Explore the surface and structure you want, then check how the fabric works at the details of your garment. MeltonFabric.com helps you compare references and prepare a useful sample enquiry for Fred Textile.
Explore Melton Prepare a Sample Enquiry Already have a fabric or garment reference? Tell us about your project
Start with the shape you want to make
A tailored coat, a relaxed wrap coat and a double-breasted short coat ask different questions of a fabric. Choose the closest project below. You can change the details as your brief develops.
Tailored coats Start with the front, shoulder and lapel. Compare how the cloth bends, then test it with the intended support materials. Plan a tailored-coat sample
Relaxed and belted coats Look at a larger hanging sample and the folds around a belt. Check the balance between your preferred softness and the silhouette you want. Explore relaxed-coat requirements
Pea coats and short jackets Pay attention to the front closure, collar, pockets and sleeve details. Plan a small trial of the areas with several layers. Review pea-coat details
Compare references with their information attached
Keep the photograph, sample identity and available specifications together. A direction reference can help start a conversation. An article with confirmed details can support a more specific comparison.
Classic Melton
A starting direction from Fred Textile's public collection. Ask about the current article for your coat brief.
- Composition
- Confirm with Fred
- Weight & usable width
- To be confirmed
- Factory article code
- Not assigned to this direction
For each reference, look for the surface view, the available article information and the questions that remain open. Add promising references to your shortlist, or describe your own reference if you have one.
Look beyond a flat photograph
Use three observations to prepare better questions about a sample.
| Observation | What to record | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
| Flat surface | Appearance under consistent light; sample face and direction | Compare the same reference in a larger view |
| Bend or hang | How the identified sample folds or falls under the recorded conditions | Try the intended garment shape |
| Layered detail | The actual fabric, facing, lining and support materials used | Make a collar, front or hem trial |
A photograph helps you communicate the starting direction. A physical sample and a recorded trial help you decide what to approve.
Use the sample comparison worksheet
Test the parts that decide the result
Choose the details that are most important to your design. A collar trial can reveal questions about the fold and edge. A front trial can show how the closure sits. A hem trial can help you compare the edge treatment and overall outline.
Record the materials and conditions used for each trial so that a useful result can be discussed again. Keep the buyer's observations separate from any final specification or supplier confirmation.
Ask for the sample you need next
Your current decision determines the sample request. Start with a swatch for appearance and initial handling. Ask about a larger cutting when you need more area to observe. Discuss sample metreage when you are ready to cut and make garment details.
Tell Fred the intended use, selected references, quantity plan and the parts you want to test. Leave unknown specifications open and ask for suitable recommendations.
Continue with Fred Textile
Fred Textile's public collection includes a Classic Melton direction. Use this site to prepare your project questions, then discuss the appropriate article, specifications, samples and commercial terms with the Fred team.
Mr Kcal mrkcal@fredtextile.com WhatsApp: +1 818 262 0958
Prepare a Sample Enquiry Visit Fred Textile
Before you begin
Do I need a target GSM? No. You can start with the garment and an appearance or handfeel reference. If a weight requirement is already fixed, include its unit and any supporting specification.
Can I enquire without choosing a reference here? Yes. Describe your project and add your own photographs or documents when you send the enquiry.
Does adding a reference reserve fabric or request a sample automatically? It adds the reference to your local shortlist. Review your brief and contact Fred to confirm suitable articles, sample availability and next steps.
When you have a coat idea but no reliable fabric specification
Start with the uncertainty that could change your design: a broad drape, a bulky overlap, a collar that will not sit as intended, or a fixed composition requirement. Put the garment sketch beside any labelled sample you already hold. A photograph can explain the look you want, but it cannot identify a current article or establish its weight, usable width or care performance.
Choose one next decision and follow the relevant guide before requesting more material. Keep a visual preference separate from confirmed requirements. If your team disagrees, record which physical reference and construction each person handled; two opinions about different samples are not a controlled comparison. This produces a sample request Fred can discuss without treating an attractive picture as an approved order standard.
When a promising Melton reference leaves a question unanswered
Start with the decision that is blocked. If the coat looks right in a photograph but the front has not been tried, ask for material for that front trial. If the fixed fibre requirement is unresolved, request the current article information before treating a softer sample as a match. These are different problems, even when they concern the same cloth. Describe the unknown in one sentence and connect it to the identified reference, intended garment and next development step.
Keep the previous sample when a replacement arrives. A familiar collection name does not establish that two cuttings are interchangeable. Ask which article, colour and specification version the new cutting represents, then repeat only the observations affected by any change. Your enquiry should finish with an answerable request: confirm a missing field, identify the replacement, or discuss a suitable cutting for a defined trial.