COURSE : Clothing & Textile Technology

LEVEL : Year 2
SUBJECT : Clothing & Textile Manufacture
LECTURER : Bongiwe Kolisi (kolisib@cput.ac.za)
LECTURING TIME : 08:30-10:00
DATE : 19 July 2019

CLASSIFICATION OF GARMENTS

Garments could be classified based on several aspects as there is no standard classification

system available. However, garments could be classified based on the gender as male or
female, or age (children’s wear). Generally, based on use, style and material, different
varieties of garments show different styles.

1. Kid’s/Children’s wear

1.1 SAFETY ASPECTS RELATING TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHILDREN’

WEAR

Compliance with some product safety requirements can be established and confirmed through
visual inspections (e.g. the presence of warning labels on baby clothes).

Some standards require specialist laboratory testing to verify compliance.

Where laboratory testing is required to validate compliance, copies of test reports should be
obtained from independent &/or accredited laboratories and must available at all times.

1.2 RISK ASSESSMENT DURING PRODUCTION

When manufacturing children’s wear, it is highly important that the garments are assessed at
sample stage in order to eliminate risk.

The risk assessment involves consideration for 3 key criteria before determining whether a
“tolerable level of risk” has been achieved:

1. Identify the risk - What can happen?

2. Analyze the risk - How possible is it?
3. Evaluate the risk - How severe could the resulting injury be?

When the evaluation is complete, the manufacturer will then be advised on whether to go ahead
with production or not based on the results obtained.
1.1.1 PRODUCT RECALLS, PRODUCT BANS AND MANDATORY REPORTING

The product safety legislation also covers product bans, recalls and mandatory reporting of
product/service related injuries.

 Product bans: products may be banned on a permanent basis by the validation board
or on an interim basis where the regulator requires an opportunity to investigate further.
It is illegal to sell products that are covered by either a permanent or interim ban.

 Product Recalls: where a product represents a significant safety risk for consumers or
does not comply with a mandatory safety and where the product has already been
offered and sold to the public, wholesalers and manufacturers may need to withdraw
products from sale and conduct a public recall.

 Mandatory Reporting: where a person has suffered death, illness or serious injury
whilst using a product, upon becoming aware of the incident the supplier must submit
a report with the validation board within 48 hours.

1.1.3 MINIMISING PRODUCTION RISKS

1) The primary purpose of conducting risk assessments during a product’s design and
development phases is to incorporate safety into the product from its origins. This is
the single most effective strategy for eliminating product safety risks. It should also be
noted that, regardless of design, safety hazards may also arise within the production
process.

2) Risk may arise through:

a. Contamination from equipment (e.g. broken needles)
b. Self-contamination (e.g. buttons or press-studs loose in garments)
c. Nonconformity from specification (e.g. trims not attached securely)
d. Raw materials variability (e.g. fabric properties differ from approved fabric)

3) The use of production and post-production quality checks are required to ensure that
quality and safety are not only engineered into products from the beginning, but to
ensure that safety is implemented through the entire end-to-end process.

4) Production and post-production quality checks may include the following:

a. Audits of factories to establish quality capabilities.

b. Quality inspections of manufactured goods to confirm items are as-approved
c. Quality & safety checks of goods as they are being produced (i.e. in the production
line).
d. Laboratory testing to validate that production items meet specified requirements.
e. Production samples being submitted to the retailer/importer for approval prior to
shipping.
1.1.4 HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH CHILDREN

Definition: Hazards are defined as the potential source of harm.

An overview of the nature of the hazards and how it presents dangers for children.

The key hazards are:

1. Chemical Toxicity: Chemicals, toxins, impurities and contaminants are the hidden
hazards in textile production, as these are invisible, often odorless and generally difficult
to detect and understand.

2. Choking & Ingestion: One of the most prevalent and potentially dangerous hazards for
young children is small parts or pieces that break-away or pull-away from garments or
accessories. Once these small pieces become accessible to young children, they often find
their way into children’s mouths, upon which they present a choking or ingestion hazard.

Examples
 Bows at the neckline being plucked or sucked.

 Toggles on drawstring being sucked/chewed.

 Fitting or removing a garment: Attachments such as buttons or snaps that are placed
under stress whenever used have the potential to separate and thereby create a small
part.

