Our swimwear minimum order quantity is 300 pieces per style, with sizes mixed freely inside that and more than one colour possible. The two things that decide whether a swimwear order arrives in time are how quickly the sample is approved and how early you start counting back from your selling season.
Why the minimum is 300 pieces per style
Swimwear sits in our specialised band, with a higher minimum than our knit or woven products. Swim fabrics, linings and elastics are specific to swimwear, and each style needs its own patterns, cutting plans and line set-up for close-fitting stretch work. A minimum of 300 pieces per style lets that set-up make sense for both of us.
What counts as one style:
- one garment type in one cut, such as a one-piece with a particular neckline
- in one fabric, nylon-elastane or polyester-elastane
What can change within a style:
- sizes, from XS to 3XL, or S to 3XL for swim shorts
- colours, with the colour split confirmed at quotation
So 300 one-pieces could be split across black, navy and a seasonal colour, each in a full size run. A two-piece, a rash guard and swim shorts would each be a separate style with their own minimum.
Planning a first order around the minimum
New brands often worry that 300 pieces per style is a lot. A few ways to plan it:
- Start with one hero style. One well-fitting one-piece, or one full-cover swimsuit, in two or three colours.
- Add a second style only if it sells to the same customer. A rash guard alongside a full-cover swimsuit for a modest range, or swim shorts alongside a one-piece for a resort shop.
- Keep colours to a few. A core dark colour plus one or two seasonal colours keeps each colour deep enough in sizes.
- Split by size from data. Use past sales if you have them, and weight the middle sizes.
Our minimum order and samples page explains how minimums work across all our product bands.
The sample stage
Swimwear depends on fit more than almost any other garment, so the sample stage matters. We make a sample in your chosen style, fabric and colour, with your labels where possible. You check it and approve it before bulk production.
What to check on a swimwear sample:
| Area | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Fit | Shoulders, neckline, leg openings and torso length on a real person |
| Fabric | Feel, stretch and recovery; how it looks wet |
| Lining | Present where agreed, sitting smooth, not twisting |
| Cup inserts | Placed correctly on styles built for them |
| Elastic | Even at the legs and neckline, no rippling |
| Branding | Labels, logo placement and hang tag |
| Colour | Matches what you chose, in daylight |
Wear-test the sample in water if you can. A swimsuit that fits dry can behave differently when wet. Once approved, the sample is the reference for the full order and for our quality check.
The order process
Every order follows the same steps:
- Enquiry. Styles, fabric, colours, rough quantities by size, branding and packaging.
- Quotation. Priced per style, by fabric, quantity and branding, with the lead time confirmed.
- Sample. We make one in your chosen style and fabric for approval.
- Advance payment. Production starts once the advance is received.
- Production. Cutting, sewing, lining, elastic and finishing.
- Quality check. Against the approved sample.
- Dispatch. The balance is paid before dispatch.
We take enquiries from buyers worldwide. Shipping method, terms and documents are confirmed in the quotation.
Planning for the season
Swimwear is seasonal in most markets. Stock has to be in place before the season starts, not during it. A late delivery can mean a whole season of stock sold at a discount.
Plan backwards from the date you want stock on sale:
- the date stock must be on your shelves or in your warehouse
- shipping and customs time to your country
- production, with the lead time confirmed in the quotation
- sample making and your approval
- time for your own decisions on styles, colours and branding
The step buyers most often underestimate is their own: choosing colours, finishing artwork for labels and approving the sample. Have those ready when you send your enquiry.
In warm-climate markets, and for resort shops, swimwear sells for more of the year. Even then, demand rises in holiday periods, so the same planning applies.
Reorders
Once a style is approved, reorders are quicker to set up. The sample and specifications are on file, so you only need to confirm sizes, colours and quantities. Each reorder is again at the 300-piece minimum per style.
Next step
Choose your styles from our white label swimwear range, decide your colours and send us your planned quantities with your selling date. We will confirm the minimum, sample and lead time in a quotation.