Sourcing
Choosing the right MOQ for a new label
Why 300 pieces per colourway is the number most emerging brands should plan around — and when it makes sense to go lower.
12 July 2026 · 6 min read
MOQ is a fabric problem, not a factory problem
Most minimums come from the mill, not the sewing floor. A knit fabric run is economic at around 400–600kg per colour; below that, dye lots become unpredictable and the price per metre climbs sharply. When a factory quotes 300 pieces per colour, it is usually translating that fabric floor into garments.
Where lower minimums genuinely work
Stock-supported fabrics — standard jersey, poplin, French terry in core colours — can be bought by the roll. Building a first collection on stock cloth lets you drop to 100–150 pieces per style while keeping unit cost sane. The trade-off is colour: you take the mill's palette rather than your own.
Planning your first buy
Split the buy across fewer styles and more sizes rather than many styles thinly. Six well-graded styles at 300 pieces will outperform fifteen at 120, because size availability is what actually converts on a product page.
What we do at Indies
We hold core fabric in inventory for repeat clients, group colour lots across brands where shades match, and run a 300-piece baseline with lower minimums available on stock cloth or as part of a multi-style programme.
