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When shoppers head to the UGA Bookstore later this month, they'll be able to
purchase more than the usual textbooks and candy bars. In addition to those
items, they'll have the opportunity to buy apparel designed by UGA fashion
merchandising students.
The red vintage, jersey-style T-shirt and charcoal cropped sweatpants were
produced by students in courses taught by Charles Gilbert, Distinguished
Professor of Soft Goods Merchandising and Manufacturing in the College of
Family and Consumer Sciences. Gilbert joined the faculty in 2006 after many
years in the textile manufacturing industry and has drawn on those
experiences for the courses, "Survey of Apparel and Soft Goods
Manufacturing," and "Global Sourcing of Apparel and Textile Products."
"I wanted the students to learn from start to finish what it means to make a
product," Gilbert said. "The class that designed the T-shirt focused on
domestic manufacturing while the other class worked with suppliers located
in China."
The process began the first day of class when students' first homework
assignment was to go shopping.
"I wanted the students to see what was missing from the shelves of their
favorite stores and see what was in demand by shoppers," Gilbert said. The
result is retro-inspired clothing that has the comfort and softness of a
favorite garment.
The T-shirt, made of organic pima cotton grown in the US, spun only 20
minutes away in Jefferson by Buhler Yarns, was knit, cut, sewn, dyed, and
screen-printed in Pennsylvania by Fessler U.S.A., a totally "Made In The U.S.A."
product.
The pants, on the other hand, were produced solely in China.
"The students get to see every tiny cost of production, especially
overseas," Gilbert said. "They have to pay duty and quota costs along with
air freight, all of which add up to an additional $5.66 per garment to the
wholesale price."
The result of those added costs mean that the sweatpants will sell for $40,
while the T-shirts are only $29.
"I never realized how much work and detail went into making a garment,
especially when you source the garment from another country," Kristin
Bledsoe, a senior from Fayetteville, stated. "You have to take into
consideration the language barrier, time differences, availability of the
fabrics and quota restrictions."
In addition to determining the details of each product and arranging to have
them produced, the students also had to gain permission from the UGA
Athletic Department to use the trademark "G" and the bulldog mascot on their
garments.
Fortunately, Alan Thomas, associate athletic director for external affairs,
thought the designs were highly marketable.
"The retro look is the hottest thing going in licensed garments," Thomas
said. "I think you ladies have a real winner."
The garments, offered in limited quantities, will be sold at the UGA
Bookstore and by members of the class until supplies run out. But Gilbert
plans on next semester's classes producing new products.
"Most of these students will be merchandisers or buyers for the retail
industry," Gilbert said. "These courses will make them better merchandisers
and buyers with the knowledge they have gained on design, production, and
sourcing; but it also gives them more avenues in their careers such as
apparel designers, suppliers, and sourcing agents."
Building the New Learning Environment
The new learning environment is an academic and intellectual
community on the campus of the University of Georgia humming
with the vibrancy of the true college experience—bright
and talented students working with brilliant faculty formally
in the classroom and informally over a cup of coffee or lounging
in the greenspace which stretches from one end of campus to
the other. It is a place which recognizes that new information
technologies are transforming traditional academic disciplines
and embraces those opportunities. |
The red vintage, jersey-style T-shirt and charcoal cropped sweatpants were produced by students in courses taught by Charles Gilbert in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
