Clothing/textile technologist : Job description

A clothing/textile technologist works on the design, development and production of fibres, yarns and textiles. They carry out a range of technical, investigative and quality control work to ensure the end product performs to specification.

Technologists also improve production efficiency and quality, and liaise with those involved in the production process. They are expected to keep up to date with technical innovations.

The textile and clothing industries are closely linked and end products range widely from clothing to household and industrial textiles.

Typical work activities

Technologists in smaller organisations are usually responsible for both clothing/garments and textiles, but in some large companies, these functions are split.

The tasks which are typically carried out include:

• liaising with designers, and adapting designs to suit production methods;
• making and sizing pre-production garments;
• sourcing fabrics and accessories;
• undertaking quality evaluations of materials and checking the quality of the final product;
• responding to product queries, including complaints, from wholesalers and customers.

Textile technologists in particular are responsible for:

• developing manmade fibres and quality assessing natural fibres;
• spinning fibres into yarn, and knitting or weaving yarn into fabrics;
• producing nonwoven materials;
• identifying the latest fabric trends, developments and innovations;
• overseeing the dyeing, printing and finishing processes;
• ensuring quality in areas such as strength, durability, colourfastness, and water and chemical resistance;
• advising commercial colleagues on technical aspects of the business;
• working closely with suppliers and customers.

Some technologists specialise in research and product development and may:

• undertake research to find new ways of using yarns;
• develop chemicals that may be added to fabrics to make them more waterproof, flame-resistant or shrink-resistant;
• experiment with textiles to improve their look, feel, texture and durability.