Sourcing guide
OEM vs ODM Knitwear: Which Route Fits Your Brand?
OEM means we make your design to your specification. ODM means you start from a style we have already developed and adapt it for your market. Both end with your brand on the label. The difference is who does the design work, what your team has to prepare, and how much control you have over the details. This guide compares the two, explains where private label fits, and helps you choose.
By Marcia Lee, Business Manager at Knitwear World · Updated October 2026
Side by side
How OEM and ODM knitwear differ.
| OEM | ODM | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Your tech pack or sketch, or a garment you want matched as a counter sample | One of our existing styles or new designs, which we add every week |
| Who designs | Your team; we review whether it can be knitted well and at your target cost | Our design team; you adapt yarn, colour, fit, stitches and details |
| What you send | Tech pack, measurements, yarn, construction and any artwork | Target market and price, the style you chose and the changes you want |
| Before the first sample | More questions to settle, because every detail comes from your specification | Fewer questions, because the base style is already proven on our machines |
| Design ownership | Your design, handled confidentially; we are happy to sign an NDA | Ask for exclusivity: a style can be reserved for your brand, by market or for an agreed period |
| Best for | Brands with their own designers and a clear product in mind | New brands, fast seasonal drops and testing a new category |
Some terms stay the same whichever route you choose: our standard MOQ is 300 pcs per style with at least 50 pcs per colour, the first sample normally takes 3–5 days once the details are confirmed, and bulk normally takes 30–40 days from approval of the pre-production sample and colours.
Design development at Knitwear World: our team adapts styles for ODM clients and reviews tech packs for OEM orders.
Private label
Where private label fits in.
Private label is not a third way of making the garment. It is the branding layer you add to an OEM or an ODM style: your neck label, care and size labels, hangtags, barcode and packaging. You can add it from the first sample or at the pre-production stage.
So the real choice is between OEM and ODM. Private label then makes the finished sweater yours on the shelf.
Process
The two routes, step by step.
| Step | OEM | ODM |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brief | Send the tech pack, measurements and yarn | Choose a style and tell us what to change |
| 2. Review | We check construction, yarn, gauge, cost and MOQ | We confirm the changes, yarn, cost and MOQ |
| 3. Sample | Knitted to your specification | Knitted with your changes |
| 4. Approve | Pre-production sample, colours and branding | Pre-production sample, colours and branding |
| 5. Produce | Bulk, inspection and shipment | Bulk, inspection and shipment |
Many projects mix the two. A brand starts from one of our styles, then changes the fit, stitch and yarn so much that the result is closer to its own design. Tell us which parts must stay exactly as you specify, and we treat those as OEM requirements.
How to choose
Which route suits you?
Choose OEM if…
You have a designer or tech pack, a specific fit or construction, or a design that must stay confidential.
Choose ODM if…
You need to launch quickly, are testing a new category, or want proven styles adapted to your market and price.
Mix them if…
You want a proven base but your own details: start from our style and specify what must not change.
Either way, our in-house design team reviews your brief free of charge before sampling.
Avoid these mistakes
Common mistakes with OEM and ODM orders.
OEM
- Sending a tech pack without measurements, tolerances or yarn composition, then waiting for questions that could have been answered on day one.
- Specifying a construction or colour count that does not suit the yarn or gauge. Ask for a manufacturability review before sampling.
- Assuming confidentiality without writing it down. Ask for an NDA if the design matters.
ODM
- Assuming a style is exclusive. Exclusivity has to be agreed: by brand, by market or for a period.
- Changing so many details that the timeline becomes an OEM timeline without planning for it.
- Choosing a style for its look without checking that the yarn and gauge hit your target price.
Both
- Leaving labels and packaging until the end. Send artwork early, so branding is on the pre-production sample.
- Approving verbally. Approvals of the sample, colours and pre-production sample belong in writing.
Checklist
What to send for each route.
OEM
- Tech pack or sketch, with measurements and tolerances
- Yarn composition, gauge and stitches, or a reference garment
- Colours as Pantone references or yarn cards
- Quantity per style and per colour, target price and delivery date
- NDA, if you need one
ODM
- The style you chose, or photos of the direction you want
- The changes: yarn, colour, fit, stitches and details
- Target market, target price and quantity per colour
- Whether you need the style reserved for your brand or market
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