OEM vs. ODM: How to Choose the Right Production Model for Your Underwear Brand

Choosing between OEM and ODM is one of the first strategic decisions every underwear brand must make—and it's a decision that will shape everything from your product uniqueness to your cash flow.

As Ocean Yang, CEO of Ljvogues and a manufacturer who has guided hundreds of brands through this exact decision, I've seen how the right production model accelerates success while the wrong choice creates frustration, wasted investment, and missed market windows. The key isn't simply picking one model over the other—it's understanding which approach aligns with your brand's current stage, resources, and growth ambitions.

This guide breaks down OEM and ODM in practical terms, helps you evaluate which model fits your situation, and shows how smart brands often combine both approaches as they evolve.

What Do OEM and ODM Actually Mean?

In underwear and lingerie manufacturing, OEM and ODM describe how design and production responsibilities are shared between your brand and the factory. Understanding this distinction clearly will help you avoid miscommunication, hidden costs, and misaligned expectations.

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)

Definition: Your brand provides detailed designs, tech packs, or reference samples; the factory focuses on producing exactly to your specifications.

The relationship:

• You own the design and brand identity completely

• The manufacturer serves as your execution and production partner

• You control every detail—patterns, materials, construction methods, trims

• The factory's role is to manufacture your vision with quality and consistency

Analogy: Think of OEM like hiring a skilled contractor to build your custom-designed house. You provide the architectural plans; they provide the construction expertise.

ODM (Original Design Manufacturer)

Definition: The factory provides ready-made or semi-custom designs that you can brand and modify with your choice of colors, fabrics, absorbency levels, or detail adjustments.

The relationship:

• The factory typically owns the base design IP

• You gain speed and lower development costs through shared design investment

• Customization is available within the framework of existing designs

• Your brand identity comes through fabric choices, colors, branding elements, and packaging

Analogy: Think of ODM like choosing a well-designed model home and customizing the finishes, colors, and fixtures. The floor plan is proven; you make it yours through personalization.

The Spectrum of Customization

In practice, OEM and ODM exist on a spectrum rather than as binary choices:

Industry Reality: Factories like Ljvogues typically offer both models—and everything in between—allowing brands to mix approaches depending on the product, market opportunity, and development stage.

When OEM Is the Better Choice

OEM is ideal when you want maximum design control and clear differentiation in a competitive market. It's especially valuable for established brands and those with strong in-house design or technical capabilities.

Choose OEM If:

You have your own designs:

• Your team can provide patterns, detailed tech packs, or physical samples

• You've developed proprietary features (unique gusset structures, absorbency mapping, signature silhouettes)

• You have design resources—whether in-house or through freelance technical designers

Brand uniqueness is critical:

• You're competing on product innovation, not just price

• You want silhouettes, constructions, or features that competitors cannot easily copy

• Your brand positioning depends on "exclusive" or "signature" product stories

You plan for long-term volume:

• You expect significant reorders that justify upfront development investment

• You're building wholesale programs where product consistency is essential

• Your business model supports higher MOQs and longer development timelines

Typical OEM Characteristics

OEM in Practice: Example Scenario

An established lingerie brand wants to introduce a signature high-tech menstrual boxer with unique absorbency zone mapping, proprietary four-layer construction, custom sustainable fabrics, and integrated sizing technology. They have detailed tech packs from their design team and expect to order 5,000+ units in the first year across multiple colorways.

Why OEM fits: The brand has design resources, needs true differentiation, plans significant volume, and wants complete IP ownership for their hero product.

When ODM Is the Better Choice

ODM is built for speed, risk control, and efficiency, using the manufacturer's existing design library as your starting point. It works exceptionally well for new brands, private-label retailers, and cross-border e-commerce sellers testing market demand.

Choose ODM If:

You lack design resources:

• You don't have a pattern team or technical design capability

• Creating detailed tech packs isn't feasible with your current team

• You know what styles your market wants but can't engineer them yourself

You want faster time-to-market:

• Market timing matters more than absolute uniqueness

• You need to launch within weeks, not months

• You're responding to trends or seasonal opportunities

You need lower risk and investment:

• You're testing a new product category or market segment

• Budget constraints limit upfront development spending

• You prefer to validate demand before committing to custom development

Typical ODM Characteristics

ODM in Practice: Example Scenario

A new DTC brand wants to launch a period underwear line to test market demand. They have strong marketing capabilities and brand vision but no technical design team. They want to start with 500 units across three styles to validate their positioning before scaling.

Why ODM fits: The brand needs speed, has limited design resources, wants to minimize risk, and can differentiate through branding, marketing, and customer experience rather than product engineering.

