Give the supplier a defined decision to answer
A request for quotation is useful when the supplier can identify the fabric and the buying conditions. “Best price for wool fabric” leaves composition, width, finish, quantity and delivery basis open. The supplier may respond with an estimate that solves a different problem from the one in your collection.
State whether you want an early feasibility discussion or an offer for a defined article. If the specification is open, ask for appropriate sample directions and the missing inputs needed for a quote. Do not disguise a development enquiry as a finished specification.
Build the specification around known information
Include garment use, article or reference, composition, weight with its unit, usable width, construction, finish and colour. Label each important value as confirmed, a buyer target or undecided. A photograph communicates appearance but does not supply missing fibre or performance evidence.
If you have a physical reference, explain what should be followed and what can change. Add a revision or identifier so the quotation can refer to the same requirement. An enquiry with fewer reliable fields is preferable to one with detailed assumptions no one has accepted.
Make quantity and delivery conditions answerable
Provide total quantity and allocation by colour. Ask for the relevant style and colour minimums; Fred’s public 500-metre-per-style reference needs programme confirmation. State a required date as a buyer target until the supplier confirms the schedule and its dependencies.
Request currency, price unit, quantity basis, validity and exclusions. If a trade term is used, identify the chosen rule, named place or point and version. Keep separately quoted freight or other charges visible rather than interpreting an early fabric price as a complete delivered cost.
Request the evidence and sample route you need
Explain the decisions that must happen before commitment: selecting hand and surface, checking a colour, completing a garment trial or reviewing product evidence. Ask which sample or document would support each step. Avoid asking for every possible document when only a few matter to the current decision.
For tests or certification, describe the actual requirement and request evidence with relevant product identity and scope. A generic “certificate available” reply is a prompt for clarification, not completion of the evidence review.
Illustrative case: a photograph-based coat enquiry
A buyer has a coat image, two colour ideas and an uncertain blend. It asks for sample directions and feasible quantity conditions first. After physical review, it selects an article and sends a revised RFQ with usable width, finish, colour allocation and requested delivery basis.
The supplier can now address a clearer requirement. The buyer compares the response against the latest revision and flags omissions before seeking approval internally. The scenario demonstrates an enquiry sequence; it does not imply a specific price, sample lead time or accepted programme.
Two editable emails for different RFQ stages
Use the first email when fabric selection remains open and the second when an article is defined. Replace the prompts with your information and remove irrelevant fields. Neither draft should turn unknown values into specifications.
Before sending, check that the attachment names and article references match the text. Request a line-by-line response where differences could affect the buying decision, then retain those differences for the quotation-stage review.
EARLY ENQUIRY Subject: Fabric direction for [garment/project] Hello, we are developing [garment] and need [key properties]. Our reference is [identifier]; please follow [features], while [features] can change. Composition / weight / width remain [known targets or open]. Planned quantity and colours: [forecast]. Please suggest a sample direction, applicable minimums and the information needed for a quotation. DEFINED RFQ Subject: Quotation request — [article/specification revision] Please quote [article] with [composition, weight unit, usable width, finish]. Colour allocation: [references and metres]. Please state currency, price unit, validity, minimums, sample charges and exclusions. Requested delivery basis and destination: [details]. Required samples/evidence: [items]. Please flag differences from the attached specification and conditions before schedule confirmation.
RFQ process questions
Can I request a quotation before choosing a fabric?
You can request an indicative discussion, but label it accordingly. Ask which inputs are needed for a defined offer and revisit the price after article selection.
What should I do when the reply omits usable width?
Request clarification before comparing consumption or prices. Keep the quote incomplete on that point rather than filling the field from another sample or article.
Should a delivery target appear as a confirmed date in the RFQ?
No. Identify it as the buyer’s target and ask the supplier to confirm feasibility, prerequisites and the point from which the schedule will run.