The FittDesign Podcast
Concise and comprehensive snippets of the FittDesign, fashion design, product sourcing and e-commerce growth content that you love.Â
FittBite Episode 325: Down vs Synthetic: Which Puffer Should You Actually Buy?
In today's FittBite, we break down down versus synthetic insulation and which puffer jacket you should actually buy.
This FittBite covers what's inside a puffer (baffles, down clusters and polyester fill), what 90/10 and 80/20 mean on the tag, what fill power measures and why higher fill power isn't automatically warmer, why down struggles in the rain, how long each one lasts, short versus long synthetic fibers, price, care and hybrid jackets.
Tune in to learn which fill makes sense for the weather you live in, and what to spec if you're building outerwear for your brand.<...
FittBite Episode 324: What Is Heather Grey? 5 Ways It's Actually Made
In today's FittBite, we break down what heather grey actually is and why the gray version of a tee often carries a different fiber composition than every other color.
This FittBite covers heather as a color effect, fiber-dyed melange mixed at the yarn level, marl yarns twisted from two colors, cross dyeing a cotton and polyester fabric, cationic dyeable polyester, the printed fake and the inside-out test, discharge prints on heather, the cost of a true heather, and color consistency across reorders.
Tune in to learn when heather makes sense for your brand and when...
FittBite Episode 323: Blanks vs Cut And Sew: When Should Your Brand Switch?
In today's FittBite, we go through when a clothing brand should move from printing on blanks to its own cut and sew product.
This FittBite covers what a blank really is, low minimums and universal fits, what cut and sew involves from tech pack to sample to bulk, owning a product competitors can't buy, cost per piece from 0 to 40 pieces up to 100 plus, economies of scale, what customers notice in fit, fabric weight and neck labels, and the signs it's time to switch.
Tune in to learn why testing on blanks and switching one hero...
FittBite Episode 322: Supima vs Pima vs Egyptian Cotton: What Are You Paying For?
In today's FittBite, we break down what you're really paying for when a supplier offers you Pima, Supima or Egyptian cotton for a premium t-shirt.
This FittBite covers staple length and why longer fibers feel softer, extra long staple cotton at 1 3/8 of an inch or more, Pima as a plant bred by the USDA in Arizona, its 3% share of U.S. cotton, Supima as a brand name for certified American-grown Pima, the 2016 Egyptian cotton sheets story, the Cotton Egypt Association logo, pilling and washed swatches, and the 1.5x to 2x cost of ELS cotton.
Tune...
FittBite Episode 321: How Sublimation Printing Actually Works
In today's FittBite, we break down how sublimation printing actually works, and why the print on your gym top was a gas before it was a print.
This FittBite covers disperse dye and transfer paper, the 400°F for 45 seconds press setting, dwell time, why it won't work on cotton, breathability, edge to edge prints, the white line in the seam, and color approval, showing why the fabric comes before the print.
Tune in to learn when sublimation is the right call for your performance line.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for p...
FittBite Episode 320: Why Your Gym Clothes Smell Worse After A Wash
In today's FittBite, we break down why your gym clothes smell worse after a wash, and why polyester is the biggest offender.
This FittBite covers micrococci on synthetic shirts, why it's the bacteria and not the sweat you smell, a panel's sniff test, the University of Alberta wash study (0.4 in cotton against 6.6 in polyester), buildup across wash cycles, washing inside out, fabric softener and wicking, and anti-odor finishes like silver ion.
Tune in to learn how to keep performance kit fresher and what to spec if you're making it.
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FittBite Episode 319: Plastisol vs Water-Based Ink: Which Should Your Tee Use?
In today's FittBite, we break down the difference between plastisol and water-based ink, and why your screen print might feel like a sticker.
This FittBite covers what plastisol is made of, curing at 160 degrees Celsius or 320 Fahrenheit, ink that sits on top versus ink that stains the yarn, printing white on a black tee, discharge printing, why water-based ink needs cotton, dye migration on polyester, and the stretch test for a badly cured print.
Tune in to learn which ink fits your fabric, your print and your base color.
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FittBite Episode 318: Where To Put A Logo On A T-Shirt (Exact Measurements)
In today's FittBite, we explain why a logo that looks perfect in your design file ends up in the armpit or the middle of the chest on your first sample.
