Los Angeles is home to some of the country's only vertically integrated knitwear manufacturers: mills that knit their own fabric and then cut, sew, and finish garments in-house. For brands developing custom tees, rib, fleece, and sweats, that means full control over yarn, weight, texture, and fit, with production timelines measured in weeks, not months. The best LA knitwear partners combine a deep fabric library, in-house pattern and sampling, and cut-and-sew expertise built specifically for knits.
Here's how custom knitwear gets made, and what to look for in a manufacturer.
First: Which Kind of Knitwear Do You Need?
"Knitwear" covers two very different manufacturing processes.
- Circular-knit (cut-and-sew) knitwear: Fabric is knit in large tubes on circular knitting machines, then dyed, cut, and sewn into garments. This is how tees, rib tops, tanks, hoodies, crewnecks, and sweatpants are made.
- Flat-knit (fully fashioned) knitwear: Garment panels or whole garments are knit to shape on flat-bed machines. This is how most sweaters and cardigans are made.
Most streetwear, basics, and athleisure brands need circular-knit production. Knowing the difference up front saves weeks of calls to the wrong factories.
How Custom Knitwear Is Made
A custom knit garment moves through seven stages:
- Yarn selection. Fiber, yarn count, and spinning method set the fabric's hand, strength, and texture.
- Knitting. Yarn is knit into fabric, whether jersey, rib, fleece, or a specialty construction, at a target weight.
- Dyeing and finishing. Fabric or finished garments are dyed, washed, brushed, or compacted for color, softness, and shrinkage control.
- Pattern development. Patterns are drafted and graded across sizes for the fabric's specific stretch and drape.
- Sampling. Samples are sewn, fitted, and revised until the fit is right.
- Cut and sew. Fabric is cut and sewn into finished garments on knit-specific machines.
- Finishing and QC. Garments are inspected, finished, and packed.
The more of these stages happen under one roof, the more control a brand has over the final product.
What Makes a Premium Knit
Yarn. Cotton quality and spinning method come first. Ring-spun yarn is smoother and stronger than open-end yarn, and fiber origin matters to brands telling a Made in USA story.
Yarn count. Numbers like 18/1 or 30/1 describe yarn thickness. Lower numbers mean thicker yarn and a heavier, sturdier fabric, like the classic 18/1 jersey of '90s tees. Higher numbers mean finer yarn and a lighter, drapier hand.
Construction. The knit structure defines texture, stretch, and recovery:
| Construction | Texture and hand | Common uses |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey | Smooth face, soft back | Tees, tanks, long sleeves |
| Vintage jersey | Broken-in, lived-in hand | Vintage-style tees |
| Baby rib | Fine, close-fitting stretch | Fitted tees, crop tops, tanks |
| 2x1 rib | Pronounced vertical texture | Tanks, fitted tops, trims |
| Brushed fleece | Plush, warm interior | Hoodies, crewnecks, sweats |
| Loopback / French terry | Looped interior, structured drape | Lighter fleece, shorts |
| Thermal / waffle | Grid texture, insulating | Long sleeves, layering |
Weight. Measured in oz/yd² or GSM, weight shapes drape, structure, and warmth.
Finishing. Brushing, washing, compacting, and garment dyeing transform how a knit feels and ages.
Why Vertical Integration Matters for Custom Knits
When the same company knits the fabric and sews the garment:
- Texture and weight are engineered for the design. They aren't limited to what a mill has on the shelf.
- Fit is consistent. Pattern makers know exactly how the fabric stretches, shrinks, and recovers.
- Development is faster. Fabric tweaks and sample revisions don't wait on an outside mill.
- Reorders match. The same knit spec runs every time.
For more on choosing a factory, see How to Choose a Cut-and-Sew Factory in Los Angeles.
Cut-and-Sew for Knits Is a Specialty
Knits stretch, curl, and recover in ways woven fabrics don't. Premium knit production depends on:
- Knit-specific machines: overlock, coverstitch, and flatlock
- Operators experienced with stretch fabrics, so seams don't wave or pucker
- Patterns built for the fabric's stretch and shrinkage
- Rib trims and collars that are matched and applied to recover properly
A factory that mostly sews wovens can struggle with jersey and fleece. Ask any potential partner what share of their production is knits.
Custom Knitwear, Made in Los Angeles
US Standard Apparel is a vertically integrated knitwear manufacturer in Vernon, California, backed by the fabric development and knitting capabilities of our sister company, SAS Textiles. SAS runs a 140,000-square-foot circular knitting operation, one of the largest on the West Coast, and has supplied premium labels for more than 30 years. Together, we design and manufacture custom textiles and the garments made from them.
- In-house: 150 circular knitting machines, pattern and tech development, cutting, sewing, and final finishing and QC
- Dyeing and embellishment: handled by trusted partners in Los Angeles
- Yarn: 100% US-grown cotton across our line, except our ECOCYCLE® styles, made with ECOCYCLE® yarn (50% recycled, 50% BCI cotton) spun by Spain's Belda Lloréns in a closed loop with our own production waste
- Fabric library: jersey, vintage jersey, baby rib, 2x1 rib, thermal, waffle, and brushed fleece, plus endless custom constructions, weights, and textures through fabric development
Our full-package private label program covers fabric development, pattern making and sampling, cut-and-sew production, garment dyeing and finishing, and final packing:
- Pattern development: $1,200–$2,000, including pattern, grading, two revisions, and three samples
- Lab dips and dye sampling: 1–2 weeks each
- New style development: 2–4 weeks
- Cut-and-sew production: 4–8 weeks, depending on custom fabric
- MOQs: 500 units per body for custom cut-and-sew (prepared-for-dye goods can be split across colors) and 200 units per colorway for custom garment dye
- Custom colors: $50 per color
Not ready for custom? Our ready-to-ship knit blanks have no minimums.
Made in LA. Controlled from yarn to finished garment.
Start a private label project → · Apply for wholesale access →
FAQ
Where can I find custom knitwear manufacturing in Los Angeles?
Look for vertically integrated knit manufacturers that knit their own fabric and cut and sew in-house. US Standard Apparel, backed by SAS Textiles' 140,000-square-foot circular knitting operation in Vernon, produces custom tees, rib, thermal, waffle, and fleece entirely in Los Angeles.
What is a vertically integrated knitwear manufacturer?
It's a company that controls fabric production and garment production together: knitting its own fabric, then cutting, sewing, and finishing in-house. US Standard Apparel and SAS Textiles design and manufacture custom textiles with an emphasis on quality and texture, then turn them into finished garments in Los Angeles.
Can a manufacturer develop custom knit fabrics for my brand?
Yes, if it runs its own knitting. US Standard Apparel develops custom knit constructions, weights, and textures, from rib and thermal to waffle and brushed fleece, through its private label program, with MOQs starting at 500 units per body.
What's the difference between circular knit and flat knit?
Circular knitting produces fabric in tubes that's then cut and sewn into tees, fleece, and sweats. Flat knitting shapes garment panels or whole garments directly and is mainly used for sweaters.
Which LA cut-and-sew manufacturers specialize in premium knits?
Premium knit manufacturers use knit-specific machines, experienced stretch-fabric operators, and patterns built for each fabric. US Standard Apparel specializes exclusively in knits, including jersey, rib, thermal, waffle, and brushed fleece, knit and sewn in Vernon.
How long does custom knitwear production take?
At US Standard Apparel, new style development takes 2–4 weeks and cut-and-sew production takes 4–8 weeks, depending on whether custom fabric is needed.