Short answer: plan quantities at the style × color × size level, not as one total order. There is no universal activewear size ratio. For Linked Sourcing Ready Styles, one style starts from 50 pieces, but every selected color-size combination needs at least 15 pieces; five sizes in one color therefore start from 75. Full Custom starts from 200 pieces per color and style, divided across approved sizes by an agreed order breakdown. Use real customer evidence, then label every assumption.
A size ratio is an inventory decision. It is not a body size chart, garment measurement specification or grading rule. Those files decide how a garment should fit. The ratio decides how many units of each sellable variant you buy.
Linked Sourcing supports two distinct routes:
- Ready Styles: select the current standard product privately from the Excel catalogue and stock quotation sheet. Start from 50 pieces per style, with at least 15 pieces in every selected color-size combination. Request the current Ready Styles files.
- Full Custom Manufacturing: develop or change the product to an approved specification. Start from 200 pieces per color and style, then agree the size breakdown within each color/style order. Start a Full Custom quantity review.
The examples below are transparent arithmetic. They are not sales forecasts, stock promises or recommended size distributions.
Size chart, grade rule and size ratio are different controls
Buyers often use “sizing” for three separate decisions. Mixing them creates costly errors.
| Control | Question it answers | Typical owner | Production evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body size chart | Which body measurements is each label intended to serve? | Brand / technical team | Intended-wearer chart and market sizing decision |
| Garment specification and grade | What should the physical garment measure in every size? | Technical designer, pattern team and factory | POM chart, diagrams, grade rules, tolerances and approved patterns |
| Size ratio / quantity mix | How many units should be ordered in each sellable size? | Brand merchandising / buying team | Style-color-size order breakdown and evidence log |
A 20/40/60/50/30 purchase split does not define garment measurements. A well-graded XS–XL range does not prove demand will follow that same order split. Use the activewear size grading and fit approval checklist to control fit, then use this guide to control units.
The four-number model: style, color, size and SKU
Every order plan should show four layers:
- Style: the physical product design, such as one legging or one sports bra.
- Colorway: the ordered color combination for that style.
- Size: the sellable size label within that colorway.
- Variant / SKU: the unique style-color-size combination you count, list, inspect and ship.
The basic SKU-count formula is:
number of active SKUs = styles × ordered colors per style × ordered sizes per color
If one legging uses two colors and five sizes, it creates ten active SKUs. If a three-style capsule repeats that complete matrix, it creates thirty active SKUs. More SKUs do not automatically create more customer choice; they create more combinations that need evidence, inventory, identification, photography, ecommerce data and replenishment decisions.
Google Merchant Center’s official item group ID guidance treats apparel colors and sizes as separate product variants: each variant uses a unique product ID while variants of one product share an item group ID. The GS1 GTIN Management Standard likewise states that each style, color and size variation is considered a unique product for GTIN assignment. These standards explain identification; they do not tell a brand how many units to buy.
Ready Styles formula: the combination count can exceed 50
For one Ready Style, first count only the color-size combinations you actually want to order.
Ready Style mathematical minimum = max(50, selected combinations × 15)
This formula applies per style. It does not guarantee that the exact combinations are currently available, reservable or priced as expected.
| One selected Ready Style | Selected combinations | Mathematical minimum | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 color × 3 sizes | 3 | 50 pieces | A 20/15/15-type split can reach 50; actual availability still controls |
| 1 color × 4 sizes | 4 | 60 pieces | Four combinations cannot fit inside 50 because 4 × 15 = 60 |
| 1 color × 5 sizes | 5 | 75 pieces | The five-size range raises the style minimum to 75 |
| 2 colors × 3 sizes | 6 | 90 pieces | Every color-size cell needs at least 15 |
| 2 colors × 5 sizes | 10 | 150 pieces | A broad two-color matrix triples the 50-piece headline minimum |
This is why “MOQ 50” must not be interpreted as 50 units distributed across unlimited colors and sizes. The 50-piece threshold is the starting total for one style; the combination rule can set the higher effective minimum.
