Mike Apparel is a streetwear manufacturer for USA brands: custom hoodies, tees, sets, tracksuits, jackets and hats made in Sialkot to US sizing, from a 50-piece MOQ, in 2–3 weeks, delivered DDP with duties paid to any address in the United States in 4–7 days by air.
Most of what leaves our factory goes to the United States, and the programme is built around that: blocks graded to US sizing, sampling calls on Eastern and Pacific time, quotes in dollars with the landed cost shown, US-compliant care labels, and freight that puts a run at your door within a week of leaving Sialkot. This page explains how manufacturing offshore actually works for a US label, what it costs compared with domestic and Chinese options, and how we handle the parts that usually go wrong: customs, sizing, communication and consistency.
Why US streetwear brands manufacture in Sialkot
Domestic cut-and-sew in Los Angeles or New York is excellent and expensive: $12–$18 for a blank tee, $30–$45 for a blank hoodie before decoration, and minimums that have crept toward 300–500 units as small shops closed. Chinese factories offer low unit prices but rarely below 300–500 pieces per colour, with 45–60 day lead times and a language and time-zone gap that makes revisions slow. Sialkot sits in between on price and ahead on minimums and speed for short runs, because the city’s export industry was built on sportswear orders that are small, technical and frequent. The comparison with numbers is in Pakistan vs China vs USA clothing manufacturing.
| Sialkot (Mike Apparel) | US domestic cut & sew | China (typical) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum per design | 50 pieces | 150–500 pieces | 300–500 pieces |
| 400 GSM hoodie, 100 pcs | $18 – $28 | $45 – $65 | $14 – $22 (at 500+) |
| Sample lead time | 7–10 days | 2–4 weeks | 2–3 weeks |
| Bulk lead time | 2–3 weeks | 4–8 weeks | 6–9 weeks |
| Delivery to USA | 4–7 days air, DDP | Local | 30–40 days sea |
| Wash, print, embroidery | In-house | Usually subcontracted | Usually in-house |
| Communication | English, US hours | Local | Agent or platform |
US sizing and fit
Every block is graded to US body measurements from XS to 3XL, with separate unisex, men’s and women’s grading available. Oversized and boxy blocks are graded so a customer buys their normal size and gets the intended silhouette, which cuts returns compared with “size up” instructions. Sleeve lengths, rises and inseams follow US conventions (a 30-inch jogger inseam at size M, for example) unless you specify otherwise. Our US streetwear sizing guide lists the starting measurements for each block, and the sample stage confirms every size on a body before bulk.
DDP delivery and US customs
DDP means Delivered Duty Paid. We arrange freight, pay US import duty, merchandise processing fees and brokerage, clear customs and deliver to your address. The price on your quote is the landed price. Air freight to Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Houston, Dallas or Las Vegas takes 4–7 days after the run ships; sea freight takes 4–6 weeks at roughly a third of the cost per piece and makes sense from about 300 fleece pieces. We deliver to homes, offices, 3PLs, Amazon FBA prep centres and screen printers, packed to their receiving specs, with commercial invoices and HS codes for your records. Details are on our shipping page and in DDP shipping for clothing imports to the USA.
Communication on US time
Each brand has one merchandiser from first quote through every reorder. Sampling calls and video walkthroughs of the factory floor are booked on Eastern or Pacific time. Production photos are sent at cutting, mid-sewing and final QC, timed to land in your inbox each morning. Revisions are confirmed in writing on the spec sheet, and the approved sample is the reference for bulk inspection.
Products US brands order most
Hoodies
350 GSM for mainstream lines, 400–450 GSM heavyweight for premium drops, French terry for the Sunbelt. Oversized and boxy blocks dominate.
T-shirts
240–300 GSM oversized and boxy tees, acid and vintage washes, garment dye, large-format screen prints.
Sweatsuits
Matching hoodie and jogger sets cut from one lot; cropped and high-waist sets for women’s lines.
Jackets
Varsity, bomber, puffer, denim trucker, coach and workwear jackets for fall and winter drops in the North and Midwest.
Tracksuits
Nylon, polyester and velour sets, heavy in Atlanta, Houston and Las Vegas.
City guides
Streetwear markets differ by city in climate, silhouette and drop size, and we have written a page for each of the markets we ship to most: Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Houston, Dallas and Las Vegas. Each covers delivery times, the fabric weights that sell locally and a typical first order.
Consistency across reorders
The reason brands stay with a factory is that run five matches run one. We hold your pattern, grade rules, fabric lot references, Pantone lab dips, thread colours, label files and artwork under your brand, and cut reorders from the same specifications. Reorders on an existing block skip sampling and ship in 2–3 weeks from deposit, and we keep the same merchandiser on your account.
Starting a first US order
- BriefProduct, quantity per design, reference and your delivery city. Quote within 24 hours in US dollars with DDP landed cost.
- SamplePre-production garment couriered to you in the USA in 7–10 days plus 3–5 days transit, with swatches and a measurement sheet.
- Approve and produceSign off, 50% deposit, 2–3 weeks in production with photo updates.
- Deliver DDP4–7 days by air to your door, duties paid, nothing to pay on arrival.
If it is your first time manufacturing, read how to start a streetwear brand and how to find a clothing manufacturer for a small brand first; both are written for US founders. Then see everything we manufacture or go straight to a quote.
US brand? Send your first product and quantity. Dollar pricing with DDP landed cost within 24 hours, sample in your hands in about two weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have a US office or warehouse?
No. We manufacture in Sialkot and ship DDP directly to your address, 3PL or printer in the USA. Samples and fabric swatches reach you by courier within a week.
How do import duties work?
Under DDP we pay US import duty (typically 16–32% on apparel), merchandise processing fees and brokerage, and include them in your quote. You receive the goods with nothing further to pay.
What time zone do you work in?
Factory hours are Pakistan time, but our sales and sampling team covers 8am–6pm Eastern and Pacific for calls, and updates are sent overnight so they are in your inbox each morning.
Can you meet US labelling requirements?
Yes. Fibre content, country of origin, care instructions and brand identity are built into the care label to FTC requirements.
Do you work with brands outside the USA?
Yes: the UK, Canada, Australia, the EU and the UAE on the same DDP terms, and one run can be split across countries.
Last updated September 5, 2026 · Mike Apparel, Sialkot. Pricing and lead times reflect current factory capacity; confirm on your quote.