Oct 6, 2026
Can You Order Custom Apparel Below the Minimum Order Quantity?
Production starts at the category MOQ, but branded samples do not. The three routes below minimum, what each costs from $39, and how to plan a first run that scales.
Short answer: below the category minimum you cannot start production, but you can absolutely start the project. The sample route exists precisely for buyers who need branded references before committing to a run.
The starting minimums
• Custom Apparel (tees, polos, hoodies) — from 25 pcs
• Teamwear — from 15 sets
• Headwear — from 30 pcs
• Bags — from 30 pcs
• Creative Merchandise — from 50 pcs
Why a minimum exists
Every decoration method has a setup cost that does not scale down: screens, embroidery digitizing, transfer dies. Below a certain quantity the setup outweighs the garment. The minimum is not a gate to charge you more — it is the point where the math stops working against you.
Three routes below the minimum
1. Fabric & Material Kit — from $39. GSM, texture, stretch and color references, before any garment is made.
2. Apparel & Decoration Kit — from $79. Garment references plus embroidery, print and transfer samples, labels and hangtags.
3. Custom Project Sample — quoted. Your actual garment, your logo, your Pantone, your labels — the production version in one piece, approved before bulk.
Planning the first real run
When you are ready, the first production run validates the project at the category minimum — same materials, same decoration process, same AQL 2.5 inspection standard as bulk. Validate at 25 pcs, scale when the project proves itself. The full route is on
start small
, and the sample tiers are on sample kit
.
