1. What you need to determine before choosing a fabric

A fabric is never 'good' or 'bad' in itself. The question is: does it fit your brand, target audience, and use?

Ask yourself these questions:

• For whom is the garment intended (target audience, age, lifestyle)?
• When does your customer wear it (daily, work, sports, evening)?
• Should it primarily be comfortable, representative, warm, airy, technical?
• What is your desired selling price and margin per item?
• How important is sustainability for your brand and customer?

Only after you have answered these questions does it make sense to compare materials and suppliers. Otherwise, you will endlessly scroll through fabrics without clear criteria.

2. Overview of commonly used materials

Below is a simplified overview of commonly used materials for clothing lines, with their main properties.

Cotton and organic cotton

• Cotton: breathable, comfortable, widely available, but relatively high water and pesticide load in cultivation.
• Organic cotton: fewer pesticides, often a more transparent supply chain, slightly more expensive per meter.

For basics like T-shirts, sweaters, and hoodies, (organic) cotton is often a logical choice.

Polyester and recycled synthetic fibers

• Polyester: strong, wrinkles little, colorfast, but made from fossil raw materials.
• Recycled polyester (rPET): can be a better option, especially for outerwear or sports.

Note: synthetic fibers cause microplastics when washed. Consider usage duration and washing behavior.

Viscose, modal, and similar types

• Semi-synthetic fibers of natural origin (wood pulp).
• Falls softly, feels soft, popular for women's and comfortable clothing.
• Impact strongly depends on the method of production and the origin of the raw material.

Wool and blends

• Warm, breathable, natural fiber with a long lifespan with proper use.
• Not suitable for everyone (sensitivity, itching).
• Often in blends with synthetic for affordability and shape retention.

In practice, many brands work with blends (for example, cotton with a bit of elastane). This can be nice for wearing comfort, but makes recycling more difficult. This will become more important in the future due to, among other things, UPV textiles.

3. Sustainability in practice: what to look for

“Sustainable” is not a simple term. You can look at different aspects:

• Raw materials: organic, recycled, renewable.
• Durability: does the garment last long, does the quality remain good?
• Use: is it easy to wash and maintain?
• End-of-life: is it reusable or recyclable?

For most starting brands, it is important to find a feasible balance: better than the mainstream, without making it impossibly expensive or complex.

4. Working with deadstock and upcycling

In addition to new fabrics, you can also work with existing materials: deadstock and upcycling.

Deadstock

Deadstock refers to fabrics that have already been produced but never used. Think of leftover batches from producers or retailers. Advantages:

• You use what already exists, instead of driving new production.
• Often interesting qualities for a sharp price.
• Good story for your customer.

Disadvantage: limited stock and sometimes difficult to reorder if something is selling well.

Upcycling

Upcycling means working with existing textiles: old work clothing, flags, banners, return flows, or leftover materials. You create new products from them with more value.

At Atelier Jungles, we work a lot with upcycling, for example for merchandise, corporate clothing, and interiors. You can read more about this at: Upcycling and textile merchandise at Atelier Jungles.

5. How material choice relates to price and minimum order quantity

The material you choose directly affects your cost price and thus your selling price. Additionally, many suppliers have minimum orders per color and quality.

Three things to consider:

• Fewer colors = lower risks: each extra color means more inventory.
• Fabric choice determines margin: more expensive material often requires a higher selling price.
• MOQ at producer: the atelier and the fabric supplier usually work with minimums.

In our atelier, we think along with you about a feasible combination of material, price, and quantities, so you can test your brand without overproduction.

You can find more about our working method at clothing production and starting a clothing line in the Netherlands.

6. Practical checklist for your material choice

Use this checklist when you are about to make decisions about fabrics:

• Does the fabric fit the season and usage moment?
• Does the quality match the price level of your brand?
• Is the fabric washable and practical for your customer?
• Can you reorder the fabric if the product sells well?
• How does this choice relate to your sustainability story?
• Is the composition logical in light of future UPV and circularity?

Are you unsure between multiple options? Then preferably have a small batch made first or work with samples and a test group before ordering large quantities.