All-Star Manufacturing Question About Cheer Uniforms

[King]

So I was just wondering how hard it was to make a cheer uniform?

Nowadays it seems everyone can design them (there is either software out there to help or there is enough templates). Past that what else do you do? Contact a sewing company, buy the fabric, assemble? Have people measure?

Has anyone taken on making uniforms themselves for their own gym? I know a lot of people do their own apparel now. Making T-shirts and shorts is relatively easy with the right equipment and setup, but you have to have an economy of scale to make it work.

What are the barriers to entry for making ones own uniform?

 

[cheernerd5678]

We have a lady make ours (not a company). As far as I know she orders the fabric in bulk and then just cuts and sews it. I'd assume that it can't be that hard to just sew it together like a shirt, although the material may be different and take some adjusting to. She designs them for us too, and she's very honest about what she can and can't do. She sizes us herself and writes very specific measurements, so the fit is great! I think that for a large gym, hand-making all those uniforms would be a huge task for one person, but in a gym with only 50ish girls it's plausible! I believe moms helped her out with some of the rhinestoning last year

 

[King]

We have a lady make ours (not a company). As far as I know she orders the fabric in bulk and then just cuts and sews it. I'd assume that it can't be that hard to just sew it together like a shirt, although the material may be different and take some adjusting to. She designs them for us too, and she's very honest about what she can and can't do. She sizes us herself and writes very specific measurements, so the fit is great! I think that for a large gym, hand-making all those uniforms would be a huge task for one person, but in a gym with only 50ish girls it's plausible! I believe moms helped her out with some of the rhinestoning last year

Interesting. Do you mind me asking how much they cost? Do you know materials cost and how much she charges for labor? How much is it for the design phase? What are her limits to designing? (ie no rhinetones no nude mesh, no sublimation)

Is sublimation hard?

 

[cheercurl]

So I was just wondering how hard it was to make a cheer uniform?

Nowadays it seems everyone can design them (there is either software out there to help or there is enough templates). Past that what else do you do? Contact a sewing company, buy the fabric, assemble? Have people measure?

Has anyone taken on making uniforms themselves for their own gym? I know a lot of people do their own apparel now. Making T-shirts and shorts is relatively easy with the right equipment and setup, but you have to have an economy of scale to make it work.

What are the barriers to entry for making ones own uniform?

You need to talk to Brenner from AS-1...she designs many of her uniforms and practice wear and has a manufacturer produce them. (Although I am pretty sure Big Bang is Varsity or GK). She had this cute pink bra top with cap sleeves that I loved.

 

[cheernerd5678]

Interesting. Do you mind me asking how much they cost? Do you know materials cost and how much she charges for labor? How much is it for the design phase? What are her limits to designing? (ie no rhinetones no nude mesh, no sublimation)

Is sublimation hard?

They're around $200-$250. Rhinestones are DEFINITELY not an issue, and mesh isn't either, I'm not sure about nude mesh but she has some blue mesh she wants to incorporate into our uniforms this year. She just kind of dreams up uniforms for us haha and has so many ideas. Im not sure about the material/labor/design costs, but the total cost seems average or even low compared to others. As for sublimation I believe you need a special machine.... Last year she didn't have the right machine to color-block our practice wear, but she got one so she's making our practice wear too this year. But she can't do sublimation, I'm sure that must be difficult, what with the special machines and having to sew them really carefully


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[SharkDad]

I wonder how many have issues with getting uniforms on time or with incorrect sizing. In other industries we don't accept late/poor quality products, so it seems logical that parents can expect a discount/refund for late or incorrect uniforms from a reputable company.

If the uniform company doesn't give the discount, the parent should be able to take it out of gym tuition. It is the gym's choice to work with a company that provides poor service.


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[King]

I wonder how many have issues with getting uniforms on time or with incorrect sizing. In other industries we don't accept late/poor quality products, so it seems logical that parents can expect a discount/refund for late or incorrect uniforms from a reputable company.

If the uniform company doesn't give the discount, the parent should be able to take it out of gym tuition. It is the gym's choice to work with a company that provides poor service.


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It just popped into my head because I saw CEA is crowd sourcing their uniform design. It's smart because you get a ton of free designs. If they manufactured them on their own they would have cut out the middle man.


