You have your lingerie sample ready, or your design complete, the most common problem for new designers is getting their lingerie sewn up and sourcing a lingerie manufacturer. An underwear manufacturer is not the same as a clothing manufacturer, it is more specialised. Although if you are just doing a run with soft separates, some clothing manufacturers will take on your lingerie to sew, it all depends on the factory.
Tress contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.
There are quite a few things to consider when sourcing a factory, and a few questions to ask before you make your decision.
Important question to ask a underwear manufacturer when sourcing one, is how long are their lead times. This is how long the factory will take to produce your lingerie. Different factories will have different times, some might be booked up a year in advance. Also sometimes issues in production aren’t found until the last minute which means your lead time has increased and your lingerie production delayed, although most if not all problems should be sorted out before the final run of production. Also if you are going with a factory based in China, remember they shut down for Chinese new year,
This is the amount of lingerie that you will need to place in one order for one style for the factory to take it on and make it up. Overseas factories tend to have a higher minimum (some as high as pieces) but a lower cost, whereas your factory nearer home, with have lower minimums but a higher price. You need to work out which one will be more cost effective to you. Remember with higher minimums you will need more fabric, more quality control and higher shipping costs for the space it takes to ship.
Think where your manufacturer is. The closer the factory is the more control you have to have control, and visit the factory to see workmanship, working conditions and the quality of the garments going through production. That said you can build up a relationship with an overseas lingerie factory and support how they work. The key is to know about the factory that you are going with.
Also before you place an order with a lingerie manufacturer I would be asking or making sure that I understood the following :
Minimums (as discussed previously).
Sampling - who pays for this, is it included in the price, what if you need another sample made - who pays for this? Also if you decided to not go ahead with production who owns the rights to your sampling?
Prices - so important, what do you prices include?? Tech packs? grading? Just manufacturing? Also what are their payment terms? Do they provide credit or will they provide on your second order?
Shipping - What are their terms? Do they pay for shipping? Most lingerie manufacturers will be expecting you to look after shipping of the garments, especially if this involves Tax or import duties.
Be clear on everything before you place an order, you wouldn’t employ someone without talking to them first and the same should be with business, don’t worry if you’re opting for a foreign manufacturer, in my experience when dealing with suppliers or manufacturers they have all spoken fluent English. Forge a relationship with them, and remember each country has it’s own business culture so you may need to adjust your outlook.
Attending trade shows is a good idea as you may get to speak to people directly or start a relationship with a lingerie manufacturer that you may not have if you would have say just emailed them.
In this product guide, we explain everything you must know about Underwear & Lingerie Manufacturers in China, including industrial clusters, supplier qualification, and design customization options.
We also explain what you must know about potential quality issues and applicable labeling requirements – and substance restrictions in the United States and the European Union.
Finally, we provide a list of 7 Chinese underwear manufacturers, which include a short description, main products, certificates, and location.
We are not affiliated with any of the companies listed in this guide. We have selected these companies based on their claimed product scope, history, certification, and capabilities.
China’s export-oriented underwear manufacturers are largely concentrated in the country’s primary textile production centers; Guangdong Province, Fujian Province, and Zhejiang Province.
If you intend to visit manufacturers in Mainland China, you are likely to find yourself in one of the following cities:
Underwear and lingerie is, in relative terms not a very capital intensive industry. Manufacturers in such ‘low value added’ industries then to be rather unsophisticated, thereby requiring a rigid Quality Assurance (QA) process, managed by the buyer.
The first step of the QA process is, as explained below, to draft a comprehensive product specification. There are, however, certain useful signals for qualifying Underwear and Lingerie Manufacturers:
The product design can either be based on an existing ODM SKU or an OEM specification. While you may submit, or submit, reference samples – they are only complementary to the design drawing. These are your options:
The design drawing must include all design elements and dimensions.
A reference sample is either provided by the supplier (when buying ODM products), or the buyer (when buying an OEM product). As mentioned, the reference sample is only complementary to, and not a replacement for, a design drawing.
