Let’s talk about this like we’re two people sitting in a hotel lobby at 10 p.m. after a long day on the factory floor. You’ve got your coffee, I’ve got my notebook full of scribbles from three different mills, and you ask me: “Alright, fine—what is garment, really?”
Not the textbook answer. Not the Wikipedia cut-and-paste. Let’s get real.
A garment is what you wear. That’s it. Shirt? Garment. Leggings? Garment. Surgical mask, jersey, hoodie, baby bib—yep, all garments. It’s not just fashion. It’s function. It’s identity. It’s branding. It’s protection. And if you’re running a brand—even a tiny one on Shopify—you better understand what goes into making one, or you’ll get eaten alive by factories that don’t care if your product pills after two washes.
I’ve been doing this for over a decade now, mostly with sportswear, but the rules apply across the board. At Fexwear, where I’ve spent the last few years helping startups and small brands scale without burning cash, we see it every week: someone comes in with a great idea, a cool logo, maybe even a prototype… and then they get blindsided by fabric shrinkage, seam slippage, or color variance between dye lots.
So let’s break it down—not like a lecture, but like field notes. The messy kind. The kind you write when you’re tired, pissed off, and finally getting honest.
Woven vs. Knit: The First Line of Battle
You want to know what a garment is? Start with how it’s made. Forget fiber content for a second. Look at construction: woven or knit. That’s your foundation.
Woven Garments – Built Like Armor
Woven fabrics are made by interlacing threads at right angles—warp and weft. Think of it like a grid. Strong, stable, minimal stretch. That’s why your dress shirts, chinos, blazers—they’re all woven.
But here’s the thing no one tells new founders: woven doesn’t mean durable. Not automatically.
I had a client last year who wanted premium workout pants—“like Lululemon, but cheaper.” We went with a woven nylon-spandex blend, looked great on paper. But after 30 washes? The knees blew out. Why? Because the weave wasn’t tight enough, and the spandex degraded faster than expected. We lost $220K in returns. That number sticks with me.
Woven garments are best for structure: outerwear, tailored pieces, some performance bottoms. But if you need stretch and recovery—especially in activewear—don’t force it. You’ll pay later.
And yes, you can knit a pair of pants. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Knit Garments – The Workhorses of Activewear
Knits are loops. They stretch. They breathe. They move with the body. That’s why 90% of sportswear is knit. T-shirts, jerseys, leggings, polos, hoodies—all knits.
At Fexwear, we run most of our production through circular and flatbed knitting machines because they give us control over weight (GSM), stretch ratio, and wicking performance. One of our top sellers is a 280 GSM French terry—used for joggers and hoodies. It’s thick, warm, and holds shape after repeated use. But only if you get the blend right.
Here’s a real example: A fitness influencer came to us wanting custom leggings. She’d tried two other suppliers. First batch? Pilled after one spin class. Second? The waistband rolled down during squats. Classic signs of poor knit engineering.
We switched her to an 80/20 polyester-spandex with textured yarns for enhanced wicking and a 4cm silicone grip inside the waistband. Result? Zero returns in six months. She scaled to 5,000 units/month within 90 days.
That’s the power of understanding what a garment is supposed to do—not just how it looks.
If you’re building a sportswear line, start with knits. Learn them. Test them. Abuse them. Then scale.
And if you’re unsure where to begin, check out our fabric recommendations for sportswear —we break down everything from moisture management to denier ranges.
Seasonal & Functional Garments – Stop Guessing, Start Planning
You can’t make one product and call it good. Seasons change. So do customer needs.
But most small brands treat seasonal planning like an afterthought. Big mistake.
Winter Garments – Warmth Isn’t Just Thickness
Jackets, coats, thermal base layers, gloves, beanies—winter garments have one job: trap heat. But how you achieve that matters.
Last winter, we worked with a Nordic outdoor brand launching in Sweden. They wanted lightweight insulated jackets. Most suppliers pushed down-filled options. Cheaper, right? But we knew their customers were eco-conscious. So we went with recycled polyester insulation (Primaloft-style) and a DWR-treated shell made from GRS-certified recycled nylon.
The fabric was slightly more expensive—about $2.10/yd vs $1.75—but the retailer paid a 28% premium for certified sustainable gear. Plus, no animal welfare concerns.
