How do you choose a garment factory?
Three things to decide first
Asking a factory "how much for a t-shirt?" cannot produce a real answer. To quote, a factory needs at minimum:
- Product type — woven (shirts, jackets, trousers) or knit (tees, sweatshirts, hoodies). Different machines, different operators.
- Quantity — the total, and how it splits across colors and sizes. 100 pieces in one color is a different order from 20 pieces in five colors.
- Lead time — your target date, and whether it is fixed or negotiable.
Factory types and what they suit
| Type | Typical products | Orders it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Knit specialist | Tees, sweatshirts, hoodies, jersey | Team wear, merch, casual brands — generally more flexible on small lots |
| Woven specialist | Shirts, blouses, jackets, trousers | Formal uniforms, outerwear — items demanding harder patterns and trims |
| Technical / performance | Workwear, waterproof, thermal, sportswear | Items needing performance-fabric experience and dedicated equipment (seam sealing, etc.) |
| Large line | High-volume single style | Thousands of units in one spec — usually a poor fit for small, varied orders |
Sending a coat to a knit factory, or 50 pieces to a large line, costs you in price and quality even when they accept it. Treat "we can make anything" as a claim to verify, not an answer.
What to verify
- Experience in your category — not a portfolio, but actual production of the same category as your item.
- How much is done in-house — cutting, sewing, finishing, inspection. The more that is subcontracted, the more variable your lead time.
- Behavior during sampling — do not judge only the sample. How fast and how accurately they respond to revisions is the best available preview of bulk-production risk.
- Written specs — whether fabric, trims, measurements and construction get documented. Verbal orders leave no basis when a dispute arises.
- Inspection standard — when, by whom, against what criteria; and what is agreed in advance if defects appear.
- Payment terms — deposit ratio and balance timing. A deposit far outside market practice can signal financial strain.
- Export documentation — certificates of origin, test reports, and whatever certification your market requires.
Warning signs
If several of these appear together, verify once more before committing.
- A price arrives before any question about specs — expect "that condition is extra" later.
- The quote is far cheaper with no stated reason — usually a lower fabric grade or an omitted process.
- They prefer to proceed on "leave it to us" without specs or a contract.
- Revision requests come back slowly, or come back different from what was requested, repeatedly.
- Factory visits or video walkthroughs keep getting postponed — the actual production site is sometimes not the one described.
When an overseas buyer considers a Korean factory
On unit price alone, Korea does not compete with Southeast Asia. Korean production still gets chosen for a consistent set of reasons — small-lot and multi-style flexibility, speed of sampling and revision cycles, difficult technical construction, and categories where a MADE IN KOREA label contributes to sales. Conversely, for a single-spec bulk order where price dominates, Korea may not be the rational choice. Deciding which case you are in matters more than shortlisting factories.
Planning for what happens after production
A factory should be judged not only on whether it can make the garment, but on whether what it makes can be managed afterwards. For items issued, returned and washed repeatedly — uniforms above all — designing item-level identification into production is easier than adding it later. Korean Friends sews its washable RFID sensor (RFID-X) into garments at its own smart factory. The technology is explained in What is a washable garment RFID tag?, and quantity thresholds in apparel OEM minimum order quantity.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to visit the factory in person?
Where possible, yes. If not, a video walkthrough of the line and work in progress tells you a great deal. Reluctance to be seen at all is itself the signal.
Is it acceptable to quote several factories?
It is standard practice. Just issue the same spec sheet to each — quotes built on different specs differ only in total, and cannot be compared.
What quantity should a first order be?
It depends on the item and fabric. Since a first order exists to verify the relationship, run the smallest feasible quantity once and scale after. We will confirm the terms on inquiry.