Quick answer. Women’s panties normally run on a minimum of 2,000 pieces per style and colour, with trials from around 1,000. Four specification items decide the garment: the silhouette and coverage, the fabric with its blend and weight, the gusset and lining — which is usually a different fibre from the body and accounts for most comfort complaints — and the size grade per market. Sampling takes 7–10 days on a stock block and 12–18 days for full development.
1. The silhouette spectrum, and what each one costs
The category is not one garment with variations; it is several distinct blocks, and each carries its own pattern and its own minimum.
- Brief. Full back coverage and a mid rise. The volume silhouette in most mature markets.
- Bikini. A higher leg opening than a brief, with less back coverage. The mainstream silhouette in younger segments.
- Hipster. A lower rise with fuller back coverage — sits on the hip rather than the waist.
- High-cut. A much higher leg opening, which raises fabric consumption and changes the leg-opening elastic requirement.
- Boyshort. Full coverage with a short leg; the closest in construction to a men’s boxer brief.
- Thong and g-string. Minimal coverage, with the highest dependency on the elastic and the seam finish.
- Seamless. Knitted as a piece rather than cut and sewn, which is a production route rather than a silhouette.
Coverage is what moves the cost, because it changes fabric consumption per piece. A high-cut and a brief in the same cloth do not price the same, which is why a quotation should state the silhouette rather than “panties”.
2. The gusset is a specification line of its own
- Usually a different fibre. The lining is commonly cotton even when the body is modal, microfibre or a lace knit, because the two are doing different jobs.
- Most comfort complaints sit here. In this category the lining accounts for a disproportionate share of returns, which is why it is quoted, sampled and inspected as its own item.
- Construction matters as much as fibre. A flat seam at the gusset edge matters more than the fibre name on a garment worn all day.
- Content has to be labelled accurately. Fibre percentages are a legal declaration in most markets, and the lining is part of it.
3. Fabric and finish
- Cotton and cotton-rich. The volume base; breathable and easy to wash.
- Modal and micro-modal. Softer hand and better drape; used in comfort-positioned ranges.
- Microfibre and polyamide blends. Smooth surface, good shape retention, often used for seamless and for print-led ranges.
- Lace and mesh. A different construction rather than a different fibre — check the stretch recovery and the edge finish, not only the appearance.
- Weight in g/m² alongside the blend. In this category the weight difference between a summer and a winter version of the same style is a specification item.
4. Size, grading and the ends of the run
- Confirm the band per market. EU, US and UK runs are cut to different blocks, and women’s blocks vary between markets more than men’s do.
- Expect a second block for extended sizes. Extending a band usually needs a re-graded set rather than more sizes on the same block.
- Check the ends. Fit complaints concentrate at the smallest and largest sizes, because the middle is usually the developed size.
- Grading cost is one-time and sits with the pattern cost, before any garment is cut.
5. MOQ and lead time
- Minimum. Around 2,000 pieces per style and colour, with trials from about 1,000.
- Granularity. Per style and per colour — six silhouettes in three colours is eighteen minimums, not one.
- Fastest lever. Reduce the silhouette count rather than the quantities within each.
- Sampling. 7–10 days on a stock block, 12–18 days for full custom development.
- Bulk production. 45–60 days for a new style, 30–40 days on a repeat, from the approved pre-production sample.
- Sea freight. 30–35 days to Europe or the US east coast.
- Peak season. August to October adds 10–15 days.
6. Common specification errors
- Quoting “panties” without naming the silhouette. Coverage changes consumption, so an unnamed silhouette cannot be compared.
- Inheriting the gusset from the body fabric. It is usually a different fibre and it is where the complaints sit.
- Specifying lace or mesh without checking the recovery. The edge finish and the stretch behaviour decide how it wears.
- Extending a size band without re-grading. The garment measures correctly and sits wrong at the ends.
- Assuming one block serves every silhouette. A bikini and a boyshort cut from the same block rarely both fit.
- Leaving the colour ratio undecided. In this category colour, more than fabric, drives end-of-season markdown.
7. How to compare two quotations
- Silhouette stated. By name and by coverage rather than by the category word.
- Gusset and lining itemised. Fibre and construction on their own line.
- Fabric and weight itemised. The same fibre at a different weight is a different garment.
- Grading cost shown separately. One-time, and it explains why a first order prices differently.
- Minimum basis, trade term and validity. Per style and colour, FOB and the port, plus how long the figure stands.
· Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd. — OEM & ODM underwear sourcing partner
| Supplier | Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.) — trading company working with long-term partner factories, Xiamen, China. |
|---|---|
| Silhouette 1 | Brief — full back coverage, mid rise; the volume silhouette |
| Silhouette 2 | Bikini — higher leg opening, less back coverage |
| Silhouette 3 | Hipster — lower rise with fuller back coverage |
| Silhouette 4 | High-cut — much higher leg opening; higher consumption |
| Silhouette 5 | Boyshort — full coverage with a short leg |
| Silhouette 6 | Thong and g-string — minimal coverage; elastic-dependent |
| Production route | Seamless — knitted as a piece rather than cut and sewn |
| Decision 1 | Silhouette and coverage — changes consumption per piece |
| Decision 2 | Fabric and weight — fibre, blend ratio and g/m² |
| Decision 3 | Gusset and lining — usually a different fibre; its own line |
| Decision 4 | Size grade — block confirmed per market, checked at both ends |
| Minimum | ~2,000 pcs per style and colour · trials from ~1,000 |
| Sampling | 7–10 days stock block · 12–18 days full development |
| Bulk production | 45–60 days new style · 30–40 days repeat |
| Markdown driver | Colour, more than fabric or construction |
Buyer checklist
- Name the silhouette by coverage rather than using the category word.
- Specify the gusset lining fibre and construction as its own line.
- Confirm the fabric as fibre, blend ratio and weight in g/m².
- Check the leg-opening elastic on the higher-cut silhouettes.
- Confirm the size block per market and check both ends of the run.
- Ask whether extended sizes need a re-graded set rather than more sizes.
- Check the recovery and edge finish on any lace or mesh style.
- Decide the colourway ratio before choosing shades.
- Ask for the minimum per style and colour with the trial price shown separately.
- Compare quotations silhouette by silhouette rather than on a range average.
Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.)
Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.) — OEM/ODM underwear sourcing and supply-chain partner in Xiamen, China; in the trade since 2009, incorporated in 2013. Based in the Xiamen–Quanzhou–Jinjiang knitwear cluster, Fujian Province, south-east China.