Comments on: Style Numbers revisted

By: Michele

Michele — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:08:15 +0000

Okay…so I have a line of children’s sets which are available with long or short sleeves, and with pants, shorts or skirts…and all sets are available in a wide range of fabric prints. SO, I am thinking I need to have a style number for each variation on the set, and then a second string of numbers to denote the print? (i.e. 101-901…101 being a short-sleeved skirt set for example, and 901 referring to the print…) Does that make sense?

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 22 May 2007 20:00:36 +0000

I am just trying to read all the old posts.I am sitting here snickering about this post and the PN number posts Ha! if only
as previous mentioned I worked at import and domestic manufacturer in Canada. They have been around over 65 years. The number system for style is soooo messed up.

first the style number were 6 character long
first four for style last two for line and sizing ie XXXX16 the 1 for regular regular size and 6 for specific brand or customer. now they did start all the parka in say “2300″ section but they keep that for all lines i.e. the mid price and higher priced line therefore leaving only 99 style for type of garment for both lines ha ha ha
fortunately they are business who does not change it product a lot it is work wear very basic stuff

when they added import 10 years ago they insisted the first character be turned into “i” therefor leaving only three character for style - at first the imports were small, eventually thing picked up and in the three years I was there, we went through over 999 styles. so when I left we using numeric and alpha like I5j412 ha ha ha ha

now you ask why only 6 character - because the computer system which is written in basic or some other decrypted old language and could only handle 6 digits - kinda the Y2K thing memory space.
Now you ask just up grade the system ha ha ha ha when i joined they said in three years the have a new system up and running. I been gone 8 months still no system even on the horizon.

additionally some major customers have transposed and added characters to our repeat style numbers They now do not fit into the system and the customer won’t change back so we had cheat sheet to know what style is what. ha ha ha ha

By: Summer

Summer — Mon, 21 May 2007 16:25:20 +0000

I am a designer working on my line. Can anyone suggest a manufacture that I can use to have my pieces produced once I receive orders? My line is small so a small production will do for now. Also what are usually the minimums that designers have for boutiques price wise? My friend suggested $1500 min. order amounts. Is that too high or average?

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 20:14:45 +0000

A clue to the answer to your question can be found within the entry How to issue style numbers pt. 128:
Then, the coding system is useful for other kinds of specialization. Let’s say you stick with women’s apparel but you branch into pricier or lower cost lines than the one you launched with. You’d need a numbering series for a higher price point and to distinguish it from your existing one. Similarly, if you add a modest price point, it’d need it’s own series too.

10000 = existing women’s line
20000 = pricier women’s line
30000 = modest priced line

If your product line became so successful and had such longevity that you’d have produced 999 skirts, chances are excellent that well before that ever happened, you would have introduced an entirely different label/category, if not 2 or 3 others by then.

By: Anly

Anly — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 19:35:54 +0000

I am currently trying to come up w/ new style numbers. I have thought about using the number system, but was wondering what you do when you reach style number 6999. For example. alll skirts are style number group 6000. But say you are on you 999th skirt and you go to make your 1000th skirt. Were do you go from 6999, since you can’t go to 7000 (since that should be another category? I know this situation is unlikely, but some designers make tons of dresses and do 3 seasons or more, so in 10 years you may run into this problem. What is the ideal way to handel this so that you do not have to reorganize your system in the future?

By: Eric H

Eric H — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 20:15:48 +0000

There was an article in the Wall Street Journal a while back about a thong, style number 4811, which had gotten popular. Yes, the customers knew it by the style number; you can google it by “4811 thong” (leave the quotes out). Here is the article on the manufacturer’s website

http://www.hankypanky.com/news/WSJ61804.pdf

The customers will never know what to call it if the retailer never orders it. If the retailer orders it and it’s good, it doesn’t matter what you call it; the customers will figure something out, even if it’s just to use the style number.

By: kathleen fasanella

kathleen fasanella — Sun, 09 Oct 2005 19:22:36 +0000

Anyone in the manufacturing-retail stream will prefer the style number over any other choice so buyers will similarly prefer style# 4506. Buyers are the ones who’ve complained most about a designer’s habit of naming styles. It was a buyer who told me naming was arrogant (clothes are not children, cities, cars or buildings); she couldn’t remember the names of cars so how could she remember the names of clothes?

While consumers may like “lolita” more than 4506, I seriously doubt that dislike of a number will be the reason they’ll leave it on the shelf.

By: Georgina

Georgina — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 17:10:16 +0000

I have noticed that there are many lines that have both names and style numbers. I guess they use the style numbers for manufacturing, and names for marketing and sales. I wonder if a buyer prefers to buy a “Lolita” bustier versus a 4506 bustier.