Women's Wear

Womenswear as a private-label programme

Womenswear is the least forgiving apparel category to source. Silhouettes change faster than in menswear, fabrics are lighter and less tolerant of process error, fit expectations are more precise, and the customer's decision at the fixture is made on drape and finish rather than on specification. VP Global Exim runs womenswear as a development-led programme, with fit blocks, fabric behaviour and finishing treated as the substance of the order rather than as details settled after price.

The range covers dresses in woven and knit constructions, tops and blouses, shirts and tunics, co-ord sets, jumpsuits and playsuits, skirts in woven and knit, trousers and wide-leg bottoms, leggings and joggers, t-shirts and knit tops, cardigans and light sweaters, and layering pieces such as overshirts and gilets. Ethnic and fusion wear is available where a market calls for it, produced in the clusters that specialise in it.

Every style is built on a written specification: fabric with weight and composition, lining where used, construction and seam detail, closure type, measurement chart with tolerances, print or embroidery placement, labelling and packing. We work from your tech pack where you have one and build the specification with you where you do not, using a reference garment and a target landed cost as the starting point.

Fabric selection and handling lighter constructions

Womenswear fabrics are frequently light, slippery, sheer or highly textured, and each of those properties creates a production risk that has to be managed rather than absorbed. We supply cotton poplin, voile, cambric and dobby, viscose and rayon, georgette and crepe, chiffon, satin, linen and linen blends, denim and chambray, twill and canvas for structured bottoms, and knit constructions in single jersey, interlock, rib, pique, French terry and fleece. Viscose-elastane, polyester-elastane and modal blends cover the comfort-led end of the range.

Light and slippery fabrics require specific handling: reduced ply heights in cutting, tissue or paper interleaving, finer needles and thread, reduced machine speed, and often a change in seam type. Sheer fabrics need lining or facing decisions made at development, not improvised at production. Textured and printed fabrics need pattern-matching rules defined for panels, sleeves and pockets. We set these controls in the production file so the factory is not making the decision on the day.

Sustainable and preference-led fabrics are supported where the buyer's programme requires them, including organic cotton, BCI cotton, recycled polyester, Tencel and lyocell blends, and Ecovero viscose, subject to valid certification at the mill. We verify certificates rather than repeating a supplier's claim, and we tell you plainly when a fabric is a conventional equivalent rather than a certified one.

Fabric is inspected before cutting on a four-point system, with shade checked against the approved swatch under standard lighting, weight and width verified, and shrinkage and skew tested through the intended wash or finishing route. On printed fabrics we additionally check print registration, repeat accuracy and colour consistency across the roll, because a print fault discovered after cutting cannot be corrected.

Fit blocks, grading and body diversity

Fit is where womenswear programmes succeed or fail, and it cannot be resolved by a measurement chart alone. We build and maintain fit blocks per silhouette rather than deriving everything from one body: fitted, semi-fitted, relaxed and oversized blocks behave differently through the bust, waist and hip, and grading rules differ accordingly. Bust point, dart placement, armhole depth, shoulder slope and back width are graded independently rather than scaled proportionally.

Plus sizing is developed as its own block. A size 4XL created by scaling a size M is wrong in the armhole, the bust apex and the waist-to-hip relationship even when the circumference measurements match, and it fits nobody well. Petite and tall grading is handled the same way, with vertical measurements graded separately from girth. Where your customer base skews plus or petite, we recommend developing that block first and grading outward.

Approval runs through a proto sample for silhouette, a fit sample in bulk fabric, and a size set before bulk. Fit samples are assessed on a mannequin and, where the buyer requires it, on a fit model, with comments recorded in writing and photographs attached. Because lighter fabrics change dimension through washing and finishing, fit samples are processed through the intended finishing route before measurement.

Print, embroidery and surface development

Surface design carries much of the value in womenswear, so we treat print and embroidery development as a formal process. Print options include rotary and flat-bed screen printing, digital and sublimation printing, discharge and pigment printing, foil and glitter application, and all-over as well as placement print. Colour is matched to your Pantone reference and approved on a strike-off in the actual production fabric, because the same ink reads differently on viscose and on cotton.

Embroidery covers flat and three-dimensional work, sequin and bead embroidery, chain-stitch and cording, cutwork and eyelet, and applied lace, patches and appliqué. Placement is fixed with a marked template rather than described in words. Backing and interlining are specified so embroidery does not distort a lightweight base fabric, and washed-off backing is used where hand feel against the skin matters.

