Comparison Between 10 Best-Known Clothing Factories of the World: Whom Should You Pick and Why?

The clothing sector plays a significant role in a country's economic development. The rise of social media and related trends focusing on fashion has driven people to look their best on all occasions and thus buy better clothing. Consequently, it has resulted in increased garment sales, profiting the fashion industry at large. However, this has also posed bigger challenges for fashion designers and businesses, who need to find a manufacturer for their clothing lines per their brand's quality and design standards.

Clothing manufacturing factories have multiplied around the globe. Thus, it is becoming increasingly difficult to narrow down on one. Many factors, such as time, logistics, ethics, cost, etc., varying from country to country, need to be considered. The sheer number of factors makes choosing the best clothing factory for your brand a daunting task. Keep reading to find out a comparative analysis between ten countries best-known for their clothing factories, and which clothing factory would be best for you.

Clothing Manufacturing Countries

In Asia

Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, and China, produce a massive volume of clothes for export. Cost is one of the most critical factors in factory clothing; Asian countries have a lower manufacturing cost than European countries. For instance, in 2020, Bangladesh had the lowest manufacturing cost among other Asian countries.

In Europe

European countries such as Turkey, Portugal, and Italy also manufacture large amounts of clothing for export. Europe's clothing factories have high production costs but low shipping costs and times. They also maintain a reputation of being higher-quality clothing factories.

Countries with the Highest Number of Clothing Factories

As per recent research, the countries with the most clothing factories manufacturing in terms of capital by US dollars per year are as follows:

1. China – $120 billion

2. India – $17 billion

3. US – $13 billion

4. Turkey – $12 billion

5. Republic of Korea – $9 billion

6. Vietnam – $9 billion

7. Pakistan – $7 billion

10 Best-Known Clothing Factories of the World

1. China

• China is known to be the largest global factory clothing manufacturer and exporter in the world.
• In 2020, China's clothing export value was approximately 266 billion dollars.
• China has clothing factories in eight of the best categories, including wool, chemical, silk, and fiber.
• China has the biggest workforce, comprising approximately 900 million workers.
• Time efficiency and cost are two areas where China has the best to offer.
• The recent funding from the Chinese government for new facilities and factories ensures the best-quality products. This also means that China's costs will always be competitive, it will provide goods faster, and shipping and production will be timely.

2. Turkey

• As per 2020 research, Turkey is the seventh-largest exporter with an export value of approximately 27 billion dollars. As per the World Trade Organization, Turkey is the third-largest supplier to the EU.
• Turkey has a share of 4.6% in knitted clothing and 2.73% in woven clothing worldwide.
• They offer high-quality fabrics at reasonable costs. Turkey's robust infrastructure allows for offering custom orders, embroidered products, and fewer MOQ with fast shipping.
• Their labor workforce is highly skilled and manufactures almost everything from cotton to denim. However, the production cost of Turkey is higher than in Asia and other countries.

3. Italy

• Clothing is considered to be the most significant factor in Italy's economic growth. Its clothing factories are more known for providing high-quality clothing at reasonable rates and features. 
• For the last few decades, Italy has become the center of fashion and clothing factories globally. The country's primary focus is on innovative technical manufacturing ideas to enhance its factory clothing products' quality and export value.
• The 'Made in Italy' label is a standard garment tag and is usually associated with quality and luxury.
• Italy has a robust infrastructure and ships fast around the world. Italy is also a member of the EU, so there are no additional costs or charges.
• Even so, their clothes cost higher than other countries because of their high production wages and costs for their highly-skilled laborers.

4. Portugal

• Due to Portugal's infrastructure and global location, their products can be shipped to America and Europe easily and quickly.
• Fulfillment and lead times are considered good in terms of providing high-quality garments. The shipping costs are less than what they are in other countries.
• Portugal's government offers incentives to their clothing industries, which means their costs are usually less than other clothing factories of the world.
• For instance, brands like Zara manufacture their clothes from Portugal. Materials that Portugal uses come from Asia, for example, silk and cotton from India.

5. India

• India is the largest cotton producer in the world. It comprises a massive workforce that leads towards quicker production of clothes.
• The Indian clothing industry consists of two major parts. One is the unorganized sector comprising handloom, and the other uses modern techniques and machinery.
• India guarantees quality production of fabric, apparel, chain, and yarn.
• India uses advanced technology to improve its clothing quality. It has an export value of 17 billion dollars.

6. Germany

• Germany is known as the second-largest global clothing exporter after China. It is the world leader in the fashion and textile industry with approximately 38 billion dollars export value.
• The clothing factories in Germany mainly originate from small- and medium-sized businesses.
• It is known for its excellent production of clothing and raw material.
• Since the last few decades, Germany has improved its production quality. In the upcoming years, it may even take the position of the world's best exporter.

7. Bangladesh

• Bangladesh's leading source of economic growth is the clothing industry. It has emerged as one of the best garment suppliers worldwide.
• It is the third-largest global exporter in the world and the second-largest textile exporter for western fashion brands.
• Bangladesh's garment industry has increased its revenue from 19 billion dollars to 38.73 billion dollars in the last seven years.
• Bangladesh's clothing factories have a reputation for providing high-quality products at a low cost.

8. Vietnam

• Vietnam is among the top clothing exporters globally, with an export value of 37 billion dollars.
• Vietnam is known as the fourth largest exporter as per the 2020 report. Its textile industries comprise three sub-sectors: upstream sector garments, fiber production, and downstream sector.
• Vietnam has low labor costs, which means lower manufacturing costs.

9. Hong Kong

• The clothing factories of Hong Kong are one of the major export earners. It is popular for its high-quality clothing products like quality dyed and printed fabric, knit-to-shape panel knitting, denim weaving, fine-gauge cotton knitting, and spinning.
• The export value of Hong Kong is 20.43 billion dollars. It is the ninth-largest global exporter in the world among the factory clothing industry.

10. Spain

• Spain is known as the tenth largest global exporter globally, and its export value is 20 billion dollars.
• Spain is one of the biggest manufacturers and exporters of clothing, dyeing, finishing, and spinning.
• Spain's clothing industries and factories are booming with their better production capacity than others. Its infrastructure is huge, and its workforce is full of highly skilled laborers.

While picking a suitable clothing factory for your brand, make sure to consider the influential factors covered above, such as its infrastructure, shipping time, costs, manufacturer costs, and most importantly, whether it fulfills your business needs. It can be a daunting task, but you can choose the right factory that will benefit you and your brand with the proper guidance and time. Pick a factory manufacturing clothing that fulfills your geographical needs, quality needs, and cost needs.

Conclusion

As a fashion manufacturer or designer, make sure you always source your clothing materials from the right sources. These sources will offer the quickest production times, best rates, ethics and ensure that they meet your business needs on time. The clothing industry is forever changing, and picking up the wrong clothing factory can damage your brand, minimize your profits, and cause a loss in your business.

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