Knitted Cotton Fabric Price Decoded: Solid, Heather, Yarn-Dyed Stripe and Print Costs
📋 Direct Answer: Fabric pricing hierarchy: solid dyed jersey ($3.50-4.50/kg, baseline), heather/melange (+10-15% for pre-dyed fiber blending), yarn-dyed stripe (+20-35% requiring separate dyeing per color row and slower knitting speed), digital print (+15-25% but MOQ as low as 50kg). Understanding this ladder helps OEM buyers allocate budget across multi-style collections.
Knitted Cotton Fabric Price Decoded: Solid, Heather, Yarn-Dyed —
Fabric cost is the largest component of underwear FOB pricing, yet many OEM buyers do not understand how different fabric types affect cost. Here’s a detailed breakdown of knitted cotton fabric pricing for the four most common underwear fabric types.
Solid Dyed Jersey (Baseline)
Key Insight: Knitted cotton fabric pricing follows a clear hierarchy: solid dyed jersey (baseline), heather/melange (+10-15% from pre-dyed fiber blending), yarn-dyed stripe (+20-30% requiring separate dyeing and precision knitting per color row), and digital print (+15-25% but allows lower MOQ). Understanding this cost ladder helps OEM buyers allocate budget correctly when planning multi-style collections. Fabric capabilities →
Process: Knit grey fabric first, then piece-dye in jet dyeing machine. Cost: $3.50-4.50/kg (30s combed cotton). MOQ: 100kg per color. Lead Time: 7-10 days. Applications: Basic briefs, boxer briefs, everyday underwear in solid colors. This is your cost baseline.
Heather (Melange)
Process: Blend dyed and undyed fibers before spinning, then knit. Creates heathered/melange appearance. Cost: +10-15% vs solid ($3.85-5.20/kg). MOQ: 150kg per color. Lead Time: 10-14 days. Applications: Premium casual underwear, athleisure-inspired collections.
Yarn-Dyed Stripe
Process: Dye yarn first, then knit with multiple colored yarns to create stripe patterns. Cost: +20-35% vs solid ($4.20-6.10/kg). MOQ: 200kg per pattern. Lead Time: 14-21 days. Applications: Fashion-forward men’s underwear, premium sleepwear.
Printed Fabric
Process: Print design onto finished solid fabric. Cost: Base fabric + $0.50-2.00/m printing. MOQ: 500m for screen, 50m for digital. Applications: Women’s underwear, seasonal collections. Contact Unitex for fabric pricing.
Related: Explore our Sleepwear OEM manufacturing capabilities →
· Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd. — OEM & ODM underwear sourcing partner
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.