How dress materials are made
A dress material, or unstitched suit, is a set of cut fabric lengths that the customer's tailor sews into a salwar suit: a top piece, a bottom piece and usually a dupatta. The top piece often carries an embroidered or printed neck panel, border or front, placed so the tailor can cut around it. Sets are sold folded in a box or polybag, mainly to retailers serving South Asian customers abroad.
The fabric is woven, dyed or printed first. Embroidery is then added on computerised multi-head machines that stitch the same design on many panels at once, with thread, cording, sequins and sometimes zari (metallic thread). Lace borders and embroidered fabric by the metre are made the same way. Finally the pieces are cut to length, matched into sets and folded.
Surat is a major centre for this work. The Surat Municipal Corporation describes the city's economy as built on textile manufacturing, man-made fabric and zari work, and Surat Zari Craft is a registered geographical indication (IP India application 171). Surat is a Town of Export Excellence only for gems and jewellery, not for textiles.
What we check on dress materials and embroidered fabrics
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Piece length and width | Each piece unfolded on a table and measured selvedge to selvedge and end to end | Short pieces, narrow width, cut not square |
| Panel position | Embroidered or printed neck, yoke and border measured from the cut edge and centre line | Panel off-centre or too close to the end to cut a full front |
| Embroidery quality | Face and reverse checked against the approved panel; thread colours compared | Thread breaks, missing motifs, jump stitches not trimmed, wrong colour |
| Puckering | Embroidered area laid flat and checked for waves around the design | Fabric gathered by tight stitching, permanent wrinkles |
| Backing removal | Reverse checked for backing paper or stabiliser left behind | Stiff patches, torn backing showing through sheer fabric |
| Sequins and cording | Rows of sequins and cord pulled and rubbed by hand | Sequins falling off when the thread end is pulled |
| Shade across the set | Top, bottom and dupatta compared under the same light with the approved set | Bottom or dupatta from a different dye lot |
| Fabric faults | Pieces checked over a light table or against daylight | Holes, slubs, oil or machine stains, needle holes from the embroidery frame |
| Zari | Metallic thread checked for colour, lustre and tarnish against the sample | Darkened or greenish metallic thread, thread that sheds glitter |
Measuring every piece takes longer than checking finished garments, so we confirm the man-days for the set count before you book.
Common dress material and embroidered fabric defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Typical cause | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Broken embroidery needle in the fabric | Needle snapped on a multi-head machine and not recovered | Critical |
| Piece shorter than specified | Cutting to the minimum, or panels placed too near the end | Major |
| Hole or cut in the embroidered panel | Trimming scissors, frame damage | Major |
| Missing piece in a set | Hand matching at folding | Major |
| Oil or grease stain | Machine oil from embroidery heads | Major on the face, minor at the cut end |
| Loose sequins and thread ends | Lock stitches skipped, threads not trimmed | Minor, major if many |
| Chalk or marking ink visible | Placement marks not removed | Minor |
Labels and rules for unstitched sets
- Fibre names. Georgette, chiffon and crepe are fabric names, not fibres. The label states the fibre: polyester, viscose or silk with percentages. In the US see the FTC Textile Act; in the EU, Regulation 1007/2011. Sequins and decorative threads can be left out of the percentages within the limits the EU regulation sets.
- Each piece of a set. If the pieces have different compositions, the label states each one: for example, top 100% viscose, dupatta 100% polyester.
- Origin. "Made in India" on the label or the box, as your market requires. See country-of-origin labelling.
- Chemicals. Disperse and azo dyes on polyester and metal in zari can fall under REACH and California Prop 65. See azo dyes and restricted substances.
Fibre content and dye chemistry need a lab. The inspector checks the labels against the artwork and can pull sealed samples.
Packing, transit and your purchase order
Sets are folded so the embroidered panel shows through a window box or clear bag. Folding across heavy embroidery leaves creases that a tailor cannot press out of polyester, and pins used to hold the fold can rust or snag sheer fabric. The inspector checks fold position, pin-free packing, the set card, box strength and carton marks, and that cartons are not overfilled so boxes crush.
- Length and width of each piece, with the minimum acceptable.
- Position of each embroidered or printed panel, with a cutting diagram if possible.
- Approved embroidery panel with thread colours, and limits on loose sequins.
- Shade rule for the set, and the dye lot to use.
- Zari type: metallic polyester, imitation or real, as described to your buyer.
- Fold method, box or bag, insert card text, and "no pins" if you want it.
Sets that arrive as finished garments are covered under kurtas and ethnic wear. Printed polyester sarees from the same mills are under synthetic and printed sarees.
Sources
- DGFT: Appendix 1B, Towns of Export Excellence (Surat: gems and jewellery)
- Surat Municipal Corporation: The City, Contribution
- IP India GI registry: Surat Zari Craft (application 171)
- FTC: Threading your way through the labeling requirements under the Textile and Wool Acts
- Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and labelling