Garments are packed in three main ways. Flat packed in polybags is the default for knitwear, basics and most casual wear; hanging, known as garments on hangers or GOH, is used for tailored jackets, coats and dresses that would crease; and within either method cartons are built either as solid size or as a ratio assortment that matches how the goods will go onto the shelf. The right choice depends on the product, on how your warehouse receives goods, and on what your retail customers require.
Flat pack in polybags
Each garment is folded to a set size, often around a board or tissue, and placed in a polybag with a size sticker and the warning text your market requires. Polybag thickness, recycled content and printing are usually specified by the buyer, and some markets now restrict single-use plastic, so check before you set a standard. Garments then go into an export carton, sometimes with an inner carton, and the carton is sealed and marked.
Flat pack is cheap, dense and easy to count. The cost is pressing at destination for anything structured, and creasing on garments with heavy interlining. For most knit and casual programmes it is the only method worth considering.
Hanging garments
Suits, blazers, coats and some dresses ship on hangers to avoid creasing and the cost of re-pressing. Hangers are usually to the retailer's specification, with shoulder covers or full garment bags, and the goods travel either in a GOH container fitted with bars and strings or in hanger cartons with a bar across the top. Freight per piece is higher and fewer pieces fit, but the garment arrives ready for the shop floor.
Solid size versus assortment
Whichever you choose, the packing instructions belong in the purchase order: pieces per polybag, polybag type and size, pieces per carton, carton dimensions and maximum gross weight, assortment, hangers, tissue and any retailer-specific rule. Keep cartons within a manual handling weight, often around 15 to 20 kg, because many warehouses reject heavier ones.
- Solid colour, solid size: one colour and one size per carton. Easiest to count and inspect, and the standard for warehouses that pick by stock keeping unit.
- Solid colour, ratio pack: one colour with sizes in a set ratio, for example one small, two medium, two large and one extra large. Common for store replenishment.
- Mixed assortment: several colours and sizes per carton to a packing list. Used for small stores, wholesale and online bundles. It is the hardest to verify and the most likely to be wrong.
How we handle it
We confirm the packing specification with the factory before production and check polybags, folding, assortment and carton build during final inspection and again before loading. Loading supervision at the factory or port means what was counted is what goes into the container. Weekly updates cover packing progress along with sewing. A free 20-minute sourcing review will tell you whether your current specification is realistic for Indian factories.