Activewear Production Lead Times
Lead time is not one number. It is fabric lead time plus sampling plus bulk plus transit, and the first two are where most launch dates are lost.
The four segments
Development and sampling: pattern, fit sample, corrections, size set. Fabric: stock versus custom knit and dye lot. Bulk production: cutting, sewing, finishing, inspection. Transit: sea or air to your warehouse or 3PL.
Only the third segment is under the factory's direct control. Planning that treats the other three as instant is why brands miss their season.
Where dates actually slip
Custom dye lots and long-lead trims. A heat-transfer logo or a specific elastic can carry a multi-week lead time that nobody accounted for. The second most common cause is fit feedback arriving in three separate rounds instead of one.
We build the calendar backwards from your in-hand date and tell you the latest date you can approve the sample without moving the delivery.
How to compress it honestly
Use stock fabric and stock trims for the first order. Approve a size set once rather than re-fitting each size. Book production capacity before the sample is approved if the date is fixed, so the line is reserved.
What does not compress: a custom knit, a custom dye lot, or a lab test you have not scheduled.
What we commit to in writing
A dated schedule at quotation covering sampling, bulk start, bulk finish and handover to the forwarder. If a segment slips, the schedule is reissued with the reason — not quietly absorbed until the ship date.
Transit is quoted separately so you can see the cost and time of sea versus air before you decide.
Need this answered for your specific product?
Send the product type, the destination market and your target price. You get a straight answer on what is workable and what is not, before you pay for anything.
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