Develop & order
MOQ in clothing manufacturing: why factories have minimums
MOQ (minimum order quantity) is the smallest order a factory can make at a workable cost and quality. In knitwear it is set mostly by the supply chain behind the factory: the minimum a knitting mill and dye house will run per colour, the minimum order for custom trims, and the fixed cost of setting up a sewing line. The factory's own preference counts for less.
Key takeaways
- MOQ is usually set per style per colour, because fabric is dyed colour by colour.
- Custom fabric has to be knitted and dyed in lots, and the dye house's minimum often sets the garment MOQ.
- Custom trims such as woven labels, printed tapes and colour-matched zips have their own minimums.
- Below MOQ, the fixed set-up cost is spread over fewer pieces, so the unit price rises.
Buyers often read MOQ as a sales tactic. In cut-and-sew knitwear it is mostly arithmetic. Several suppliers behind the factory have their own minimums, and the garment minimum is where those meet.
1. What MOQ means
MOQ (minimum order quantity) is the smallest quantity a factory accepts for an item. In apparel it is typically expressed as:
| How MOQ is counted | Example wording |
|---|---|
| Per style | “X pieces per style” |
| Per style per colour | “X pieces per colour”, the most common in knitwear |
| Per size | “Minimum Y pieces per size” |
| Per order | “Total order at least X pieces, any mix” |
Two quotes with the same number can mean very different things, so always ask which definition is used.
2. Why knitwear factories have MOQs
Fabric is knitted and dyed in lots
A custom knit fabric starts as yarn on a circular knitting machine, then goes to a dye house. Both stages have practical minimums. Changing the yarn, gauge or structure on a knitting machine takes set-up time, so mills prefer to run a meaningful length. Fabric is dyed in batches, and a batch smaller than the machine is designed for wastes water, energy and chemicals, and colour is harder to control. The dye house’s minimum per colour is often the biggest single driver of garment MOQ.
Each colour is a separate dye lot. Garments from one lot match each other; garments from two lots may differ slightly in shade. Keeping one colour within one lot matters for quality as well as cost. See the knit fabric GSM guide for how fabric choice affects this.
Rib and collars must match the body
T-shirt collars, cuffs and hems use rib fabric, and polos use flat-knit collars. These need to be dyed to match the body colour, ideally in the same lot, which adds a second minimum per colour.
Trims have their own minimums
| Trim | Why there is a minimum |
|---|---|
| Woven or printed labels | Loom or press set-up per design |
| Hangtags | Print run set-up |
| Zips in a custom colour | Dyed tapes and teeth ordered per colour |
| Drawcords and tapes | Knitted or braided per colour |
| Custom buttons | Mould or dye per colour |
If your order is smaller than a trim supplier’s minimum, you pay for the extras anyway.
Line set-up is a fixed cost
Before sewing starts, the factory plans the line: pattern and marker making, cutting set-up, machine settings, operator training on the style, and the first-piece check. That cost is roughly the same for 300 pieces as for 3,000, so small runs carry more of it per piece.
Decoration set-up
Screen printing needs a screen per colour; embroidery needs a digitised file and machine set-up. See print vs embroidery for how decoration choice affects cost at low quantities.
3. What raises or lowers the MOQ
| Factor | Tends to raise MOQ | Tends to lower MOQ |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Custom knit, special yarn, special finish | Fabric the mill already stocks |
| Colour | Custom Pantone shade per style | Standard shades, shared across styles |
| Colour count | Many colours per style | Fewer colours |
| Trims | Fully custom labels, zips, cords | Standard trims, shared across styles |
| Decoration | Many print colours or placements | Simple one-position decoration |
| Construction | New pattern and new construction | Existing factory block (ODM) |
Starting from a factory block instead of a fully new pattern can also reduce development effort; see OEM vs ODM.
4. How to plan around MOQ
- Ask how MOQ is counted: per style, per colour, per size or per order
- Ask which part of the supply chain sets it (fabric, dye lot, trims)
- Use the same fabric across several styles so they share a dye lot
- Limit the colour range for a first order; add colours when the style sells
- Share trims (labels, cords, tapes) across styles
- Compare the unit price at MOQ with the price at a higher quantity
- Keep size ratios realistic so each size is worth producing
A clear tech pack helps the factory give an accurate MOQ the first time.
5. MOQ at Jehotex
We don’t publish a single MOQ number, because it changes with fabric, colour count, trims and decoration. We confirm the MOQ with each quotation and explain what is driving it, so you can see which choices would lower it. Our OEM/ODM page explains how projects start, and the production process shows where fabric, cutting and sewing fit in.
Final thoughts
MOQ is the point where the minimums of the knitting mill, the dye house, the trim suppliers and the sewing line meet. Once you know which of those is setting the number for your style, you can usually act on it by changing the fabric, sharing colours, simplifying trims or accepting a higher unit price, which gets you further than negotiating the number down.