What are you looking for in a knitwear supplier? Is it high-quality fabrics, diverse raw materials, or advanced production processes? Well, China's knitwear industry offers a wide range of knitwear materials at competitive prices, from soft cotton to high-tech spandex. Explore advanced production processes such as weft knitting for mass production or knitting to shape for customized products. In addition, we will introduce the powerful factories leading China's knitwear industry cluster, which are known for top technology and international standards.
Raw material types, prices and characteristics of knitted clothing
The raw materials of knitted clothing are of various types, and their prices and characteristics vary depending on factors such as the type of raw materials, production process, market supply and demand, etc. The following are some common types of raw materials for knitted clothing, their price ranges, and their respective characteristics:
Cotton:
Price: The price of cotton is relatively stable, but it will change due to origin, quality and market fluctuations.
Features: Cotton fiber has good moisture absorption, breathability and softness, suitable for making comfortable and breathable clothing. However, cotton knitted clothing is easy to wrinkle and may shrink.
Polyester:
Price: Polyester is a cost-effective synthetic fiber, and its price is usually lower than that of natural fibers.
Features: It has high strength and durability, good wrinkle resistance, and is not easy to shrink, but its breathability and moisture absorption are not as good as natural fibers. It is often used in sportswear and outdoor equipment.
Nylon:
Price: Nylon is usually more expensive than polyester, but lower than natural silk.
Features: Lightweight, soft, wear-resistant, with good elasticity and resilience, it is often used in tights and sports equipment.
Spandex (Elastic Fiber):
Price: Spandex is more expensive, but due to its small usage, it has little impact on the cost of finished clothes.
Features: It has extremely high elasticity and can stretch to several times its original length and return to its original shape. It is often used in clothing that requires elasticity, such as tights, sportswear, etc.
Acrylic:
Price: Acrylic is moderately priced and is an affordable synthetic fiber.
Features: It is called synthetic wool, has good warmth retention, is soft and light, but has poor wrinkle resistance and abrasion resistance.
Viscose:
Price: Viscose is a lower-priced man-made fiber with high cost-effectiveness.
Features: It is soft, shiny, has strong moisture absorption, and feels like silk, but its strength and abrasion resistance are not as good as cotton.
Modal:
Price: Modal is more expensive and is a high-end fiber.
Features: Made of natural materials, it has excellent moisture absorption, softness and gloss, and is often used in underwear and high-quality casual wear.
Wool:
Price: The price of wool depends on the quality and type, and is usually higher.
Features: Excellent warmth retention, moisture absorption and durability, but the price is high and requires special treatment to resist shrinkage and pests.
Silk:
Price: Silk is a high-value natural fiber and is expensive.
Features: Smooth, shiny, with good moisture absorption and breathability, often used in high-end clothing and underwear.
Bamboo Fiber:
Price: Bamboo fiber is moderately priced and is an environmentally friendly material.
Features: It has good antibacterial, moisture absorption and breathability, is soft and durable, and is a sustainable fiber choice.
The choice of raw materials for knitted clothing will directly affect the performance, comfort and cost of clothing. Designers and manufacturers will choose the most suitable raw materials based on the target market, clothing use and consumer preferences. At the same time, the price of raw materials will also be affected by external factors such as market supply and demand, raw material costs, production technology, and international trade policies.
Production process types, prices and characteristics of knitted clothing
There are various types of production processes for knitted clothing, and different production processes affect the price and characteristics of clothing. The following are some of the main types of knitted clothing production processes, their price ranges and their respective characteristics:
Weft Knitting:
Price: The cost of weft knitting is relatively low, suitable for large-scale production.
Features: Weft knitted clothing has good elasticity and extensibility, soft and wrinkle-resistant. Common fabrics include Jersey, Pique, Lacoste, etc.
Warp Knitting:
Price: The cost of warp knitting is relatively high, and it is often used to make knitwear with more complex structures.
Features: Warp knitted clothing has good dimensional stability and stiffness, but the lateral elasticity and softness are not as good as weft knitted fabrics. Common fabrics include polyester warp knitted fabrics, warp knitted fleece fabrics, etc.
Fully Fashioned Knitting:
Price: The cost of full fashioned knitting is relatively high, and it is often used in customized or high-end markets.
Features: Knitted garments are directly shaped during the production process, without cutting, which reduces material waste, but has high requirements for equipment and process.
Wool Knitting:
Price: The cost of wool knitting varies depending on the raw materials, and the quality of wool yarn directly affects the cost.
Features: Wool knitting garments are soft and comfortable, with good warmth retention, but may require special treatment to resist shrinkage and insect pests.
Single Jersey Knitting:
Price: The cost of single jersey knitting is moderate.
Features: Single-sided knitted clothing has good air permeability and moisture absorption, and is commonly used in T-shirts and sportswear.
