Custom Fabric Development & Knitting
Knit structure, weight, stretch and colour developed to your specification — with lab dips, hand-feel approvals and full testing before a single garment is cut.
The fabric decides everything downstream
Fabric is 45–60% of the cost of a knit garment, and nearly all of its quality. A 20 gsm weight drift or a half-shade difference across a dye lot does not show up until the garments are sewn — by which point the material is already committed.
We develop knit fabric through mills we have used for over a decade, and every programme is approved in three steps: a structure swatch with the target weight and stretch, a lab dip against your Pantone reference, and a hand-feel sample of the finished, dyed fabric.
- Single jersey, 1×1 and 2×2 rib, interlock, fleece, terry, mesh and jacquard structures
- 140–420 gsm across cotton, modal, bamboo, lyocell, nylon and polyester
- Stretch engineered from structure or from 3–20% elastane
- Lab dips to Pantone TCX/TPG with continuity across dye lots
- Shrinkage, colour fastness, pilling and weight testing before cutting
Knit structures we develop
Fabric questions
What is your minimum order quantity (MOQ)?
Our standard MOQ is 300–1,000 pieces per style, mixed sizes. Styles using stock fabric can start from 300 pieces; a fully custom knit or dye lot usually starts at 1,000 pieces per colour. Tell us your target quantity and we will confirm what is achievable.
How long does sampling take?
A development sample takes 5–7 working days after artwork and fabric are confirmed. A full size set takes 10–12 working days. Sample cost is credited against the bulk order.
What is the lead time for bulk production?
Bulk production runs 15–45 days from deposit and approved pre-production sample, depending on quantity, fabric availability and trim lead times. We confirm the schedule in writing before you pay the deposit.
Which payment terms do you accept?
T/T (30% deposit, 70% against the copy of the bill of lading), L/C at sight, and PayPal for samples. Terms are confirmed in the proforma invoice.
Can you handle fabric, labels and packaging as well?
Yes. Fabric knitting, dyeing, cutting, sewing, printing, embroidery, labels, hangtags and retail packaging all sit inside our own supply chain, so a single purchase order covers the finished, retail-ready product.
How do you control quality?
Every order passes an incoming fabric inspection, an in-line check at 30% and 70% of the run, a final AQL 2.5 inspection before packing, and a shipment check against the approved sample and packing list.
What is the minimum order for a custom knit?
Most mills require 500–1,000 kg per colour for a custom knit, which typically corresponds to 1,500–3,000 garments depending on weight. Below that, the practical approach is to select from a stock fabric range and develop the colour only.
How do you control shade across dye lots?
Each dye lot is matched to the approved lab dip in daylight and under two artificial light sources. We also hold a retained sample of every approved lot and compare the next lot against it before cutting.
Fabric development, from swatch to bulk
Custom fabric is where a product becomes difficult to copy. A competitor can photograph a design and replicate the cut, but reproducing the exact knit, weight, stretch and finish takes a mill relationship and a development cycle. That is why fabric is worth developing before pattern work gets complicated.
The four specifications that define a knit
Structure (single jersey, rib, interlock, terry), weight in gsm, stretch (structural or elastane-driven, and how much recovery), and finish (compact, brushed, siliconed, wicking). Those four decisions determine hand feel, drape, shrinkage behaviour, printability and cost. We document them in a fabric standard that travels with the production order.
Lab dips and shade continuity
A lab dip is a small dye sample matched to your Pantone reference. Approving it is the cheapest quality decision in the programme: it costs a day, and it prevents a bulk dye lot that is visibly wrong. We compare each subsequent lot against the retained approved sample under daylight and two artificial light sources.
Testing before cutting, not after
Shrinkage, colour fastness to washing, rubbing and perspiration, pilling resistance and weight per square metre are tested on the bulk fabric lot. If a lot fails, the fabric goes back to the mill before it is cut. Testing after sewing only tells you what you have already manufactured.
Sustainable fibre options
GOTS organic cotton, Global Recycled Standard polyester, Lenzing modal and TENCEL™ lyocell, and bamboo viscose are all available with the supporting chain-of-custody documentation. If your marketing claims a fibre, the paperwork has to exist — we supply it as part of the order file.
Send us your tech pack — get a costed quotation in one working day
Tell us the style, the fabric, the target quantity and the destination market. You will get a price breakdown, a sampling plan and a realistic lead time, not a range designed to be negotiated later.
- Free sampling plan & cost breakdown
- MOQ from 300 pcs per style
- Reply within 1 working day