Stretch & performance
Leggings, sports tops and training wear, placed with a documented factory we have visited in person that runs flatlock and coverstitch. 30% starts bulk; the 70% balance waits for a third-party inspection.
Free brief · Reply within 24h · Inspected before the balance
Tech packExample tech pack by Pinterest user Di Dii
CuttingCut from the approved pattern
SewingOverlocked knit seams
InspectionMeasured against your spec
Checked before you pay
What you can brief
Activewear is a different discipline from ordinary cut-and-sew: the fabric stretches, the seams carry load and the finish has to survive washing. Name the construction, not just “sportswear”.
No tech pack yet? We draw it: $79 per style, 3–5 working days, 2–3 revision rounds, one flat price.
Cost and time
We have no activewear CMT figure to print, so this page uses the calculator: an FOB estimate for the finished piece. In activewear the fabric line is usually bigger than the sewing line.
Calculator estimate · Activewear300–500 pcs
$12.00–$24.00per piece · FOB estimate
| Units per style | Estimate per piece |
|---|---|
| 200–300 pcs | $14.40–$28.80 |
| 300–500 pcs | $12.00–$24.00 |
| 500–1,000 pcs | $10.56–$21.12 |
| 1,000+ pcs | $9.36–$18.72 |
Calculator estimate for technical-knit activewear, FOB, per piece (not CMT). Mid fabric, standard construction, no extras. An estimate, not a quote: the factory quotes from your tech pack. Duty and freight are not included; confirm your HTS code with your customs broker.
Planned on the long end of each range: about 15 weeks plus inspection
Wk 0–1Brief and factory placement reply in 24h, factory within 7 days
Wk 1–5Sampling 2–4 weeks
Wk 530% deposit starts bulk
Wk 5–15Bulk production 8–10 weeks
Wk 15Third-party inspection before shipment
Wk 1570% balance, then ship after the report
UsualCan run toPayment or checkHave a ship date? Start at least 14 weeks before it. Chinese New Year closes factories for roughly 2–4 weeks.
Where we place it
Guangdong is usually the place to start a first activewear run. Fujian, around Quanzhou and Jinjiang, is the sportswear cluster and gets interesting at volume.
Chinese New Year closes factories for roughly 2–4 weeks in late January or February, in every province. Plan the calendar around it.
First place we look · Pearl River Delta
Guangzhou · Dongguan · Shenzhen · Foshan
Small to mid runs, fast sampling and fabric markets within driving distance. Much of the synthetic fabric is made upstream in Zhejiang.
At volume, or for footwear-adjacent technical product, we also look at Fujian.
How the money moves
The usual China horror story starts with 100% paid up front. Ours ends with a third-party inspector checking the finished order before the 70% leaves your account.
Day 1
You send the product, quantity and date. We reply within 24 hours.
Visited factory
A factory we have visited in person quotes you directly and makes the sample.
Deposit
Paid to the factory once you approve the sample.
Before shipment
An independent inspector checks the finished goods against your tech pack.
Balance
Paid only once the inspection report is back.
The factory bills you directly. Our fee, when there is one, is quoted in writing before any work starts.
Watch-outs
Activewear goes wrong upstream, in the fabric, more often than on the sewing line. These are the three problems we see most, and the check that removes each one.
Performance fabric is knitted and dyed to order, and the mill holds its own minimum per color. Cutting your piece count rarely cuts your fabric commitment.
The check
Use a stock fabric the mill already holds, or run fewer colors. We confirm the per-color fabric minimum before sampling.
A stretch garment fits differently depending on recovery, cutting and seam tension. Change the fabric after the fit is approved and you have changed the fit.
The check
Lock the fabric, including weight and elastane percentage, before the pattern is cut, and approve fit on a body, not from photos.
bluesign, OEKO-TEX and GRS certify mills, processes and batches, not companies. A logo on a supplier deck proves nothing.
The check
Ask for the certificate number and the mill name, not the logo, and check it with the issuing body. For recycled claims, ask for the transaction certificate for your order.
Certificates: ask for the certificate number and the mill name, not the logo. We never claim a factory holds a certificate; the factory shows it to you.
Step 1 of your brief
Activewear is ticked. Add anything else in the same order, pick your units per style (activewear starts at 200), and we reply within 24 hours.
Activewear questions
What brands ask us before a first activewear order, answered the way we answer by email.
Question not here?
Put it in your brief. Our team replies within 24 hours.
Send a briefor email chinaclothinggroup@gmail.com
From 200 pieces per style. The fabric mill usually sets the real minimum per color, because performance fabric is knitted and dyed to order. Fewer colors, or a stock fabric, keep it down.
Sampling takes 2–4 weeks, and stretch styles often need more than one fit round. Bulk takes 8–10 weeks from the approved sample to goods ready to ship. Start at least 14 weeks before a ship date and plan around Chinese New Year.
We don’t publish an activewear CMT range. The calculator estimate for a finished piece at 300–500 pieces is $12.00–24.00, FOB, before prints and finishes. Panel count drives the sewing cost; the factory quotes the real number from your tech pack.
At least flatlock, coverstitch, an overlock with differential feed and a bartack. Bonding or taping for seam-free styles, and circular knitting only for styles knitted as a tube. Ask what is on the floor by name.
The factory quotes you and bills you directly. Bulk starts on a 30% deposit. The 70% balance is paid only after a third-party inspection of the finished goods. Our fee, if any, is quoted in writing before any work starts.
Read next
Our activewear guide goes deeper on fabrics, minimums, machines and certificates. The cluster pages cover where to start and where to scale.
Guide
What makes activewear different, which fabrics factories run, and how to check a performance claim.
Cluster · Southeast coast
The sportswear cluster, around Quanzhou and Jinjiang.
Production steps
Fabric, cutting, sewing and finishing, then a third-party inspection of the finished goods before the 70% balance is paid.
Dyed fabric finishing
Sewing line
Sewing a pink knit
Trimming and folding
Quality control roomFree brief · Reply within 24h
Tell us what you are making. We reply within 24 hours with an honest answer on fit, and if it fits, a documented factory we have visited quotes you directly.
30% deposit · 70% after third-party inspection · No commissions
The form has been successfully submitted. We will contact in less than 24 hours