Swedish Brand Inquiry: Wool / Wool-Cashmere Sweater OEM — Our Spec, Price, Timeline

Today (19 May 2026) a Swedish brand contacted us through the website. The brief was minimal — one item, three requirements: "wool or wool-cashmere blend, durable, classic premium fit."

We get 10-15 inquiries like this from Nordic brands per year. Short on words, long on craft implications. Below is our factory-side breakdown of what each line actually maps to.

Yarn choice: Merino vs Wool-Cashmere blend

Nordic clients prefer fine merino over coarse wool — soft on skin, not itchy, comfortable next-to-skin. Two recommendations:

• 100% Merino wool 18.5-19.5μm: top durability, shape-stable after washing, FOB USD 22 - 32 (350g)
• 10% cashmere + 90% merino blend: softer hand, exactly hits "premium" tier without going luxury, FOB USD 28 - 42 (350g)

30%+ cashmere blends are possible but tend to over-price for the Nordic mid-premium tier (USD 45+); usually only boutique brands order these.

"Durable, high quality" — 4 concrete factory actions

"Durable" is abstract until it becomes 4 specific factory steps:

• Anti-pill treatment in the yarn bath — more durable than post-garment treatment
• Gauge-matched linking — 12G knit panels need 12G linking machines, mismatched gauge weakens shoulder seams
• Three-stage setting — steam pre-shrink, wash setting, then iron. Three passes is what keeps the garment shape-stable for 100+ wears.
• Double-stitched neckline and cuffs — Nordic clients wash often. Single-stitch starts loosening within 6 months.

"Classic fit" — Nordic-specific details

Nordic "classic premium" is not the same as Italian or American. Three details that matter most:

• Chest + shoulder: EU 50-54 sizing, shoulder 1-1.5cm wider than US (Nordic frame)
• Sleeve length: standard EU + 1.5cm (longer arms common in Sweden / Norway)
• Hem + cuff ribbing: 1-2cm longer than US patterns, because Nordic men often tuck into trousers in winter

Neckline: crew / V-neck / half-zip all common. Colour palette: low saturation — deep navy, charcoal, taupe, khaki, moss green.

Price, MOQ, timeline

• MOQ: 100 pcs per style per colour (standard). 3-5 colour combo can go below 100 pcs as a trial
• Sampling: 10-12 working days (Nordic clients are picky on hand, build in extra revision)
• Bulk: 30 days (200-500 pcs); 500+ pcs ~ 35 days
• Payment: 30% T/T deposit + 70% against B/L copy; EUR or USD accepted
• Export: CO certificate + packing list provided; OEKO-TEX test report can be arranged via partner yarn mills (essentially mandatory for Nordic premium retail)

One direct piece of advice for Swedish / Nordic clients

Do not place 500+ pcs on the first order. The path that has worked for most of our Nordic clients: 100 pcs trial (1-2 styles, 2-3 colours) → on-shelf 4-6 weeks → reorder 300-500 pcs. Reasons:

• Nordic consumers are particular about hand feel, colour and silhouette — first order should test before scaling
• Swedish winter sales concentrate Sep-Dec — delivery by end of August is the real deadline
• Running through the full process once cuts the reorder lead time by ~30%