Apparel Manufacturing
Apparel MOQ Explained
Why minimum order quantities exist in apparel manufacturing, what drives them, and how brands can work with them.
Minimum order quantity (MOQ) is the smallest order a manufacturer can produce efficiently. It is rarely one number — it depends on the product, the fabric, the colours and the customisation.
Why MOQs exist
Every production run has fixed effort: setting up cutting, balancing a sewing line, preparing print screens or embroidery files, and — most importantly — producing fabric. Below a certain quantity, those fixed costs dominate the price per piece.
The main MOQ drivers
- Fabric: custom-knitted or custom-dyed fabric has its own mill minimums, often per colour. Stock or programme fabric can allow lower garment quantities.
- Colours: MOQs often apply per colour, because each colour is a separate dye lot.
- Trims: custom zips, woven labels, drawcords and printed packaging have their own supplier minimums.
- Embellishment: screen printing has set-up per colour and design; embroidery has digitising and set-up.
- Washes: garment dyeing and washing run in machine loads.
MOQ per style vs. per colour vs. per order
Always clarify which one is meant. “500 pieces” per style across four colours is very different from 500 per colour.
How to work with MOQs
- Use fewer colours in the first order, and add colours on re-order.
- Share fabric across styles (e.g. hoodie and joggers in the same fleece).
- Choose available fabric qualities for the launch.
- Keep trims standard for the first run, custom for the second.
What we say about MOQ
At NOVRIN, MOQ depends on product, fabric, colour and customisation. We confirm a workable quantity once we understand your specification — send your requirements. See also what to include in an RFQ and our private label approach.