Two suppliers quote the same shirt. One says $6.80, the other says $5.90. The instinct is to take the lower number. In practice, the lower quote is often the more expensive decision, because the numbers are not measuring the same thing.
This guide breaks a shirt quote into its real components so you can compare like with like.
What actually sits inside a shirt price
A quote for a finished dress shirt typically bundles six buckets:
- Fabric — usually 40–55% of the total cost and the single biggest lever
- Cut, Make, Trim (CMT) — labour and factory overhead, roughly 20–30%
- Trims — buttons, interlining, thread, labels, tags (5–10%)
- Packaging — polybag, hangtag, carton, and any retail presentation
- Inspection and compliance — AQL inspection, testing, certifications
- Supplier margin — typically 8–15% for a factory-direct order
When you know these proportions, you can immediately tell which line item a supplier is discounting to win the order — and what they will claw back later.
Trap 1: Fabric specification drift
The most common way a quote is lowered is by quietly downgrading the fabric. A 60s cotton twill at 130 gsm becomes a 45s blend at 110 gsm. The quote looks cheaper; the shirt feels cheaper and wears out faster.
Insist the quote names the composition, yarn count and fabric weight explicitly. A quote without a fabric spec is not a quote, it is an estimate.
Trap 2: The MOQ that is not really the MOQ
A supplier may quote an attractive per-piece price at 500 pieces, but the price assumes you will order across many colours and sizes in one run. Ask whether the quoted price holds per colour and per size. Small colour runs carry a real cost that often reappears as a surcharge.
Trap 3: Ex-works versus FOB versus DDP
These are not the same price. A lower ex-works quote can end up more expensive than a slightly higher FOB quote once inland freight, export documentation and port charges are added. Always normalise every quote to the same Incoterm before comparing.
Trap 4: Sampling and tooling charged separately
Some quotes exclude sample cost, pattern development, or custom label plates, then add them later. Ask for a fully loaded first-order cost, not just the unit price.
Trap 5: Payment terms as hidden financing
A 50% deposit is not free. If one supplier wants 50% up front and another wants 30%, the difference in your working capital is a real cost. Factor payment schedule into the comparison.
How to build a comparable quote sheet
For each supplier, record the same fields:
- Fabric: composition, yarn count, weight, width
- CMT scope: what finishing operations are included
- Trims: brand and spec of buttons, interlining, thread
- Packaging spec
- Incoterm and named port
- MOQ per colour and per size
- Sample cost and whether it is credited against the bulk order
- Payment schedule
- Lead time: sample, bulk, shipping
- Inspection standard and who pays for a failed inspection
Only when every supplier is mapped onto the same sheet does the comparison become meaningful.
The bottom line
Cheapest per unit is rarely cheapest per outcome. Compare fully loaded cost against identical specifications, and the right supplier becomes obvious.
Want a shirt quote that spells out fabric, CMT, trims and terms line by line? Request a detailed quotation.