Bulk from 50: Colorway Split Rules That Do Not Break MOQ
"Can we do navy 30 and charcoal 20?" is the most common MOQ question after "what is your minimum?" The answer depends on whether you are splitting colourways of one sealed style or launching two styles. Mixing those ideas is how brands think they met 50 and still get a "below minimum" reply.
This post is for private-label buyers planning splits with Shi Yuan Suit Factory in Baodi, Tianjin. For matrix layout language, see our colorway matrix note — this one is about split rules against the 50 minimum.
The rule in one sentence
Our bulk / OEM / private-label path starts at 50 units. How those 50 may split across colours and sizes must be agreed before cutting, against one sealed sample (or one sealed style with approved colour lab-dips / lots).
Split patterns that usually work
| Split idea | Example | Usually OK if… |
|---|---|---|
| One style, two colours | Navy 30 + charcoal 20 | Same construction, trims differ only by colour codes; total ≥ 50 |
| One style, three colours | Navy 20 + grey 15 + black 15 | Total ≥ 50; each colour has a workable size curve |
| One colour, full size run | Navy 50 across 46–56 | Classic; easiest warehouse story |
| Two styles | Style A 30 + Style B 20 | Not one MOQ — treat as two programs unless agreed otherwise |
If Style A and Style B have different canvases, pockets or patterns, they are two MOQs. Colour alone does not create a new style; pattern does.
Size curve inside a colour split
A colour with only five units still needs a size story — or you will ship five of the same size. When you split colours thinly:
- keep a minimum per colour that can cover your core sizes (agree the number in writing);
- or accept that a thin colour is a "hero size only" capsule and label it that way;
- do not hide a marketing wish ("eight colours") inside a 50-unit first PO.
Size-run thinking: size run grading.
Cloth lots and shade
Two colours means two cloth decisions. Navy and charcoal from different mills are fine; navy and "same navy, different lot" is how shade complaints start. Reserve lots per colour when you brief. Sample each colourway you will sell — or sample one construction and approve lab-dips / swatches for the others if you and we agree that path in writing.
Labels and SKUs for splits
Give each colour its own SKU even when the pattern is identical. Retailers and your own warehouse will otherwise pick the wrong unit. Hangtags should show colour name and SKU; care labels follow your market rules. Do not rely on "the tissue paper is different" as a picking system.
Reorder splits
A reorder can change the split (e.g. navy 40 + charcoal 10) if total meets the agreed minimum for that style and cloth is available. It cannot silently change construction. Quote the sealed sample ID on every split PO so the cutter is not guessing which seal applies.
What breaks MOQ conversations
- Asking for five colours inside 50 with a full size curve each
- Treating two canvases as one MOQ because "both are navy programs"
- Adding a colour after cut without accepting a new lot and timeline
- Expecting us to hold fifty metres of eight colours on speculation without a booking
We would rather redesign the split on WhatsApp before deposit than argue after cutting.
Clock
Seal the style (sample 7–14 days after confirmation). Approve in writing. Then produce the split PO in the 14–21 day production window. Changing the split after cut is a new conversation, not a free edit. Policy context: sample policy; capacity framing: manufacturing.
Worked example (hypothetical)
A Sydney brand wants four colours on a first PO of 50. Math: 12+12+13+13. Core sizes cannot be covered in each colour. We propose two colours × 25 for PO1, then add colour three on PO2 after sell-through. They accept; warehouse stays sane; MOQ is met once.
Another example (hypothetical)
Navy 40 + limited olive 10 for a trunk-show exclusive. Agreed because olive is hero sizes only (50/52/54) and labelled as a capsule, not a full curve. Total still 50 of one style.
What to send so we can say yes or no in one reply
- Style reference (sealed or to-sample)
- Colour list with units each
- Size curve per colour (or "hero sizes only")
- Country + monthly volume estimate
WhatsApp Shi Yuan your colorway split
First PO discipline
Your first private-label PO is where brands over-split. Resist eight colours. Two colours that sell teach you more than five colours that sit. After sell-through data, widen the split on PO2 with the same sealed style. That sequence respects MOQ and cash.
Talking to retailers about thin colours
If a retailer wants a colour you only made in hero sizes, say so on the line sheet. "Capsule — sizes 50/52/54 only" prevents returns from stores that ordered a 46 they never had. Honesty on the sell-in sheet is cheaper than freighting wrong units back.
SKU naming that matches the split
Give each colourway its own SKU suffix even when the block is shared. When someone reorders "the navy," they should hit one code tied to the sealed shade and trim, not a verbal memory of last season's carton.
Next step
WhatsApp the split table · Email houzhenying226@gmail.com
Shi Yuan Suit Factory, Baodi, Tianjin. Acumenwear.com is our English export site.
