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What is different about making jeans: fabric, washes, fit and construction.
Jeans combine heavy fabric, many construction details and often a finishing process that changes how the garment looks and shrinks. That makes them slower and more demanding than most categories. This guide covers the points that matter most when you manufacture jeans and other denim garments. For the general process, read how to find a clothing manufacturer.
Define the fit (rise, leg shape, opening), the pocket and detail design and the target customer and price. Jeans fit is sensitive to small pattern changes, so a good starting block matters, and a patternmaker experienced in denim is a real advantage.
Denim varies in weight (often given in ounces per square yard), in whether it is rigid or contains stretch, in color and in whether it is raw or already washed. Heavier rigid denim tends to feel sturdier, and stretch denim feels more comfortable but behaves differently in washing. Ask for swatches, and check shrinkage. See the Fabric & Textile Unit Converter for GSM and oz/yd², and our knit vs woven guide.
Many jeans are washed or finished after sewing to get a look and feel, using processes such as enzyme or stone washing, sanding, whiskering or laser finishing. Wash development can take several sample rounds, and shade can vary between lots, so approve a wash standard and ask how the factory keeps it consistent. Ask about the facility's water and chemical management too.
Jeans have many specifications: the pocket styles, topstitching thread and stitch density, bar-tacks and reinforcement, rivets, the button and zipper, belt loops and the waistband. List them all in the tech pack, with measurements and tolerances, and use the Tech Pack Template to keep it organized.
Jeans are usually sized by waist and inseam, so the range of size combinations is large and grading is detailed. Fit-test the base size and a few others, and account for shrinkage from washing in your patterns. See how to create a size chart and how to run a fit session.
Choose a factory that makes jeans regularly, with the sewing equipment and the access to a laundry or wash facility. Ask about fabric sourcing, wash capability, minimums for each wash and typical lead times, which are longer than for unwashed garments.
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Add the wash or finishing cost to your costing and allow time for wash approvals in your schedule.
Use the Garment Cost Sheet and Production Timeline Planner.
Denim weight is often given in ounces per square yard. A higher number means heavier fabric. To convert to GSM, multiply by 33.906.
Denim is heavy, jeans have many construction details and washing and finishing add steps and approvals, so sampling and production usually take longer.
Stretch denim contains elastane or a similar fiber for comfort and movement. It behaves differently in washing and fit, so test it.
Usually by waist and inseam, which creates many size combinations. Grading and fit-testing need extra care.
Browse the Apparel Search directory of jeans and denim factories, and ask for samples, wash capabilities and references.