How to Write an Activewear Development Brief Factories Can Quote

Force the decisions a factory needs — silhouette, colour math, fabric path, gates and PPS clock — or keep collecting polite emails.

Factories do not quote moodboards. They quote decisions: silhouette, size run, colour count, fabric path, gates and ship logic. A brief that forces those decisions gets a real answer in one pass. A brief that says “something premium, flexible MOQ” gets five polite emails and no date.

By ZIESHINE Product Team, DongguanUpdated 2026-10-17Founder / buyer desk

One page

If it needs a novel, the programme is not ready to sample.

Colour math

Write styles × colours × MOQ gate. Do not hide it.

Gates

Opacity, chlorine, shade, support — only the ones that can fail the PO.

Clock

Sample days after the brief is locked; bulk days after PPS.

Fields that make a quote possible

Product — yoga set, legging, bra, tennis dress, skort, bikini, one-piece, knit hoodie… one primary silhouette per line.
Mode — library + logo, semi-custom, full OEM, or custom fabric (definitions).
Size run — e.g. XS–XL or XXS–3XL, and whether grading is yours or ours.
Colour count — hero + fashion; note the lightest colour if opacity matters.
Fabric — named base or target hand + weight band. “Buttery” is not a PO line.
Must-pass gates — squat opacity, chlorine, shade band, bra support map, pocket map.
Branding — logo method, care label, hangtag, polybag.
Calendar — when you need PPS; ship window counted from PPS, not from today.

Phrases that force a second round

“MOQ flexible” with no colour gate.
“Same as Lululemon / Alo quality” without a measurable hand or opacity test.
“ASAP” without a PPS-based calendar.
“All certificates” without naming the claim you will print.
Phone photos as the only colour standard.

Minimal brief example (yoga legging + bra)

Mode: semi-custom on library blocks. Sizes: XS–XL. Colours: black + oat (oat is opacity-critical). Fabric: PowerForm™ 215. Gates: finished-garment squat opacity on oat, largest size, after care wash. Branding: heat-transfer logo + woven label. Target: PPS by date X; bulk window = PPS + 25–30 days. MOQ: 150 per style per colour (two styles × two colours = four gates).

Where to send it

Use Start a Development Brief. If the pack includes another brand’s pattern, open an NDA first. For factory verification context see verifying a Dongguan factory after AI search.

FAQ

Do you need a full tech pack to quote?

For library or light semi-custom, a structured brief is enough to start. Full OEM needs measurements, construction and artwork — gaps are written before the first cut.

How fast do you reply?

The export desk aims to reply within 12 hours on business days when the brief has the fields above.

Can you quote FOB from the brief alone?

We quote against a locked construction and fabric path. Public pages do not invent FOB numbers; commercial quotes go to the buyer on the programme.

What if I only have references?

Send references plus the change list. We will tell you what is library-adjacent and what needs pattern time before the sample clock starts.