Knitwear Buyer Guide
What to prepare before contacting a factory: technical specifications, dyeing lot realities, and supplier vetting standards.
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What to Prepare Before Contacting a Factory
When sourcing custom knitwear (such as t-shirts, polo shirts, loopback hoodies, or joggers), manufacturers do not sell ready-made blank stock off a shelf. Every roll of fabric is custom knitted, dyed to target pantones, cut to your pattern blocks, and sewn to your branding specifications.
To receive an accurate and timely commercial quotation (FOB or CIF), an apparel buyer must provide six fundamental pieces of information:
A flat drawing with points of measure (POM), construction seams, neck rib height, and tolerances. If you don't have a tech pack, a clean physical benchmark sample sent to the factory can be reverse-engineered.
Specify fiber (e.g. 100% Combed Cotton, 80/20 Cotton-Poly, or Cotton-Spandex) and fabric weight in Grams per Square Meter (e.g. 180 GSM Single Jersey or 380 GSM French Terry).
Total units per silhouette and units per colorway. Dyeing machinery operates on minimum batch capacities; state clearly whether you are ordering 250, 500, or 2,000 units per color.
Vector files (AI, PDF) with precise print dimensions in centimeters (e.g., "Left chest 9cm width, back print 32cm width"), technique (water-based discharge, plastisol, puff, embroidery stitch count), and Pantone TCX codes.
Main brand label (heat-transfer vs damask woven), care & composition label, size pips, hangtag specifications, polybag type (recycled LDPE), and master carton packing ratios.
State your required delivery window and whether you need FOB (Free on Board from Indian ports such as Tuticorin/Chennai), CIF (sea freight included to your port), or DDP (air courier directly to your warehouse).
A 140 GSM promotional polyester tee costs a fraction of a 240 GSM heavy compact combed cotton tee with silicone wash, custom woven labels, and discharge screen printing. The more specific your technical specs, the faster a manufacturer can generate a firm price quotation.
How Knitwear MOQs Really Work
Many emerging designers ask: "Why do factories require 300 to 500 pieces per color? Why can't I order 50 pieces in 6 different custom colors?"
In circular knitwear manufacturing, minimum order quantities (MOQs) are dictated by dyehouse vessel capacities, not the cutting and sewing line.
| Dyeing Machine Type | Minimum Vessel Batch | Yield in 180 GSM T-Shirts (~220g/tee) | Yield in 380 GSM Hoodies (~750g/hoodie) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab Sampling Vessel | 5 kg – 15 kg | 20 – 60 pcs (Very high cost/pc) | 6 – 20 pcs (Proto evaluation only) |
| Small Industrial Soft-Flow Jet | 50 kg – 100 kg | 225 – 450 pcs per color | 65 – 130 pcs per color |
| Standard Production Jet Dyeing | 250 kg – 500 kg | 1,100 – 2,250 pcs per color | 330 – 660 pcs per color |
* Note: When a dye vessel is underloaded (e.g. running 20 kg inside a 100 kg vessel), the liquor ratio shifts, causing uneven shade patches, unlevel dye uptake, and significant energy/chemical waste.
If your brand cannot commit to 500 units per color across one silhouette, ask your factory to split the fabric across multiple styles. For instance, 100 kg of 200 GSM Black Single Jersey can be cut into 200 Men's Crewneck Tees, 150 Women's Cropped Tees, and 100 Long-Sleeve Tops!
Understanding Size Ratios in Lay Planning
In a commercial knitwear cutting room, fabric is spread in dozens of plies (layers) across long tables. A paper marker layout containing paper patterns for multiple sizes is laid on top and cut simultaneously with vertical knife cutters.
Ordering balanced size ratios ensures fabric utilization is maximized (reducing scrap waste from 18% down to 9–11%):
Vetting Knitwear Suppliers: Green vs Red Flags
How do you know if a manufacturing partner is reliable, technically competent, and compliant? Use these field indicators during your initial conversations:
Green Flags (Trustworthy Partner)
- ✓ Active Factory Audits: Holds OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS (for organic cotton), and SEDEX/SMETA or BSCI social compliance certifications.
