What is the MOQ?

Short Answer (Citable)

How the MOQ Works

The 50-piece MOQ is per style, per color. If you order one style in two colors, each color is treated as its own minimum, so the practical minimum for that order is 100 pieces across the two colors. If you order two styles, each style carries its own 50-piece minimum. Mixed sizes are allowed within each style, so a 50-piece order can be spread across XS to XXL according to your size curve.

• 50 pieces per style, per color for bulk production
• Mixed sizes allowed within the minimum
• Sample orders of 1 to 5 pieces are exempt from the MOQ
• Multiple styles can share one program, each with its own minimum

This structure is designed for brands at different stages. A startup testing a first collection can order one style at 50 pieces, validate the market, and reorder. A growing brand can run several styles in one season, each at 50 to 200 pieces, and scale up as sell-through data comes in. The MOQ protects production efficiency without forcing you into a warehouse full of inventory.

One clarification buyers often ask about: the MOQ applies to the garment, not to the order as a whole. You are not required to order 50 pieces of every size or every color. You are required to meet the minimum per style and color combination you choose, and our team will confirm the exact breakdown in the quotation.

Why 50 Pieces Is the Minimum

The 50-piece minimum is based on the smallest production batch that operates efficiently. Pattern grading, marker making, cutting, sewing line setup, filling, and quality inspection all carry fixed setup work, and that cost must be spread across the pieces in the run. Below 50 pieces, the per-unit cost climbs noticeably because the same setup is divided among fewer garments.

Material utilization is the second reason. Industrial cutting machines lay markers across the full fabric width, and a very small order wastes fabric at the ends of each lay. At 50 pieces the marker can be arranged to keep fabric utilization high; below that, the waste ratio rises and the effective fabric cost per garment increases.

None of this means a 30-piece order is impossible. For specific situations, such as a market test or a limited capsule, we can discuss a reduced quantity case by case, depending on fabric availability and production scheduling. The quotation will show the actual per-unit price at your quantity, so you can judge whether the trade-off makes sense for your program.

What Can Raise the Effective MOQ

The standard MOQ assumes standard materials. Custom development brings supplier minimums into the picture, and those minimums can be larger than 50 garments. The effective MOQ for your order is the largest minimum among all the material streams, not the garment minimum alone.

Here is a concrete example. If a fabric mill requires a 200-meter minimum for your custom color and each jacket consumes about 1.5 meters of shell fabric, the fabric minimum implies roughly 134 jackets. That is well above the 50-piece garment MOQ, so the real minimum for that program is about 134 pieces, and the quotation reflects the fabric quantity rather than the garment count.

Before quoting, we calculate the effective MOQ from your actual material plan. The calculation covers shell, lining, insulation, and trims, because each material can carry its own minimum. You receive one number that reflects the real constraint, not a generic minimum that turns out to be unusable at the material stage.

Sample Orders and the MOQ

Sample orders are deliberately exempt from the MOQ. You can order 1 to 5 sample pieces of a style to check quality, fit, materials, and construction before placing a bulk order. This is the lowest-risk way to evaluate a factory: the sample fee, typically $50 to $200 per style, is deductible from the first bulk order, so the validation cost is recovered when you proceed.

1. Request 1 to 5 sample pieces with your tech pack or reference sample
2. Sampling takes 7 to 14 days; review the sample against your measurement chart
3. Approve or request revisions; each revision round adds about 2 to 4 days
4. Approve the pre-production sample made on bulk machines and materials
5. Place the bulk order at the 50-piece MOQ, with the sample fee deducted

The sample also locks the quality benchmark for bulk: measurements, fill weight, seam construction, zipper function, and finishing are recorded and used as the inspection standard for the production run. That is why we encourage every first-time buyer to sample before bulk, even when the timeline is tight.

If you are comparing multiple factories, sample them in parallel so the evaluation happens in the same calendar window. Sending the same tech pack to two factories and comparing the two samples side by side is the fastest way to judge pattern accuracy, material quality, and communication quality in one round.

The comparison should use the same brief for both factories, including the same measurement chart and the same fabric specification, so the differences you see are real differences in execution rather than differences in the request.

Planning a First Order Within the MOQ

A 50-piece order is small enough to test and large enough to be meaningful. For a first order, we suggest treating it as a market validation: choose one style, one or two colors, and your best-selling sizes, and use the sample stage to confirm the fit works for your audience before committing.

• Start with 50 pieces per style to validate fit, quality, and sell-through
• Add colors or styles only after the first run confirms demand
• Use stock fabrics to keep the MOQ at 50 and shorten lead time
• Plan the reorder before the first batch sells out to avoid stockouts in peak season

Cash flow works in your favor at this scale. Payment terms are 30 percent deposit and 70 percent balance before shipment, so the deposit on a 50-piece order is modest, and the balance is due only when the goods are ready. For a jacket at a typical FOB price, a first test order can be funded from operating cash rather than requiring a credit line.

When the first run sells through, reorders for the same style can often be placed at better unit pricing because the pattern, grading, and material specs are already on file. That is the moment to expand colors and sizes, using the sales data from the test run instead of guessing.

MOQ Across Jacket Categories

The 50-piece MOQ applies consistently across our product categories, so you can mix categories in one program as long as each style meets its own minimum. A collection with one down style, one puffer style, and one varsity style is three styles at 50 pieces each, not one combined order of 150 pieces of a single garment.

Sampling runs 7 to 14 days for all categories, and production runs under ISO 9001 quality management with BSCI social compliance. Down styles additionally support RDS-certified sourcing and OEKO-TEX-certified fabrics, which matters if your retail channel requires documented compliance.

Because the MOQ is uniform, the decision between categories is driven by your market and your margins rather than by minimums. Many brands start with a puffer or bomber style because the unit cost is lower, then add down styles once the first season confirms demand.

How to Confirm the MOQ for Your Design

The only way to know the effective MOQ for your specific design is to send the details and ask for a quotation. The number depends on the style, the fabric, the colors, the trims, and the quantities you are considering, and those variables are different for every brand.

1. Send the jacket type, style reference, target quantity, and material direction
2. Our team confirms material availability and supplier minimums
3. You receive an itemized quotation with the effective MOQ and unit pricing
4. Request samples to validate the design before committing to bulk
5. Place the bulk order with a 30 percent deposit and 70 percent balance

The quotation stage is also the right time to ask about tiered pricing: the per-unit price at 50 pieces, 200 pieces, and 500 pieces gives you the roadmap for scaling the program as sales grow. Knowing the price curve before you launch lets you price your product with the future cost structure in mind.

One more consideration for seasonal brands: the MOQ is per program, not per season, so you can place several small orders across the year rather than one large annual order. Many of our buyers run a spring capsule and a winter capsule separately, each at 50 to 100 pieces per style, which keeps inventory lean and cash flow predictable. The pattern and material specs stay on file between orders, so a reorder of the same style does not restart the development cost.

If you are at the very early stage with no designs yet, tell us the direction and target price point and we will recommend styles that work at the 50-piece MOQ. Our team works with brands at every stage, and the consultation is part of the quotation process rather than a separate service.