Some of the world’s leading underwear and lingerie manufacturers are located in Europe. In this guide, we list manufacturers offering custom designed and private label lingerie located in Portugal, Latvia, and Italy.
In addition, we also take a closer look at how factories in the industry differ in terms of manufacturing capabilities, product compliance, design options, and MOQ requirements.
Supplier Overview
Supplier qualifications
Seamless
Private label
OEKO Tex Standard 100
Industry overview
Products
Underwear and lingerie manufacturers tend to differ widely in terms of the products they manufacture. Some produce basic underwear, while others make lingerie that could be mistaken for a Victoria’s Secret collection. As such, you need to carefully limit your factory options to those that produce the type of underwear or lingerie you have in mind.
Seamless underwear
Some underwear manufacturers produce seamless garments. That being said, most do not. In other words, if you intend to launch a collection of seamless underwear then you need to verify this capability with the factory before you proceed to ordering samples. Keep in mind that only factories with certain machinery can manufacture seamless underwear.
Custom products
Most manufacturers can produce custom designed lingerie. However, you will likely be ignored if you have nothing but an idea or rough sketches. Before you contact underwear manufacturers for the sake of making your custom designs, make sure you have a complete techpack:
- Design drawings
- Sewing patterns
- Bill of materials
- Seams
- Size chart
- Pantone colours
- Logo (.ai)
- Packaging design (.ai)
- Dielines
Private label
Some factories also offer private labelling, in the sense that you can apply your brand to their existing underwear and lingerie collection.
Material options
Underwear and lingerie manufacturers can also differ in terms of the fabrics and trims they use. It is therefore important that you work with a factory that makes underwear and lingerie in your desired materials.
Examples
- GOTS organic cotton
- Cotton
- Polyester
- Spandex
- Organza
- Bamboo viscose
- Hemp fabric
- Silk
OEKO Tex Standard 100
Underwear and lingerie are subject to chemical restrictions in the EU, UK, US, and many other countries. Examples include REACH in the EU and California Proposition 65 in the United States.
Many European underwear and lingerie factories claim to ensure compliance with OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, which is a testing standard that in turn covers substance restrictions under various regulations. As such, STANDARD 100 allows the factories to demonstrate compliance with not only substance restrictions in the EU but also in other countries.
| Country/market | Examples |
| EU | 1. REACH
2. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation |
| USA | CPSIA (total lead content) |
Further, notice that underwear and lingerie are subject to textile labelling, which may cover fibre composition, care instructions, and traceability. The exact requirements depend on the country and market.
MOQ requirements
The MOQ requirements depend on the fabric. Some fabrics are available at a lower MOQ, while others are set at a higher MOQ. Also notice that some factories set MOQ requirements on a per design, colour, and size basis.
| MOQ (Examples) | Standard fabric | Made-to-order fabric |
| Per style/design | 250 pcs | 500 pcs |
| Per colour | 125 pcs | 500 pcs |
| Per size | 50 pcs | 100 pcs |
Portugal
FLM TEXTIL
FLM Textil is a Northern Portuguese textile producer that manufactures concept and tailor-made underwear, as well as custom and eco-friendly “non-structured” underwear for women.
Its certifications include ISO 9001, GOTS, and OEKO-TEX Standard 100. According to its website, the company is undergoing Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification.
FLM Textil sources its materials from other European locations and uses sustainable materials, which include synthetics (e.g., polyester), recycled artificial and natural fibres (e.g., wool), and other fabrics (e.g., bamboo).
The company has no set price list as each project is unique. It offers samples for its customers and also describes its development process. Its MOQ for underwear brands is 300 pieces per style or colour.
Main products
- Briefs
- Boxers
- Slips
- Loungewear
Location: Guimarães, Portugal
JoBarros
JoBarros was founded in 1982 and is a Portuguese lingerie, underwear, and loungewear manufacturer. Among other products such as swimwear, it also produces bra tops and underwear for women, as well as boxers and underpants for men.
The company uses CAD/CAM and raw materials to manufacture its products. Its materials include knitted jersey fabrics, microfibres, and lace. Its qualifications include ISO 9001, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Sedex, and receiving the PME Excellence Statute from IAPMEI.
The company outlines, on its website, its production process, which includes planning and development, fabric cutting, producing in its machinery park, and finally packing, labelling, and undergoing a quality control inspection.
Main products
- Women’s lingerie
- Women’s underpants
- Women’s bra tops
- Men’s underpants
Location: Guimarães, Portugal
Latvia
KRISTAL
Founded in 2010, Kristal is a Latvian manufacturer that produces underwear but also specialises in producing lingerie. The company can use “customer materials” to manufacture its products.
According to its website, Kristal accounts for its customers’ requests and implements planning and control throughout the process to ensure orders are carried out on time. It also claims to adhere to design standards and use modern design and technology to ensure the production of successful products.
Kristal received three Rating Classification AAA certificates from Bisnode. The company has its own factory in which it provides a “full production cycle”. The process involves developing designs, sewing, cutting, quality control, and packaging.
Main products
- Modern lingerie
- Classical lingerie
- Underwear
Location: Liepaja, Latvia
MAGIJA LINGERIE
Magija Lingerie is a European Lingerie manufacturer in Latvia that produces various types of custom-made women’s underwear. It follows current developments in the fashion industry and also uses modern European materials.
The company makes use of a full production cycle, meaning that it begins the process at the design stage and follows through with production and packaging to deliver the product to its customers. It also implements quality control throughout the process.
Magija Lingerie offers to create models and designs for its customers and uses modern JUKI machines to ensure quality production. The company also claims to have OEKO-TEX certificates. It provides delivery via services such as DHL, FedEx, and UPS.
Main products
- Women’s lingerie
- Women’s underwear
- Bra top
Location: Liepaja, Latvia
Italy
CIFRA S.p.A.
CIFRA S.p.A was founded in the late 1970s in Northern Italy as a manufacturer of custom hosiery products for private companies. The company also produces hosiery and lingerie for major international brands. Its standard fibres are polyester cationionic bi-colour and nylon-lycra.
The company has a production plant and uses CAD computers. It has a production capacity of more than 150,000 units a day. Its certifications include the OEKO-TEX Standard 100, OEKO-TEX STeP, Global Recycled Standard, and HIGG.
Its MOQ is 800 units per style or size, while its delivery time is about 3 weeks.
Main products
- Hosiery
- Lingerie
Location: Verano Brianza (MB), Italy
Plus Collants
Plus Collants, founded in 2001, is a private label manufacturer that specialises in producing seamless underwear and hosiery, as well as sheer stockings for women.
The company uses LYCRA technology to produce its underwear products. It created its own Green Project to ensure that it uses eco-sustainable materials to manufacture and package its products. In turn, this means some of its products and packaging are both made of recycled materials and are recyclable.
Its production process begins with choosing quality yarns and using special textile machines, followed by using OEKO-TEX® certified dyeing processes and manual packaging.
The company’s certifications include ISO 9001, ISO 13485, CE mark, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Sanitised TH® 22-27, and Global Recycled Standard.
Main products
- Seamless underwear
- Hosiery
- Bikinis
Location: Castel Goffredo (MN), Italy
