Choosing an outdoor apparel manufacturer is a long-term decision: tooling, patterns and fabric approvals are hard to move once a season is under way. These are the six checks we would run before committing to a supplier.
Ask for the factory area, the number of production staff and annual output — then ask whether your order fits inside their existing capacity or competes with it. Our own figures: a 10,000 m² factory, 405 skilled workers and 1 million garments a year.
Quality and sustainability claims need documents with dates on them. Look for ISO 9001 for process control, BSCI for social compliance, RDS for down and GRS for recycled content — and check that they were renewed this year.
A slow sampling loop costs you the season. Ask how long a sample really takes, and who develops it. We run a 12-person R&D team with a 3D sampling room: customers receive a 360-degree preview from 2D sketches, an online sample in 5 days and a reference sample in 15 days.
“We check the goods” is not an answer. Ask for the actual steps. Ours: raw-material testing with advanced equipment on every batch, a pre-production meeting, cutting and sewing, in-line inspection, cleaning and ironing, final QC, packaging, and needle detection on 100% of units.
Late delivery is more expensive than a higher unit price. Over the past three years our on-time delivery rate has been 100%.
If you are testing a new line you need a partner who can handle small, flexible orders across a wide range of sizes and colours without a punitive MOQ.
If you would like to work through these six points against your next collection, send us your requirements and we will respond with fabric options, pricing and a sampling plan.
