Where Most T-Shirts and Hoodies Are Manufactured Today
The global production of T-shirts and hoodies has gradually concentrated in Asia, not by accident, but through decades of supply-chain evolution. Brands looking for scale, speed, and cost control have consistently gravitated toward regions where textile ecosystems are deeply integrated rather than fragmented.
Why Asia Became the Centre of T-Shirt Manufacturing
Countries such as China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, and Pakistan dominate T-shirt manufacturing because they offer something few other regions can match: end-to-end capability. Yarn spinning, knitting, dyeing, cutting, sewing, printing, and finishing often exist within the same industrial clusters.
- Large, specialised labour pools trained specifically for knitwear production
- Established supplier networks for fabric, trims, and accessories
- High-volume factory setups capable of meeting global demand cycles
For buyers comparing sourcing destinations, these advantages become especially visible when evaluating large catalogues of factories and capabilities, such as those organised within a consolidated manufacturer catalogue hub that maps production strengths across regions.
Hoodie Manufacturing Follows Similar Patterns
Hoodies, while heavier and more construction-intensive than basic T-shirts, follow a similar geographic pattern. Pakistan and Bangladesh are particularly strong in fleece and brushed knits, while India and Vietnam have expanded rapidly into premium hoodie production with better fabric control and finishing consistency.
- Access to fleece and loopback fabric mills
- Experience with complex stitching and multi-panel construction
- Scalability for seasonal surges in demand
This is why many global brands continue to work with Asia-based partners like Synerg, especially when producing streetwear and casual essentials that require both volume and visual consistency.
Manufacturing Locations Are Not Static
While Asia remains dominant, manufacturing locations are not fixed forever. Shifts in labour costs, trade policies, compliance expectations, and geopolitical conditions continuously reshape sourcing strategies. Brands today often diversify across multiple countries to reduce dependency on a single region.
This is evident when comparing mature sourcing markets with newer alternatives, or when analysing how production clusters differ between regions such as Tirupur and overseas hubs. Comparative insights like those found in regional manufacturer analyses and international sourcing comparisons highlight how capabilities vary by geography.
Why Buyers Still Choose Asian Factories
Despite ongoing changes, most T-shirts and hoodies are still produced in Asian factories because the region delivers a balance that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. Cost efficiency alone is no longer the sole driver; reliability, technical know-how, and production speed matter just as much.
For brands operating in fast-moving categories such as streetwear and casual apparel, working with experienced Streetwear manufacturing partners like Synerg allows them to navigate these complexities without sacrificing quality or delivery timelines.
Sources
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/textiles
- https://unctad.org/publication/trends-natural-and-man-made-fibres-trade
About the Author
Karthik Shan is the CEO of Synerg, a Tirupur-based apparel sourcing and manufacturing partner working with certified factories across India.
With over two decades of hands-on experience in export-oriented clothing production, he works closely with global brands, importers, and private labels on product development, factory coordination, quality control, compliance management, and scalable manufacturing execution.
Synerg operates as a long-term sourcing partner, bridging international buyers with India’s manufacturing ecosystem through structured, production-led processes rather than transactional manufacturing.