When producing custom suits, several factors can influence the turnaround time. Below is a breakdown of the most common scenarios that may cause delays. Note that these delays usually occur in parallel (not sequentially), so they don’t necessarily stack day by day.
1. Custom Linings
If a suit requires a custom lining (e.g., with a personalized photo or design), we must first receive the artwork, create a rendering, and wait for customer or store approval before proceeding.
Impact: Adds a few days on top of standard production.
2. External Fabric
When a client chooses fabric not stocked by the factory, the fabric must be ordered and shipped from the supplier. Often, orders are bundled together to reduce costs.
Impact: Adds between 2 to 10 days while waiting for the fabric to arrive in China.
3. Fabric Outage
Rarely, the factory may require more fabric than originally anticipated or ordered. When this happens, additional fabric must be ordered. Occurs in approximately 0.8% of orders.
Impact: Potential delay while waiting for the missing fabric to arrive. The low occurrence rate means this typically affects only a small percentage of overall orders.
4. Fabric Defect
Occasionally, the fabric delivered to the factory may have flaws or defects that are spotted during inspection. When defects are found, the fabric must be reordered.
Impact: Can cause a delay in receiving and replacing the defective material.
5. High Season (April – June)
The factory sees a peak in orders during wedding season, primarily from April to June. While the main production time remains consistent, it may take slightly longer for production to begin due to the increased workload.
Impact: Adds a small buffer at the front of production.
6. Holidays
Major holidays—particularly Chinese New Year—can result in the factory shutting down or operating with limited capacity. Other regional or national holidays can also slow down production schedules.
Impact: Factory closures or reduced staffing lead to a pause or slowdown in production.
7. Fabric Back Ordered
In fewer than 5% of orders, a chosen fabric is temporarily out of stock. In this event, turnaround time depends on the restock schedule or the customer’s decision to switch to an alternative fabric.
Impact: Varies—either a short wait for restock or possible changes to the order if a faster alternative is chosen.
8. Shipping Bundling
After production is complete, finished items are not typically shipped immediately. Orders are bundled together to reduce shipping costs. Most stores ship once a week, but for lower-volume stores, shipments can be delayed for up to a few weeks until a sufficient volume of orders is ready.
Impact: This final step can add a delay to the overall turnaround time before the suit is delivered to the client.
Conclusion
Although each of these factors can lengthen turnaround time, they typically do not add delays sequentially. Instead, they often happen in parallel or independently. Clear, early communication about these potential delays helps ensure both the store and the client can plan effectively for any additional production time.