Survey for engineering class

[EricH]

To answer a few questions that have come up:

Expansion into non-jean markets is a "future expansion"; i.e., get started in jeans and go from there. We do have a couple of those in mind. It's quite possible that a bolt or two of non-denim fabric might sneak in, though.

Tristan: That's actually how we'd start up... three engineers making these in America. That is, however, three engineers who would own the company, and who are trying to keep costs low.

General idea is pretty much a check-the-box or fill-in-the blank model (how else to you put the sizes in?).

RMiller: research that we've done shows that it takes about a yard and a half of fabric to make one pair of jeans.

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by EricH

Tristan: That's actually how we'd start up... three engineers making these in America. That is, however, three engineers who would own the company, and who are trying to keep costs low.

That's sort of what I was afraid of...assuming you're budgeting for engineer-style wages (e.g. $25/h) a significant portion of your overhead is going to go towards paying yourselves to cut and sew (I'd guess $5–$8 per piece for your labour). What about contracting out the fabrication to an established tailoring business, maybe on a piecework basis? At least that way, you'd be paying up to the same amount for proven skill, and freeing yourselves for other productive activity. (That would depend to some extent on your expected volume...but if you're turning over anything more than a hundred pieces per month, it would probably work out much more efficiently.)

Another consideration: are you going to bunch orders together into production runs, or respond individually to orders? If you can run orders together (like once per week), you'll probably be significantly more efficient.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

That's sort of what I was afraid of...assuming you're budgeting for engineer-style wages (e.g. $25/h) a significant portion of your overhead is going to go towards paying yourselves to cut and sew (I'd guess $5–$8 per piece for your labour). What about contracting out the fabrication to an established tailoring business, maybe on a piecework basis? At least that way, you'd be paying up to the same amount for proven skill, and freeing yourselves for other productive activity. (That would depend to some extent on your expected volume...but if you're turning over anything more than a hundred pieces per month, it would probably work out much more efficiently.)

Another consideration: are you going to bunch orders together into production runs, or respond individually to orders? If you can run orders together (like once per week), you'll probably be significantly more efficient.

We aren't going for engineer-style wages at this point. When you own the business, anything left from overhead and labor (which, if you have no employees, is $0) is your pay.

We are going for individual orders, unless a pre-wash is requested. At that point, it's whenever the washing machine has enough to do a load.

[BrendanB]

Wow, when I saw the title in the Portal and clicked on it and saw, How much would you spend for a pair of jeans. All I could think was, "WOW!, someone needs a life." And then I read what Eric said.


I wrote 50-60 just because I don't like jeans at all and over the past 7 years, I have only owned 2 pairs of jeans that I semi-like and even then I still wasn't completely happy with them. So I would spend the extra dough to get a pair that I actually wanted to wear.

[Joe Ross]

There are non-custom jeans that sell for significantly more then the price you ended your poll. For example, Diesel for $295.

I'd be worried about selection bias by polling people on chiefdelphi about fashion.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

There are non-custom jeans that sell for significantly more then the price you ended your poll. For example, Diesel for $295.

I'd be worried about selection bias by polling people on chiefdelphi about fashion.

Yeah, but you're going to get a broader group than polling a bunch of engineering students! (AKA, the rest of the class and most of the rest of the school--the exceptions are the science students...)

I'm aware of the higher-priced non-custom jeans. The upper range of the poll is above our current target price range (note: said range may change a bit). The group looked at the $100+ range and said something to the effect of, "Let's not go there!"

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

I'd be worried about selection bias by polling people on chiefdelphi about fashion.

Are you saying that all of us here on chiefdelphi can't dress to save our lives..... hey I don't wear all denim or have clothes from the 80's mister!

Don't worry, I think we all know what you mean.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

Are you saying that all of us here on chiefdelphi can't dress to save our lives.....

There's only one group that I know of, personally, that is less fashion conscious than some of the good people that are being polled here and they are quilters.

That strikes me as very funny because of the beauty and elegance that they create. And yes, I think of the parallels and similarities between the 2 groups all the time.

Since this is geared toward the younger population, I won't vote but I love jeans as long as they don't go above $30. On sale and below $20 will make my heart go pitter pat.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Eric, cool idea, personally I have issues with size more than anything, generally the legs of any jeans comfortable to me are roughly and inch too long. This leads to them getting caught under my shoes. This looks bad and has also led to me falling on my butt frequently.

The difficult part about this is going to be figuring out a modular way of assembling jeans. Perhaps there is a reason that Carpenter jeans have the pockets they do. (I don't know)

Also, I will freely admit that I have very little fashion sense. It is for this reason that my wardrobe consists of a large collection of either Kettering or FIRST shirts and jeans. Lucky for me I can get away with wearing this sort of thing where I work.

[Fe_Will]

I voted $50-60 because that's what I pay now for them. Not to say that I spend a lot of time at Walmart or designer stores. Generally I buy Carhartt double knee, heavy weight denim jeans, a pair lasts me about 2.5 years wearing them 1-2 days a week at work.

If I were buying anything less I'd be in the $20 camp. Like anything else, you get what you pay for.

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by EricH

I'm not talking department store custom here, I'm talking a pair made just the way you want them--style, size, color, the whole 9 yards (OK, yard and a half).

A yard and a half will make a nice pair of pedal pushers. You’ll need at least two yards of denim for jeans, maybe three (reference standard patterns). Plus thread, zipper, rivets, cheap white fabric to make the front pockets, and a jeans snap or button for the fly. Your company logo on the snap? Oh, and a “designer label” for the back waistband.

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

That's sort of what I was afraid of...assuming you're budgeting for engineer-style wages (e.g. $25/h) a significant portion of your overhead is going to go towards paying yourselves to cut and sew (I'd guess $5–$8 per piece for your labour).

Inexperienced engineer attempting to sew jeans—ten hours to make the first pair, that’s less than $1 per hour. At engineering wages, that’s $250 just for labor; with markup, that would be a $500 pair of jeans!

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

There's only one group that I know of, personally, that is less fashion conscious than some of the good people that are being polled here and they are quilters.

Jane, are you trying to tell us that satin and velvet patchwork quilted vests with birdhouse appliqués and rickrack are not in style?

[David Brinza]

For me, the jeans would definitely need to be the "extra-relaxed fit" style, with deep pockets appropriate for a mentor/inspector.

If you came up with the right brand name, I'd go for the mid-to-upper end of the price scale: "Uh, I'd like a pair of those Roboteer 980 jeans!"

[EricH]

Andrew, I think we've got our process pretty well figured out. Just have to figure out the fastest way to do it...

And we do have a name for the company.

I'll talk with the group tomorrow about small volume discounts, if I get the chance. (The class has a progress report presentation day.) It's something we would do well to look into.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

I'd be worried about selection bias by polling people on chiefdelphi about fashion.

Agreed.


I could go for some dickies with pockets that don't suck, those would be great. I hate sitting down and having half the stuff fall out.

[Bob Steele]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

I'd be worried about selection bias by polling people on chiefdelphi about fashion.

I second this... emphatically....
FIRST'rs are much more pragmatic....

Now designer robots, tools, etc.... that is a different story...