Legging Manufacturers and How They Make Leggings

Leggings appear to be straightforward garment but the manufacturing process is quite complex cutting stretch fabrics and incorporating the two leg pieces together. The fabric ease, fit, waistband, darts, side seam and size grading influence how the finished product fits and functions. As brands compare legging manufacturers they should relate to these factors as a product and not just judge a supplier on price.

Start With the Fabric

Fabric selection defines the feeling of a pair of leggings.

Nylon-spandex blends generally provide a smooth handle, good stretch and high recovery in leggings. Polyester-spandex fabrics might be good alternatives as the balance of handle, stretch, color retention and economy. Cotton-blends used in legging could make a softer, more relaxed feeling but could behave slightly differently other fabrics in heavy intensity exercises.

It all comes down to what the product is going to be used for when choosing the right fabric.

Due to different balance of requirements, a yoga brand will perhaps require soft fabric with good comfort four way stretch. For a training brand, the emphasis might be a focus on recovery, durability, moisture management, and resistance to repeated movement. A fashion label might focus more on appearance of surface, color, printing, or a special finishing.

Weight is important as well, however weight in isolation does not provide a complete picture. Fabric with vastly different characteristics can have the same GSM, due to differences in fibre makeup, knit construction and finishing.

Thus, the best way for the buyers to test the even roll fabric is by testing the actual fabric, rather than selecting the fabric by the name, type, or specification sheet.

Fit Matters Even More With Leggings

A loose T-shirt is to keep a little measurements difference. But leggings just can‘t.

The waistband, rise, hip, thigh, inseam and ankle opening all combine to fit the finished garment. a tiny alteration made in one area can change the rest of the fit of the garment.

Pay specific attention to the waistband construction. A waistband that is comfortable for a quick fitting may turn over when you wear it. A waistband that is too tight to wear with a perfect fitting may be uncomfortable.

The crotch is an important part to develop. Excessive angle or moldings will cause bunching and pulling, while too much pressure, which can cause discomfort while walking.

Another problem is sizing. A style that fits well in one medium size will not necessarily fit well in a smaller or larger size. All sizes require that the measurements increase in proportion.

So a good sample is more than what can just be seen with the naked eye. The buyers should actually try the garment on and carry out movements also associated with its eventual use.

Sampling Should Test the Product, Not Just Show It

This is where a brand is really able to assess its own product.

When it comes to leggings, that is all there is to consider besides color and logo location. As the buyer, one can browse through the opacity of the fabric, as well as its recovery and stretch; comfort at the waistband and seams; pocket location; the construction of the hem; and of course, the fit.

Movement gives good points. You can see how the garment falls in sitting, bending, walking, squatting and stretching.

There is also a point where the fabric and fit choices, and the technical details such as construction can be resolved with the manufacturer and the buyer before anything is mass produced. Adjustments to fabric, fit, lining and trimmings, seams and finishes are far less complicated at that time than after a few thousand pieces have gone through.

Requirement for records. Once the specifications have been finalized, the manufacturer will require the accurate record of production to be able to repeat it when placing a next order. This is become all too common in manufacturing when a style is successful but also runs again many months later.

Construction Changes the Way Leggings Perform

Most emphasis is put on the fabric and it can change just as many things to alter it from construction.

Placement of seams is very important, for fit, for comfort and for appearance. Stitching is important for durability. Construction of the waistband is important for support. Pockets may add functions such as carrying, but will add weight and change the shape of the garment.

Seams are a point of construction on activewear and since many have stretch fabrics they need to work * with* the fabric and not against it. Using the wrong type of thread, stitching or seam construction could cause problems after many stretches.

This applies to the Hems unevenly balanced hem may alter the overall look of the leg opening, and inconsistencies in the stitching can result in a discrepancy between production pieces.

All of this is important to a private label brand. It‘s not about how it is made but about how it fits and feel. The customer doesn‘t know about the manufacturing; but they do know if it is going to fit well, feel comfortable, not lose shape and look good over time.

Not all private-label leggings begin as entirely new designs.

Some of the brands start of with a current pattern and change the color, fabric, label, logo, packaging or the small details. A few of the brands design the whole garment by starting off with an original idea.

