What to Look for When Choosing Athletic Clothing Manufacturers

Choosing the right athletic clothing manufacturers is important to your brand if you require the activewear to function well during movement, training, and throughout the day. Athletic apparel has different needs than most casual items, so it requires a manufacturer to know fabric, fit, construction, and finishes rather than just another garment.

For a brand, there is the need to partner with a manufacturer capable of translating the product idea into a finished apparel, without losing the features that influence comfort and performance.

Start With the Intended Use

Firstly, consider what the end function of the garments will be.

School uniform, teamwear, running gear, gym kit, yogawear or athleisure material and construction can be completely different.

For instance, lightweight training top will be designed using the light and breathability, whereas lightweight training shorts could be designed for stretch, durability and freedom of movement.

Knowing the purpose enables you to convey the appropriate requirements to potential vendors.

Fabric Selection Should Come Early

One of the most crucial decisions in all sport apparel is choosing your fabric.

Depending on the product, brands may consider:

• Stretch and recovery It was obvious that, when the EMS stimulation was stopped, the recovery occurred very quickly.
• Breathability
• Moisture management
• Fabric weight
• Softness
• Durability
• Color stability
• Shrinkage
• Surface texture

The fabric will vary depending upon the garment and for which purpose it is being manufactured. The establishment who has previously produced athletic wear should be able to inform a customer of an ideal fabric rather than just present the customer with whatever is already accessible.

Specific fabric information If you have a particular fabric specification, supply the information before sampling so that the manufacturer can build the style around it.

Fit Matters During Movement

All athletic garments must perform while the consumer is in motion.

A garments may look good when draped on a fixed model but it may not feel right when worn during exercise because the pattern allows no movement or is wrong proportioned.

Pay attention to areas such as:

• Shoulder construction
• Armhole shape
• Sleeve length
• Body length
• Waistband
• Inseam
• Stretch panels
• Seam placement

The activity to which the pattern is applied should influence the choice of fit as well. A loose fitting training shirt and a tight fitting performance shirt will not require the same fit.

Check the Manufacturer’s Relevant Experience

Not all apparel factories have the same athletic apparel capabilities.

Must-have future partner supplier If you want to keep an eye on the easier way of assessing their suitable experience of products similar to yours, such as active T-shirts, leggings, sports shorts, training tops, tracksuits, performance jackets or any other sportwear products.

Ask what kinds of fabrics and constructions they typically use.

Acquired general knowledge on similar products for troubleshooting technical problems before production.

Use Sampling to Test the Product

A sample allows the brand the chance to check if the interpretation by the manufacturer is as required.

During sample review, check:

• 2.1 Fit and measurements. This section addresses the definition of fit and measurements, which will include the level of good fit or perfect fit.
• Fabric feel
• Stretch and recovery. This vital function occurs rapidly, before the stimulation is interpreted and transmitted to the CNS. When stretch is detected, it stimulates fire and excites the alpha motor neurons to contract. And, for a moment, relaxation is provided.
• Seam construction
• Waistbands and cuffs: An elastic goes in the waist and cuffs this elastically would be very thick so needs to be cut from the grain. The strength should be 144N75.5; the cotton composition should be 20s/1 x 2 and they should have no coating.
• Of which we create: Printing or embroidery?
• Labels
• Overall finishing

For category athletic items, the sample can generally be worn during typical activity or exercise also. This can often bring problem areas to light that may not otherwise be apparent simply by visual examination of the article.

In case modifications are needed, give exact dimensions and comments for the manufacturer to update the sample.

Customization Goes Beyond Adding a Logo

A lot of athletic brands require their products to be designed around their own identity.

Customization can include:

• Custom patterns
• Fabric selection
• Colors
• Printed graphics
• Embroidery
• Woven labels
• Heat transfers
• Packaging

Ensure that if there are to be multiple custom items in your design, the supplier can cope with these.

That can make communication easier and also cut down the number of suppliers that have to be coordinated for the same garment.

Quality Control Should Be Clearly Defined

Hiking and athletic wear needs to be produced continuously, as tiny variations can cause sizes to fit and perform different.

Before bulk production, assure the critical specifications of the approved material.

These may include:

• Fabric composition
• Fabric weight
• Measurements
• Color
• Stitching
• Elastic components
• Artwork placement
• Labels
• Packaging

Finished garments should be checked whether they are following the sample and specifications.

If you are to place the second order, potentially Repak the consistency between production batch is really significant.

Ask the Right Questions Before Ordering

The portfolio of a brand can learn a lot from a potential supplier by asking practical questions before entering production.

For example:

• What sports products do you primarily focus on?
• What sort of performance fabrics can you look for?
• Arguing they are not flexible, the authors queried cannot develop their own patterns of use.
• Can you make samples?
• What can be provided in terms of customization?
• What does quality control during production look like?
• Which details should we have in order to possibly include a quotation?
• Can your to be reproduced between suppliers?

The idea is not to ask a million questions, but to start with the things that are important for your product.

Compare Manufacturers as Production Partners

Comparing the makers of athletic clothing, we can easily turn our attention to the quotation and minimum order.

And do manufactures need to think about manufacturing experience, product development, communication, fabric choices, quality of sample, customization and QC.

If you need custom-made parts, a supplier who understands what you need will make the entire process easier, from first sample right through to future production.

Build a Relationship Around Your Product

When an athletic item gets integrated into your program, a permanent relationship with the manufacturer can be beneficial.

Once a manufacturer knows you design and produce patterns, fabrics, sizes, branding and quality, then it will become much easier to produce again.

This can be especially valuable for brands that introduced new ranges or restock popular items with new packaging and designs.

Choosing an Athletic Clothing Manufacturer

Identifying the correct athleticwear manufacturers will require you to learn about and understand the product. Know how it will be used. Select suitable fabrics. Assess fit and flexibility. Seek out manufacturing experience that matches your product. Test the product with samples before entering bulk production.

The best manufacturing partner is not just one that can produce a product, it‘s the one that understands your unique requirements and can deliver consistent finished goods.

JiuvelWear is owned by Dongguan Jiuzuo Clothing Co., Ltd., Based in Dongguan, Guangdong, China, the manufacturer offers OEM, ODM, private label and custom apparel production services. JiuvelWear partners with many brands to provide prototyping, sampling, customization, and mass production of clothing.