The knitwear headlines this month come down to three numbers: a market forecast, a machinery shipment count, and a sampling time. Here’s what each one means for a brand sourcing sweaters.
1. The market: $1.26 trillion by 2035
Textile Today reported on July 30 that the global knitwear market is set to reach $1.26 trillion by 2035. Sustainability and performance fabrics are the two growth drivers.
Two things follow from that forecast. More brands will enter the category, so the shelf gets more crowded. And the brands that win will be the ones that test styles fast and adjust before competitors do.
That’s where a low MOQ changes the math. At 100 pieces per style, you can run more tests per season, keep cash out of inventory, and drop a style that isn’t selling before it costs you a season.
2. The machines: flat knitting shipments fell 21% in 2025
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation released its 48th annual machinery shipment survey on July 30. Electronic flat knitting machine shipments fell 21% to 106,000 units. Large-diameter circular machines dropped 13% to 24,500 units. Spinning was the exception, up 3.3%.
China still took 66% of the flat knitting machines shipped. The machinery is there, and it’s concentrated. The drop in shipments says the industry is consolidating — factories are running the machines they have, not buying new ones.
For a brand, that makes one question more important than ever: what machines does your factory actually run, and what gauges does it cover? Lewen Garment runs 100 Cixing automatic knitting machines across 3GG to 18GG. When you ask about a style, we’ll tell you which machine group it runs on, and what that means for the knit structure, the cost and the timeline.
3. The factory floor: AI and automation compressed sampling
Reporting out of Dalang — the sweater township in Dongguan that makes one in five sweaters sold worldwide — shows where the automation push landed. Factories there use an AI design model built on over two million knitwear images. A designer enters a few keywords and gets multiple design proposals in one to two minutes. Design costs drop by more than 60%, and sample production time has gone from three days to two hours.
Sampling is no longer the bottleneck in knitwear sourcing. The bottleneck is knowing what to ask for. That’s the part machines don’t do.
That’s where factory advice matters. A factory that gives you straight answers before you sample saves you money twice: once on the sample that won’t work, and once on the production run you would have placed anyway. At Lewen Garment, mockups and design help are free, and we’ll tell you if a style is realistic before you spend on it.
4. What this means for brands and designers
- Gauge is the first decision. 3-5GG for chunky knits, 7-9GG for midweight, 12-18GG for fine knits. A factory that tells you the right gauge for your design saves you a sample round.
- Yarn advice pays before you sample. Acrylic-nylon for cost and shape retention. Cotton for drape. Wool and merino for premium programs. Substitutions change hand feel, weight and price, and a good factory walks you through the trade-offs with numbers.
- Pattern complexity is a cost driver. This week’s Dalang reporting had a good example: a client’s knitted dress with openwork shoulders and rows of circular cutouts took an engineering team through the night to program. A factory that flags this before sampling saves you a surprise quote.
- Test small before you scale. Five styles at 100 pieces beats one style at 500 for a young brand. You get sales data instead of a guess.
- Flexibility is a process, not a promise. Can the factory mix styles in one season? Can it adjust yarn between runs? Will it confirm the sample timeline before you pay? These answers tell you more than any brochure.
5. Sourcing with a factory that advises you
Three things brands need from a knitwear factory in this market:
- Low MOQ. 100 pieces per style, held for 23 years at Lewen Garment. New styles and repeat orders, same minimum.
- Flexibility. Mixed styles per season, adjustable yarn and details between runs, 7-10 day samples and 15-30 day bulk production.
- Advice. Free mockup and design help, plus honest answers on gauge, yarn, pattern feasibility and lead time — before you spend on a sample that won’t work.
The forecast, the machinery numbers and the factory floor all point the same way: knitwear sourcing is faster than it’s ever been, and the edge goes to brands that test small and get good advice early.
FAQ
Why did flat knitting machine shipments fall in 2025?
The ITMF’s 48th machinery survey recorded a 21% drop in electronic flat knitting machine shipments. The industry is running existing capacity instead of buying new machines, and China remains the largest market at 66% of shipments.
What is Lewen Garment’s MOQ?
100 pieces per style, for new styles and repeat orders. We’ve held this minimum for 23 years.
Does Lewen Garment help with design and fabric selection?
Yes. Mockups and design help are free, and we give technical advice on gauge, yarn composition and pattern feasibility before sampling starts.
How fast can I get a knitwear sample?
7-10 days for a simple style. Complex styles take longer, and we confirm the timeline before we start.
Can a small brand work with an automated factory in China?
Yes, if the factory’s MOQ fits your budget. Lewen Garment runs 100 automated Cixing machines across 3GG to 18GG and accepts 100-piece orders, so small brands get the same machinery as large ones.