The minimum is per style and per colourway
Our standard minimum is 30 pieces per style and colourway. That single sentence decides most first-order maths. If you develop one hoodie in black, the minimum is 30 pieces. If the same hoodie also runs in washed grey, the minimum is 30 pieces per colour, so the order becomes 60 pieces.
Styles multiply in the same way. Three styles across two colourways is six production combinations, each with its own minimum. This is not an administrative rule — cutting, dyeing and decoration are planned per colour and per construction, and small lots only stay consistent when they are grouped this way.
If the budget only covers one combination, start with the style and colour you expect to sell through first. A tighter first run is easier to judge than a wide run with thin quantities everywhere.
What the first 30 pieces are for
A small first run is a test with real production tooling. It lets you check fit on actual customers, see how a wash behaves after repeated laundering, and judge whether a print or puff holds up in the way the sample suggested.
It also gives you a sell-through signal before you commit to a larger run. The second order can then be planned on the same line, with the same fabric and the same approved construction, instead of starting from a new development cycle.
What the minimum does not do is remove the sample stage. The sample is how fit, colour, decoration and measurements are approved. Bulk starts after that approval, not before it.
How to split a size curve
Thirty pieces is enough for a real size curve if you keep the number of sizes realistic. A five-size run for an oversized tee might look like this:
- Small: 4 pieces
- Medium: 8 pieces
- Large: 8 pieces
- Extra large: 6 pieces
- Double extra large: 4 pieces
That is a planning example, not a fixed ratio. Boxy and cropped blocks often shift volume upward, while a regular-fit garment may need more small and medium. Confirm the breakdown before production so the cut plan and the packing list match what you intend to sell.
If you want to test two fits, treat them as two styles. A boxy cut and a regular cut are different patterns even when they use the same fabric and colour.
What can push a minimum higher
Some builds are limited by materials rather than by our standard minimum. A custom jacquard, a specialised knit, a leather-sleeve varsity, a bespoke trim or printed packaging can each carry a supplier minimum of its own.
In those cases the quantity is confirmed in the quotation before you commit. The point is to avoid discovering a material minimum after the order is placed. Send the fabric direction and trim list with your enquiry so the real minimum can be quoted up front.
Standard combed cotton, French terry, brushed fleece, crinkle nylon and Melton wool constructions sit inside the normal 30-piece structure. Heavily customised fabrics are the exception, not the rule.
What to send with a 30-piece enquiry
A short brief is enough to start a useful conversation. Include:
- The style or reference you want to develop, with images if you have them.
- The category — tee, hoodie, full-zip, tracksuit, windbreaker or varsity.
- Your target quantity and how many colourways it covers.
- A size curve or the sizes you need to test.
- The fabric direction and any decoration you already know you want.
- Your target timeline and destination country.
If you have a tech pack, send it. If you only have references, send those instead; the pack can be built from the reference and your measurements. The contact page has the enquiry form and the direct email address.
Sample first, then bulk
The sequence stays the same at any quantity: reference, quote, sample, approval, bulk. The sample is where you confirm the fabric, the fit, the colour, the decoration and the packing. Bulk then runs to that approved standard.
For a 30-piece first order, this matters more, not less. There is little room to absorb a construction mistake in a small lot, so the sample has to do its job properly. The capabilities page explains how development, sampling and production sit in one chain.
