MOQ and cost, line by line
Two questions decide almost every underwear sourcing project: what is the minimum order quantity, and where does the money actually go. Below are the numbers we work with as an OEM & ODM underwear supplier in Xiamen, China — sourcing through long-term partner factories that are BSCI- and OEKO-TEX Standard 100-certified.
1. Minimum order quantity (MOQ) by category
| Category | MOQ per style / per colour | Typical sampling time |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s underwear (boxer briefs, boxers, briefs, trunks) | 2,000 pcs | 7–10 days |
| Women’s underwear (briefs, bikinis, hipsters, thongs, seamless) | 2,000 pcs | 7–10 days |
| Kids’ underwear | 3,600 pcs | 7–10 days |
| Sleepwear & pyjama sets | 600 sets | 10–14 days |
| Sport bras | 3,600 pcs | 10–14 days |
Why MOQ exists at all: every new style carries a fixed set-up cost — fabric dyeing minimums, cutting table changeover, sewing line set-up and a pre-production sample. That fixed cost is roughly US$500–1,000 per style, and it is spread across the order. At 1,000 pcs it is heavy per piece; at 50,000 pcs it nearly disappears.
2. Where every cent of a US$1.50 boxer brief goes
| Cost line | US$ per piece | Share of price |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric — 180 gsm cotton/elastane 95/5 (incl. dyeing, finishing, cutting waste) | 0.60 | 40% |
| Waistband elastic | 0.16 | 11% |
| Cutting & sewing labour | 0.34 | 23% |
| Thread, care label, size label | 0.05 | 3% |
| QC & final inspection (AQL 2.5) | 0.04 | 3% |
| Polybag & export packaging | 0.09 | 6% |
| Overhead (power, machines, admin) | 0.14 | 9% |
| Supplier margin | 0.08 | 5% |
| Total | 1.50 | 100% |
Three things this table shows that buyers usually get wrong:
- Labour is not the biggest cost. At US$0.34 it is about a fifth of the price. Fabric is the king — US$0.60, a full 40%.
- QC costs four cents. Skipping it saves almost nothing and removes the line that protects everything else.
- Honest factories and suppliers run on single-digit margins, not the 40% buyers sometimes assume.
3. How price moves with volume
| Order quantity (per style/colour) | Indicative FOB price, basic cotton boxer brief | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 pcs (below minimum) | ≈ US$3.20 / pc | Set-up spread over few pieces; indicative arithmetic, not a quantity we quote |
| 2,000 pcs (standard MOQ) | ≈ US$2.40 / pc | Normal production scheduling |
| 10,000 pcs | ≈ US$1.80 / pc | Better fabric buying, fewer changeovers |
| 50,000 pcs | ≈ US$1.40 / pc | Volume fabric contracts, dedicated line time |
Prices are indicative FOB Xiamen for a basic style and move with fabric spec (GSM, composition), waistband type, packing and labelling. Every quote we issue is built on those four variables.
4. The three legitimate ways MOQ comes down
- Share the set-up cost. Accept a higher per-piece price on a small first run instead of pretending the fixed cost does not exist.
- Use an existing block and fabric. A new colourway on a shape and fabric already running costs far less to start than a brand-new style.
- Combine styles into one order. One shipment, one inspection, several styles — the fixed costs are shared across the whole container.
One red flag: a quote that is more than a third below the market for “the same spec” is not a discount — it is almost always a lighter fabric, a cheaper waistband or a skipped inspection. Ask which line changed.
5. What we need to quote your order in 48 hours
- Product category and style reference
- Fabric preference (or your target price point — we will propose the spec)
- Quantity for the first run, and expected annual volume
- Destination market and packing requirements
Send those four items to [email protected] or WhatsApp +86 186 5081 3853 and you will have an FOB Xiamen quote with fabric spec, GSM and packing options within two working days.
6. Is Unitex expensive, or just costed differently?
Unitex is not a discount quote, and we do not present it as one. The honest version: on identical specifications at identical volumes, a trader sourcing from an un-audited workshop can always quote lower. Where that gap closes is when the order has to survive a retail audit, a customs check or a second season.
Three lines in the breakdown that a cheaper quote usually leaves out
- Testing on the actual construction. Shrinkage and colour-fastness results taken from a swatch do not transfer to the bulk fabric. Testing the ordered construction is a cost line, not an optional extra.
- Inspection to ISO 2859-1, both inline and final. The sampling plan is agreed before production starts, so acceptance and rejection are decided by a rule rather than by a conversation at the warehouse door.
- Documentation from partner factories holding amfori BSCI and OEKO-TEX Standard 100. A certificate is only useful if the buyer can verify it, which means the paperwork has to be maintained rather than merely claimed.
When we are the expensive choice. Spot goods, a single colourway, no testing, no compliance file: buy from a stock trader, and you will pay less. We are structured for repeat production, where the specification has to hold across runs. Claiming otherwise would be a sales line rather than a cost argument.
How to compare two quotes without a spreadsheet argument. Ask three questions of each: what will you test, on what, and who pays if it fails; what sampling rule decides acceptance; and what changes if we re-order the same specification next season. A supplier who can answer all three in writing is usually the cost-effective one, even when the unit-price line is not the lowest. That is the difference between a cheap quote and a reliable supplier.
FAQ
Q: What is the minimum order quantity for custom underwear?
A: Our standard MOQ is 2,000 pcs per style and per colour, with no production run below that minimum. Kids’ underwear and sport bras start at 3,600 pcs and sleepwear sets at 600.
Q: Why is there a minimum order quantity at all?
A: Every new style carries a fixed set-up cost — fabric dyeing minimums, cutting changeover, sewing line set-up and a pre-production sample. That fixed cost is roughly US$500–1,000 per style and is spread across the order.
Q: Can I order less than the MOQ for a first run?
A: No. A first run is 2,000 pcs per style and colour, priced with bulk pricing locked from day one so the second order costs what it should; a 50-piece salesman sample is the way to hold a garment before that.
Q: What makes a quote look too cheap?
A: A price more than a third below the market for ‘the same spec’ is almost always a lighter fabric, a cheaper waistband or a skipped inspection. Ask which cost line changed.
For the fabric side of the cost equation — MicroModal Boxer Briefs for Hot Climates: The Spec That Actually Works.
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Free resources
- Underwear tech pack template (PDF, free)
- OEM capability & lead-time brochure (PDF, free)
- Fabric & construction spec guide (PDF, free)
Interactive tools
· Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd. — OEM & ODM underwear sourcing partner