KQATEX1 Apparel Textile Requirements 150310
KQATEX1 Apparel Textile Requirements 150310
KQATEX1 Apparel Textile Requirements 150310
Textile Requirements
March 2010
Washing Methods to Determine Shrinkage & Spirallity Based on Fibre Types ...................... 10
This document provides information about the Kmart textile requirements for Apparel products that
are ranged in Kmart.
Introduction
All Kmart Apparel vendors must be familiar with and comply with the fabric performance requirements
within this standard.
Vendor responsibilities
Exception Reporting
When a fabric/garment does not conform to Kmart requirements and could be considered commercially
viable to be sold in Kmart stores, refer to KQCS Part 3—Section E: Exception Reporting.
Query Form
Test reports
Vendors must:
e-mail electronic copies (original pdf format) of test reports to a Kmart Textiles Product Technologist
before pre production samples.
submit test reports for every Garment Style
The e-mail shall contain garment style number(s), Kmart Department numbers, and completed QTA1(s)
and Query Form where required.
Test requirements
Multiple styles
Multiple colours of one fabric across one style or several styles from the same Mill/batch.
Multiple styles
1–5 1
5–10 2
10–15 3
>20 4
If the same fabric is used in other styles, which have not been listed on the test report, we require a
declaration from the vendor. This declaration is to state the test report number of the fabric and the
additional style numbers that the fabric has been used in.
Multiple fabrics
Where there is more than one fabric used within a garment or style, all fabrics are to be:
tested
compatible with each other.
The style name, number and fabric type must be clearly listed and described within the test reports.
The QTA1 and contract must clearly specify all fabric types and where its position is within the garment.
Multiple components
All trims, linings, interlining, filling etc. should be tested to comply with the same characteristic of the shell
fabric.
All embellishments and trims must be tested for appearance after washing to ensure all components are
washable and maintain a satisfactory appearance after washing. The wash method is determined by the
garment‘s nominated care instruction. This can be tested in a garment form with trims and
embellishments attached as per bulk.
The supplier must submit a garment for testing that has undergone all intended washing finishes, for
example enzyme wash, stone wash. Perform both physical and colourfastness testing on the garment
after this final stage.
Print fastness
Assess print fastness or print quality after 3 washes with intermediary drying between washes using the
garments nominated care instruction. The quality of the print is assessed prior to and after washing, the
criteria to be checked includes fading, peeling, poor print registration, cracking, cross staining and general
appearance.
Colour matching
The supplier must ensure that all batches of fabric are shade colourmatched using the light source TL84.
The grey scale rating is to be a minimum of rating 4. All panels within a garment should be
colourmatched. All trims or accessories that have been agreed to be colourmatched must also follow this
standard.
Spirallity
Check garment spirallity prior to and after washing. Initially this is a visual inspection, if garment spirallity
is detected, by which the side seam is not ―in-line‖ with the garment side, (where the seam is not a design
feature), it is to be tested for spirallity. If no garment spirallity is found prior to washing, an after wash
result is still required. The percentage result is achieved by measuring the length and the side seam
movement. The calculation is:
X ÷ Length x 100/1
Fabric Spirallity on knits is determined by the amount of variation from the right angle of the four corners
of the dimensional stability template, this is to be stated as a percentage. Assess the fabric prior to and
after washing by assessing the variation from right angles of the wales and courses.
Claims
When a claim is made, on packaging or point of sale (including catalogues), it must be substantiated
through documentation. Test reports and certificates are required for approval. Any claim associated with
raw material, for example Egyptian or Organic cotton, requires a documentation trail from the beginning
(grower) to the end of production showing batch coding and certification that the item went through each
process. The following are examples of claims:
Anti pilling
Egyptian cotton
Organic cotton
Anti bacterial
Moisture management
Visibility for work wear.
The performance and colourfastness requirements below are Kmart minimum. A tick () indicates that
this is a mandatory test.
Physical testing to be carried out on one colour at random, refer to ‗Test Requirements‘ section. All
colours to be tested according to table below.