Key insight: Winter garments aren’t just about warmth—they’re about ethics, weight, packability, and breathability. If your jacket feels like a trash bag, you’ve failed.
Also: test layering. We had a client whose “thermal” long sleeve shrank 5% after washing, making it too tight under a jacket. Now we mandate pre-shrink testing on all winter fabrics.
Summer Garments – Sweat Is the Enemy
T-shirts, singlets, swim trunks, tank tops—summer garments live or die by moisture management.
I once audited a factory in Guangdong that claimed their “performance cotton” was moisture-wicking. We ran a RET test (Resistance to Evaporation). Score? 28. Anything above 25 is basically plastic wrap. No breathability.
Real summer performance relies on synthetics—polyester, nylon, sometimes Tencel blends. Cotton feels soft, but it holds sweat. Bad combo.
For a beachwear startup last year, we used ECONYL® regenerated nylon for swim trunks. Light, durable, quick-drying, and made from fishing nets pulled from the ocean. Certifications? GRS and RCS. Retailers loved it. Returns? Less than 2%.
Pro tip: always test UV resistance on summer fabrics. We had a batch of rash guards fade after two days in Bali sun. Cost us a re-shipment and a pissed-off distributor.
Sportswear & Activewear – Where Garments Live and Die
This is where I spend most of my time. And honestly? Most brands don’t get it.
They think “activewear” means “tight clothes with logos.” Nope.
Activewear has to perform. Under stress. Under sweat. Under abuse.
Let me tell you about a yoga brand that nearly died before launch.
They ordered 10,000 units of leggings from a supplier who promised “80/20 premium blend.” On arrival? The spandex had degraded. Stretch recovery was below 80%. After five wears, the fabric sagged like old underwear.
We tested the fiber content. Turns out, it was 65% polyester, 35% mystery elastane—probably leftover from another job.
That’s why at Fexwear, we run pre-production lab dips, shade banding tests, and stretch recovery checks on every roll. Not once. Three times: beginning, middle, end.
Now, back to what is garment in the context of sportswear?
It’s a system.
- Fabric blend
- Knit structure
- Seam type (flatlock, coverstitch, bonded)
- Printing method (sublimation, screen, DTG)
- Fit engineering
Miss one, and the whole thing fails.
We recently helped a CrossFit gym chain launch their own apparel line. Their old supplier used standard side seams that chafed during rope climbs. We redesigned with flatlock stitching on high-movement zones and added mesh ventilation panels in the armpits and lower back.
Result? 92% customer satisfaction in post-purchase surveys. And they reordered in 45 days—fastest repeat we’ve seen.
If you’re serious about activewear, stop treating garments as “clothes.” Treat them as tools.
Tools for movement. For confidence. For endurance.
And if you need help sourcing the right materials, we’ve got a full guide on fabric recommendations for sportswear —including denier charts, sustainability certs, and QC protocols.
Medical Garments – The Silent Giants
Most people forget this category. But it’s huge.
Surgical gowns, PPE, masks, scrubs, sanitary napkins—they’re all garments. Just highly regulated ones.
In 2020, we pivoted part of our production to medical-grade isolation gowns. Not easy. Suddenly, we had to comply with ISO 13485, ASTM F1670/F1671 (blood penetration), and Type IIR classification for fluid resistance.
One factory we partnered with failed the hydrostatic pressure test—water leaked through at 20 cm H₂O. Standard requires 120+. We dropped them immediately.
Medical garments aren’t forgiving. A surgical gown isn’t “fashion.” It’s a barrier. If it fails, someone could get infected.
Same goes for face masks. We had a client who sourced “3-ply” masks from a third party. Lab test showed only two layers—and one was nonwoven polypropylene at 15 GSM instead of the required 25. Useless.
Point is: medical garments demand traceability, certification, and ruthless QC.
Don’t assume because it looks like a gown, it is a gown.
The Manufacturers Behind the Garments
Now let’s talk about who actually makes these things.
You can have the best design, the perfect fabric, but if your manufacturer sucks, you’re screwed.
These are the players—no fluff, just reality.
Fexwear – The Full-Service Partner for Small Brands
Look, I’m biased. I work here. But I wouldn’t stay if it didn’t deliver.
Fexwear started in Wuhan in 2010. Originally just a subcontractor for bigger exporters. Now? We handle everything: design, fabric sourcing, sampling, production, QC, shipping.