This FittBite covers using the center front neckline as your point of origin, full front graphics up to about 11 by 13 inches placed 3 to 4 inches down, staying 2 inches clear of the side seams, left chest wordmarks of 2.75 to 3.75 inches, back prints dropped at least 3 inches, and grading the graphic across sizes so a 2XL never gets a postage stamp.
Tune in to learn which measurements to...
FittBite Episode 317: DTF vs Screen Printing: Which One Actually Lasts?
In today's FittBite, we break down DTF vs screen printing and which one actually lasts on sportswear.
This FittBite covers how each print works, screen printing minimums of around 12 pieces for one color and 24 to 48 for up to four colors, the break-even at roughly 500 and 800 pieces, wash life of 50 to 100 plus washes for DTF, cracking and peeling, stretch inks for leggings and sports bras, dye migration on polyester, low cure inks and bleed blockers, and the look and feel of plastisol, water-based and DTF.
Tune in to learn which print fits your product, your quantity...
FittBite Episode 316: Organic Cotton vs Regular Cotton: Is It Actually Worth It?
Your supplier quotes you a white T-shirt in two versions, standard cotton and organic. They look the same and feel the same, but the price per unit is different. So is organic cotton actually worth it?
In this episode Shadi Adada, co-founder and creative director of FittDesign, breaks down what organic means under the USDA rules, why the hand feel comes down to staple length rather than the organic label, where the 91% less water claim really came from, the honest yield trade-off, what GOTS covers, why you should always ask your supplier for the certificate, and what...
FittBite Episode 315: Authentic vs Replica Jersey: What Are You Actually Paying For?
In today's FittBite, we break down what you actually pay for when an authentic match shirt costs $175 and the replica of the same kit costs $100.
This FittBite covers how Nike, Adidas and Puma name their two versions, Aero-FIT versus Dri-FIT, engineered knit ventilation zones, the 155 versus 175 gram weight difference, the slim fit versus the standard cut, heat transfer prints versus embroidered crests, and what players really wear on match day, showing where the extra $75 goes.
Tune in to learn which shirt most fans should buy, and when the authentic is worth it.
Book...
FittBite Episode 314: How Oversized T-Shirts Are Actually Designed
In today's FittBite, we break down how an oversized T-shirt is actually designed, and why sizing up a regular tee only gives you a bigger regular tee.
This FittBite covers starting from a regular block, dropping the shoulder 1.5 to 2 inches, keeping the 27 inch center back length while the chest half width grows to around 25 inches, shortening the sleeve crown, a neckline that barely moves, fabric from 200 to 300 GSM, and a 25% bigger grade, showing how each change builds an intentional boxy fit.
Tune in to learn the order to work in so your oversized fit never...
FittBite Episode 313: What Happened To Lululemon? (A Designer Explains)
Lululemon basically invented the $100 legging. In Q2 2026 its legging sales fell roughly 20%, revenue dropped 4% to $2.4 billion, the stock hit an eight-year low and a new CEO, former Nike executive Heidi O'Neill, took over in September.
Everyone is talking about the share price. In this episode Shadi Adada, co-founder and creative director of FittDesign, looks at the product side: the see-through Get Low leggings and the "size up" advice on the product page, the Costco dupe lawsuit and the "Lululemon dupe" trademark, the Texas Attorney General's forever chemicals (PFAS) investigation, and why the way back comes down to...
FittBite Episode 312: Is Polyester Actually Bad For You? (A Designer Answers)
In today's FittBite, we break down whether polyester is actually bad for you, and where the truth sits between the hero and the villain story you see online.
This FittBite covers why around 59% of apparel items are polyester and cotton sits at 17%, why gym clothing depends on moisture wicking, why polyester holds on to odor even after washing, the microplastics released in a 6 kg wash, how cold water and fewer washes help, and why not all polyester is created equal.
Tune in to learn how to weigh performance against comfort and a natural feel, whether...
FittBite Episode 311: I Ranked Every Hoodie Trim From S Tier To D Tier
In today's FittBite, we rank every trim on an activewear or sportswear hoodie from S tier to D tier, based on which details are actually worth the extra spend.
