Cut and Sew Manufacturing Explained: How Custom Garments Are Made

Cut and sew is the garment manufacturing method where fabric is cut from rolls into individual panels and sewn together to create a finished garment. It is the most common manufacturing process for custom clothing — and the method used for virtually every quality garment you own.

The term "cut and sew" distinguishes custom manufacturing from other production models:

Cut and sew gives you complete control over every aspect of the garment: the fabric, the pattern, the construction, the fit, the labels, the finishing. This is how brands create products that are genuinely their own.

Step 1: Pattern Making

Every garment begins with a pattern — a set of flat templates that, when cut from fabric and assembled, create the three-dimensional shape of the garment.

Pattern making is both technical and creative:

A skilled pattern maker translates your design sketch or tech pack into a set of flat pieces that, when assembled, create the garment you envisioned. This is arguably the most important skill in garment manufacturing — a bad pattern produces a bad garment, regardless of how good the fabric and sewing are.

Step 2: Grading

Grading is the process of scaling the base pattern up and down to create the full size range (S, M, L, XL, XXL, etc.).

Grading is not simply enlarging the pattern proportionally. Different measurements scale at different rates:

These grade rules vary by brand, by target market, and by garment type. Getting the grading right means the garment fits well in every size — not just the sample size. For bottoms, grading is particularly challenging (read our jogger manufacturing guide for more on this).

Step 3: Marker Making

A marker (or cutting layout) is a plan for arranging all the pattern pieces on the fabric to minimise waste.

Think of it as a jigsaw puzzle: the more efficiently the pieces are arranged, the less fabric is wasted. A good marker achieves 80–85% fabric utilisation. A poor marker might waste 25–30% of the fabric.

Marker making must account for:

Step 4: Fabric Spreading

The fabric roll is laid out on the cutting table in multiple layers. The number of layers depends on:

The marker is placed on top of the stacked fabric. Every layer must be smooth, tension-free, and aligned — a wrinkle in one layer produces a mis-cut piece.

Step 5: Cutting

The fabric is cut through all layers simultaneously, following the marker lines. Cutting methods include:

At White Cotton, we use manual cutting for most of our production. Our operators have years of experience cutting jersey and fleece fabrics, and the hands-on approach gives us control over fabric handling that automated systems can miss with knitted fabrics.

Step 6: Bundling

After cutting, the panels are sorted, stacked, and bundled by style, size, and colour. Each bundle contains all the pieces needed to assemble a group of garments.

Bundling is a logistics task — getting it wrong means the sewing team receives mismatched panels, causing delays and potential errors. In a well-organised factory, bundling is systematic: each bundle is tagged with style number, size, colour, and quantity.

Step 7: Sewing

Sewing is the core of garment manufacturing. Cut panels are assembled into finished garments by operators working on specialised industrial sewing machines.

A typical sewing line is organised as an assembly line — each operator performs one or two specific operations, then passes the garment to the next station.

For a basic t-shirt, the sewing sequence might be:

1. Join shoulder seams

2. Attach neck binding/collar

3. Set sleeves

4. Close side seams and underarm in one pass

5. Hem body

6. Hem sleeves

7. Insert main label

8. Insert care label

For a hoodie, the sequence is longer:

1. Construct hood (two panels + lining if applicable)

2. Attach hood to body

3. Join shoulder seams

4. Set sleeves

5. Construct kangaroo pocket

6. Attach pocket to body

7. Close side seams

8. Attach ribbed cuffs

9. Attach ribbed waistband

10. Insert drawcord

11. Insert labels

12. Final stitching and bartacks

The number of operations determines the sewing time per garment and, directly, the labour cost.

Machine types used:

Step 8: Finishing

After sewing, each garment goes through finishing:

Step 9: Quality Control

Every garment is individually inspected. At White Cotton, our QC checks include:

For more on quality processes, read our quality control guide.

Step 10: Packing

Finished, inspected garments are:

| Factor | Cut and Sew | White Label | Print-on-Demand |

|--------|------------|-------------|-----------------|

| Customisation | Full control | Labels and decoration only | Decoration only |

| MOQ | 50–500+ | 50–200 | 1 piece |

| Unit cost | Mid-high | Mid | High |

| Lead time | 3–5 weeks | 2–3 weeks | Per-order |

| Brand differentiation | Maximum | Moderate | Minimal |

For brands seeking maximum control over their product, cut and sew is the only option. For brands wanting a faster, lower-risk start, white label may be the better first step.

The cost of a cut-and-sew garment depends on:

For detailed pricing, read our production costs breakdown.

We are a cut-and-sew factory. Everything we produce — hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts, shirts, jackets, joggers — is cut from rolls of fabric and assembled by our sewing team in Barcelos, Portugal.

Our operation is vertically integrated: cutting, sewing, finishing, decoration, quality control, and packing all happen under our roof. No outsourcing, no middlemen.

If you have a garment concept and want it produced to your exact specifications, start the conversation. We will guide you through the process — from tech pack to delivered goods.