Cardigan manufacturer in Bangladesh

Cardigans are open front sweaters for men, women and children: V-neck and crew neck button cardigans, shawl collar cardigans, cropped and longline styles. Fashion brands, school outfitters and workwear buyers order them as easy layers. A cardigan manufacturer in Bangladesh knits the body like any sweater; the button band, buttonholes, buttons and pockets are what make a cardigan look right and keep it that way.

Garments Hub BD asks both factories to quote the same band construction, button count and button type, since the band and its trims carry most of the extra work in a cardigan. Buttons are approved at the PP sample, and inline inspection checks buttonholes and button sewing on early pieces. If you supply your own buttons, they go into the timeline ahead of the PP sample.

Kinds of cardigan

V-neck button cardigan

The classic: a V front with a rib band up both fronts and round the neck, usually five to seven buttons. Worn in menswear, womenswear and school wear at 7 to 12 gauge.

Shawl collar cardigan

A wide rolled collar that runs into the front bands, often in a chunky 3 to 5 gauge yarn. The collar needs a firm knit to roll evenly and hold its shape.

Crew neck cardigan

A round neck with small buttons to the top, common in fine gauge womenswear and childrenswear. Smaller buttons mean more of them and closer buttonhole spacing.

Cropped cardigan

A short body ending at or above the waist, mostly womenswear, with fewer buttons. Body length is critical, so length shrinkage must be held tight.

Longline cardigan

Knee length or longer, often open with no buttons or with a tie belt. Heavy for its length, so it can grow, and pockets and belts add panels.

How to specify a cardigan

Button band

Knitted as a separate rib band and linked on, or knitted with the front. Give the band width, usually 2.5 to 3.5 cm, and say whether a tape stabilises it.

Buttonholes

Knitted in on the machine, or sewn after knitting. Knitted holes are soft and neat; sewn holes are crisp but need a backing so the knit does not split.

Button size and type

Size in ligne, where 1 ligne is 0.635 mm; cardigans usually take 18 to 24 ligne. Name the material, sew through or shank, and colour.

Button spacing by size

Fix the top and bottom button positions, then space the rest evenly. State the number of buttons per size; long sizes may need one more.

Button attachment

Ask for a thread shank and a small backing button inside, which spreads the pull on the knit and stops buttons tearing out.

Pockets

Patch pockets linked or sewn on, or inset pockets knitted into the front. Give pocket size and position for each size.

Tests for cardigans

ISO 5077 with ISO 6330

Dimensional change in washing. If the band shrinks more than the body, the fronts pull up and the hem dips, so test a finished cardigan, buttoned.

US CPSIA

Children's cardigans sold in the US need buttons tested for lead at a CPSC accepted laboratory: at most 100 ppm in metal and 90 ppm in paint or coatings, with a Children's Product Certificate.

REACH Annex XVII

Entry 27 covers metal shank buttons and snaps on cardigans sold in the EU, limiting the nickel they release in direct and prolonged skin contact.

Price drivers for a cardigan manufacturer in Bangladesh

• Buttons: horn, corozo, shell or metal cost several times more than plain plastic.
• Button count: every buttonhole and every sewn button is an operation on each piece.
• Separate linked bands with a stabilising tape cost more than bands knitted with the front.
• Patch or inset pockets add panels, yarn and linking or sewing time.
• Longline and shawl collar styles use much more yarn per piece.

Lead time for cardigans

Buttons are a trim with their own lead time, longer for custom or natural material buttons, so they are ordered as soon as the button is approved. Buyer supplied buttons must arrive before the PP sample. Shawl collars and longline bodies take longer to knit and link. Children's buttons for the US add a lab test. The quote shows trim dates beside the knitting plan.

What we check on cardigans before shipment

• Button pullButtons are pulled with a gauge to the agreed force, and checked for a thread shank and backing button where specified.
• ButtonholesEach buttonhole is checked for complete stitching, no cut yarn ends and a size that holds the button without gaping.
• Front lengths and hemButtoned up, both fronts must be the same length, with hems level and bands straight rather than flaring.
• Button alignmentButtons must sit opposite their holes on every size, so the fronts do not twist when fastened.

Questions buyers ask about cardigans