Short answer: in an OEM (original equipment manufacturing) arrangement the clothing maker produces your design to your approved specification: it develops or adjusts patterns, sources or receives materials, makes samples, cuts, sews, finishes, checks in-line and packs. The brand still owns the design decisions, the approvals, the legal content of labels, import responsibilities and final acceptance. Most OEM problems happen where nobody wrote down who owns a task.
This page is about the responsibility split. The stage-by-stage OEM process is in how clothing manufacturing works with an OEM supplier; brand set-up is in creating a fashion brand with a China OEM manufacturer; and the difference between OEM and ODM is in OEM vs ODM clothing manufacturing.
Who does what
| Task | Clothing maker usually does | Brand usually owns |
|---|---|---|
| Design and tech pack | Reviews the tech pack, flags what is unclear or hard to make, suggests construction options. | The design, measurements, tolerances and final decisions. See what a factory needs to quote. |
| Patterns and grading | Makes or adjusts production patterns and grades sizes, if that service is agreed. | Approving fit on the sample and size set; agreeing who owns the patterns. |
| Materials | In full-package OEM, sources fabric and trims to your spec; in CMT, receives what you supply. | Approving fabric, lab dips and trims; in CMT, delivering materials on time. |
| Sampling | Makes proto, fit, size-set and pre-production samples to the agreed ladder. | Paying for and approving each stage in writing; sealing the approved sample. |
| Production | Cuts, sews, finishes and packs; runs in-line checks. | Approving any change in materials, process or sewing location. |
| Quality acceptance | Internal QC before shipment. | Defining the acceptance plan (for example ISO 2859-1 with defect limits) and deciding on pass, rework or rejection. |
| Labels | Prints and attaches the labels you approved. | Label content: fibre names (16 CFR Part 303), care instructions (16 CFR Part 423), country of origin, and RN or company name where used. |
| Import and product safety | Provides documents it holds (packing list, commercial invoice, supply-chain records). | Importer duties such as classification, origin marking and UFLPA documentation; for children’s products in the U.S., certification and tracking labels under CPSC requirements. |
Where tasks most often get missed
- Measurement tolerances. If the tech pack has none, the maker’s house tolerances apply by default. Write them in.
- Label wording. Makers print what they are sent. If the fibre content or care instruction is wrong, the legal exposure is usually the brand’s or importer’s. See label compliance for private-label clothing.
- Test methods. “Low shrinkage” or “good colour fastness” means nothing without a named method and limit. See writing a shrinkage limit into a fabric spec.
- Subcontracting. Printing, embroidery or washing may be done elsewhere. Ask which steps leave the main factory.
- Pattern and artwork ownership. Agree it before production, not when you want to move suppliers.
How to set the split up in practice
- List every task from the table above in the order or a short responsibility sheet, with a name on each side.
- Agree the sample ladder and which approvals are written and sealed.
- Hold a pre-production meeting to confirm materials, labels, packing and the inspection plan.
- Inspect against the plan, then decide acceptance. See garment quality inspection.
Fact, recommendation, uncertainty
Fact: U.S. textile and care labelling rules and CBP origin marking apply to the product you sell, wherever it is made. Recommendation: keep label content, acceptance and IP decisions on the brand side even when the maker offers to “handle everything.” Uncertainty: service scope varies a lot between makers — some include pattern-making and fabric sourcing, others only sew — so the split above must be confirmed for each supplier.
Where Knitwear Base fits
Knitwear Base is a knitwear OEM manufacturer in China. The scope we take on for a program is agreed in writing for that program. For when a China OEM is and is not a good fit, see why choose a clothing manufacturer in China for OEM, or use the contact page.
Sources and further reading
- eCFR, 16 CFR Part 303, Rules under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act
- eCFR, 16 CFR Part 423, Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel
- CBP, Marking of Country of Origin on U.S. Imports
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
- CPSC, Clothing (FAQ): flammability, lead, tracking labels and certificates
- FTC, Registered Identification Number: Frequently Asked Questions
- ISO 2859-1:2026, Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes (AQL)
Rules and standards are summarised from their official pages for general guidance; this is not legal advice. Check the current version and the requirements of your own market before you rely on them.
