Welcome to Week 3, Day 21 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are talking about The Recipe. We see a lot of brands claiming "Made in USA" because they have a sewing room in downtown Los Angeles. But when you look at their fabric, it was knit, dyed, and finished overseas, then shipped here on a boat to be stitched together. My dad, Ira, calls this "The Frozen Pizza Method." Ira’s Take: "If you buy a frozen pizza from Italy and just heat it up in a New York oven, did you 'ma

Welcome to Week 3, Day 20 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are talking about Structure. We recently had a customer try to make a classic Golf Polo using our 30/1 Combed Cotton Jersey . They called us after the first sample was sewn, upset that the collar looked "sad." My dad, Ira, didn't even need to see the sample to know what happened. Match the vibe to the fabric! 🏄‍♂️⛳️ As Ira explains, Jersey (left) is the "Surfer"—relaxed, soft, and drape-y. Pique (right) is th

Welcome to Week 3, Day 19 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are entering the Rib Cage Match. A designer recently sent us a sample of a heavy 20oz Hoodie. It looked great, but the cuffs were loose and floppy. They asked: "Why doesn't the cuff stay up? It's the same color as the body." My dad, Ira, took one look at it and sighed. They had used a fine 1x1 Rib on a heavy sweatshirt. Ira’s Reaction: "You sent a boy to do a man's job. You used a T-shirt rib on a Hoodie. A 1x1

Welcome to Week 3, Day 18 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are talking about Sourcing Etiquette. We often get emails that say: "Hi, I'm starting a brand. Please send me swatches of your best fabrics. I don't know my quantities yet." This sounds harmless, but to a manufacturer, it’s a red flag. Not because we don't want to work with you, but because we don't know how to work with you. My dad, Ira, has a simple rule for sourcing meetings. Ira’s Reaction: "I don't care if

Welcome to Week 3, Day 17 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. A new customer recently called Ira in a panic. They had calculated that their t-shirt yield exactly to exactly 1 yard . They ordered exactly enough fabric for 500 shirts based on that yield. When the cutting was done, they were 75 shirts short . They assumed we shorted them on the fabric. Ira had to explain the concept of "Working Loss." You don't pay for the cookie; you pay for the dough! 🍪 As Ira demonstrates, the "we

Day 17: Why Do My Pants Get Baggy? (The "Lazy Cotton" Theory) Welcome to Week 3, Day 17 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are talking about The Baggy Knee. A designer recently asked my dad, Ira: "I want to make a skinny legging, but I want it to be 100% Cotton because my customers hate synthetic fabrics. Can you recommend a heavy cotton that won't bag out at the knees?" 100% cotton has stretch, but it likes to take a nap once it's stretched out (hello, baggy knees). If

Welcome to Week 3, Day 16 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are discussing the Golden Rule of Manufacturing. My dad, Ira, recently took a call from a distressed customer. They had cut 500 yards of fabric into t-shirt panels, and then noticed a recurring knitting defect (a needle line) running through the pieces. They wanted to return the cut pieces for a refund. Ira had to give them the hard news. Ira’s Reaction: ""The fabric is always the scapegoat. The sewing machine

Welcome to Week 3, Day 15 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are talking about The Edge of the Roll. A designer recently emailed my dad, Ira, in a panic. They bought 500 yards of fabric listed as 60 inches wide . They made their marker (the cutting layout) exactly 60 inches wide . When the cutting room rolled out the fabric, the edges of the pattern pieces were falling off the fabric or hitting glue lines. The designer asked: "The receipt says 60 inches. Why can't I use a

Welcome to Week 2, Day 14 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are talking about Handfeel vs. Ethics. We often get emails from designers who receive our swatch cards and say: "I ordered the Organic Cotton swatch, but this feels just like the regular cotton. Did you send the wrong one? I thought Organic was softer." I asked my dad, Ira, why people expect Organic Cotton to feel like a cloud compared to "regular" cotton. The difference is in the field, not the fabric. 🌿 Ira a

Welcome to Week 2, Day 13 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are doing some "Dye House Math." A customer emailed my dad, Ira, frustrated because they ordered 1,000 yards of our Heavyweight French Terry from stock, but they received two different lot numbers. They wanted to know: "Why couldn't you just give me 1,000 yards from one single lot?" Buying off the shelf? You might get a mix of Lot A, Lot B, and Lot C. 🎲 If you need consistency for a large order, submit a Produc

