MOQ — minimum order quantity — is the most asked and least explained number in garment sourcing. It is not a test of how important you are. It is arithmetic, and understanding the arithmetic tells you how to negotiate it intelligently.
What actually drives an MOQ
A factory’s minimum is usually inherited from upstream and from setup costs:
- Fabric mill minimums — the largest driver. A custom-dyed fabric may only be produced above a certain meterage; the garment MOQ is that meterage translated into pieces.
- Colours multiply minimums — each colourway needs its own fabric batch. Three colours can triple the effective minimum, which is why factories quote MOQ per colour.
- Line setup — a production line running 300 pieces spends proportionally far more time on setup, thread changes and learning curve than one running 3,000. Small runs are legitimately more expensive per piece.
- Trims and packaging minimums — woven labels, printed tags and polybags have their own supplier minimums.
How to reduce MOQ without fighting the factory
- Use stock fabric colours instead of custom-dyed shades — this removes the mill minimum, the biggest lever available.
- Cut colourways, not styles — one style in two colours beats three styles in one colour for the same total quantity.
- Consolidate sizes sensibly — very wide size ranges on small orders fragment the run.
- Accept a per-piece premium for small runs — a factory can often go lower for a higher unit price; that trade is fair, not a trick.
Why we do not publish a single MOQ figure
Any single number would be wrong for half of the products it is quoted against — a basic tee in stock colours and a three-colour custom-dyed hoodie live in different arithmetic. At Dilshad & Sons (Private) Limited, MOQ is confirmed per enquiry: tell us the product and your intended quantity, and you will get a direct answer about whether it works, and what would make it work if it does not.
Last updated · Published by Dilshad & Sons (Private) Limited, a garment manufacturer in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Have a question this guide does not cover? Ask it inside an enquiry — it reaches the production team, not a chatbot.