This FittBite covers 13 mm metal eyelets, properly tipped drawcord ends and aglets, woven neck labels with a damask weave, neck tape, bar tacks at the pocket corners, 10 to 11 mm flat drawcords, cord locks, metal versus nylon molded zips, printed neck labels, branded aglets and their mold costs and MOQs, machine stitched eyelets, untipped drawstrings, and hang tag strings that cost more than the hang tag itself.
...
FittBite Episode 310: Modal vs Cotton vs Tencel: The Best Natural Legging?
In today's FittBite, we break down whether cotton, modal or Tencel can make a good natural legging.
This FittBite covers the real job of a legging, shape retention, why cotton sags at the knees and the back rise, why even an all-cotton legging still needs elastane, what modal, lyocell and Tencel are, where Tencel pills in damp high-friction use, and whether nylon and polyester were ever the villains, showing how to match the fiber to your customer's priority.
Tune in to learn which fiber fits low impact, all-rounder and performance leggings, and why transparency about...
FittBite Episode 309: How To Choose Between Seasonal And Evergreen Products For Your Brand
In today's FittBite, we go through how a startup brand should choose between a seasonal collection and evergreen core products.
This FittBite covers how often a customer actually uses the product, why a puffer can cost four to five times a pair of joggers to make and sell for far fewer weeks a year, the single narrow ordering window a seasonal drop forces on you, how long you wait for customer feedback on a seasonal item versus a core one, where a seasonal drop genuinely wins by spiking demand and breaking the monotony of your range, and...
FittBite Episode 308: French Terry vs Fleece: Which Hoodie Fabric Should You Pick?
In today's FittBite, we break down the real difference between French terry and brushed fleece, and how to pick the right one for your hoodie.
This FittBite covers why both fabrics start as the same knit, warmth versus breathability, why a 400 GSM French terry can feel as thick as a 300 to 320 GSM fleece, why cheap fleece pills and turns patchy after hot washes, printing and embroidery on each, drape, and why fleece usually costs more pound for pound, showing how the right choice comes down to your customer rather than which fabric is better.
Tune...
FittBite Episode 307: Answering the Internet's Most Asked Questions About Leggings
Why are my leggings see-through? Why do they roll down, pill, go baggy in the crotch or at the knees, or feel itchy? These are the questions people type into Google most about leggings, so we answered every one of them.
Shadi Adada, co-founder and creative director of FittDesign, has designed over a thousand pairs of leggings in the last 10 years. In this episode he explains the real reason behind each problem: waistband height and the belly crease, fabric weight and interlock knits (and why 210 to 240 GSM is the everyday sweet spot), gusset and rise fit, brushed...
FittBite Episode 306: How To Build A Clothing Brand Without Being The Face
In today's FittBite, we explore why you don't have to be the face of your clothing brand.Â
The FittBite covers giving the product its own recognizable identity, letting customers and ambassadors carry the brand, turning the development process into content, building repeatable content formats, and using the founder selectively, showing how a brand can build recognition and trust without the founder appearing in every post.Â
Tune in to learn what activewear founders can take from it.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fa...
FittBite Episode 305: SET Active Made $1M in One Hour. What Happened Before That Hour?
In today's FittBite, we explore what happened before SET Active made $1 million in one hour.
This FittBite covers audience building, repeat customers, launch reminders, early access, multi-channel content, product demand signals, and post-launch review, showing how the result was shaped long before the collection went live.
Tune in to learn what activewear founders can take from the launch.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fittdesign.com/services/consultation
Design your own collection with...
FittBite Episode 304: How to Know Your Idea Is Worth Manufacturing
In today's FittBite, we discuss what makes a clothing product ready for manufacturing beyond the sketch, moodboard, or early concept.
The FittBite focuses on customer behavior, competitive positioning, pricing, landed cost, MOQ exposure, factory feedback, sample testing, and real demand validation before placing a bulk order.
Tune in to learn how to evaluate an idea before it becomes inventory.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fittdesign.com/services/consultation
Design your own collection...
FittBite Episode 303: How I’d Build a $100,000 Sportswear Brand With One Product
In today's FittBite, we break down how a sportswear brand could reach its first $100,000 in revenue by building around one hero product instead of launching a full collection.