Double Knitting:
Price: The cost of double-sided knitting is relatively high because of its complex structure.
Features: Double-sided knitted clothing has better warmth retention and thickness, and is often used in autumn and winter clothing.
Rib Knitting:
Price: The cost of rib knitting is moderate.
Features: Rib knitted clothing is often used in cuffs, collars and other parts that require elasticity because of its good elasticity.
Spandex Fabric:
Price: Spandex fabric is expensive because spandex is a stretch fiber.
Features: Spandex fabric has extremely high elasticity and is often used in tights, sportswear and other clothing that require good elasticity.
Colored Knitting:
Price: The cost of color knitting is relatively high because it requires a special dyeing process.
Features: Colored knitted clothing is brightly colored and has a variety of patterns, and is often used in fashion clothing.
Terry Knitting:
Price: Terry knitting is a moderately expensive process.
Features: Terry knitting garments have a thick terry structure and are highly absorbent, and are often used in towels and sportswear.
The production process of knitted garments not only determines the performance and appearance of the garment, but also affects its production cost and market positioning. When choosing a production process, manufacturers consider factors such as product use, consumer demand, cost-effectiveness, and production efficiency.
Which production processes will lead to higher procurement costs?
In the production process of knitted garments, dyeing, printing, embroidery, beading, hand hooking, and sewing processes may increase costs, but the cost often depends on specific technical requirements, process complexity, material costs, and production scale. Here are some reasons why these processes may lead to higher costs:
Dyeing:
During the dyeing process, special dyes (such as reactive dyes), special dyeing techniques (such as digital inkjet printing), or dyeing processes with high environmental requirements may increase costs.
Printing:
In the printing process, the printing technology (such as rotary screen printing, digital printing) and printing materials (such as special inks, environmentally friendly inks) used will affect the cost. In particular, multi-color printing, fine patterns, or three-dimensional printing, which require higher technical requirements, may lead to higher costs.
Embroidery:
Due to its handmade nature, the embroidery process, especially hand embroidery, has higher labor costs. In addition, the material of the embroidery thread used in machine embroidery and the complexity of the embroidery will also affect the cost.
Beading:
The beading process usually requires higher manual operation skills, so the labor cost is higher. At the same time, the cost of decorative materials such as beads and sequins used will also be included in the cost of the finished product.
Hand hook:
Hand hook is a labor-intensive process that requires skilled craftsmen to operate, so the cost is usually higher.
Sewing:
Sewing, or dalan, is a special sewing process that can add decorative effects to clothing. Complex sewing patterns and delicate processing requirements may increase costs.
Introduction to the Knitting Garment Industry Belt
The knitted garment industry is widely distributed in China and has formed a number of industrial clusters with regional characteristics. The following is an introduction to some of China’s knitted apparel industry centers:
Guangdong Province:
Guangdong Province is one of the important bases of China's garment industry, with a complete garment industry chain and a mature market system. Shenzhen, Dongguan and other places have significant advantages in women's clothing, casual wear, sportswear, etc.
Zhejiang Province:
Zhejiang Province also occupies an important position in the field of knitted clothing, especially Shaoxing, Yiwu and other regions, which are famous for the production of high-quality knitted fabrics and ready-made garments.
Jiangsu Province:
Jiangsu Province has many famous towns featuring textiles and clothing, such as Changshu City (a famous casual clothing city in China), Jiangyin City (a famous knitted clothing town in China), etc. These areas have outstanding performance in the production and export of knitted clothing.
Fujian Province:
Fujian Province, especially the cities of Quanzhou and Shishi, is famous for its production of underwear, sports and leisure wear and children's clothing, forming a knitted clothing industry cluster with local characteristics.
Qingshan Lake District, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province:
Known as the "Famous Knitted Garment City in China", it is a well-known knitted garment industry base in the country. It is moving towards the goal of a 100 billion industry and improving production capacity and product quality through intelligent transformation.
Foshan Chancheng District:
Zhangcha Subdistrict is known as the "Famous Knitting Town in China" and is building a new 100-billion knitted garment industry cluster to promote the upgrading of the industrial base and the modernization of the industrial chain.
Shandong Province:
Shandong Province has many famous cities in the textile industry, such as Jimo City (a famous knitting city in China) and Guangrao County (a famous cotton textile city in China). These areas have strong production capabilities in the fields of cotton textiles and knitted garments.
Hebei Province:
Hebei Province, especially Gaoyang County (a famous towel and blanket city in China), has obvious advantages in the production of home textiles, especially towels and blankets.
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region:
Shihezi City is known as the "Famous Cotton Textile City in China" and plays an important role in the supply of cotton textile raw materials.
Hubei Province:
Pengchang Town, Xiantao City is known as the “Famous Town of Nonwoven Products in China” and has professional advantages in the field of nonwovens.