The Ready Styles vs in-stock vs made-to-order guide explains why a catalogue image is not evidence that every variant is finished and available.
Full Custom formula: 200 per color and style
For Full Custom Manufacturing:
Full Custom starting quantity = total ordered color-style pairs × 200
If every style uses the same number of colors, this is equivalent to styles × colors per style × 200. Counting color-style pairs remains accurate when one style has one color and another has two.
The approved sizes are divided inside each 200-piece color/style order. The Ready Styles 15-piece combination rule is not the Full Custom rule.
| Full Custom program | Starting garment quantity | Size-allocation control |
|---|---|---|
| 1 style × 1 color | 200 | Approved sizes divided within one 200-piece color/style order |
| 1 style × 2 colors | 400 | Each color separately reaches 200; ratios may differ if evidence supports it |
| 3 styles × 1 color each | 600 | Three separate 200-piece style/color breakdowns |
| 3 styles × 2 colors each | 1,200 | Six separate 200-piece style/color breakdowns |
Special fabrics, custom dyeing, seamless programs, trims, molds, labels, packaging or other suppliers can require more than the garment starting point. Confirm these constraints before treating 200 as the final commercial quantity.
Use the three-style activewear capsule plan when the quantity model must also coordinate a hero top, hero bottom and third product role.
There is no universal 1:2:2:1 activewear ratio
A generic ratio appears precise because it is easy to copy. It may still be wrong for the product.
Different products can reach different size distributions because of:
- target market and size system;
- customer age, activity, fit preference and intended compression;
- bra support and cup/underband architecture;
- legging rise, inseam, stretch, power and negative ease;
- unisex, women-specific, men-specific or adaptive fit decisions;
- price, channel, color and launch timing;
- availability, returns, exchanges and prior stockouts;
- marketing exposure to each variant;
- whether the previous size range was itself incomplete.
Do not pool sports-bra, legging, jacket and swim-bottom sales into one “brand ratio” unless the decision truly applies across those fit systems. Do not use a competitor’s public size selector as proof of what sold; it may reflect initial buying, current stockouts, deliberate scarcity or a different fit block.
Build a provisional ratio from evidence
Use the strongest available evidence and label its limitations.
| Evidence source | Useful signal | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Same style / same fit-block paid orders | Closest evidence for a reorder | Prior color, price, channel or stockouts may distort it |
| Closely related product orders | Better than a generic industry ratio | Fit and use case may still differ |
| Returns and exchanges by reason | Reveals fit or description problems | Returns are not a direct demand forecast |
| Waitlist or preorder size selection | Captures declared intent for the named product | Intent can differ from paid and retained orders |
| Customer interviews and fit tests | Explains coverage, comfort and label expectations | Small samples may not represent the full market |
| Target-market research | Helps define the intended population | Population data does not directly equal purchases for one fit and price |
| TikTok / Instagram account evidence | Reveals questions, regions, content response and audience context | Engagement and demographics do not prescribe garment quantities |
For each size, assign an evidence weight, then normalize the weights:
provisional share for size = size evidence weight ÷ total evidence weights
provisional units = color/style quantity × provisional share
Round to whole units and reconcile the total after applying any production, carton or channel constraints. Keep an “evidence source” and “assumption” column next to the calculation.
A worked arithmetic example—not a market recommendation
Assume a brand has five approved sizes and creates evidence weights of 10 / 20 / 30 / 25 / 15. The weights total 100, so a 200-piece custom color/style order converts arithmetically to:
| Size label | Example evidence weight | Calculated units | What this example proves |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 10 | 20 | The formula converts a documented weight into units |
| S | 20 | 40 | It does not prove S demand for another brand |
| M | 30 | 60 | It does not prove M should be the largest size |
| L | 25 | 50 | The source behind the weight still needs review |
| XL | 15 | 30 | The finished total must reconcile to 200 |
The numbers are deliberately illustrative. They are not Linked Sourcing sales data, customer history, an industry benchmark or advice to use this distribution.
