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Blog – sewing tips and haberdashery guides

Practical guides to buttons, zippers, elastics, labels, ribbons and all sewing accessories – sizes, types and how to attach them.

Medical and Orthopedic Elastic: For Support Belts, Braces and Compression Garments Medical and Orthopedic Elastic: For Support Belts, Braces and Compression Garments Medical elastic tape is the core material in orthopaedic belts, braces, post-surgery garments and many support products, from lumbar belts to knee... Read more → Producing Clothing in Bulgaria for EU Brands: The Nearshoring Advantage Producing Clothing in Bulgaria for EU Brands: The Nearshoring Advantage Finding a clothing manufacturer in Bulgaria is an increasingly serious option for European brands that want a shorter supply chain. Read more → Garment Manufacturing in Bulgaria: State of the Industry and Opportunities Garment Manufacturing in Bulgaria: State of the Industry and Opportunities Garment manufacturing in Bulgaria is going through its toughest period in decades. Read more → Trims from China vs a Local EU Manufacturer: What Brands Should Know Trims from China vs a Local EU Manufacturer: What Brands Should Know Choosing a trims supplier: Europe vs China isn't an ideological question but an arithmetic one. Read more → How Much Do Trims Cost in a Garment? Costing Trims in Your BOM How Much Do Trims Cost in a Garment? Costing Trims in Your BOM Trims cost per garment is where costings usually go wrong – not the fabric, which everyone calculates carefully. Read more → Trims Quality Control: Pull Tests, Zipper Cycles and Colour Checks Trims Quality Control: Pull Tests, Zipper Cycles and Colour Checks Trims quality control is the cheapest point at which to stop a problem. Read more → Pantone Colour Matching for Trims: Zippers, Elastic and Ribbon to Fabric Pantone Colour Matching for Trims: Zippers, Elastic and Ribbon to Fabric Pantone TCX trims matching gives designers and suppliers a common language, but the same TCX code rarely looks identical on cotton fabric,... Read more → How Ribbons Are Made: Woven Edge vs Cut Edge Ribbon How Ribbons Are Made: Woven Edge vs Cut Edge Ribbon Woven edge vs cut edge ribbon is the distinction that decides whether a ribbon survives the washing machine, frays when you cut... Read more → How to Write a Button Specification: Size, Thickness, Holes and Finish How to Write a Button Specification: Size, Thickness, Holes and Finish A button specification sheet is the line in a tech pack most often filled in hastily ("button 20 mm, beige") and most... Read more → OEKO-TEX and REACH for Buttons: Risks by Material and Supplier Documents OEKO-TEX and REACH for Buttons: Risks by Material and Supplier Documents OEKO-TEX certified buttons and REACH compliance are two different things that clothing brands often mix up: REACH is the law that applies... Read more → Industrial Button Attaching: Chainstitch vs Lockstitch Machines Industrial Button Attaching: Chainstitch vs Lockstitch Machines Lockstitch vs chainstitch button sewing is one of the first decisions a small factory or atelier faces when volumes grow and a... Read more → Button Colourfastness: ISO 105 Tests for Washing, Dry Cleaning and Rubbing Button Colourfastness: ISO 105 Tests for Washing, Dry Cleaning and Rubbing A button colorfastness test usually only comes to mind when something has gone wrong: a white shirt with a pink halo around... Read more → Button Pull Test: Required Force, Standards and How It's Done Button Pull Test: Required Force, Standards and How It's Done A button pull test checks whether a button or snap stays on a garment when someone pulls on it, and knowing which... Read more → Recycled Buttons: rPET, GRS Certification and What the Claims Really Mean Recycled Buttons: rPET, GRS Certification and What the Claims Really Mean Recycled polyester buttons with GRS certification are the natural next step for brands already using recycled fabrics and labels. Read more → How Polyester Buttons Are Made: Sheet Casting vs Rod Casting, Step by Step How Polyester Buttons Are Made: Sheet Casting vs Rod Casting, Step by Step How polyester buttons are made is the story behind most of the buttons on our clothes. Read more → Trims MOQ explained: how to start a clothing brand with small quantities Trims MOQ explained: how to start a clothing brand with small quantities Trims MOQ – the minimum order quantity for labels and accessories – is the first wall every new brand runs into. Read more → Trims cost per garment: budgeting labels, tags and hardware for tees, hoodies, jeans and coats Trims cost per garment: budgeting labels, tags and hardware for tees, hoodies, jeans and coats Trims cost per garment is rarely the biggest number in a costing sheet, but it is the one most often underestimated. Read more → Pantone TCX vs TPX vs TPG and coated/uncoated: which one for textiles and trims Pantone TCX vs TPX vs TPG and coated/uncoated: which one for textiles and trims Pantone TCX vs TPX is one of the first questions a new brand runs into, and getting it wrong is the fastest... Read more → How to order custom trims: what to include in your request to a manufacturer How to order custom trims: what to include in your request to a manufacturer Knowing how to order custom trims comes down to one thing: the first request you send. Read more → How to specify trims in a tech pack: writing the BOM trims section How to specify trims in a tech pack: writing the BOM trims section Tech pack trims are where most factory questions and delays begin. Read more → What is a trim card and how to make one, step by step What is a trim card and how to make one, step by step A trim card is a single sheet – physical or digital – that gathers every non-fabric component of one garment style: labels,... Read more → Building a Trim Package for a New Clothing Brand: Labels, Tags and Buttons Building a Trim Package for a New Clothing Brand: Labels, Tags and Buttons A clothing brand trims package is what turns a sewn garment into a product with an identity. Read more → OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for Trims: Buttons, Zippers, Elastics and Labels OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for Trims: Buttons, Zippers, Elastics and Labels OEKO-TEX certification for trims and accessories catches many brands off guard. Read more → Starting a Small Clothing Line: Sourcing Trims in Small Quantities Starting a Small Clothing Line: Sourcing Trims in Small Quantities When you start a clothing brand today, the trims question arrives fast: you can launch with 50 or 100 pieces per style,... Read more →