Key Differences at a Glance

This comparison table summarizes the strategic tradeoffs between OEM and ODM for underwear brands:

Strategic Flexibility: Factories like Ljvogues support both tracks, so brands can start with ODM to validate market demand and later upgrade successful products to OEM-level customization for maximum differentiation.

How to Choose the Right Model for Your Brand

Your choice should reflect your stage, budget, design capacity, and growth ambition—not just short-term cost considerations. Asking yourself a few diagnostic questions can clarify the right path.

Decision Framework: Key Questions

The Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds

In practice, many successful underwear brands use a hybrid strategy that evolves over time:

Phase 1: ODM for Launch and Validation

• Use ODM to launch quickly with proven designs

• Test market response with lower investment and risk

• Gather customer feedback on fit, absorbency, and style preferences

• Identify which products have strongest demand

Phase 2: OEM for Winners and Flagships

• Upgrade top-performing products to OEM for differentiation

• Develop signature products that define your brand

• Create barriers to competition through unique designs

• Invest development resources where market validation exists

Phase 3: Ongoing Portfolio Management

• Maintain ODM for trend-responsive and seasonal products

• Use OEM for core collection and hero products

• Balance speed-to-market with differentiation needs

• Optimize investment based on product lifecycle stage

Model Selection by Brand Type

What to Look for in an OEM/ODM Partner

Regardless of which model you choose, your manufacturing partner's capabilities will determine your success. Here's what matters most for each approach.

For OEM Projects

Essential capabilities:

• Technical pattern-making and grading expertise

• Experience with your product category (period underwear, shapewear, etc.)

• Ability to source custom materials and components

• Quality systems that ensure consistency across production runs

• Clear communication on timelines, costs, and technical requirements

Questions to ask:

• "Can you show examples of custom OEM projects you've completed?"

• "What information do you need from us to begin development?"

• "How do you handle pattern adjustments during sampling?"

• "What's your typical timeline from tech pack to production samples?"

For ODM Projects

Essential capabilities:

• Comprehensive design library with styles relevant to your market

• Flexibility in customization (fabrics, colors, absorbency, branding)

• Reasonable MOQs that allow market testing

• Fast sampling turnaround on existing designs

• Clear documentation of what's customizable vs. fixed

Questions to ask:

• "Can I see your current ODM catalog for [product category]?"

• "What customization options are available on each design?"

• "What's the MOQ for ODM orders?"

• "How quickly can you provide samples of existing designs?"

For Both Models

Universal requirements:

• Relevant certifications (OEKO-TEX®, BSCI, ISO, etc.)

• Transparent pricing with no hidden costs

• Clear IP and confidentiality agreements

• Responsive communication and project management

• Scalability as your brand grows

Why a Dual-Capability Partner Matters

Working with a manufacturer strong in both OEM and ODM gives you strategic flexibility as your brand evolves. You're not locked into one approach or forced to change factories as your needs change.

The Ljvogues Approach

At Ljvogues, we've built our capabilities to support brands across the entire OEM-ODM spectrum:

ODM capabilities:

• Library of 100+ base designs for period underwear, bras, shapewear, and functional lingerie

• Low MOQs (as low as 300 units) for new and testing brands

• Quick sampling (2–3 weeks) on existing designs

• Customization options: fabrics, colors, absorbency levels, prints, branding, packaging

OEM capabilities:

• Full pattern-making and technical development services

• Custom absorbency engineering for period underwear (10–60 ml capacity)

• PFAS-free material sourcing with documentation

• Unique silhouette and construction development

• Complete design IP ownership for clients

Hybrid support:

• Seamless transition from ODM to OEM as products prove successful

• Mixed orders combining ODM basics with OEM flagships

• Ongoing consultation on which model fits each product opportunity

Making the Right Choice for Long-Term Success

The OEM vs. ODM decision isn't just about your first order—it's about building a production strategy that supports your brand's growth trajectory.

Key Takeaways

1. OEM delivers maximum differentiation but requires more investment, time, and design resources

2. ODM delivers speed and efficiency with lower risk, ideal for testing and launching quickly

3. Most successful brands use both models strategically across their product portfolio

4. Your choice should evolve as your brand grows, market knowledge deepens, and resources expand

5. Partner selection matters as much as model selection—choose a manufacturer who can support both approaches

By aligning your production model with your brand's current stage and future ambitions—and by choosing a partner that can grow with you—you build an underwear business that's not only profitable today but scalable and defensible for the long term.

As CEO of Ljvogues, I work with brands at every stage—from first-time launchers using our ODM library to established brands developing fully custom OEM collections. Whether you're testing a new product category or creating signature pieces that define your brand, our team provides the flexibility, expertise, and manufacturing capabilities to support your path. Contact us to discuss which production model fits your current needs and growth plans.