A garment minimum order quantity (MOQ) is typically a few hundred to a thousand pieces per style, and the per-colour minimum within that is usually set by the fabric dye lot rather than by the sewing factory. A factory can sew fifty pieces of a style without difficulty; what it cannot easily do is buy fifty pieces' worth of fabric in a special shade, because the mill dyes in lots that run to hundreds of metres. Understanding which minimum comes from where is the key to negotiating it.
The style minimum and the colour minimum are set by different people for different reasons, so it helps to treat them separately when you talk to a supplier.
Where each minimum comes from
- Per style: the factory needs a run long enough to justify pattern making, cutting markers and setting up a sewing line. Short runs mean the line changes over more often and efficiency drops, so the price per piece rises.
- Per colour: the mill's dye lot, or a printer's screen set-up, fixes a minimum fabric quantity. Divide that by the fabric consumption per garment and you have the real per-colour minimum.
- Per size: cutting markers are laid out for a size ratio. Very uneven ratios, or a single size in tiny quantity, waste fabric and are often priced accordingly.
- Trims: branded labels, custom buttons, zips in a matched colour and printed packaging all carry their own minimums, which can quietly push a small order above the factory's own floor.
Ways to bring the minimum down
Use stock fabric and standard shades. Mills and fabric traders hold running colours such as navy, black and white, and the per-colour minimum on those is often close to zero because the cloth is already dyed. Save custom shades for your largest colourway.
Share fabric across styles. If two or three styles use the same base cloth in the same colour, the mill sees one dye lot and the factory sees one fabric purchase, so each style can be smaller. The same logic applies to trims that are shared across a range.
Offer something in return. A small first order with a signed forecast for repeats, a slightly higher price per piece for the trial run, or acceptance of a longer delivery so the factory can slot your order into gaps all make a lower minimum easier to agree. Factories say no to small orders mainly because they are unprofitable, not because they are impossible.
Be clear about what is fixed. Ask the supplier to state the per-style minimum, the per-colour minimum and any trim minimums separately in the quotation, with the surcharge for falling below each one. That turns a vague refusal into a number you can decide on.
How we help
We find out, factory by factory, where the minimum really sits and which fabrics are in stock before you commit to a style. We visit and audit each unit, keep one approved supplier plus one backup, seal the PP sample, inspect inline and at final, and supervise loading. You receive a weekly update, and a free 20-minute sourcing review is a good place to test whether your quantities are workable.