How to Choose a Womenswear Manufacturer in China
Most sourcing mistakes are made before the first order — when a brand wires a deposit to a supplier it has never really checked. This checklist condenses what we have learned serving 307 clients in 59 countries into the checks that matter most, in the order you should run them.
- 07checks to run before any first order
- 307 / 59clients served · countries shipped to
- 80+pattern makers and production staff in-house
- ~50 pcsper style trial order we accept, style dependent
Who you are actually buying from
VERIFY THE SUPPLIERLicence & factory visit
Ask for the registered company name and the factory address, then check they match. A trading company will hesitate; a real factory will invite you. We operate as Guangzhou Liuyu Garment Co., Ltd. from our own floor in Baiyun District, Guangzhou — visits are welcome with one day’s notice.
Pattern room in-house
If patterns are outsourced, every fit revision costs you days and your fit standard leaks to outsiders. Ask how many pattern makers are on the payroll. Ours run alongside the production line — over 80 pattern and production staff in total, and a paper pattern for a straightforward style can be ready in as fast as an hour, with a 3D on-body effect video.
Who answers your email
During sampling you will exchange dozens of messages about fabric, trims and measurements. Ask: does the person replying have authority at the factory, or are they relaying messages? At our factory the person who answers your email can walk to the line and check your order.
The money questions
KNOW THE ECONOMICSMOQ, stated honestly
Ask what the minimum actually covers: per style or per colour? A serious factory states the trial quantity per style and scales by fabric and workmanship. Our own trials start from around 50 pieces per style, style dependent, so brands can test the market before committing to bulk.
Sampling economics
A professional factory charges for sampling — usually a few hundred yuan per style by complexity — and credits the fee against the bulk invoice at an agreed percentage. Free sampling usually means the cost is buried somewhere in your bulk price. Get the credit policy in writing on the quotation.
Terms, currency, inspection
Agree Incoterms (EXW or FOB are typical for a first order), payment rhythm — T/T with a 30% deposit is common — and your right to inspect before shipment, either on site or through a third-party inspection company. All of it belongs in the contract, not in chat messages.
Protecting your designs
CHECK SEVEN: IPBefore you send a single tech pack, ask the factory to state in writing that your designs are used only to produce your order — never copied, never shown to other clients, never resold. A factory that hesitates here is telling you something.
We sign NDAs as standard. Samples, drawings and technical documents you provide are used only for producing your order.
One more detail that separates development factories from volume shops: one pattern per production run. The pattern is not redrawn between sampling and bulk, and the signed pre-production sample — not a verbal description — governs what gets cut.
Red flags that should stop the deal
WALK AWAY IF…A quote that asks no questions
A quote that arrives within the hour, without asking about fabric, trims, construction or quantities, is a placeholder — the real price surfaces after your deposit does.
Refuses a video call or visit
If a supplier cannot show you the floor — even on a video call — you are not talking to a factory. Photos can be borrowed; a live walk-through of the pattern room cannot.
Promises anything for free
Free samples, free patterns, "no deposit needed". Every cost exists somewhere. The question is not whether you pay, but whether you pay knowingly — on the quotation — or later, in the bulk price.
From shortlist to first order
A SANE SEQUENCEShortlist & brief
Send each shortlisted factory the same brief: a sketch, tech pack, mood board or reference garment. Ask for a sample quote and a realistic schedule — the quality of the questions they ask back is your first filter.
Sample round
Commission the sample from one or two finalists. Revise until the fit is right; sampling can be commissioned on its own, with no bulk commitment. Approve a pre-production sample and sign it as the standard.
Trial run
Place a small trial — around 50 pieces per style with us, style dependent — to test the market on real customers before betting on bulk quantities.
Scale what sells
Move proven styles into bulk with a locked schedule, in-line QC and a final inspection before shipment — on site or by a third party you appoint.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
FAQHow can I verify that a Chinese clothing factory is real?
Ask for the registered company name and the factory address, then check they match — our own is Guangzhou Liuyu Garment Co., Ltd., Room 304, Building D, 11 Yinbian West Street, Baiyun District, Guangzhou. A live video walk-through of the pattern room and production floor is the next best thing to visiting; and if you are in China, we welcome factory visits with one day’s notice.
What is a reasonable MOQ for a first order with a new factory?
A trial from around 50 pieces per style is a realistic starting point for small brands, depending on style, fabric and workmanship — that is what we accept for small-batch trials. Treat any much lower figure with caution: below that, cutting and finishing economics stop making sense for a real factory and the order usually gets subcontracted.
Should I pay for samples? Some suppliers offer them free.
Pay, and get the credit policy in writing. Professional factories quote sampling per style by complexity — usually a few hundred yuan — and credit the fee against the bulk invoice at an agreed percentage. Free samples shift the cost into your bulk pricing, and remove the factory’s incentive to get the first sample right.
How do I protect my designs and get exclusive styles?
Sign an NDA before sending tech packs, and confirm in writing that your samples, drawings and documents are used only for your order. Ask explicitly whether the factory will never copy or resell your styles. We sign NDAs as standard, and we insist on one pattern per production run so what you approved is what gets cut.
Which trade terms should a first-time importer use?
EXW or FOB are the usual choices for a first order. With EXW you collect the goods from our Guangzhou factory; with FOB we deliver them cleared onto the vessel at the Chinese port. We can arrange customs clearance and freight forwarding, and sea and air options are discussed when you place the order. Payment is typically T/T with a 30% deposit.
What does LIUYU GARMENT actually do?
We are a womenswear manufacturer in Guangzhou, China — suits, trousers, dresses, skirts and tops in knits and wovens, plus abayas for Middle-Eastern clients. Pattern making, sampling and bulk production run in-house with a team of 80+; over more than a decade we have served 307 clients across 59 countries. Start with a sketch or a reference garment: Hotline / WhatsApp / WeChat +86 186 2017 0301 · [email protected].
How do clothing brands get their clothes made?
The standard sequence is: design the style, produce a tech pack or a reference sample, choose a manufacturer (an own factory or a trading company), approve a pre-production sample, then run bulk production, inspection and shipping. The step buyers most often skip — and later regret — is verifying that the supplier is the actual factory.
How do I find a manufacturer for my clothing brand?
Shortlist by category and size range rather than by directory ranking: pick a factory that already makes the product you sell, at your quantity. Then test with one style before committing to a season, and confirm capacity, MOQ and lead times in writing.
How long does it take to get a garment made?
Allow roughly: 3–5 days for a first sample, 10–20 days of bulk production after the sample is approved, plus fabric lead time and shipping. A first order from first contact to delivered goods usually spans several weeks, so plan backwards from your sales date.
Related pages
MORE FROM LIUYUTell us what you want to make
Send a sketch, tech pack, mood board or a reference garment. We come back with pattern-making, a sample quote and a realistic schedule — and if you are not ready for bulk, sampling can be ordered on its own.