3. Sharp Edges & Points: Safety risks arise for children when buttons, trims and attachments
create sharp edges or sharp points. These create potential:

a) Penetration risks
b) Piercing risks, or
c) Slicing risks

These risks can present themselves during:

a) Regular use (e.g. a sharp corner edge on a buckle that causes a slicing risk when arms
pass across the edge)
b) Fitting or removing a garment (e.g. a star-shaped button on a front placket that creates
a sharp point risk when removing the garment over the head)

Sharp points and edges should be identified through a risk assessment during the product
development and approval stages, then eliminated through re-design, re-engineering or
reprocessing.

Sharp edges and points can also arise via contamination during the production process (e.g.
Broken needles, pins or staples).
It is important that post-production quality controls are implemented to identify and rectify any
risks introduced through the production process.

Sharp edges and sharp points are often associated with the following:
1) Badges, brooches or decorative pins.
 2) Beads, diamantes, sequins,
3) Buttons, studs, rivets
4) Zips, zip teeth, zip pullers
5) Contamination: Often metallic (e.g. broken needles, pins).

Post-Production Evaluation

It is necessary to verify that the quality and safety standards approved during the pre-production
assessment of prototype samples are fully replicated and transferred into production.

In particular, for sharp edges and sharp points, risks may be introduced through the production
process that would not have been present during assessment of prototype samples (e.g. Broken
needles).

The following is recommended:

1) Upon completion of production, the finished goods should be subjected to a final inspection.
The inspection should be conducted by independent inspectors (i.e. not the factory’s QC
Team).

2) For medium-high risk categories, finished goods should also be passed through a metal
detector to ensure that any broken needle points or other metallic foreign matter such as pins
or staples are identified, isolated and the contamination removed.

3) A broken needle control system requires sewing machine operators to submit all pieces of
broken needles to a supervisor before a replacement needle is provided. Such a process should
form part of a factory’s standard control mechanisms, regardless of whether the factory uses
metal detection devices.

4. Strangulation & Entrapment

Strangulation and entrapment hazards arise through the use of cords, bows or ties used
functionally or as decoration on garments.

Long ties and cords have the potential to either wrap around necks or, for ties used in hoods,
to tighten around necks and cause strangulation.

1. Eliminating functional ties & cords, especially for the younger age groups

2. Limiting the length of both functional and non-functional ties and cords

3. Securing functional ties so they are unable to be removed. As an example: Bar tack the
draw cord at the Centre Back of a hood so it will not slide out through the channel.

4. Remove all knots, ties, from the ends of draw cords to minimize potential entrapment
hazards.

5. Cords and ties around the neckline are high risk zones for strangulation hazards. Long
ties and cords at the extremities (wrists, ankles) or on waistbands of jackets are high
risk zones for entrapment hazards.
 The most effective means by which hazards can be eliminated is to restrict the design & use
of cords and ties: Especially in higher risk zones and for younger age groups.

Applique, Badges, Embroidery

Recommendations for the design
and manufacture of children’s clothing in relation to
the use of Applique/badges and embroidery to
promote safety and minimise risks.

Statement Precautionery Measures to be applied during application

1. Applique/badges and embroidery 2. Applique/badges and embroidery

should remain attached under the
allocated care instruction, and
throughout the life of the product.
stitching is to be neat and securely
sewn 2(b) Stitch type, density and
tension should be controlled to
ensure complete enclosure and to
avoid potential finger probing,
detachment and loop forming. There
should be adequate knotting off to
avoid any unravelling.

3. Long loops and threads on internal 4. A suitable backing/fusing material

or external areas of product should be may be required to conceal long
Though commonly used on all forms of
trimmed off. float threads, knots or stitching.
apparel, have the potential to create
safety hazards: Especially for small
children.
5. Heat-applied or glued items
(Appliques, Badges, Backing Fabric,
Fusing and Interlining) should be
securely attached. Follow the
manufacturer’s application instructions
to ensure effective adhesion.
7. Backing paper used during the
6. The reverse side of an embroidery process should be
embroidery/applique/badge stitching completely removed and should
area should be nonabrasive, especially completely conceal the stitched
if likely to be in direct contact with the area.
skin. A suitable backing/fusing material
may be required to provide a layer of
protection.
1. FABRIC SELECTION FOR CHILDREN’S WEAR

Fabric selection is hugely important when sewing for children. Importantly, all children’s wear
fabrics must be pre-washed. By pre-washing the fabric you get to remove most of the chemicals
which are most probably sprayed on factory made fabric.

