Funny Experience With a Chinese Supplier

I’ve been working with a new supplier in China to produce uniquely sized t-shirts for sale in America (targeting a very specific demographic.) There’s unfortunately been a lot of miscommunication, and I’m to blame. They’ve been getting understandably frustrated with me. 

For example, I’ve been sending measurements in both inches and centimeters. Also, I’ve forwarded a confusing mix of circumference measurements (around the sleeve, for example) and halved measurements (only one half of the sleeve width.) 

I had a small argument with my contact person after he refused to produce the first batch on time, citing “the inability of the factory to produce/mold such an oddly structured garment.”  

To make his point, he sent me a picture of a ruler measuring the sleeve opening of a garment. 

The measurement: nearly 34 centimeters across. 

I thought to myself: Ok, perfect, what is he not understanding? Those are close to the measurements I provided him with. 

He then followed-up with a zoomed-out picture of the garment. 

He was measuring a very small child’s t-shirt, which was placed on a child’s bed cover.

It was hilarious. Undoubtedly the funniest thing I’ve experience in many months. We sorted out the confusion after I sent over a revised sizing sheet with conforming measurements.