Welcome to Week 2, Day 12 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. USA vs overseas fabric manufacturing cost Today we are answering the most Googled question in our industry: "Why is US manufacturing more expensive than overseas?" I showed my dad, Ira, an email from a customer who was torn. They loved our quality, but they had a quote from a mill overseas that was significantly cheaper per yard. Premium USA Quality. In your hands in 21 days. 🏁 Ira and Alex show off the reality of "Los

Welcome to Week 2, Day 11 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are discussing Yarn Composition. A few days ago, a designer asked my dad, Ira, if we could take our standard white fabric and "dye it Heather Grey ." Ira’s Reaction: "That’s like asking me to bake chocolate chips into a cookie after I already took it out of the oven. You can't dye 'Heather.' Heather isn't a color you add at the end; it's a recipe you start with at the beginning." Here is the technical differenc

Welcome to Week 2, Day 10 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Stop listening to "Internet Specs"! If you ask for a 400 GSM t-shirt, you aren't getting heavyweight apparel—you're getting a rug. Today we are tackling the "Language Barrier" of the textile world. I showed my dad, Ira—who has been manufacturing knit fabric in Los Angeles since 2001—a tech pack from a new brand. They wanted a "Standard Summer T-Shirt" but specified the weight as "400 GSM." Ira’s Reaction: "400 GSM? That

Welcome to Week 2, Day 9 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. Today we are tackling a massive trend in streetwear: The Monochromatic Set. Everyone wants the hoodie to perfectly match the sweatpants, and the cuffs (ribbing) to perfectly match the body. I showed my dad, Ira—founder of Greene Textile —a complaint from a new brand owner on Reddit. They bought black fleece from one supplier and black ribbing from another, stitched them together, and realized under the sunlight that one

Welcome to Week 2, Day 8 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. We are kicking off the second week by diving deep into the technical weeds. Today’s topic covers two of the most expensive mistakes new brands make: obsessing over a specific Yarn Count and demanding Custom Yarns . I showed my dad, Ira, a viral video from a "streetwear brand guru" who declared: "If you want a true luxury heavyweight tee, you MUST tell your manufacturer to use 20s single cotton yarn." Ira’s Reaction: "Wh

Welcome to Day 7 —of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. We are ending the week by exposing the biggest secret in the fashion district: Where that "exclusive" ready-to-ship fabric actually comes from. I showed my dad, Ira, a popular TikTok where a seller claims: "Don't let manufacturers gatekeep! We have NO minimums! We ship in 24 hours! Start your brand today!" Ira’s Reaction: "They aren't telling you the full story. You aren't 'starting a brand.' You are stepping into the end of a lo

Welcome to Day 6 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. We are taking the most confusing technical questions about fabric and getting the unfiltered truth from my dad, Ira—who has been manufacturing knit fabric in Los Angeles since 2001. (Missed the last post about why fabric has blemishes? Read Day 5: The Perfection Myth here.) The Question Designers often think French Terry and Fleece are two completely different species of fabric. They ask for "Fleece" for winter and "Terry" for

Welcome to Day 5 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. We are wrapping up our first week of taking the most stressful questions about manufacturing and getting the unfiltered truth from my dad, Ira—who has been knitting fabric in LA since 2001. (Missed the last post about "Crop Top" shrinkage? Read Day 4: Why Fabric Shrinks here.) The Question New designers often panic when they inspect a roll of fabric and find a small fly spot, a tiny hole, or a variation in the knit. They expect

Welcome to Day 4 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. We are taking the most frustrating questions about starting a brand and getting the unfiltered truth from my dad, Ira—who has been manufacturing fabric in LA since 2001. (Missed the last post? Read Day 3: The Truth About "Cloud Cotton" & Yarn Types here.) The Question One of the biggest nightmares for a brand is production sizing. You make a perfect sample, but then the final production run shrinks differently, and suddenly your

Welcome back to Day 3 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm. We’re taking the most confusing questions AI says you are searching for, and getting the no-nonsense answers from my dad, Ira—who has been knitting fabric in Los Angeles at Greene Textile since 2001. The Question Today, we are tackling the most confusing part of the fabric world: Yarn Types. You see words like "Combed," "Ring Spun," "Carded," and "Open End." You also see fancy marketing terms like "Cloud Cotton." Alex hold