Usually, the first choice for making kids clothes is Cotton.

The properties that cotton has make it suitable for children’s wear.

Cotton fabric properties:

1. Absorbency,
2. Breathability and
3. Comfort level.

1.1 Different cotton fabric suitable for children’s wear

a) Lawn Voile
Description & Properties: This is a lightweight soft 100% cotton fabric. It is very
much suitable for making kids clothes, especially baby clothes.; it is somewhat
transparent and has a slightly crisp feel but at the same time it is very soft to touch, as
it is made of very fine thread.

It is a popularly used fabric for making christening gowns.

b) Broad cloth

Description & Properties: Voile is a semi sheer fabric which is almost gauze-like.
This is somewhat a thin, crisp and more see through. But it is also free-flowing.

It is a very suitable fabric to make little dresses.

c) Muslin
Description & Properties: This is a cotton fabric available in many different weights
– from very thin to somewhat dense, even coarse. The thin muslin is great for making
baby clothes as you do not get more breathable fabric than this, it being 100% cotton.

Muslin is usually used for making cloth diaper covers

d) Handkerchief Linen
Description & Properties: This is a lovely very soft lightweight semi-sheer linen. The
fabric has a slight texture to its surface (slubs).

This fabric type is perfect for making christening gowns.

As it is lightweight you can sew dresses with gathers, peats, as well

as smocking without the unwanted bulk.

e) Eyelet cotton or broiderie anglaise fabric

 Description & Properties: broiderie anglaise fabric is a fabric with embroidery
already done on it. They are great for kids dresses, nightgowns. They can be used
to make the garments or as trims or accents like yokes, pockets etc.

Image 1: Eyelet cotton or broiderie anglaise fabric. Source: sewguide.com

f) Jersey knit
Description & Properties
Cotton jersey knit fabric is a favorite for baby and children’s clothes. They are soft and
breathable. Another advantage over woven clothes is that jersey knits are stretchy.

Image 2: Products made out of Jersey knit

g) Fleece
Description & Properties: Light fleece fabric is a good choice for kids’ winter clothes.
Fleece is used as an alternative to wool. It is moisture-wicking and keeps the body
warm. Unlike wool fleece is easy to maintain as it is machine washable and dries fast.
Used to make swaddle blankets or kiddies jackets.

h) Terry cloth
Description & Properties
This type of fabric is highly absorbent

It is used to make cloth diapers

 i) Waterproof fabrics etc.
Description & Properties

Ensure that the cloth you buy is breathable or the kid will be uncomfortable

1.1.2 General considerations for selecting children’s wear fabrics

 The fabric should be soft, comfortable and non-irritating. Children don’t tolerate itchy
or scratchy fabrics. A good way to test the itchiness of a fabric is to rub it against the
inside of your wrist. Most good quality knits and cottons should pass the test with good
results.

 For a newborn an extra consideration is that it should be comfortable against the cut
umbilical cord.

 For older babies and kids comfort and safety ranks as the prime consideration. You
also do not want the fabric to be clingy or slippery or thick – the fabric has to
be breathable

 Washability. Kids are messy, and a garment that can’t simply be thrown in the washing
machine isn’t likely to get much play.

 Wrinkles are another factor. Linen is certainly a popular fabric for warm weather
garments, but even adults have a hard time not looking like a rumpled mess at the end
of the day in linen. For a child, this could be impossible.

 If you are sewing sleepwear and are using a synthetic fabric, make sure it’s been
approved for use in children’s sleepwear.

2. PATTERN SELECTION

Purchase patterns (commercial patterns) or construct patterns that allow kids range of
movement and must have easy access for children to dress themselves easily (depending on the
age group).

If you want the garment to potentially fit the child for a longer period of time, look for a pattern
that makes use of knit fabric or one that’s less fitted.

3. CLOSURE CHOICES

Be mindful of your choice of closures, especially for babies and small children. Buttons can
pose a huge choking hazard. Even if they are sewn down securely, at some point they will
become loose. Snaps are a good choice for this age group, particularly snap tape, which is
factory-made and extra secure.
1.4 ADD SIZE TAGS

This is an especially good idea if you are hoping to pass on any handmade garments to younger
siblings. It’s too easy to forget what size you made a garment in, and adding a tag takes the
guesswork out of it.