How you buy it.
OEM, ODM, private label and white label are not four different services. They are four answers to one question: how much of the design do you already own? The industry uses these terms loosely, which tends to suit suppliers more than buyers. Here is the plain version.
The Four Models, Side by Side
Read across your situation. If you have a tech pack you are looking at OEM; if you have an idea and a logo you are looking at ODM.
| OEM | ODM | Private Label | White Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who designs it | You | We do | Either | We do — already exists |
| You need a tech pack | Yes | No | No | No |
| Whose labels | Yours | Yours | Yours | Yours |
| Design exclusive to you | Yes | By agreement | Depends on route | No |
| Fit is yours to control | Fully | Adapted to brief | Depends on route | No |
| Development time | Shortest — spec exists | Longest | Varies | None |
| Cost | Mid | Highest | Varies | Lowest |
| Typical buyer | Established brand | New brand | Brand or retailer | Reseller or event |
Which one is yours?
- I have a tech pack and own my designOEM
- I have a brief and a brand, but no designODM
- I need my labels in the garmentPrivate Label
- I need product fast and cheap, and distinctiveness is not the pointWhite Label
- I am buying volume for resaleWholesale & Bulk
- I need next season to match this seasonReorder Programme
The Confusion Worth Clearing Up
Private label is not the opposite of OEM
They answer different questions. OEM and ODM describe who designed the garment. Private label describes whose labels go in it. Almost every OEM and ODM order is also private label — they combine rather than compete.
White label and private label are not the same
Both put your labels in the garment. White label uses an existing product unchanged, so anyone else can buy the identical thing. Private label can involve a garment built specifically for you. The distinction matters most when you are trying to build a brand.
Every Way We Work
All routes run through the same factory, the same line and the same quality process. Minimum order is 20 pieces per design on every one of them.
Not sure which model fits?
Tell us what you already have — a tech pack, a sketch, or just an idea and a logo — and we will tell you which route suits it and what it will cost.