The launch date is the only fixed point
Ask a supplier for a lead time and you will usually hear a bulk production figure. That figure is real, but it covers only the middle of the calendar. Before it come the brief, fabric decisions, sampling and approvals. After it come inspection, packing, booking and transit. A program that plans only around the bulk figure almost always arrives late.
The reliable way to plan is backwards. Start with the date the goods must be in your warehouse or studio, then subtract each stage until you reach today. If the result is in the past, the plan has to change before any money is spent.
The stages and their reference timing
| Stage | Reference timing | Who controls the pace |
|---|---|---|
| Brief, route decision, fabric sheet | Depends on how complete the brief is | Mostly the buyer |
| First sample | Typically 7-15 days after fabric and spec are agreed | Partner factory |
| Comments and further sample rounds | Each round adds time of a similar order | Mostly the buyer |
| Written order confirmation and deposit | Depends on internal approvals | Buyer |
| Fabric dyeing and bulk production | Typically 30-45 days after sample approval and fabric availability | Mill and partner factory |
| Inspection, packing, booking | Planned into the production window; re-inspection adds time | Factory and inspector |
| Transit and import clearance | Set by shipping method, route and destination | Forwarder and customs broker |
The sampling and bulk figures are typical reference ranges, confirmed in writing for each program. Transit is not a factory number at all; get it from your forwarder for your exact route.
Where time is actually lost
Incomplete briefs
If the first message lacks fabric preferences, sizes or branding details, the first week goes on questions. A brief with reference images, fabric family, base size measurements and quantities lets the partner factory start the fabric sheet at once.
Comment rounds
Every extra sample round adds roughly the length of a first sample. Two unplanned rounds can cost as much calendar time as half of bulk production. Consolidated comments by point of measure, sent once per round, are the single biggest lever. See the sampling process note for how to structure them.
Late changes
Changing a color after fabric has been dyed, or adding a pocket after fit approval, can restart parts of the calendar. Freeze the specification at pre-production approval and save new ideas for the next drop.
Trims and packaging
Custom woven labels, printed elastic, hang tags and polybags have their own suppliers and their own lead times. If the artwork arrives after fabric is dyed, the garments can be finished and still wait for labels. Send label and packaging artwork with the order confirmation, not after it.
Approvals and payments
The bulk clock typically starts when the sample is approved, the order is confirmed in writing and fabric is available. A deposit that waits a week for internal sign-off moves the ship date by a week.
Fabric is the hidden critical path
Bulk lead times assume fabric is available. A stock mill quality in a running color may be ready quickly. A custom color needs lab dips and approval before dyeing, and a custom construction needs knitting before dyeing. On the seamless route, yarn is usually dyed before knitting, so color decisions have to come even earlier. Ask the factory to state on the confirmation which date the fabric or yarn will be ready, and treat that date as the real start of bulk.
A worked backwards plan
Suppose a studio wants a small capsule on its shelves for the start of a new season. Working backwards from the in-store date:
- In-store date: fixed by the season.
- Receiving and tagging: allow a buffer for checking cartons and putting stock on the floor.
- Transit and clearance: the forwarder's estimate for your method, plus a margin for clearance.
- Bulk production and inspection: typically 30-45 days after approval and fabric availability.
- Pre-production approval and order confirmation: the point where the bulk clock starts.
- Fit rounds: plan for at least one round of changes after the first sample.
- First sample: typically 7-15 days after fabric and spec are agreed.
- Brief and fabric sheet: this is the date you need to start.
If that start date has already passed, reduce the number of new styles, choose stock fabrics and colors, or move one style to a later drop. Compressing every stage at once is the plan most likely to fail.
Seasonal and holiday effects
Factory calendars are not flat. Around the Lunar New Year holiday, many mills and factories close and restart gradually, and orders confirmed just before the break often slip. Busy production seasons also lengthen queues for dyeing and printing. Ask the factory to name any closure dates inside your production window when the order is confirmed, and do not schedule a critical approval for the week before a holiday.
Two routes, two calendars
Collections that mix seamless and cut and sew styles run on two calendars in two places. Seamless styles need knitting programs and dyed yarn; cut and sew styles need dyed fabric and a balanced sewing line. Plan the launch around the slower item and consolidate at the end. The MOQ and lead time page shows the reference ranges for each route side by side.
Reorders and replenishment
Reorders are faster because the pattern or knitting program, fabric and approved sample already exist. The time saved is mostly in sampling. Bulk production still needs fabric, so if a color sells well, discuss with the factory whether greige fabric can be reserved for it. Our reorder planning note covers when to trigger a reorder based on sell-through.
What to put in writing
- The sample dates for each round and what each round includes.
- The event that starts the bulk clock: approval, confirmation and fabric availability.
- The fabric or yarn ready date, and the ex-factory date.
- Inspection timing and what happens to the ship date if re-inspection is needed.
- Any holiday closures inside the window.
The desk tracks these dates per style with the partner factory and reports changes as they happen, not on the ship date. To build a calendar for your program, send a brief with your in-warehouse date, or read how we run production follow-up.