The FittBite covers product selection, customer pain points, technical development, fabric and fit testing, color planning, MOQ and inventory control, pricing, reorder strategy, and when the brand has earned the right to expand.
Tune in to see how a focused product strategy can reduce risk, concentrate resources, and create a clearer path to repeatable growth.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice...
FittBite Episode 302: How I’d Build a $100,000 Sportswear Brand With One Product
In today's FittBite, we break down how a sportswear brand could reach its first $100,000 in revenue by building around one hero product instead of launching a full collection.
The FittBite covers product selection, customer pain points, technical development, fabric and fit testing, color planning, MOQ and inventory control, pricing, reorder strategy, and when the brand has earned the right to expand.
Tune in to see how a focused product strategy can reduce risk, concentrate resources, and create a clearer path to repeatable growth.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice...
FittBite Episode 301: Founder vs Operator: The 9 Decisions That Scale.
In today's FittBite, we break down the shift from founder to operator and the nine decisions that make an apparel business easier to scale.
This FittBite covers approval structures, operating rules, key business metrics, product standardization, inventory risk, sample approval standards, escalation systems, hiring around bottlenecks, and controlling operational complexity.
Tune in to learn how to build a business that can make better decisions, move faster, and operate effectively without every decision depending on the founder.
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Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how t...
FittBite Episode 300: I ranked 12 apparel categories by how hard they are to manufacture
In today's FittBite, we rank 12 apparel categories by manufacturing difficulty, based on pattern complexity, fit sensitivity, construction, material requirements, and how consistently each product can be repeated in bulk.
This FittBite covers everything from basic tees and training tanks to seamless leggings, sports bras, technical jackets, and waterproof shells, showing why some products require far more testing, factory capability, and development time than others.
Tune in to see which categories carry the most production risk before the first sample is even made.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi...
FittBite Episode 299: Why Your AI Tech Pack Is Costing You Money
In today's FittBite, we explore how AI-generated tech packs can create production risk when visual mockups, unvalidated measurements, fabric ranges, and broad construction notes are treated as final specifications.
The FittBite covers the difference between a concept document and a controlled production tech pack, including points of measurement, fabric approval, construction decisions, factory capability, sample validation, and ownership of each technical detail.
Tune in before sending an AI-generated tech pack to a factory.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https...
FittBite Episode 298: $649 for a Design Feels Expensive — Until Your Bulk Order Doesn’t Sell
In today's FittBite, we break down why a $649 design fee should be compared against the cost of an unresolved bulk order, not just the price of a sketch.
The FittBite covers product positioning, fit decisions, manufacturing cost, factory-ready specifications, sampling, landed cost, and the financial risk of producing inventory before the product is properly developed.
Tune in to learn why early design decisions can affect every unit you produce.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fittdesign.com/services...
FittBite Episode 297: The 5 Products We Tell Activewear Founders Never to Launch With
In today's FittBite, we outline five product types that new activewear founders should approach carefully before launching.
The FittBite covers highly technical outerwear, high-impact sports bras, detailed seamless leggings, one-piece activewear, and products that require too much customer education, with a focus on sampling, fit testing, sizing, manufacturing complexity, returns, and customer trust.
Tune in to learn why a first product should be clear, manageable to produce, easier to size, and useful for building real customer data before moving into more technical categories.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi...
FittBite Episode 296: The $40 Hoodie and the $140 Hoodie Use the Same Fabric. What’s the Difference?
In today's FittBite, the focus is on why two hoodies can use the same fabric, GSM, and supplier but still become completely different products.
The FittBite covers fabric finishing, fit development, construction, rib quality, trims, branding, quality control, and bulk consistency, and how each one affects the final garment beyond the fabric spec.
Tune in to learn why same fabric does not always mean same hoodie, and what founders should check before approving production.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow...
FittBite Episode 295: Your Free Shipping Offer Is Eating the Margin You Fought For
In today’s FittBite, we show how free shipping can reduce the margin activewear brands worked hard to build.Â
This FittBite goes through landed cost, packaging, payment fees, fulfillment, returns, customer acquisition, and how to calculate a free-shipping threshold that actually protects the order.
