Resources / MOQ and pricing
MOQ and Pricing Guide for Custom Apparel
A unit price is the end of a calculation, not the start of a negotiation. This guide shows what drives cost in a made-to-order apparel program, which inputs you control, and how to ask for a quote that can actually be compared.
Four inputs that move unit cost
Fabric per garment, including cutting loss and panel layout.
Number of operations, seam type, and how many pieces per panel.
Technique, number of colors or stitch count, and placement count.
Total quantity, size curve, color count, and how many deliveries.
The same garment quoted twice at different specifications is two different products.
Who it is for
Who should read this before asking for a price
The guide is written for buyers preparing a first or revised request for quotation on a custom program.
First-time buyer
Stage 1
You have a product direction and no cost reference. Read the driver table first, then build a request that states the assumptions you are willing to hold.
Buyer comparing suppliers
Stage 2
You have quotes that cannot be lined up. The RFQ field list below is designed so two suppliers answer the same questions in the same rows.
Buyer under a target price
Stage 3
You need to reach a number without silently degrading the product. Use the driver table to see which changes affect cost and which only affect appearance.
Before you request a price
A quote built on missing inputs is an estimate with a date on it.
Cost structure
What actually drives the unit price
Most cost conversations fail because two people are pricing different products. Separate the drivers into what you control and what the order structure controls.
Cost drivers in a made-to-order program
| Driver | What moves it | What the buyer controls |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Fiber, structure, weight, color route, and minimum purchase per color. | The fabric direction, the number of colors, and whether a stock quality is acceptable. |
| Consumption | Panel layout, marker efficiency, and cutting loss on the chosen width. | Panel count, seam allowance policy, and whether panels can be simplified. |
| Construction | Operation count, seam type, edge finish, and handling difficulty. | The construction standard, not the number of steps a factory chooses. |
| Decoration | Technique, colors, stitch count, placement count, and reject rate. | How many placements, how many colors, and whether one technique can cover several uses. |
| Order structure | Quantity per color and size, repeat potential, and delivery split. | The size curve, color count, and whether quantities can be consolidated. |
| Sampling and approval | Number of sample rounds and whether new material is required per round. | How many rounds to plan, and how completely feedback is consolidated per round. |
A low unit price achieved by removing a construction step is not a saving; it is a different garment. Record which changes were accepted and which were not.
How to ask
Build a request that can be compared
Use the same field set for every supplier. Where an answer differs, the difference is a question, not automatically a better price.
RFQ field set
| RFQ field | What to state | Why it prevents a false comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Product and quantity | Style, total units, size curve, color count. | Quantity per color changes material minimums more than total quantity does. |
| Material | Fabric direction, weight band, color route, or an approved quality reference. | Fabric is usually the largest single cost line and the easiest to substitute silently. |
| Construction | Named construction per join, or an approved sample as the reference. | Two factories can quote the same drawing with different seam and finish decisions. |
| Decoration | Technique, colors, placements, and artwork status. | Artwork that is not final cannot be priced beyond a placeholder. |
| Sampling | Rounds expected and who pays for what. | Sample cost is often quoted separately and then compared as if it were part of unit price. |
| Commercial terms | Incoterm, destination, payment route, and validity period. | A price without its terms expires the moment the assumptions change. |
Ask each supplier to mark assumptions they made. The assumptions are where the real difference between quotes usually sits.
State the product
Write the construction and material direction before asking for a number.
State the order
Quantity, size curve, color count and delivery structure.
Ask for structure
Request the cost breakdown by material, make, decoration and packing.
Compare assumptions
Line up the assumptions, not the totals, and resolve the differences in writing.
Common mistakes
Six ways a price comparison misleads
Each of these produces a number that looks comparable and is not.
Comparing unit price only
A lower unit price with a higher sample charge, a different incoterm or a shorter validity period is not a lower price.
Ignoring consumption
Two fabrics at the same price per meter can produce different garment costs because the panel layout uses them differently.
Quoting before artwork
Decoration priced from a description changes when the file arrives with more colors or a larger placement.
Averaging the size curve
Material consumption differs across sizes. A quote that assumes one average size hides where the cost actually sits.
Treating MOQ as one number
There is usually a minimum per color and per fabric, not only per order. Ask which minimum applies to which input.
Chasing a target by deletion
Removing a step to reach a price changes the product. Record the trade explicitly so it is a decision, not a surprise.
How KnitCertain uses this information
Project-specific terms, stated as such
KnitCertain works on made-to-order apparel made from knitted fabrics. Cost and minimum order terms are confirmed against the reviewed specification for the specific project.
There is no universal price list and no single published minimum that applies across products. The answer depends on the factors in the table above, which is why the request has to carry them.
When a request is incomplete, the useful response is a list of what is missing and which of those gaps change the cost basis, rather than a number that will be revised later.
Use it now
Copyable cost comparison sheet
Copy this into your own document and complete one column per supplier. Compare rows, not totals.
Blank comparison sheet
| Item | Supplier A | Supplier B | Assumption stated? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit price and incoterm | |||
| Material and consumption basis | |||
| Construction standard | |||
| Decoration scope | |||
| Sampling cost and rounds | |||
| Minimum per color | |||
| Size and color curve applied | |||
| Validity period |
No downloadable file is published for this guide. The table above is the current working version.
MOQ and pricing questions
Questions buyers ask about cost and minimums
These answers separate a commercial question from a product decision.
Why can two suppliers quote very different prices for the same drawing?
Is a lower MOQ always more expensive per unit?
Should sample cost be counted in the unit price?
What changes price after a quote is issued?
Can KnitCertain quote from a reference sample instead of a tech pack?
Start project evaluation
Send the product and order structure for a cost review.
Share what is fixed and what is still open. The first response should separate the cost drivers you control from the ones the order structure controls.
- Construction or reference sample
- Fabric and decoration direction
- Quantity, size curve and color count
- Destination and delivery expectation
- Any target price and what it is based on
Choose one starting route
Share what is fixed and what is still open.