Direct answer
Describe the product result rather than only naming a fibre or sharing an image. A useful starting brief covers the season, hand feel, weight, composition limits, what must stay, what can change, quantity by colour, and the decision needed next.
MATERIAL DIRECTION
One material name can hide several different products.
"Washi yarn" or "cashmere feel" narrows the material direction, but neither phrase fixes the garment. The quote changes when the product behind the phrase changes.
| Blend and composition | Changes touch, performance, care, appearance, and the yarns that can actually be sourced. |
| Yarn count and plies | Changes how much material enters the fabric and which gauges or structures are workable. |
| Gauge and density | Influences stitch scale, surface, openness, weight, and the machinery needed for the style. |
| Knitted structure | Jersey, rib, mesh, cable, and jacquard use yarn differently and do not produce the same hand or cost. |
| Finish and wash | Can change softness, dimension, surface, recovery, and the result seen after the sample leaves the machine. |
| Quantity and price direction | Change which yarn route, colour plan, development path, and purchasing minimums are realistic. |
QUOTE PREPARATION
Eight details shape the first quote.
You do not need every technical answer at the start. Unknowns can remain open, but they should not disappear into the price as hidden assumptions.
Reference and product type
The garment, sketch, image, or existing style sets the starting point.
What stays and what changes
Separate the parts to preserve from details that are only inspiration.
Season and market
Spring, winter, resort, indoor layering, or another use changes the material direction.
Hand feel and weight
Describe the physical result in plain language, with a real reference when possible.
Composition limits
Record required fibres, banned fibres, care limits, and whether alternatives are acceptable.
Construction direction
Gauge, structure, fit, and visible details can stay open when they are not yet known.
Quantity by colour
A total order number is not enough when yarn or dye-lot constraints apply by colour.
Commercial limit and next decision
Clarify price direction, timing, and whether the next result is a quote range, shortlist, swatch, or garment sample.
REFERENCE CHOICE
Choose the reference by the question it needs to answer.
The eight details explain what needs definition. The reference format determines which of those details can actually be judged.
| Reference | Useful for | Keep open | Best next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo or sketch | Silhouette, visible proportion, colour direction, and surface detail. | True colour, touch, weight, rebound, and hidden construction. | Mark which visible details must stay and which are only inspiration. |
| Video comparison | Comparing several options, movement, drape direction, and obvious mismatches. | Touch, exact weight, exact colour, recovery, and on-body fit. | Remove the wrong options before paying to ship references. |
| Physical garment | Touch, weight, drape, workmanship, scale, and relative quality. | The final production specification until accepted properties are recorded. | Write down what the garment is being used to approve. |
| Written brief or tech pack | Measurements, components, required changes, version, quantity, and decision ownership. | The physical outcome until it has been sampled and handled. | Use it to turn the chosen direction into the next sample request. |
PROCESS NOTE
Video first, then the closest physical references.
In one internal development case, a buyer asked for washi yarn for a spring and summer style. Several available garments fit that broad description but differed in blend, gauge, thickness, and price direction.
The proposed sequence was to compare visible options on video, send only the closest physical references, and define the new sample after the buyer had handled them.
The record supports
- Using comparison to narrow a vague material request.
- Separating visible screening from physical approval.
- Defining the sample after the material direction is closer.
The record does not prove
- Which option the buyer selected.
- A final sample approval or fixed lead time.
- A bulk order or commercial result.
NEXT DECISIONS