Custom Apparel Manufacturing for Brands, Teams and Private Labels

Everyday Polo Options

Classic cotton pique offers the familiar honeycomb surface and breathable, stable hand for dependable polos.

Performance And Structure

Birdseye pique has a small geometric texture and often supports breathable teamwear with a cleaner visual surface.

Specialty Surface Effects

Stretch pique improves movement through elastane or engineered recovery, while jacquard pique builds patterns directly into the textile.

Fiber Performance Comparison

Cotton offers the softest hand and strongest natural breathability, but it can shrink and lose color faster without controlled finishing.

Stretch, Recovery And Recycled Options

Elastane-containing pique improves mobility and stretch recovery for fitted uniforms or active programs, but requires testing after washing.

Match Fiber To The Program

Warm climates favor breathable cotton or lighter 160–200 GSM constructions; high-activity teamwear usually benefits from polyester or blends.

• Cotton: premium comfort and casual positioning.
• Polyester: performance, repeat washing and color stability.
• Cotton-polyester: balanced price, comfort and durability.
• Elastane blend: mobility and closer fit.

Match Method To Surface

1–3 mm texture can interrupt fine artwork, especially on small logos. Screen printing suits bold, low-color graphics; heat transfer handles names and numbers; direct-to-garment methods require testing because ink coverage can vary across the relief. 5–8 mm lettering is generally safer than micro-detail.

• Fashion: embroidery, woven labels, or tonal jacquard effects.
• Sports: heat transfer for names, numbers, and team marks.
• Schools: screen print for economical multi-color spiritwear.
• Corporate: restrained embroidery or woven branding.

Control Artwork And Placement

6–10 cm chest logos usually provide enough scale for recognizable artwork without excessive puckering. Keep stitch counts moderate, reduce narrow gaps, and specify Pantone references or approved lab dips for repeat orders. 2–4 placement points should be recorded in the tech pack, including center-back, sleeve, chest, and hem distances.

Sample, Wash, And Approve

1 pre-production sample should represent the actual pique composition, color, and finished garment. Check adhesion, edge lifting, thread coverage, print opacity, puckering, and registration before approving bulk decoration. 5 wash cycles are a useful internal screen for early comparison, followed by the buyer’s intended care method.

Fabric Roll Inspection

±5% GSM tolerance should be agreed in writing, alongside usable width, texture uniformity, skew, and spirality limits. Inspect multiple rolls, because surface geometry and width can vary between dye lots. Three wash cycles are a practical checkpoint for shrinkage, pilling, colorfastness, and dimensional stability.

• GSM and usable width
• Texture and color consistency
• Skew and spirality
• Shrinkage and pilling

Garment Construction Checks

10–12 stitches per inch is a useful starting point for many polo seams, subject to fabric weight and machine setup. Check skipped stitches, seam allowance, thread tension, bartacks, and needle damage across the approved size set.

• Seam strength and appearance
• Stitch density and tension
• Collar recovery
• Size-set consistency

Approval Before Bulk

A sealed reference sample should show the approved fabric, color, measurements, artwork placement, labels, trims, and wash result. The production file should also identify acceptable tolerances and the inspection sampling plan.

• Approve pre-production sample
• Record wash-performance results
• Sign measurement and color standards
• Release bulk only after review

Confirm Product Fit

200 pieces is enough to expose weak systems. Ask whether the factory regularly produces polo shirts, textured knits and teamwear, and whether it supports men’s and women’s fit blocks.

• Which pique products do you produce routinely?
• Who handles cutting, sewing and decoration?
• Can you support repeat production?

Audit Development Support

One approved sample should include fabric composition, GSM, shrinkage results, measurements, grading, trims, artwork placement and revision history. Ask who owns the pattern and whether grading is included for the required size range.

• Can you provide a complete measurement chart?
• What happens when the sample needs revision?
• Are patterns and specifications documented for repeats?

Verify Materials And Testing

Every roll should be traceable to composition, color, lot and supplier documentation. Ask for OEKO-TEX, GOTS or recycled-content evidence only when relevant, and verify certificates rather than accepting labels in a quotation.

• What documents identify each fabric lot?
• Which tests are included before bulk production?
• Can you provide reports with the approved sample?

Control Production Communication

A 200-piece order still needs a written QC checklist covering measurements, shade variation, defects, labels, decoration placement, packing and final inspection. Ask for inspection points, tolerance ranges and the person responsible for approval.

• What is the MOQ per color and style?
• What are the development and bulk lead times?
• How are approvals, changes and nonconformities recorded?

Specify More Than Fiber

100% cotton does not define performance. Record GSM, knit type, yarn choice, stretch, finish and shrinkage target; otherwise two suppliers can quote materially different fabrics under the same fiber description.

Separate Pique From Jersey

One construction error can change the garment completely: jersey is generally smoother and stretchier, while pique has a raised textured surface and more structured handle. Confirm the fabric swatch, weight and construction before approving a polo program. Skipping wash testing compounds the risk.

Control Color And Decoration

One approved lab dip is not a bulk color standard. Use Pantone references where appropriate, retain an approved strike-off or fabric standard, and define acceptable shade variation before production; otherwise shade disputes can stop packing or trigger rework. Test embroidery, screen printing or heat transfer on the actual textured surface.

Match Cutting And Quotations

Textured knits can shift during spreading and cutting, so confirm relaxation time, nap or texture direction, panel matching and marker handling. Ignoring these controls can produce uneven appearance, measurement variation and higher cutting waste.

Define The Product Standard

1 use case determines the brief: fashion, teamwear, school uniforms, wholesale basics or private label. Record target wearer, size range, season, color count, performance needs and intended retail position. 180–240 GSM is a common apparel pique range, but confirm fiber blend, stretch, finish, shrinkage and colorfastness through testing.

Develop And Approve Samples

EDVORIN’s MOQ starts at 200 pieces per style. 1 complete tech pack should show measurements, construction, fabric, rib, labels, artwork placement, Pantone references and packing requirements. Shortlist suppliers able to develop the required product and communicate MOQ, sample timing and production capacity. 2 sample stages are practical: first prototype for construction, then revised fit sample for approval.

Release And Control Bulk

3 commercial gates remain: approve decoration, confirm landed costing, and issue the purchase order only after fit and wash results pass. Teams and schools should verify size sets, names, numbers and color consistency; brands and wholesalers should confirm repeatable packaging and labeling. A pre-production sample becomes the bulk reference.