quality of their garments.

Ready to Source Sustainably? Work With TEG

Sustainable fabric sourcing can get overwhelming if you’re not careful. That’s especially true if you try to handle it alone. But you don’t have to go it alone.

By partnering with TEG you get access to a supportive, expert team that understands the nuances of these sustainable fashion challenges. And we’ll help you turn your values into tangible, beautiful products that your customers will love.

Ready to design smarter, source sustainable materials, and build a brand you can be proud of? Contact TEG today for guidance on making modern sustainability a feature of your brand.

Looking to learn more about fabric sourcing and treatment? We got you:

• Pleating, Embroidery and Quilting. Sourcing Specialty Fabrics for Your Line.
• Finding The Best Clothing Fabric For Your Next Collection: A Guide
• Sourcing Natural Fibers for Your Fashion Collection
• 11 Industry Sewing Tips for Delicate Fabrics
• A Guide to Denim Washes and Techniques
• How to Navigate a Fabric Trade Show