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[SharkDad]

I saw that too. I can't speak to why they are doing that although I would goes they can get lots of great ideas.

For years I saw them get lots of ideas from "not GK" and plenty of late/poorly crafted product.


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[King]

I saw that too. I can't speak to why they are doing that although I would goes they can get lots of great ideas.

For years I saw them get lots of ideas from "not GK" and plenty of late/poorly crafted product.


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Is it ideas or execution that made the others bad? Has technology made execution easier? It has with shirts and now everyone can design and make shirts. Obviously some are better than others, but now just being able to do it isn't a hurdle.


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[catlady]

Sewing Contractors Clothing Industry Directory

@King The above is a link to apparel contractors if interested. You need someone that is very knowledgeable with buying and sewing stretch fabrics, active wear is not easy. Below is a link to US fabric mills, I'm not familiar with the quality it has been a long time since I was a buyer. The quality issues I have seen deal with poor quality fabric, fabrics sewn together that shouldn't be, and workmanship by a contractor that doesn't know how to sew stretch fabrics. Also, anytime you start "blinging" out a stretch fabric you are altering the natural flow or pull of that fabric. I can't help with sublimation.

United States Fabric Mill Directory of mills in the USA producing fabrics

 

[King]

Sewing Contractors Clothing Industry Directory

@King The above is a link to apparel contractors if interested. You need someone that is very knowledgeable with buying and sewing stretch fabrics, active wear is not easy. Below is a link to US fabric mills, I'm not familiar with the quality it has been a long time since I was a buyer. The quality issues I have seen deal with poor quality fabric, fabrics sewn together that shouldn't be, and workmanship by a contractor that doesn't know how to sew stretch fabrics. Also, anytime you start "blinging" out a stretch fabric you are altering the natural flow or pull of that fabric. I can't help with sublimation.

United States Fabric Mill Directory of mills in the USA producing fabrics

Thanks! My interest is solely academic and you just over answered my question.


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[SharkDad]

Is it ideas or execution that made the others bad? Has technology made execution easier? It has with shirts and now everyone can design and make shirts. Obviously some are better than others, but now just being able to do it isn't a hurdle.


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I have seen lots of excuses, blamed on the uniform companies, gyms and parents a like. One excuse is that late orders and late payments cause sever delays sometimes.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt when that happens, no matter how delayed the order is when it is made the date promised should be met or else the consumers deserve a discounted price. I've heard of some arriving for the last competition. Those should be free.

If the uniform company won't discount it, then the gym should consider not going with that company anymore and feel it in their tuition.


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[King]

Sewing Contractors Clothing Industry Directory

@King The above is a link to apparel contractors if interested. You need someone that is very knowledgeable with buying and sewing stretch fabrics, active wear is not easy. Below is a link to US fabric mills, I'm not familiar with the quality it has been a long time since I was a buyer. The quality issues I have seen deal with poor quality fabric, fabrics sewn together that shouldn't be, and workmanship by a contractor that doesn't know how to sew stretch fabrics. Also, anytime you start "blinging" out a stretch fabric you are altering the natural flow or pull of that fabric. I can't help with sublimation.

United States Fabric Mill Directory of mills in the USA producing fabrics

Ok thinking more about what you said:

You need to find consistent fabric vendors to give you what you want and consistent sewmanship? (if that is a word)

Are those the two biggest hurdles?

 

[Dj_Drew]

I wonder how many have issues with getting uniforms on time or with incorrect sizing. In other industries we don't accept late/poor quality products, so it seems logical that parents can expect a discount/refund for late or incorrect uniforms from a reputable company.

If the uniform company doesn't give the discount, the parent should be able to take it out of gym tuition. It is the gym's choice to work with a company that provides poor service.


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Asking for the gym to give you a discount isn't really fare when they have no control over the situation. It's like going out to dinner and the electricity going out midway through your meal.

 

[SharkDad]

Asking for the gym to give you a discount isn't really fare when they have no control over the situation. It's like going out to dinner and the electricity going out midway through your meal.

If the gym decides to repeatedly continue with a company that provides poor service to its customers, it's their choice.

This should either be in the uniform companies order contract or the gym should reimburse the customer themselves.

At a restaurant, people don't ask for excuses. If its an hour late and you ever want people to eat there again, a good manager will comp the dinner.


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