Bridging the Gap Between Manufacturers, Brands, and Consumers with Greene Textile Fabrics
- Ira Bashist
- Nov 3
- 3 min read
Childhood in a Sea of Fabric
When I was a kid, the question “What does your dad do?” always felt like a pop quiz I hadn’t studied for.
Honestly? I had no idea. All I knew was that visiting his work meant climbing mountains of fabric rolls like a tiny explorer and using cardboard tubes as makeshift stilts. Somewhere in the background, I’d hear, “Ira, line one!” echo through the warehouse—which I was sure was a secret code for something very important.
Fast forward a few decades: I work full-time in the family business. And here’s what I realized—if I didn’t understand how fabric was made after growing up in it, how could we expect brand owners or consumers to know?
From Teacher to Textile Translator
Maybe it’s my short-lived desire to be a teacher—or maybe just my “if you know better, you do better” philosophy—but for the past six years, I’ve been on a mission to make fabric production less mysterious.
At Greene Textile, we want brands to understand why minimums exist, why certain knits aren’t feasible, and what the difference is between PFD (Prepared for Dye), scoured, and optic white fabrics.
Over time, I’ve noticed a big shift in how brands approach fabric buying—and I’ve formed a few theories about where the disconnect really happens between suppliers, manufacturers, brands, and consumers.
The Devil Wears… French Terry?
Remember that iconic scene in The Devil Wears Prada when Miranda Priestly gives Andy a fashion history lesson about her cerulean sweater? She explains how one shade of blue trickled down from high fashion to department store racks—years of planning condensed into a single monologue.
That used to be the fashion supply chain in a nutshell. But these days, things move faster—and messier. That shift is making U.S. textile manufacturing increasingly difficult to sustain.
Let’s look at how it used to work versus how it works now.
Scenario 1: The Old Way – Planned, Predictable, and Efficient
Picture this: It’s January. A brand comes to us looking for fabric to make sample sweatshirts for Magic Las Vegas in February.
We provide a few yards of French Terry for their prototype. After the show, they finalize designs and place a 3,000-yard order in May.
Because we’ve already been working with local yarn suppliers—forecasting trends and ensuring availability—everything flows smoothly. We knit, dye, finish, and QC the fabric. By July, it’s ready. By September, garments are in stores—perfectly timed for fall.
Why it worked:
Planned production and realistic timelines
Lower costs through bulk pricing
Less waste and better quality control
It was a well-oiled, sustainable system.
Scenario 2: The New Reality – Fast, Fragmented, and Costly
Now, here’s what we see today:
A brand walks in mid-September hoping to produce sweatshirts by November. They want 200 yards per color in three colors—a total of 600 yards. That’s below the minimums required by knitters and dye houses.
We suggest using in-stock fabrics or adjusting their plan, but garment dyeing is double the cost of piece dyeing, and dye houses have a 4–6-week lead time.
They start with 5 yards of PFD to test colors and return weeks later for more sample yardage. By the time they’re ready for production, we’re scrambling to secure yarn and schedule knitting.
Sometimes we only have 400 of the 600 yards they need. They either cut a color or wait 3–4 more weeks.
This piecemeal approach leads to higher costs, more delays, and leftover inventory no one planned for.
The Domino Effect
When brands plan late, the entire supply chain feels it:
Yarn suppliers can’t forecast materials accurately.
Knitters and dye houses run below capacity, driving up costs.
Fabric converters lose leverage for bulk pricing and efficient production.
The result? Everyone pays more to produce less—and the end consumer sees higher prices.
The Industry’s Commitment Issues
This shift mirrors how we shop today. Brands release smaller, trend-driven drops to stay agile—smart for inventory, tough on manufacturers.
The reality is, U.S. textile infrastructure was built for bulk production, not rapid-fire micro-runs.
The solution? Communication.
If brands share their plans early, yarn suppliers can stock correctly, and converters like us can plan efficient runs. Everyone wins: less waste, lower costs, faster delivery.
Until then, I’ll keep climbing the racks (figuratively now), sharing what happens behind the scenes, and helping others see the story behind every roll of fabric—one cerulean sweatshirt at a time. Here is the why you should start manufacturing fabrics Greene Textile
📣 Want to Learn More?
Greene Textile proudly supports brands with in-stock PFD fabrics, quick delivery, and domestic knitting and dyeing in Los Angeles.
Comments