Europe is home to some of the world’s leading sportswear and athletic wear manufacturers. In this guide, we explain what brand owners must know about private labelling, custom design, material options, print options, and MOQ requirements when buying sportswear from European factories.
Supplier Overview
Supplier qualifications
Private label
Material options
Print options
Industry overview
Private label products
Many sportswear brands are not planning to reinvent the wheel in terms of product design. As such, it’s fairly common that European sportswear manufacturers offer other brands to affix their private label to ready-made designs that can be selected from a product catalogue. Doing so can drastically speed up the time it takes to bring a product to market – as you can cut the time it would otherwise take to create a new techpack.
Examples of European manufacturers providing private label sportswear products include Sportswear of Tomorrow SIA and Art Lethe.
Custom products
Essentially all sportswear manufacturers in Europe, and elsewhere for that matter, can produce custom designed products. However, doing so requires that you can provide a complete techpack that includes the following:
- Design drawings
- Sewing patterns
- Size chart
- Bill of materials
- Care label
Material options
Sportswear manufacturers can generally provide a list of standard synthetic fabrics, such as nylon or polyester. Further, fabrics are generally procured from external material suppliers – which also means that they can source fabrics that are not already in their standard material catalogue. That being said, asking a supplier to procure “non-standard” fabrics can result in an increased MOQ requirement.
Material availability also depends on the supplier’s product scope. Some sportswear manufacturers produce a more broad range of products, while others specialise in certain areas such as leggings or cycling.
Print options
Sportswear tends to be printed with logos or other graphics. It is therefore important that you have a clear idea of the type of print you have in mind, as the printing capabilities differ between manufacturers – for the simple reason that sportswear factories are constrained by the types of printing machines they operate.
Examples
- DTG printing
- Sublimation printing
- Screen printing
For example, if you require DTG printing, then it’s essential that you don’t take DTG printing capability for granted but ask the factory to confirm this early on.
Product compliance
Sportswear is generally subject to textile labelling requirements, covering fibre composition and sometimes care instructions. The exact requirements differ depending on the target market.
| Country/market | Examples |
| EU | 1. REACH
2. Textile Labelling and Fibre Composition Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 |
| UK | 1. UK REACH
2. Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations |
| USA | 1. California Proposition 65
2. 16 CFR PART 300, PART 301, PART 303 – Textile, Wool and Fur Acts and Rules 3. 16 CFR PART 423 – Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain Piece Goods as Amended 4. 16 CFR PART 1610 – Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles |
You should create compliant care labels as part of the techpack. Do not assume that your factory knows how to label products in your market – even if you happen to be located inside the EU.
MOQ requirements
The minimum order quantity requirement depends for the most part on the fabric you select. Some fabrics must be made to order, while others are available in stock. Sportswear made using stock fabrics can sometimes be purchased in low volumes, while sportswear made from made-to-order garments tends to come with an MOQ of at least 500 pcs.
Portugal
P&R Têxteis, S.A.
P&R Têxteis, S.A. was founded in 1982 in Barcelos, Portugal. According to its website, the company has certificates such as SA 8000 and ISO 9001, Higg Index – Sustainable, and Recycled Claim Standard. It collaborates for research and development purposes with partners such as COTEC Portugal, CENTI, Citevi, and the University of Porto.
The company uses stretchable, breathable, and lightweight materials to manufacture technical sports garments and competition wear, as well as fitness and athleisure garments. It produces its competition wear and technical garments for participants in major sports events such as the Olympic Games and the Tour de France.
Main products
- Running competition wear
- Track and field competition wear
- Cycling competition wear
- Triathlon competition wear
- Rugby competition wear
- Football competition wear
- Rowing competition wear
- Weightlifting garments
- Technical swimwear garments
- Winter sports competition wear
- Athleisure garments
Location: Barcelos, Portugal
Lomartex
Lomartex is headquartered in Barcelos, Portugal. The company follows its clients’ design specifications and also acts as a consultant when necessary. It works with brands around the world and claims to be one of its region’s leading production lines for producing sportswear.
Lomartex specialises in manufacturing, cycling garments, athleisure garments, and sportswear such as swim shorts. It has an MOQ of 200 pieces per style, and at least 100 per colour.
Its website specifies materials used (e.g., neoprene, rayon, polyester), services offered (e.g., design, development, packaging), an average of 8 to 10 working days for prototypes as well as an average production lead time of 4 to 6 weeks.
Main products
- Cycling garments
- Athleisure garments
- Swim shorts
Location: Barcelos, Portugal
Latvia
Sportswear of Tomorrow SIA
Sportswear of Tomorrow SIA is based in Riga, Latvia, and has a subsidiary called The Sportswear Factory. Its customers include zipper manufacturer YKK, textile group Eschler, and cycling performance manufacturer Elastic Interface.
The company manufactures sportswear products such as soccer and basketball garments and also produces private label sportswear such as customised skating apparel and cycling apparel.
It claims to be able to produce a single sportswear item in 2.5 weeks. It uses technologies such as sublimation, heat transfer, and graphic design to aid in its manufacture. The company emphasises that it can print designs on demand, enabling single-piece manufacturing.
Main products
- BMX/MTB sports garments
- Soccer garments
- Basketball garments
- Volleyball garments
- Swimwear
- Custom skating apparel
- Custom triathlon apparel
- Custom rugby apparel
Location: Riga, Latvia
Estonia
Kamilla factory
Kamilla factory, based in Estonia, has over 30 years of experience in manufacturing for brands, wholesalers, companies, and retailers. The company also outlines its product development process on its website. This process involves design, material selection, construction labelling, sampling and sizing, cutting and sewing, and printing and decorating.
It uses the Gerber Technology programme for construction and pattern cutting. Its customers include Pikku Delfiinit Swim Club, TalTech Cheerleaders, Népra, and Stuudio dotE Tantsukool.
The company manufactures training clothes, dancewear, and stage attire for sports such as ballet, flamenco, and gymnastics. It claims to use high-quality equipment and enforce firm quality control measures to produce its sportswear products.
Main products
- Gymnastics stage attire
- Ballet stage attire
- Competitive dance stage attire
- Flamenco stage attire
- Dancewear
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Poland
ART LETHE
ART LETHE is a Polish company that manufactures sportswear for 58 of Europe’s top wholesale clothing brands. It has developed over 200 clothing styles and more than 5 million pieces of clothing, with a focus on private labelling. The company’s projects include MrGuGu&MissGo, Live Heroes, and carpatree.
ART LETHE manufactures athleisure and sportswear such as hockey pants and football jerseys. The company notes that it has an MOQ of 100 pieces per style of sportswear, but it can adjust based on client expectations.
The company offers sublimation printing, sewing, tagging, and labelling services. It also uses knit and woven fabrics, as well as computer graphics, to create its sportswear products in its clothing workshop.
Main products
- Biking jerseys and shorts
- Hockey jerseys and pants
- Volleyball jerseys and shorts
- Basketball jerseys and shorts
- Football jerseys and track pants
- Yoga pants
Location: Bielsko-Bialoa, Poland
