WHOLEGARMENT is Shima Seiki's seamless knitting technology: the whole garment — body, sleeves and all — is knitted as one continuous piece, with no panels to cut and no seams to sew. It's widely regarded as the pinnacle of knit construction, and we run it in-house.

New to the technique? Our explainer covers what WHOLEGARMENT is in plain terms. This page is about producing it with us — OEM, under your label.

Built for UK Brands — Duty-Free via the FTA

01

Zero Tariff (UK–Türkiye FTA)

Turkish knitwear enters the UK duty-free under the UK–Türkiye FTA (vs ~8–12% MFN). We provide EUR.1 origin certificates; our in-house Gaziantep knitting meets the yarn-forward origin rule.

02

Light Post-Brexit Compliance

English fibre-content labels (mandatory); care labelling voluntary; no UKCA on knitwear; no mandatory origin marking. Simpler than the US or EU.

03

Modern Slavery Ready

Clean, non-Xinjiang, single-site Gaziantep sourcing supports your Modern Slavery Act s.54 statement and supply-chain due diligence.

04

Fast to the UK

Ocean to Felixstowe / Southampton in ~10–14 days — faster road/RoRo for urgent loads — FOB or DDP, priced in £.

Why WHOLEGARMENT

01

No Seams

Nothing to rub or chafe; a cleaner line and better drape. Ideal for soft luxury and next-to-skin wear.

02

Near Zero-Waste

Knit-to-shape in one piece means almost no offcuts and no linking waste — a genuine, explainable sustainability gain.

03

Premium Signal

“Seamless / WHOLEGARMENT” is a recognised mark of quality that differentiates a collection on the rail.

04

Fit & Comfort

The garment moves as one piece — superior comfort, shape retention and a refined finish.

How It Compares

WHOLEGARMENT

  • Knitted as one seamless piece
  • No side/shoulder seams
  • Near zero cutting & linking waste
  • The premium, next-to-skin choice

The alternatives

  • Fully-fashioned — shaped panels linked together (minimal waste, but seams)
  • Cut-and-sew — panels cut from fabric and sewn (more waste)
  • Both are great for many styles; WHOLEGARMENT wins where seamless comfort and the cleanest line matter

What We Knit Seamlessly

Sweaters, fine-gauge layers, knit dresses and next-to-skin pieces — in merino, cashmere, cotton and blends, at gauges up to 14gg. Seamless construction suits clean, modern silhouettes and elevated basics especially well. For colourwork and heavily structured pieces, fully-fashioned may be the better route — we'll advise honestly per style.

How It Works

1

Tech pack & feasibility

We confirm whether your style suits seamless construction and propose yarn and gauge — within 48h.

2

Seamless sampling

Your design programmed and knitted on Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT, refined to an approved pre-production sample.

3

Bulk, QC & export

Production in 45–60 days with in-house QC, then labelled and shipped worldwide under your brand.

Why Us for WHOLEGARMENT

Many factories quote WHOLEGARMENT but broker it elsewhere. We run Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT in-house — so the craft, quality and timeline are ours to control, founder-direct, at a 250 MOQ. It's a genuine, under-used advantage we put front and centre. Sampling is 10–14 days; bulk 45–60 days; pricing itemised on FOB or DDP.

WHOLEGARMENT FAQ

What is WHOLEGARMENT knitting?

WHOLEGARMENT is Shima Seiki's seamless knitting technology — the entire garment is knitted in one piece on the machine, with no side or shoulder seams to sew.

Do you run WHOLEGARMENT in-house?

Yes — we operate Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT machines in-house, alongside Stoll flat-knit. It's a core capability, not brokered out.

Is WHOLEGARMENT more expensive?

It's a premium technique, but it eliminates linking labour and produces almost no cutting waste, which offsets some cost. Whether it's dearer than conventional knit depends on the style and yarn.

What can you make with WHOLEGARMENT?

Sweaters, fine-gauge layers, dresses and next-to-skin pieces where a seamless, clean line and comfort matter most.

What is the MOQ for WHOLEGARMENT?

250 pieces per colour/size — the same minimum as our other flat-knit production.

Develop a seamless piece

Send a tech pack, a reference garment or a brief. We respond within one business day with a capacity check, indicative pricing and a sample timeline.

Related Guides

→ WHOLEGARMENT Seamless Guide → Gauge Selection Guide → Tech Pack Guide → Intarsia Knitwear for UK Brands

WHOLEGARMENT

WHOLEGARMENT® and seamless knitwear guides

All 50 Guides →
Innovation

WHOLEGARMENT® Seamless Knitwear UK

Production

Knitwear Gauge Selection Guide

Craft

Intarsia Knitwear for UK Brands

Craft

Cable Knit & Aran Knitwear

Production

Tech Pack Guide for UK Brands

Production

Sample Approval Guide

What is the MOQ for WHOLEGARMENT knitwear?

250 pieces per colour/size, the same minimum as our other flat-knit production.

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