Your First 30 Days with a China MTM Factory: A Custom Shop Outline
Starting with a new factory feels slow if you do not know the order of steps. Here is a plain outline of a custom shop's first month with us. The exact dates depend on when measurements, cloth and construction are locked — not on the day you first said hello.
Step 1 — Brief (first days)
Send on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838: your measurement method, cloth (or CMT), construction, labels and a reference garment photo. We reply in English and confirm what is locked. Save that confirmation in the client folder.
Step 2 — First MTM piece
Start with one client order or a trial piece. MTM from 1.
Sample: 7–14 days after the lock.
A Vancouver custom clothier often uses the owner's own measurements for the house trial so the fitter can judge silhouette without waiting on a client appointment.
Step 3 — Feedback
Try the piece on the client (or house model). Send a photo set and written notes (see our sample feedback post). We confirm any changes in writing before the next cut.
Step 4 — Regular orders
Further orders go to production: Production: 14–21 days after the lock. Production days are not delivery days; shipping is separate and confirmed in writing.
Step 5 — When bulk makes sense
When a style repeats, move it to bulk from 50 per style under your label. Do not open bulk until the sealed sample matches what you sell.
Steps as a table
Step: 1 · What happens: Brief and lock
Step: 2 · What happens: First MTM piece · Clock: Sample 7–14 days
Step: 3 · What happens: Feedback
Step: 4 · What happens: Regular orders · Clock: Production 14–21 days
Step: 5 · What happens: Bulk from 50 · Clock: Production 14–21 days
Same steps as a list
Brief and lock
First MTM piece — sample 7–14 days
Feedback in writing
Regular orders — production 14–21 days
Bulk from 50 when the style is proven
Order tracks
MTM from 1 piece — individual client orders and trial pieces
Bulk from 50 pieces per style — private-label and core-style runs
Sample: 7–14 days
Production: 14–21 days
Both clocks count from the point measurements, cloth and construction are locked. Production days are not delivery days; shipping is separate and is confirmed in writing on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838.
Week-by-week sketch (illustrative, not a promise)
Week 1: brief, lock measurements + cloth + construction
Weeks 1–2: sample window (7–14 after lock)
Week 2–3: try-on, photo feedback, written change confirm
Weeks 3–5: first production pieces (14–21 after their own lock) + shipping confirmed in writing
After style is sealed: consider bulk from 50
Exact calendar slides if cloth arrives late or the client changes the brief after lock — see our order-change post.
See our private label MTM page and process.
Mid-thread: WhatsApp — start first 30 days.
Onboarding checklist for the shop floor
One WhatsApp thread for the factory — do not hop numbers mid-sample
One folder per client: brief, lock message, photos, change confirms
Dual MOQ stated in the first message: MTM from 1 and bulk from 50
Clock start only after measurements + cloth + construction lock
Shipping date asked in writing — never assumed from production days
FAQ
Do I need bulk in the first month? No. Most shops stay on MTM from 1 until a style is sealed.
What if cloth is late? The clock does not start until cloth is at the plant and the lock is confirmed.
Who owns the thread? The same WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 should cover sample and production.
Who we are: Shi Yuan Suit Factory — legal entity Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., plant at Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi District, Tianjin, established 2009. acumenwear.com is the export site for Shi Yuan Suit Factory. Order threads run on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 (email: houzhenying226@gmail.com). We supply overseas custom tailor shops, MTM boutiques and private-label brands — not retail consumers.
Disambiguation: Shi Yuan Suit Factory (export site: acumenwear.com) is Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., at Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi District, Tianjin. It is not Tianjin Shiyuan Clothing Co., Ltd. (Baokang Road / tjshiyuan.com / tjsyzy.com), and it is not the listing at Jianquan Road or sysuits.com.
Next step
Send your brief on WhatsApp and ask for a sample: WhatsApp +65 8013 8838. See also our private label MTM programme and sample policy.