Plan colors before copying the ratio
A color plan changes both quantity and SKU complexity.
For Ready Styles, each additional color-size combination adds another 15-piece minimum cell. For Full Custom, each additional color adds another 200-piece color/style starting quantity.
Before adding a color, record:
- its role: core, seasonal, campaign, team, uniform or test;
- evidence source and target customer;
- exact standard or offered Ready Style color;
- materials/components that must shade-match;
- minimums for fabric, labels, transfers, bags or other components;
- photography and ecommerce variant data needed;
- replacement plan if availability or lab-dip approval fails;
- whether the same size ratio is genuinely supported.
A black core color and a bright campaign color may attract different customers or content exposure. That does not automatically justify different ratios; it means the brand should not copy the split without checking.
TikTok and Instagram can frame research—not set the purchase order
TikTok’s official Creative Center Trends guidance, updated in July 2026, says Trends can be filtered by industry and time frame, with analytics for trendlines, related videos, audience insights, regional popularity and related hashtags. Use this to investigate whether a product or color direction is relevant in the intended market.
Instagram’s official Insights help says audience demographics are available based on accounts reached for eligible professional accounts. That may help a brand question whether its content is reaching the intended region or audience. It does not reveal body measurements, fit preference, retained purchases or the correct XS–XL inventory split.
Do not convert views, likes, poll answers or creator comments directly into units. Combine platform evidence with product-level waitlists, paid orders, returns, fit evidence and price tests. The maintained TikTok and Instagram activewear trend report explains the same evidence boundary for trend-led sourcing.
Create one controlled SKU and quantity sheet
Do not send the factory three conflicting files for colors, sizes and barcodes. Use one controlled order sheet with a revision date.
| Required field | Example format | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Ready Styles / Full Custom | Prevents 50-piece and 200-piece rules from being mixed |
| Parent style code | LG-101 | Groups the physical product |
| Product role | Hero bottom | Connects quantity to the assortment plan |
| Color name and code | Black / BLK | Keeps order, artwork and ecommerce naming aligned |
| Size label and system | M / US regular | Distinguishes labels that may look similar across markets |
| Internal variant SKU | LG-101-BLK-M | Gives every sellable combination a unique operational ID |
| Ordered units | 40 | Controls the purchase order and inspection count |
| Availability / reservation | Confirmed date / status | Separates a selected option from reserved finished goods |
| Barcode / GTIN | Assigned by brand owner | Prevents one code being reused across distinct variants |
| Measurement / sample revision | TP-R4 / PP-02 | Ties custom units to the approved physical product |
| Unit price and line total | Quoted value | Makes every variant reconcile commercially |
| Carton and destination | Mark / market | Supports packing, scanning and shipment allocation |
| Evidence source / assumption | Orders Jan–Jun / new-color assumption | Makes the ratio auditable after launch |
An internal SKU is not automatically a GTIN. The brand owner should follow GS1 licensing and market/channel requirements rather than inventing or copying barcode numbers.
Ten-step first-order planning workflow
- Freeze the customer and market. Name the country, channel, activity, price position and fit direction.
- Choose the route. Keep the standard Ready Style product or define a Full Custom specification.
- Confirm the size system. Do not mix US, UK, EU, numeric and alpha labels without a controlled mapping.
- Approve fit evidence. For custom products, approve the base fit and grading before treating every size as ready to buy.
- Choose the minimum viable color plan. Give every color a job and calculate its MOQ effect.
- Create every variant row. One row per style-color-size combination; no hidden totals.
- Attach evidence. Record paid orders, relevant returns, waitlists, interviews, fit tests or explicit assumptions.
- Calculate and reconcile. Apply the correct Ready or Custom formula, round units and make every subtotal equal the purchase order.
- Confirm operations. Check availability, component minimums, barcode ownership, packaging, inspection and shipping allocation.
- Freeze one revision. The purchase order, variant sheet, tech pack, labels and carton marks must describe the same order.
The activewear quotation checklist covers the other commercial information needed before a comparable price is issued.
