What Is the Minimum Order for Custom Clothing? (MOQ Explained)
By The Velocity Wear Team
The minimum order for custom clothing is typically 20 to 50 or more pieces per design, depending on the manufacturer and the product. At Velocity Wear the minimum is just 20 pieces per design — one of the lowest premium minimums available — so you can launch or test a range without committing to thousands of units.
What does MOQ mean?
MOQ stands for minimum order quantity: the smallest number of units a manufacturer will produce per order or per design. It exists because every order carries fixed setup costs — artwork preparation, screens, machine setup and quality checks — that only make sense when spread across enough pieces.
Why a low MOQ matters
- Test before you invest — prove a design sells before ordering in bulk.
- Lower risk — a small batch ties up far less cash and avoids dead stock.
- Faster cash cycle — sell through, then reinvest profit into the next run.
- More designs for the same budget — run three test designs instead of one.
Does a low MOQ cost more per piece?
Slightly, because setup is spread over fewer units. But the per-piece cost falls quickly as you scale — by up to 40% at higher volumes. The smart sequence is to test small, prove demand, then reorder larger to unlock bulk pricing. You can see exactly how the price changes by quantity in our instant price calculator.
How to start
Pick your product and design it in our online Design Studio, check the price for 20+ pieces in the calculator, then request an exact quote. From a 20-piece test to a 1,000-piece production run, the process is the same — only the unit price improves as you grow.