Case Study: Custom Tea-Length Mother Of The Bride Dresses for a Coffee Roaster Chain in Japan
Tea-Length Mother Of The Bride Dresses for a Coffee Roaster Chain in Japan
A Coffee Roaster Chain approached us with a tea-length mother of the bride dresses requirement for Japan. The brief was specific: a defined look, a hard launch date and a unit cost that had to survive shipping and duty. This case study records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order was delivered.
The challenge
- Inconsistent sizing between production runs
- Packaging that arrives crushed and unsellable
- Long lead times that miss the selling season

What we specified
| Product | Tea-Length Mother Of The Bride Dresses |
|---|---|
| Client type | A Coffee Roaster Chain |
| Market | Japan |
| Order volume | 800 pieces across 2 colourways |
| Base fabric | Slub Cotton |
| Decoration | Tonal Embroidery |
| Size range | 2-12Y |
| Sampling rounds | 3 |
| Delivery window | 5 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
How it was resolved
- We rebuilt the tech pack around Slub Cotton and locked shrinkage allowance before grading.
- Decoration was moved to Tonal Embroidery after strike-off tests showed better wash durability.
- A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
- Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
- Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and size ratio specification.

Result
- 800 pieces delivered inside the 5-week window.
- Unit cost held within 2.0% of the original quotation.
- Return rate linked to fit or workmanship stayed under 0.5%.
- The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.
What we would repeat
Keep one process owner on both sides. Most delays come from hand-offs, not from machines.

Planning something similar?
Tell us the quantity, target price and delivery window, and we will build a customisation programme around those three numbers.