Trim and detailing options include covered and decorative buttons, invisible and exposed zips, drawcords and tassels, elasticated and shirred panels, pleating and smocking, ruffles and frills, lace inserts, self-fabric belts and ties, and decorative topstitching. Where a trim is a safety concern for a children's or junior range, we flag it at development and offer a compliant alternative rather than waiting for a compliance rejection.

Quality assurance for womenswear

Inspection for womenswear covers everything a menswear inspection covers plus the specific failure modes of lighter, decorated constructions. We check seam pucker and seam grin on light fabrics, needle damage and skipped stitches, lining fit relative to the shell, hem evenness on bias and circular hems, gathering and pleat regularity, closure function, print placement and registration against the approved standard, embroidery placement and backing, and pressing quality including any glazing or shine caused by over-pressing.

Fabric-specific tests are run according to the construction. Typical scope includes dimensional change after laundering or dry cleaning, colour fastness to washing, rubbing, water, perspiration and light, seam slippage - a frequent failure on viscose and satin - pilling on knits, snagging on textured fabrics, print crocking and wash durability, and restricted-substance screening covering azo dyes, formaldehyde, phthalates and heavy metals. Where dry-clean-only care is labelled, fastness to dry cleaning is tested rather than assumed.

Final inspection uses an AQL 2.5 sampling plan as standard with a written defect classification and photographic evidence. Reports carry measurement results by size, comparison against approved print, embroidery and shade standards, trim and label verification, and packing and marking checks. Where you appoint a third-party inspector, we schedule and support the booking and hold the shipment until the result is issued.

Order sizes, drops and replenishment

Womenswear buying tends toward more styles at lower depth, and our order structure reflects that. Styles can be placed from 300 pieces per style and colour, and lower where several styles share a fabric or print lot. For buyers running drops, development for the next drop proceeds while the current drop is in production, and shipments consolidate across drops where the sailing schedule allows.

Where a style performs, repeats are produced against the archived specification, approved print strike-off and approved standards, which removes most of the development time from the second order. We can hold reserved fabric on fast lines where you are willing to commit to it, and we say clearly when a fabric is a seasonal availability rather than a standing line so you are not planning a repeat on something that will not exist in three months.

Pricing is quoted per style with the cost of each surface treatment and trim visible, so you can judge whether an embroidery or a lining upgrade earns its place at your retail price. Where a style prices above target, we propose the specific changes that bring it back and state their visual effect honestly instead of quietly downgrading a component.

Labelling, packing and retail presentation

Womenswear ships as private label with your branding throughout: woven main labels, care and content labels, size tabs, neck prints, hangtags, flashers, branded zip pullers and buttons, and printed or embroidered branding. Care instructions are confirmed against the destination market's rules and against the actual fabric and trim combination, since a lined garment with a decorative trim often requires more conservative care labelling than the shell fabric alone would suggest.

Packing is built around garment type and retail format. Delicate and creasing-prone garments are packed hanging or folded on tissue with minimal folding; knits and casual tops are folded and polybagged; sets are packed as units so components cannot be separated in transit or on the shop floor. Retail-ready options include price tickets, barcodes, security tags and store-level pre-pack allocation.

Documentation and freight follow our standard merchant export process: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, inspection and test certificates, and any market-specific certificate required, with shipping booked on your preferred Incoterm by sea or air. Womenswear consolidates readily with other apparel categories, which keeps freight economics workable for a range built from many shallow styles.

Developing a womenswear range with us

Buyers come to us at different stages. Some send complete tech packs and require execution to the letter, which is how we work by default: we follow the pack and raise queries in writing rather than substituting silently. Others send a mood board, a target price and a market, and ask for a range proposal, in which case we come back with fabric, silhouette and surface-treatment options against that price.

In both cases the process is documented. Sample rounds carry written comments and photographs, print and shade approvals are held physically, fit blocks are recorded, and production standards are archived so a repeat is a repeat rather than a fresh interpretation. That documentation is what allows a womenswear programme to run across several seasons without drifting.

To start, send your range direction or tech packs, indicative quantities per style, target price band, destination market and any compliance or sustainability requirements. We will confirm what is feasible, quote with lead times, and propose a development calendar mapped to your range-review and delivery dates.