Fibre composition and fabric weight
Cotton, cotton blend and "cotton feel" are three different things and only one of them is cotton. We ask for the composition and the gsm, and we can have it lab-tested on larger orders.
What we can help you buy on 1688
1688 custom t-shirts wholesale
Two things go wrong with apparel bought from China: the fabric is not what was described, and the sizing is not what your customers expect.
Both are solvable before production with a measurement chart and a fabric swatch, which is most of what this process is.
Request a quote for 1688 custom t-shirts wholesale
What we check before you pay
Sizing against your own chart
Chinese sizing runs small and inconsistently. We work from your measurement chart in centimetres, with tolerances, rather than from S/M/L.
Labels your market requires
Fibre content, country of origin and care instructions are legally required in most markets and are the cheapest thing to get wrong.
Colour matching and dye lots
A brand colour needs a reference and a lab dip. Across a large order, dye lot variation is real and worth agreeing a tolerance for.
Print method and wash durability
Screen, DTG, heat transfer and embroidery survive washing differently. We sample the actual print and wash it.
Shrinkage after washing
A shirt that fits until it is washed is a return. Shrinkage testing on the sample is a small cost against a large one.
How an order runs
- Send your specification Fabric, colours, quantities by size, your measurement chart, and the artwork in vector form.
- Fabric swatch and lab dip We get physical swatches and colour dips approved before any bulk fabric is cut.
- Pre-production sample A full sample in your size and colours, measured against your chart and washed before approval.
- Quote and approval Goods, sampling, branding setup, our service fee, inspection, consolidation and freight, itemised.
- Inspection with garments measured Sampled garments measured against the approved chart, seams and prints checked, photographed.
- Consolidate and ship Apparel compresses well; how it is folded and packed changes the volume and therefore the freight.