Sourcing women's clothing & apparel from China

Women's fashion is one of the biggest categories buyers source from China — and one of the easiest to get wrong on sizing and quality. Here's the practical version: where to buy, how minimum orders and private-label work, and the checks that save you from a bad bulk run.

This was one of the busiest categories on the old Don Express marketplace. The storefront is offline, but the manufacturers behind those listings still sell through the major platforms — here's how to reach them directly.

Where to source

• 1688 — the domestic Chinese wholesale platform where the real factory prices live (Chinese-language; many buyers work through a sourcing agent). Best for volume and OEM.
• Alibaba — the English B2B gateway to the same suppliers, with Trade Assurance and easier communication.
• DHgate and similar for smaller minimums while you're testing designs.
• Guangzhou's apparel markets — Shisanhang, Baima and Zhanxi are the wholesale clothing districts; see the wholesale markets guide.

Minimum orders & private label

Stock designs can have low minimums; custom work (your label, your tech pack) usually starts higher — often a few hundred pieces per style and colourway. Ask up front about MOQ per colour and size run, and whether the quoted price includes your label, hangtags and polybags.

The two things that go wrong: sizing and quality

• Sizing runs small. Chinese "standard" sizing is cut smaller than US/EU. Never assume — get the factory's measurement chart (in cm) for every style, and ideally a graded size set as samples, before you commit to bulk.
• Sample before you scale. Order pre-production samples and check fabric weight and composition, stitching, colour-fastness and finishing — then consider a third-party inspection on the bulk run so piece 500 matches the sample.

Labels, compliance & duties

• Sort out fibre-content and care labels in your market's language and format — many countries require them by law (US textile labelling, EU fibre rules, and so on).
• Children's clothing carries extra safety rules (flammability, drawcords, small parts) — check your destination's requirements before ordering.
• Apparel often carries higher import duty than many goods; get the correct HS code and price the duty in. The shipping & sourcing guide covers freight, incoterms and customs.
• Don't touch branded logos or knock-offs — counterfeit apparel is seized at customs and simply isn't worth the risk.

Shipping notes

Apparel is light but bulky, so freight is often billed on volumetric weight — pack efficiently. Air-ship samples and small first orders; move to sea freight once volumes justify it.

New to sourcing from China? Start with the shipping & sourcing guide, then browse the wholesale markets.