The most straightforward method is to order fabric samples, or complete units, from the supplier. The buyer can then freely select the material of choice from the supplier’s standard catalog. Another method is to submit fabric samples, that the supplier can match with fabric from their own standard catalog – or, in rare cases, weave the fabric entirely according to the specifications of the buyer.
The size table is an appendix of the design drawing, listing dimensions for each size. ODM products can also be customized by adjusting the size table accordingly. The size table must also be complemented with dimensional tolerance
Underwear and lingerie are subject to general textiles labelling requirements. Said labeling requirements differ between markets, and buyers are unwise to assume that the supplier is aware of the specific requirements in your market. Hence, you must provide ‘ready-made’ graphical files (.aiformat) to the supplier. Include the following:
The label can be printed on a double folded polyester patch, or directly on the inside fabric.
You should order samples from at least 4 manufacturers. The fail rate (i.e., the number of suppliers that fail to produce acceptable product samples) is normally around 50%. Hence, you need at least a handful suppliers making samples based on your techpack.
Below follows a few examples of what tends to go wrong:
Quality issues in textile manufacturing often stem from an incomplete or conflicting product specification. Below follows a list of common quality issues when buying Underwear and Lingerie:
The purpose of the quality inspection is to defect quality issues before the produce is packed and shipped. When buying Underwear and Lingerie from Chinese manufacturers, you must draft a Quality Inspection protocol including the following procedures:
Underwear and lingerie are subject to various substance regulations in major markets, primarily the United States and the European Union. Depending on your market, you need to ensure compliance with one or more of the following:
Country / Market: The European Union
Description: REACH restricts the content of restricted SVHC (Substance of very high concern) in textiles, and other consumer products, sold within the European Union. The list of SVHC includes hundreds of substances, including lead, cadmium, and formaldehyde.
Read more: REACH Compliance Explained: What Every EU Importer Must Know
Country / Market: California, United States
Description: California Proposition 65 restricts more than 800 substances in consumer products. Products must either be compliant (i.e., proven rid of all restricted substances) or labeled accordingly. If your company is based in California, or if you intend to sell to buyers in the state, you must ensure compliance.
Read more: California Proposition 65 Compliance – What US Importers Must Know
Country / Market: United States (All states)
Description: FHSA restricts various substances classified as, for example, irritants or strong sensitizers. This includes, among other substances, formaldehyde – a substance used by some textile manufacturers. The full list of mandatory bans and restrictions are available on CPSC.gov.
Read more: Regulations, Mandatory Standards and Bans (www.cpsc.gov)
In this section, we introduce 7 companies that specialize in producing ladies’ lingerie and men’s underwear, covering bras, panties, shapewear, briefs, boxers, intimate wear, sleepwear, and other types of undergarments.
Listed Companies
Shenzhen Thunder Fashion is an OEM and ODM lingerie manufacturer with a factory based in Shantou, The company offers more than 200 styles of fashionable undergarment for ladies of age group between 13-60. These products include bra, panties, shapewear, available in foil, lace, satin, and cotton.
Currently, the production capacity of the company is over 350,000 pcs per month.
Main Products
Certificates
Company Information
Address: Nanyang, Xinguojing Road, Gurao Town, Shantou City, Guangdong, China
Xiamen Reely Industrial is a manufacturer of underwear, sleepwear, swimwear, sportswear, and athleisure garments for women and men. The company offers full service in designing, printing, sewing, cutting, finishing, and delivery to customers.
Xiamen Reely welcomes ODM or OEM model requests. Their product lines include boxers, board shorts, front and back closure bras, t-shirt bras, thongs, form-fitting yoga pants, retro bikinis, and rash guards.
Customers can choose a broad category of materials such as modal, nylon, cotton, imitation silk, polyester, and other blended fabrics.
Main Products
Certificates
Company Information
Address: 302, Wanshan 3 Plant, Huli District, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
Shanghai Jspeed Industry is an undergarment manufacturer specializing in making ladies’ lingerie, men, and children’s underwear products.