Customization can cover:

  • Fiber type and weight
  • Custom colors
  • Printed patterns
  • Waistband design
  • Pockets
  • Stitching details
  • Measurements
  • Woven labels
  • Hangtags
  • Packaging

The greater the number of changes a brand has, the greater the need for the development process.

It is desirable for the manufacturer to have adequate design data, and for the buyer to know what changes impacts material cost, sampling, MOQ and production time. A short conversation in the early stage will save a lot of cost changes.

Quality Control Starts Before Bulk Production

The final inspection cannot remedy all problems of production.

A better quality process begins with the fabric. Inspection of the fabric can bring to attention defects such as color, weight, surface appearance or consistency before the cutting commences.

Can be checked as they are being manufactured measurements, appearance of seams and waistband, thread colour/quality/consistency, labels, printing, finishing. Final inspection again checks for faults in the finished product.

Special consideration must be given to stretch fabrics. Stretch fabrics perform both according to material qualities and construction method. A consumer must take stretch and recovery into consideration with leggings when assessing any garments.

The repeated production also is a check for the quality.

The fabric may have been one of the best first orders the manufacturer has ever used, but he cannot get an identical fabric( lot) later. If a subsequent lot, pattern, measurements, trims or construction, the appearance can differ.

This means that producers of products intended to be resold must keep adequate production records which identify the product in no uncertain terms. The next order should be based on specifications and not recall from memory.

Price and MOQ Need More Context

Unit price is important, but one never gets the entire purchasing picture from it.

As part of a legging program you can do such things as fabric development, samples, pattern work, personalized orders, label production, packaging and shipping. Order volume is also a factor that affects cost.

Because it can differ from one supplier to another, others require more attention. For example some minimums are per style others are per color or production batch.

If a startup orders a small amount at the beginning, it has low risk when test a new product. Brand might be concerned about efficiency of production and stable replenishment.

A more important question is not just the cost of one pair. A customer should question the costs involved in the total production and whether they can easily reorder this style in the future.

Pay Attention to Fibre and Label Information

In regulated markets, there is still some information about product required by brands which sell leggings:

For goods regulated by Canadian textile rules, generally the generic name and the percentage of fiber content is required if one fiber represents 5% or more of the total fiber mass. Fiber information is usually by order of predominance by mass.

In addition to the fibre requirements, Canadian textile labelling has general requirements for dealer information, and labelling in letters and numbers must be written in English and French. An extra requirement for labelling in French is permitted in Quebec.

These particulars relate to manufacturing. It is crucial that brand has the correct details about the fibres prior to finalization of labels and packaging. Additionally, a manufacturer needs the true fiber composition and not simply an informal label of the materials used.

Assurances must be consistent. All words and phrases, such as “organic”, “recycled” or the like, on behalf of the product and its evidence should be commensurate with the product itself.

Questions to Ask Legging Manufacturers

Before placing a production order, buyers can ask a few practical questions:

  • What materials would be appropriate for the task?
  • What methods have you used to check stretch and recovery?
  • How you design the pattern and how you mark and score it?
  • How do you are on having the measurements under good control?
  • If I place repeat orders for the same fabric and fit, can you replicate them exactly?
  • What sort of customization do you handle?
  • So how does the sampling process work?
  • What are the factors of MOQ and the cost of production?
  • What about the product labels and packaging?

The answers reveal a lot more to a buyer than a product catalog.

If you work with a manufacturer that has a good feel for the fabric, fit, construction, development and the replication then it can add to the product. This will only be a relevant factor if a brand is aiming to construct a collection rather than buy finished goods.

Find the Production Model That Fits the Brand

Diverse apparel companies have their own support manufacturing needs.

An emerging activewear brand might need flexible development and low production quantities; an existing fitness label might need a stable fabric base, consistent sizes, and regular reorders; a fashion house might need more flexibility with printing, color application, and construction details.

The right production partner should fit into those priorities.

JiuvelWear is a clothing manufacturing brand of Dongguan Jiuzuo Clothing Co.,Ltd. that offers custom apparel manufacturing, private label manufacturing, fabric sourcing, sample manufacturing, and production quality control for such brands and wholesale programs.

The greatest manufacturing relationship for leggings is with the actual product. Once fabric, fit, construction, QC, and re-order processes become aligned, a company has much more power to take a winning sample and turn it into an on-going selling product.

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