Most sourcing delays are not caused by slow sewing. They are caused by buyers and suppliers holding different assumptions about how long each stage takes. This is the sequence as it actually runs, with the points where time is typically lost.
The full sequence
1. Enquiry and initial quote — 2 to 5 working days
You send the style, fabric direction and quantity; the supplier returns indicative pricing. Time lost here is almost always on the buyer side: incomplete specs mean the supplier quotes against assumptions that later change.
2. Specification lock and firm quote — 3 to 7 days
Once fabric, trims, packaging and Incoterm are confirmed, the quote becomes firm. Do not proceed to sampling until this is written down.
3. Sampling — 7 to 15 days, plus shipping
A first sample for a new style typically takes one to two weeks in production, then several days in transit. Custom fabric development or a new print pushes this to three weeks or more.
Budget for at least one revision round. Nearly every first sample needs an adjustment.
4. Sample approval — 2 to 5 days
Your review time, not the factory's. This is one of the most common hidden delays in the whole chain.
5. Fabric and trim sourcing — 10 to 25 days
If the fabric is in stock, this is fast. If it must be woven or dyed to order, expect two to four weeks, and longer for custom colours during peak season.
6. Bulk production — 15 to 30 days
Dependent on quantity and line availability. A 1,000-piece order on a dedicated line is a different proposition from a 20,000-piece order split across several lines and colours.
7. Inspection and packing — 2 to 5 days
Pre-shipment inspection, any rework, and packing. If inspection fails, this stage expands and the shipping date moves.
8. Shipping — 7 to 40 days
Air freight is days; sea freight is weeks. The decision here should be made early, because booking late during peak season is its own delay.
A realistic end-to-end range
Adding it up, a new custom shirt program typically runs 6 to 10 weeks from confirmed spec to goods leaving the factory, and longer if custom fabric is involved. Reorders on an approved style with stock fabric can be much faster.
Where the time actually goes missing
- Incomplete specification at enquiry — the single biggest cause of slippage
- Slow sample feedback — a week lost in approval is a week lost at the end
- Late fabric confirmation — production cannot start without it
- Peak-season congestion — Chinese New Year and Q3/Q4 peaks compress capacity
- Booking freight too late — a production-complete order still waits at the port
The calendar rule that saves seasons
Work backwards. Take your in-store or launch date, subtract shipping, subtract inspection and packing, subtract bulk production, subtract fabric sourcing, and subtract two sample rounds. What remains is your latest specification-lock date. Miss it and the delay compounds at every stage.
The bottom line
Lead time is not one number, it is eight. Manage each stage with its own deadline and the overall timeline becomes predictable instead of optimistic.
Need a production schedule mapped to your launch date? Send us your target date.