Tune in to learn how to offer free shipping through thresholds, bundles, tiers, and shipping credits without giving away profit at checkout.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fittdesign.com/services/consultation
FittBite Episode 294: Your Money Isn’t Gone. It’s Sitting in a Warehouse as Mediums.
In today's FittBite, we go through how activewear brands lose cash when the wrong sizes and colors sit in the warehouse.Â
This FittBite covers size curves, size-by-color planning, product fit differences, first-launch buying signals, stockout timing, returns, exchanges, and how to use real demand data to make the next order more accurate.
Tune in to learn how to plan inventory around what customers actually buy, not just the sizes that feel safest on a spreadsheet.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion b...
FittBite Episode 293: 0 Days for an idea. 35 Days for a Sample
In today's FittBite, we explain what actually happens inside a 35-day sample timeline.
This FittBite covers factory review, sourcing, pattern development, cutting, branding, sewing, and inspections.
Tune in to understand where the time goes, what starts the factory clock, and how a clear tech pack and fast approvals help keep production on track.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fittdesign.com/services/consultation
Design your own collection with our instantly downloadable factory ready...
FittBite Episode 292: The Perfect Launch Is Costing You More Than You Think
In today's FittBite, we cover how many activewear founders delay their launch in the name of quality when the real issue is an unclear finish line.
This FittBite covers how to define product readiness, separate critical issues from minor revisions, calculate the cost of waiting, and launch a controlled first version that can improve through real customer feedback.
Tune in to learn how to protect product quality without letting perfection stop the brand from reaching the market.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to...
FittBite Episode 291: The 5 Brand Systems That Make Products Recognizable Without a Big Logo
In today's EittBite, we explore how activewear brands can make products recognizable without relying on oversized logos.Â
This FittBite covers five product identity systems: consistent branding placement, repeatable silhouette ratios, recurring construction maps, visible functional codes, and controlled finish libraries.
Tune in to learn how to build a product range that looks connected, recognizable, and easier for customers to remember before they even see the logo.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fittdesign.com/services/consultation
FittBite Episode 290: The $15 Feature Nobody Is Willing to Pay For
In today's FittBite, we explain the feature tax that many new activewear brands pay when they add details that increase cost without creating enough customer value.Â
This FittBite covers smart clothing, technical fabric claims, convertible products, excess storage, and removable padding, and breaks down how to decide whether a feature is actually worth the added price.
Tune in to learn how to build products around real customer problems, not unnecessary features.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: h...
FittBite Episode 289: Gymshark Started With Screen-Printed Tees. Stop Overcomplicating Yours
In today's FittBite, we look at what Gymshark’s early screen-printed tees and stringers actually teach new activewear founders.Â
This FittBite explains why simple products can work when the customer, culture, use case, and creator strategy are clear, and why overcomplicating the first drop often hides weak positioning.
Tune in to learn how to build a first product that makes sense to the right customer before expanding the range.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fit...
FittBite Episode 288: Got the Same Hoodie Quoted by 3 Factories. The Real Cost Surprised Me
In today's FittBite, we look at what really affects the cost of a hoodie when different factories quote the same design.Â
This FittBite explains how GSM, fabric type, fit, construction method, logo application, trims, production support, and factory assumptions can all change the final unit price.
Tune in to learn why the cheapest quote is not always the best deal, and how to compare pricing more accurately before choosing a factory.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: h...
FittBite Episode 287: Satisfy Built a Multi-Million Dollar Running Brand Without Going Viral
In today's FittBite, we explain how Satisfy built a niche running brand without relying on viral moments, broad positioning, or mass-market appeal.Â
This FittBite looks at how the brand grew by targeting a specific runner, making performance details recognizable, supporting premium pricing with product proof, and building a clear brand language around running culture.
Tune in to learn how activewear founders can build a specific brand world instead of chasing short-term attention.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.f...
FittBite Episode 286: 5 Activewear Brands That Changed Everything
In today's FittBite, we look at five activewear brands that changed how customers buy, wear, and understand sportswear.Â
This FittBite covers the lessons behind Champion, Nike, Lululemon, Gymshark, and On, focusing on product utility, emotion, lifestyle use, community, and recognizable product innovation.
Tune in to learn how startup activewear brands can study successful brands without copying their surface, and build around a clearer customer shift, product reason, and brand code.
Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fittdesign.com/s...
