Chapter 4 The Textile and Apparel Industry
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Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Research and Development
Developing new products to meet consumer demand and fi nding ways to
produce these products are important parts of the textile industry. Research is
working to fi nd new products such as fi bers, weaves, dyes, and fi nishing tech-
niques. Development means fi nding practical ways to use the products the
researchers create. Another name for the
combination of these processes is R & D.
A researcher generally has a college
degree in chemical, mechanical, electrical,
or textile engineering; physics; or textile
chemistry. An advanced degree increases a
researcher’s value to the company and may
be a requirement for some jobs, 4-4.
Marketing
Marketing includes all of the activities
involved in creating and selling profi table
products. Before the selling occurs, other
processes take place. The right raw materi-
als—such as fi bers and yarns—need to be
purchased. Manufacturers must decide what
raw materials to buy and what fabrics to
manufacture. They base their decisions on
careful studies of what their customers want.
Market analysts are the people who
study fashion changes and consumer
demands. Forecasting is projecting future
market trends for the coming months and
years. Market-analysis information helps
manufacturers decide what fabrics to buy
for the new fashions. Because fabrics must
be ready when clothing manufacturers
want to buy them, analysts must do their
research far in advance of this need.
Textile sales associates are another part of the marketing division. Selling is
the last step in the marketing process. Sales associates show fabric samples to
manufacturers of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing. The manufacturers
buy the fabrics they will use to produce garments for the next fashion season.
Sales associates also sell their fabrics to fabric departments in stores and to fab-
ric shops. Marketing and sales careers are highly competitive and often require
a great deal of travel.
Apparel Production Segment
Apparel production includes all the people and processes involved in designing
and making garments. It begins with the fabrics that eventually become items of
apparel. The designing of garments, pattern making, cutting, sewing, assemblage,
and distribution of fi nished items to stores are all included in the process.
4-3 A laboratory
technician is testing
the quality factors of
cotton samples.