COLOURFASTNESS TESTS
MEDIUM TO DARK SHADES
COLOURFASTNESS TO WASHING ALL MEDIUM TO DARK CONTRAST TRIM AND MAIN BODY
FABRICS
COLOURFASTNESS TO RUBBING MEDIUM TO DARK SHADES
MEDIUM TO DARK SHADES
COLOURFASTNESS TO WATER ALL MEDIUM TO DARK CONTRAST TRIM AND MAIN BODY
FABRICS
MEDIUM TO DARK SHADES OF SWIMWEAR, ACTIVE WEAR,
COLOURFASTNESS TO PERSPIRATION
UNDERWEAR AND LINGERIE
COLOURFASTNESS TO LIGHT SWIMWEAR, OUTDOOR WORK WEAR, SCHOOL WEAR
SWIMWEAR, BOARDSHORT AND ASSOCIATED APPAREL EG:
COLOURFASTNESS TO SEA WATER
SARONGS
SWIMWEAR, BOARDSHORT AND ASSOCIATED APPAREL EG:
COLOURFASTNESS TO CHLORINATED WATER
SARONGS
COLOURFASTNESS TO DRY CLEANING DRY CLEAN ONLY ITEMS
WHITE CORSETRY, WHITE SPORTS WEAR (FABRIC AND ALL
PHENOLIC YELLOWING
COMPONENTRY AND TRIMS)
PRINT FASTNESS (AFTER 3 WASHES) ALL PRINTS
PHYSICAL TESTS
WOOL/WOOL BLEND WOOL/WOOL BLEND
FIBRE CONTENT OTHER FIBRES VERIFY % OTHER FIBRES VERIFY %
CLAIM CLAIM
FABRIC WEIGHT
VERIFY TO CONTRACT
GARMENT WEIGHT
WHERE REQUIRED
VERIFY TO CONTRACT VERIFY TO CONTRACT
CONSTRUCTION
(ENDS/PICKS) (WALES/COURSES)
VERIFY TO CONTRACT VERIFY TO CONTRACT
YARN COUNT
WHERE REQUIRED WHERE REQUIRED
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY (AS PER FIBRE TYPE)
ALL NATURAL FIBRE AND
NATURAL BLENDS:
SPIRALLITY/SKEW (AS PER FIBRE TYPE) DENIM JEANS
SINGLE KNIT AND PIQUE
TRADITIONAL KNIT
WASHABILITY OF ALL TRIMS, WASHABILITY OF ALL TRIMS,
APPEARANCE AFTER WASHING (AFTER 1 WASH
MULTIPLE FABRICS AND MULTIPLE FABRICS AND
AS PER CARE INSTRUCTION)
EMBELLISHMENTS EMBELLISHMENTS
DURABILITY OF GLITTER AND ―GLUED‖
TRIMS/EMBELLISHMENTS (AFTER 3 WASHES AS
PER CARE INSTRUCTION)
*COLOURFASTNESS
TO WET AND DRY
WHERE A GARMENT STATES IN THE CARE INSTRUCTIONS TO WASH BEFORE USE, IF THE
RUBBING FOR
COLOUR FAILS COLOURFAST TO RUBBING, THE GARMENT/FABRIC IS TO BE WASHED/DRIED
CORDUROY, DENIM,
ACCORDING TO THE CARE INSTRUCTIONS AND THEN TESTED AGAIN. BOTH RESULTS ARE TO
FLANNELETTE,
BE REPORTED.
PIGMENT DYED,
PIGMENT PRINTED
**LIGHT COLOUR LESS THAN 1/25 STANDARD DEPTH
TENSILE STRENGTH
WOVEN AS2001.2.3.1 220 N 190 N 160 N 130 N
(BREAKING FORCE)
TEARING STRENGTH WOVEN AS2001.2.8 12 N 10 N 8N 6N
BURSTING PRESSURE KNIT AS2001.2.4 480 kPa 480 kPa 330 kPa 330 kPa
SEAM SLIPPAGE WOVEN AS2001.2.21 110 N 95 N 80 N 65 N
SEAM BREAKAGE GENERAL AS2001.2.20 110 N 95 N 80 N 65 N
Garment Type
Introduction
Laboratories may be used as long as they are NATA, SATRA or HOLKAS registered or have an equivalent
accreditation. Test reports from Government accredited laboratories are not acceptable.
International laboratories
Refer to the table below for testing laboratories overseas that are familiar with Kmart testing requirements.
International Laboratories
ITS (INTERTEK)
SGS
QUALSPEC
AWTA (JSIC)
BUREAU VERITAS
Australian laboratories
Australian Laboratories
[email protected]
http://www.arpansa.gov.au/
[email protected]
http://www.awta.com.au/Contacts/Melbourne_Laoratory/Melbourne_Contacts.htm
[email protected]
http://www.csiro.au/resources/Textile-Testing-Rates.html
[email protected]
[email protected]