The product line of Jspeed is diverse, covering comfy underwear, plus size underwear, intimate wear, swimwear, beachwear, and form-fitting sportswear.
For more information, please visit China Lingerie Factory.
Shanghai Jspeed mainly focuses on the export business and has been working with clients from all over the world, including European, American, Australian, and Middle Eastern customers.
According to the information on Shanghai Jspeed, its production capacity reaches 900,000 pieces per month for underwear and swimwear, respectively, and the company’s clientele includes Target, Lpp, Tjmaxx, and Ostin.
Main Products
Certificates
Company Information
Address: 903, Building 6, Zhongchun Road, Shanghai, China
Foshan Casland Garments was established in as a professional manufacturer of women’s lingerie of various styles and fittings. The company offers ODM and OEM services to domestic and international customers. Their OEM services include pattern and style design, material sourcing and procurement, sampling, fitting, bulk production, quality control, and inspection, and delivery.
Particularly, Foshan Casland targets the plus size lingerie market and has designed and developed a wide variety of large-sized bras with extra coverage, which are suitable for customers who have trouble in finding the right size bras.
Currently, the production capacity of Foshan Casland reaches 15,000 to 20,000 pieces per month.
Main Products
Company Information
Address: 6F, Business Building, Guangfo International Wujin Plaza, Huangqi Nanhai, Foshan, Guangdong, China
Shanghai Douai Lingerie is a lingerie manufacturer specializing in offering custom-made underwear manufacturing services from Shanghai.
The company’s target market is young and middle-aged ladies aged between 18-50, who are looking for novel-designed and comfy undergarments for daily wear. The house brand products of Shanghai Douai are developed by in-house designers, including vests, sports bras, seamless front closure bras, half-cup bras, three-quarter cup bras, full-cup bras, extra-large full-coverage bras, knickers, and panty briefs.
According to the official website of Shanghai Douai Lingerie, the monthly production capacity of the company is around 8, pieces.
Main Products
Company Information
Address: No. 466, Xuanqiu Road, Xuanqiao Town, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
The Delta Bogart Group is an undergarment manufacturer with 6 in-house production centers located in Guangdong, Thailand, and Myanmar, as well as a showroom, and sales center in Hong Kong.
The company focuses in designing and producing dynamic and fashionable underwear and sportswear for men and women, including intimate apparel, curvy bras and lingerie, sportswear, and swimwear.
The company has also specially designed undergarments suitable to be worn by postpartum women, post-surgery patients, as well as ladies with serious weight problems.
According to its official website, the company is currently serving some of the world’s leading undergarment brands such as Oysho, Savage X Fenty, Adore Me, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, La Senza, and Tommy Hilfiger.
Main Products
Certificates
Company Information
Address: 17/F, Goldin Financial Global Centre, No. 17 Kai Cheung Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
CB Color Custom Underwear was established in as a professional ODM and OEM manufacturer of undergarment products from Yiwu, Zhejiang. The company has more than hundreds of models of underwear for men, women. These products include boxers, briefs, panties, and slip shorts.
Finally, the company has also especially developed products for ladies in their period of menstruation and pregnancy.
Main Products
Company Information
Address: Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China
Tutorials (View)
Part 1: Design & specification
Part 2: Supplier sourcing
Part 3: Product samples
Part 4: Placing your order
Document Templates (View)
+ Product Specification
+ Production Manual
+ Quality Checklists
Service Booking
+ Quality Control (View)
+ Lab Testing (View)
+ Shipping
Import Tax Guides (View)
+ United States
+ European Union/UK
+ Australia
Product Compliance Tool
+ Value USD 99
Online Support (View)
+ Get your questions answered
Supplier Lists (PDF) (View)
+ List of 4-8 verified suppliers
Lifetime Access
Lifetime Access
Co-founder of Asiaimportal (HK) Limited and based in Hong Kong. He has been quoted in and contributed to Bloomberg, SCMP, Alibaba Insights, Globalsources.com, China Chief Executive, Quartz Magazine and more.
For more Wholesale womens pajamasinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.