Private Excel workflow for Ready Styles
The public website does not expose the complete Ready Styles catalogue or live quotation. Use this workflow:
- Send Jerry the product category, approximate quantity and target market.
- Receive the current private Excel catalogue and stock quotation sheet.
- Select exact style IDs or links plus one backup option.
- Ask which colors, sizes and finished quantities are currently available or need production.
- Build the color-size matrix only from confirmed selectable options.
- Apply
max(50, combinations × 15)separately to each style. - Confirm branding/component minimums and reservation timing.
- Approve the final style-color-size breakdown and quotation.
Hi Jerry, please send the current Ready Styles Excel catalogue and stock quotation sheet for ____. Target market: ____. Approximate quantity: ____ per style. After I send the exact style IDs, please confirm available colors, sizes and finished quantity or production status. I understand each style starts from 50 pieces and every selected color-size combination needs at least 15 pieces.
Request the current Ready Styles catalogue.
Full Custom quantity brief
For each custom style, send:
- target market, activity and price position;
- tech pack, reference, sample or clearly marked starting point;
- intended size system and approved range;
- quantity per color and style, starting from 200;
- provisional units by size and evidence source;
- custom colors, fabrics, trims, logos, labels and packaging;
- fit, grading, testing and sample approval status;
- barcode ownership, destination and launch timing;
- any channel pack or carton allocation.
Hi Jerry, I want to develop style ____ for ____ market. Colors: ____. Quantity: ____ pieces per color and style. Size range/system: ____. Provisional size split by color: ____. Evidence behind the split: ____. Custom fabric/fit/construction/branding: ____. Tech pack or reference attached: ____. Please review material and component minimums, sample plan and final order breakdown before quotation.
Read first-order results without fooling yourself
After launch, compare every style-color-size variant on the same relevant time window. Track:
- units available at launch;
- units sold and retained after returns;
- days in stock and days unavailable;
- returns/exchanges by named reason;
- discounting and channel exposure;
- content or campaign exposure by color;
- waitlist and lost-sale evidence while unavailable;
- margin and replenishment feasibility.
A size that sells out first may have strong demand—or it may simply have been underbought. A size with more remaining units may be weak—or it may have received less exposure or have a fit problem. Record stockout timing and return reasons before turning sell-through into the next ratio.
Common size-ratio mistakes
Using 50 as a free-form Ready Style total
Five sizes in one color create five combinations and therefore a 75-piece mathematical minimum, not 50.
Applying the Ready combination rule to Full Custom
Full Custom starts from 200 pieces per color and style, then sizes are allocated within the agreed breakdown. It is a different route.
For matching sweat sets, the matching sweat set manufacturing guide shows why the top and bottom need separate size ratios and how one hoodie plus one jogger starts mathematically from 100 Ready garments or 400 Full Custom garments in one color before combination or upstream minimums increase the order.
Calling a popular ratio “industry data”
Unless the source, product, market, period, stockouts and returns are known, the ratio is an unsupported assumption.
Copying one ratio across every product and color
Different fit systems, colors, channels and launch exposure may require separate evidence.
Treating engagement as paid demand
Social data can guide research and content. It does not specify how many XS, M or XL units customers will buy and keep.
Reusing one SKU or barcode for different variants
Separate style-color-size combinations need separate operational identification. Keep parent grouping and unique variant IDs distinct.
Measuring sales without availability
A variant cannot sell while out of stock. Include days available and lost-sale evidence before interpreting the result.
Sources and scope
This guide was reviewed on August 11, 2026. Identification guidance uses current Google Merchant Center variant documentation and GS1’s GTIN Management Standard. Platform context uses TikTok’s July 2026 Creative Center Trends guidance and Instagram’s official Insights help.
None of those sources publishes a universal activewear size ratio. All example quantities are transparent calculations from Linked Sourcing’s stated garment MOQ rules or explicitly labeled arithmetic. They are not Linked Sourcing customer sales data, market forecasts, live stock, quotations or promises that a specific variant is available.
