Sourcing a custom combat shirt is a specification problem before it is a supplier problem. Buyers who end up rejecting a bulk shipment rarely chose the wrong factory. They chose the wrong level of specification, and the gap was filled by whoever was making the garment. This guide sets out what to fix in writing before you ask for a quotation, and how to read the answers you get back.
Decide what the garment has to survive
Start from use, not from a photograph. The two decisions that drive everything else are the climate the garment will be worn in and the equipment it will be worn under.
A combat shirt worn under a plate carrier in humid heat has a different correct specification from one worn as an outer layer in dry desert conditions. In the first case the torso fabric has to move moisture and dry quickly, and abrasion resistance at the torso matters less because the vest is taking the contact. In the second case the fabric meets sun, dust and abrasion directly, and a slightly heavier woven may hold up better even though it is warmer.
Write these two facts down before anything else:
- The climate and season the garment is issued for
- Whether it will be worn under load-bearing equipment or as an outer layer
Almost every disagreement about "the same combat shirt" traces back to one of those two facts being different between the buyer and the supplier.
Split the specification by function
A combat shirt is a two-material garment, and the specification should be written that way.
| Garment area | What it has to do | Specification focus |
|---|---|---|
| Torso | Manage heat and moisture against the body | Moisture movement, drying behaviour, low seam bulk |
| Sleeves | Survive abrasion and contact | Ripstop construction, reinforcement placement |
| Elbow | Survive ground and equipment contact | Reinforcement type, pad pocket dimensions |
| Collar | Sit under equipment without chafing | Collar height, closure type, chin guard |
| Cuff | Stay adjustable with gloved hands | Hardware type, corrosion resistance |
| Pockets | Carry what the end user actually carries | Pocket size, position, closure type |
If your current specification treats the garment as one fabric, one reinforcement and one pocket layout, this table is where the improvement starts. It is also the fastest way to see whether a supplier is engaging with the product or just quoting a price.
What belongs in the tech pack
A tech pack does not have to be elaborate. It has to be unambiguous. Six items cover most of the risk:
- Measurements — garment measurements or body measurements, with the size range, expressed as a graded chart rather than a single sample size.
- Tolerances — the acceptable measurement variation per point. Without this, "the measurements were wrong" is unresolvable.
- Construction details — seam type, reinforcement positions, bartack locations, collar and placket construction.
- Materials — torso and sleeve fabrics with any composition or performance requirement you care about.
- Labelling and packaging — main label, size label, care label, country of origin label, folding method, bag type, carton marking.
- Inspection standard — the AQL level and the measurement points that will be checked on final inspection.
Send this to three suppliers and compare what comes back. You are not only collecting prices. You are measuring how carefully each supplier reads.
Read the questions, not the price
The most useful signal in a sourcing conversation is the list of questions a supplier returns.
A supplier who can manufacture the garment will come back with specific gaps — pad pocket dimensions, collar height, whether a reinforcement is internal or external, the pocket depth, the tolerance on sleeve length, the position of the label. Each question tells you they have actually thought about how the garment is assembled.
A supplier who replies "no problem, we can make anything" has either not read the document or intends to interpret it during production. Both outcomes cost you the same thing: a bulk shipment that is technically compliant with a specification nobody agreed.
Ask these four questions in writing:
- What do you need that is missing from this pack?
- Which parts of this specification are you not able to hold, and why?
- What will you do if a fabric lot does not match the approved standard?
- How is the approved pre-production sample retained for the next order?
The last question is the one most buyers forget, and it is the one that decides whether order two matches order one.
Understand where price differences come from
Two quotations for "the same" combat shirt can differ by a wide margin without either being dishonest. The usual causes are material substitution and construction reduction, and both are invisible in a total price.
Compare quotations line by line against the written specification:
- Torso fabric type and weight
- Sleeve fabric type and weight
- Reinforcement at the elbow — present, internal or omitted
- Zip specification and tape width
- Hook and loop specification and colour matching
- Pocket count and closure type
- Labelling and packaging completeness
A cheaper quotation is only cheaper if it delivers the same list. If it does not, the difference is not a saving, it is a specification change you did not agree to.
Plan for the second order before you place the first
Repeatability is the whole point of a manufacturing relationship, and it is decided before production starts.
Three things make a repeat order reproducible: a retained approved sample, a written specification that does not change between orders, and a documented material standard that incoming fabric is checked against. If any of those is missing, order two will be a negotiation rather than a repeat.
Ask to see how the approved sample and the fabric standard are stored and referenced. A supplier who can describe that process is a production partner. A supplier who cannot is a sampling partner, which is a different and less useful thing.
FAQ
How many suppliers should I approach for a custom combat shirt?
Three is usually enough to compare technical engagement as well as price. Fewer than three and you have no reference point for what a normal response looks like. More than five and the comparison becomes noisy without improving the decision.
Do I need a tech pack, or is a reference garment enough?
A physical reference garment is a strong starting point because measurements can be taken from it, but it does not tell a supplier which parts of the garment you actually care about. The practical combination is a reference garment for measurements plus a written note of the climate, layering and features that matter. A full tech pack shortens development the most.
What should I do if a supplier will not answer technical questions?
Treat it as a signal rather than an inconvenience. Suppliers who cannot describe how a garment is constructed usually cannot control how it is constructed either. Ask for a pre-production sample before committing to bulk, and make the approval of that sample a written condition of the order.
How do I keep colour consistent between orders?
Approve a shade standard, keep a physical retained sample of it, and make incoming fabric inspection against that standard part of the agreed process. Colour drift between orders is nearly always the result of no retained standard rather than of a supplier decision to change the colour.
Should MOQ decide which supplier I choose?
No. MOQ is a commercial constraint, not a quality signal, and it is usually a consequence of fabric minimums and line setup rather than of ambition. Decide the specification and the supplier first, then treat MOQ as a term to negotiate within the option you actually want.