Our sweet spot? Small to mid-sized brands—Shopify stores, influencers, clubs, colleges. MOQs as low as 50 units. Rush samples in 7 days.
We’re not the cheapest. But we’re reliable.
Case in point: A college soccer team needed 120 sublimated jerseys in 3 weeks. Most factories said no. We cleared space on the print table, ran night shifts, and delivered on time. Total cost? $8.20/unit—including customs docs.
We hold BSCI, WRAP, OEKO-TEX, SEDEX, ISO—and third-party audits from SGS and BV. Not for show. Because retailers demand it.
And yeah, we offer free design services. Bring us a sketch, a moodboard, a napkin doodle—we’ll turn it into tech packs.
If you’re starting out and need someone to hold your hand, go to fexwear.com and hit contact. We’re not flashy. We’re just consistent.
Supporting Factories – The Real Backbone
No single factory does it all. Not anymore.
We work with a network:
- Knitting mills in Fujian (specialize in performance knits)
- Dye houses in Zhejiang (OEKO-TEX certified, low-water processes)
- Cutting & sewing units in Jiangxi and Hunan (semi-automated, 300+ machines each)
- Printing facilities with sublimation tunnels and digital printers
One of our cut-sew partners had a batch issue last year—seam slippage on 5% of units. We caught it in mid-production audit. Fixed the needle tension, retrained operators, and salvaged the order.
That’s why you need oversight. Not just a PO and hope.
Case Study: The $6K Mistake That Taught Us Everything
Client: Yoga startup. Budget: tight. Vision: “eco-luxury.”
They chose a bamboo viscose blend for their leggings. Soft, sustainable, Instagram-ready.
But bamboo viscose? Tricky.
Most is processed chemically (carbon disulfide, sodium hydroxide). Even if the fiber is renewable, the process can be toxic. And unless it’s FSC-certified and processed in a closed loop, you’re greenwashing.
Their first batch arrived. Felt amazing. Sold out in 48 hours.
Second batch? Different dye lot. Shrank 8%. Customers complained. Returns spiked.
We traced it back: the mill switched to a cheaper processor. No closed-loop system. Fiber integrity compromised.
Lesson? Sustainability claims require proof. GOTS, GRS, Oeko-Tex—get the certs. Audit the supply chain.
We moved them to Tencel™ Modal—same drape, better consistency, truly sustainable (Lenzing’s closed-loop process recycles 99% of solvents).
Cost went up 12%. But their return rate dropped from 14% to 3.2%. Profit? Higher.
Always test. Always verify.
Quick Reality Check: What Works in 2024
Let’s cut the noise.
If your supplier won’t share lab reports, walk away.
FAQs
What material is similar to silk?
Tencel™ Modal or high-denier nylon. Feels silky, drapes well. But test wash durability—some “silk-like” knits pill fast. We saw this in 3 audits last year.
Which fabric creates a formal appearance?
Woven microfiber or twill with a slight sheen. Crisp collar, clean seams. Avoid knits unless it’s a performance blazer.
What is the most durable fabric?
Hemp or tightly woven recycled nylon. Hemp lasts forever if treated right. Nylon handles abrasion better. We tested both in backpack straps—5K flex cycles, no delamination.
Best fabric for moisture wicking?
80/20 textured polyester-spandex. Or ECONYL® for swim. Cotton? No. It traps sweat. We ran a comparative study with 14 fabrics—cotton ranked dead last.
What’s the difference between cotton and organic cotton?
Organic = no synthetic pesticides, less water (usually), GOTS-certified processing. But still high water use overall. And if it’s not certified, it’s just marketing.
How do I avoid bad quality?
Demand lab tests. Do shade banding. Check GSM. Pull seams apart. Wash sample garments 5 times. If the supplier refuses, they’re hiding something.
Alright, that’s enough for now.
It’s late. I’ve got a sample approval due tomorrow, and my team just flagged a potential dye migration issue on a new batch of sublimated jerseys.
Garments? They’re not just clothes. They’re systems. Stories. Investments.
And if you’re building a brand, treat them like it.
You don’t need perfection. You need reliability. Consistency. A partner who won’t ghost you when things go sideways.
If you’re stuck, just reach out. We’re here—contact us anytime. 24/7 chat, email, whatever works.
Now go fix your tech pack.
And tell me—what’s the dumbest garment mistake you’ve ever made? I’ve got a list.