Clothing manufacturers: how UK brands choose between UK and overseas factories

Who this page is for

This page is for UK fashion brands, retailers, uniform and workwear buyers and e-commerce businesses that sell clothing under their own label. It suits a brand looking for its first factory, a brand outgrowing a small sample room, and an established label that wants a second source or a cheaper or faster option than its current supplier.

UK and overseas clothing manufacturers compared

There is no single best country. Each option trades unit cost against minimum order quantity (MOQ), lead time and how closely the brand can manage production. The table gives a general picture; individual factories vary widely.

Clothing manufacturers in England cluster in the Midlands, the North West, London and parts of Scotland. A UK clothing factory suits small batches, quick top-up orders and products sold on British manufacture. Portugal garment manufacturers concentrate in the north of the country. Portugal apparel manufacturers also suit brands that want European production with more capacity than most UK clothing suppliers can offer. Turkish factories serve UK brands that need speed at a lower price, while China apparel manufacturers and other Chinese clothing manufacturing companies remain the deepest option for volume and technical garments.

Duty depends on the commodity code of each garment and where it is made^[1]. Goods from Portugal or Turkey that meet the rules of origin can qualify for preferential duty under UK trade agreements^{[2, 3]}. Fabric woven or knitted outside the agreement area can affect whether a garment qualifies, so check the origin of the fabric as well as where it is sewn.

How to choose a clothing manufacturer

Start with a complete specification

A tech pack is the basis for every quote: flat sketches, measurements and grading, fabric and trim details, construction notes, labels and packaging. Without one, quotes from different garment factories cannot be compared and the first samples will drift.

Sample before you commit

Ask for a proto sample to check fit and construction, then a size set and a pre-production sample made from bulk fabric. The approved pre-production sample becomes the quality reference for the order.

Check the factory

• Confirm you are dealing with the factory itself, not a trader or agent, and which processes are done in-house (cutting, sewing, printing, embroidery, finishing).
• Ask for export references from brands of a similar size.
• Visit the garment factory, or have it audited, to check quality systems, capacity, sub-contracting and working conditions.

Ask for the right certifications and compliance

Garments sold in the UK need fibre content labelling^[4], and products must be safe under general product safety law^[5], which matters most for childrenswear. Depending on the brand's claims and customers, also ask for organic or recycled fibre certificates, chemical testing reports and social compliance audits.

Typical costs and landed cost drivers

The factory price is only part of the cost. Compare every textile manufacturer on landed cost per garment, which brings in:

• fabric and trims, often the largest part of the price
• cut, make and trim (CMT) labour, which varies most by country
• sampling and pattern costs, usually charged once per style
• freight, insurance and import duty to the UK
• the Incoterm, which sets who pays for each leg and where risk passes
• stock held because of long lead times and minimum orders

The guide to Incoterms for UK buyers explains how delivery terms change the comparison, and the landed cost calculator runs the sums for each option.

Common mistakes

• Choosing on unit price alone and finding the saving lost to freight, duty and slow lead times.
• Sending an incomplete tech pack, then paying for rounds of samples to fix fit.
• Treating clothing manufacturers wholesale catalogues as a factory. A wholesaler sells existing stock; a manufacturer makes to your design.
• Not asking where the fabric comes from, which affects quality, lead time and duty.
• Skipping the pre-shipment inspection on a first order.
• Paying the full balance before goods have been checked.

How Caventis helps

The contract manufacturing sourcing service finds and qualifies clothing factories to make garments to a brand's own design, in the UK or overseas, and compares them on landed cost. For overseas production, the China sourcing agent service covers factory vetting, audits and inspection in China. The brand approves every supplier and holds the supplier relationship directly.

Frequently asked questions