Inside the New Jersey Clothing Factory
The Todd Shelton manufacturing facility operates on an independent, on-demand batch system to deliver absolute control over garment construction and resource consumption.
Every garment in the Todd Shelton collection is manufactured inside our factory in Paterson, New Jersey. Operating our own production floor provides the manufacturing flexibility required to engineer exact options for specialized fit proportions. Our production team utilizes over 50 specialized industrial sewing machines, with each craftsman trained to construct garments from start to finish.
We do not use traditional, fragmented assembly line methods. Production operates on a disciplined, start-to-finish batch system. The process begins with queue selection, where a craftsman selects a batch of 4 to 8 garments from the production queue based on committed delivery timelines and required thread specifications. Next, individual customer fit options are mapped and generated onto a technical production label that travels with the raw materials throughout the entire manufacturing cycle to guide the exact pattern adjustments. During material preparation, patterns are pulled from the central archive and all fabrics are pre-washed internally to eliminate shrinkage prior to entering the cutting phase. During cutting and construction, the craftsman cuts the fabric to the precise pattern specifications, moves the components to the sewing floor, and executes the entire assembly, sewing, and pressing process. Finally, completed garments are delivered to the inspection station for quality verification, where every piece undergoes a strict physical measurement check against the original order specifications before leaving the facility.
The apparel industry traditionally uses an inventory-based manufacturing model that relies on forecasting consumer demand cycles months in advance. This process is prone to inaccuracy, resulting in widespread overproduction and inefficient resource consumption. On-demand manufacturing is the inverse of speculative production. Manufacturing is initiated only after a customer places a specific order, aligning production output directly with real-time demand. Operating a pure on-demand model results in complete waste elimination, removing the requirement for liquidation or excess product destruction because every garment built has an established destination. This model ensures resource optimization, as shifting production strictly to requested items reduces the baseline consumption of textiles and energy while maximizing supply chain efficiency.
Our commitment to manufacturing stability extends to raw material procurement. Sourcing decisions are governed by rigid geographical and structural criteria. Through our mill partnerships, we source our primary textiles from specialized mills located in regions that enforce rigorous environmental and labor standards, including the United States, Portugal, and Japan. To secure supply chain longevity, we maintain relationships with the same core textile mills for over a decade, securing consistent fabric weight, weave density, and dye stability across production years.
Within our Paterson facility, manufacturing operations are built around a collaborative two-craftsman model consisting of a master craftsman and an apprentice. Every craftsman on our production floor is directly employed by the brand. We do not utilize third-party contracting factories, temporary labor agencies, or home-sewing networks. By managing the entire assembly sequence rather than fragmented piecework, operators rotate through diverse physical movements and technical tasks, eliminating the repetitive, sedentary strain inherent in standard piecework environments. This establishes an immediate, hands-on framework for technical training, allowing apprentices to master complex tailoring operations under direct, daily supervision.
The manufacturing cycle extends past the shipping dock. Our team monitors the performance of the fit architecture through a systematic post-delivery protocol. At the 7-day metric, we verify initial fit accuracy one week post-delivery. If adjustments are required to meet specific proportions, an exchange is initiated. We verify long-term garment utility to ensure the item has integrated seamlessly into the customer’s daily rotation.