- ✓ Structured Sampling Gates: Follows Proto → Fit → Lab Dip → Size Set → Pre-Production (PP) approval sign-offs before touching bulk fabric.
- ✓ Realistic Lead Times: Quotes 35–55 days for custom knit/dye/sew, rather than making impossible promises.
- ✓ Open Technical Communication: Explains fabric GSM, consumption, CM (cut and make), and trim costs transparently.
- ✓ Internal Quality Systems: Operates an internal 4-point fabric inspection system and AQL 2.5 final inspection.
Red Flags (High Risk)
- ✗ "We can do anything for any price": Factory avoids clarifying minimums or promises 100% custom dyed fabric in 7 days.
- ✗ Skipping the PP Sample: Presses you to cut bulk without a fully trimmed Pre-Production sign-off sample.
- ✗ Refusing 3rd-Party Inspection: Disallows independent AQL quality inspection agencies (e.g. QIMA, SGS, Bureau Veritas) from visiting the premises before final balance payment.
- ✗ Vague Yarn Specifications: Cannot tell you whether they are using carded, combed, or compact yarn, or the knitting gauge.
What Drives the FOB Price of a Knit Garment?
In knitwear, the raw material (yarn, knitting, and dyeing) accounts for 55% to 70% of the total unit cost. The remainder is divided among cut-and-sew labor (CM), embellishments, trims, and packaging.
| Cost Component | Average Share | Key Cost Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric & Dyeing | 55% – 70% | GSM weight (more grams = more cotton), Combed vs Carded yarn, Organic GOTS certifications, Reactive dye vs Pigment dye, Mercerization/Bio-polishing. |
| Cut & Sew (CM) | 15% – 25% | Complexity of silhouette: Crewneck tee (fast) vs Polo with placket and collar (medium) vs Multi-panel zippered hoodie with kangaroo pocket (high). |
| Prints & Embroidery | 5% – 12% | Number of print colors (screens), discharge vs plastisol, total print area, embroidery stitch count (e.g. 5,000 stitches vs 35,000 stitches). |
| Trims & Packaging | 4% – 8% | YKK zippers, metal eyelets, custom aglets, woven neck tags, hangtags with foil stamping, branded polybags, master cartons. |
Cost Anatomy: Promotional Tee ($4.20) vs. Luxury Streetwear Tee ($8.50)
Both garments are labelled "100% Cotton, Made in India", yet their factory FOB costs differ by over 100%. Here is the exact engineering difference:
| Feature | Commercial Promo Tee (~$4.20 FOB) | Luxury Streetwear Tee (~$8.50 FOB) |
|---|---|---|
| Yarn Selection | 30s Carded Open-End (higher hairiness, rough hand) | 16s/1 or 20s/1 Combed Compact Ring-Spun (dense, silky, zero fuzz) |
| Fabric Weight (GSM) | 150 – 160 GSM Single Jersey (lightweight) | 260 – 280 GSM Heavy Jersey (+75% cotton volume by weight) |
| Collar Ribbing | 100% Cotton 1x1 Rib (stretches & sags after laundering) | 2x2 Heavy Rib with 5% Lycra Spandex + pre-shrink heat setting |
| Finishing & Washing | Standard softener rinse (shrinkage 6% – 8%) | Cellulase Bio-polishing + Stenter compaction (shrinkage <3.5%) |
| Seam Construction | Basic 3-thread overlock, 8 SPI, no neck taping | 12 SPI 4-thread overlock, shoulder-to-shoulder herringbone tape |
| Embellishment | Standard plastisol print (heavy, cracks over time) | Water-based discharge or high-density 3D silicone rubber print |
Ready to Move Forward?
Review our companion guides to ensure your technical requirements and inspection plans are ready: