Underwear & Intimates Manufacturer

One hundred pieces per style, per colour, per size curve. Underwear is the most trim-dependent thing we make: elastic width and stretch percentage, waistband type, gusset fabric, label placement and thread all have to be specified and sourced before cutting, and elastic in particular is bought in its own minimum lengths. That is why the sampling stage takes longer here than on outerwear — getting the elastic tension right across the size range is most of the work, and it cannot be judged from a drawing. Once the pattern and trim package are approved they carry into every reorder unchanged, which is why second runs are both faster and cheaper than the first.

In the US, generally no — and this catches a lot of new brands out. The FTC requires bamboo-derived viscose to be labelled as "viscose from bamboo" or "rayon from bamboo," because the fibre is chemically regenerated rather than mechanically processed from the plant, and it has pursued enforcement against brands using the bare term "bamboo." The fabric is actually lovely and there's nothing wrong with using it — it just has to be described accurately. We'll raise this before your labels go to print, not after. Regulators in the US and EU have both taken action over "bamboo" claims on what is chemically regenerated viscose, so this is enforced rather than theoretical. The compliant description is viscose or lyocell derived from bamboo, and if the sustainability story matters to you, a closed-loop lyocell with a certificate number is both more defensible and a stronger claim than the word bamboo ever was.

The elastic, its width, and how it is attached — in that order. Cheap waistbands use narrow elastic with low recovery, which loses tension after a dozen washes and rolls or twists. Better ones use wider elastic with higher recovery, chosen to suit the garment weight rather than picked from whatever is in stock. Attachment matters as much: an elastic simply enclosed in a casing can twist and bunch; one that is tacked or stitched through at intervals stays flat. For underwear specifically, a covered or jacquard elastic sits more comfortably against skin than a raw edge, and a branded jacquard band is where a lot of the perceived quality lives. Getting the tension right across the size range is most of the sampling work, and it cannot be judged from a drawing.

Different fabrics for different jobs. Modal is a regenerated cellulose fibre made from beech pulp — it drapes beautifully, feels cool and silky against skin, and resists pilling better than cotton, which is why it dominates premium underwear and intimates. Organic cotton is more breathable, more absorbent, and holds structure better, which suits t-shirts, sweatshirts and anything where the garment should keep its shape. On sustainability neither wins outright: modal is made in a closed-loop process that recovers solvent, but depends on responsibly sourced pulp; organic cotton avoids synthetic pesticides but uses substantial water. Only cotton carries GOTS certification, so if the organic claim matters commercially, that decides it. Many of our underwear clients use a modal-cotton blend to get drape and breathability together.

Seam construction and edge finish, mostly. Bonded or laser-cut edges remove the hem entirely, so there is no folded edge to press a line through outerwear — that is the cleanest result and the most technical to produce. Where a sewn edge is needed, flatlock seams lie flat against the skin rather than forming a ridge, unlike a standard overlock. Fabric weight matters too: a lighter, higher-stretch knit conforms rather than bunching at the edge. And the pattern has to place the leg opening where it sits naturally rather than cutting across the fullest part, which is a fit decision made before anything is sewn. Tell us at sampling what the garment is worn under, because the right construction for leggings differs from the right one for a fitted dress.