Blogs

How Trims Enhance a Garment and Elevate Sportswear Performance

How Trims Enhance a Garment and Elevate Sportswear Performance

By Stuart Brooke Feb 25, 2026

Learn how trims elevate and enhance garments performance apparel—adding value, comfort, durability, and brand identity. Blue Associates Sportswear guides trim sourcing for quality results.

Read more How Trims Enhance a Garment and Elevate Sportswear Performance
Top 3 Running Brands to Watch

Top 3 Running Brands to Watch

By Stuart Brooke Feb 17, 2026

At Blue Associates Sportswear, we have been designing running apparel for start-ups and established brands for over 28 years.

Read more Top 3 Running Brands to Watch
Real Sustainability in Sportswear: Spotting Greenwashing and Certifications That Matter

Real Sustainability in Sportswear: Spotting Greenwashing and Certifications That Matter

By Stuart Brooke Feb 9, 2026

Learn how start-up sportswear brands can avoid greenwashing, embrace sustainability, transparency, and certifications like GOTS, GRS, Fair Trade, and bluesign®.

Read more Real Sustainability in Sportswear: Spotting Greenwashing and Certifications That Matter
How Many Suppliers Are Involved in Producing a Garment? Why the Factory Isn’t the Only Answer

How Many Suppliers Are Involved in Producing a Garment? Why the Factory Isn’t the Only Answer

By Ted Stanford Feb 3, 2026

Understanding how this ecosystem works is essential for any brand seeking to improve supply chain transparency, enhance garment quality or optimise production timelines. It challenges the idea that “factory sourcing”...

Read more How Many Suppliers Are Involved in Producing a Garment? Why the Factory Isn’t the Only Answer
The Science Behind Today’s Most Effective Sweat-Wicking Materials In Sportswear

The Science Behind Today’s Most Effective Sweat-Wicking Materials In Sportswear

By stuart brooke Jan 26, 2026

Sweat wicking natural fibres and fabrics inc. high performance sportswear fabrics, sustainable performance wicking fabrics.

Read more The Science Behind Today’s Most Effective Sweat-Wicking Materials In Sportswear
Wearable Wellness: How Tech and Sportswear Are Shaping Healthy Living

Wearable Wellness: How Tech and Sportswear Are Shaping Healthy Living

By stuart brooke Jan 19, 2026

What is wearable wellness and how to include it into your activewear? Find out more and see how we can help with your wearable wellness.

Read more Wearable Wellness: How Tech and Sportswear Are Shaping Healthy Living
How Smart Fabrics Are Shaping the Future of Sportswear Performance

How Smart Fabrics Are Shaping the Future of Sportswear Performance

By stuart brooke Jan 6, 2026

How smart fabrics and technology are shaping the future of sportswear performance.

Read more How Smart Fabrics Are Shaping the Future of Sportswear Performance
How to build a community around your sportswear brand?

How to build a community around your sportswear brand?

By stuart brooke Dec 28, 2025

Launching a sportswear brand? How to create a community of loyal customers that support your brand and keep coming back for more

Read more How to build a community around your sportswear brand?
Built for Movement - or Thinness? Activewear’s Beauty Bias

Built for Movement - or Thinness? Activewear’s Beauty Bias

By stuart brooke Dec 21, 2025

How sportswear Design should be built for purpose, performance and movement rather than thinness.

Read more Built for Movement - or Thinness? Activewear’s Beauty Bias
The Importance of Sampling and Fitting Sportswear Garments

The Importance of Sampling and Fitting Sportswear Garments

By stuart brooke Dec 16, 2025

Sportswear samples need to be fitted and comments send back to the activewear supplier. How to manage this process.

Read more The Importance of Sampling and Fitting Sportswear Garments
What Are the Best AI Tools for Sportswear Design and Production?

What Are the Best AI Tools for Sportswear Design and Production?

By stuart brooke Dec 8, 2025

How to use AI in Sportswear Design and Production. Understand the pitfalls and drawbacks from using Ai

Read more What Are the Best AI Tools for Sportswear Design and Production?
The Difference Between Working with a Sportswear Factory in China and Europe

The Difference Between Working with a Sportswear Factory in China and Europe

By stuart brooke Dec 1, 2025

China or European sportswear factory? Which is better and what are the differences outside of cost? 

Read more The Difference Between Working with a Sportswear Factory in China and Europe
Top 6 Activewear Trends and How to implement them in your brand

Top 6 Activewear Trends and How to implement them in your brand

By stuart brooke Nov 25, 2025

What are the trends for 2026 in sportswear fashion and how to integrate these into your activewear collection.

Read more Top 6 Activewear Trends and How to implement them in your brand
How to Avoid the Pitfalls when Sourcing UK Sportswear Samples

How to Avoid the Pitfalls when Sourcing UK Sportswear Samples

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

We help sportswear startups avoid the simple pitfalls that they can easily fall into by cutting corners, using freelancers or finding the wrong factory.

Read more How to Avoid the Pitfalls when Sourcing UK Sportswear Samples
How to Import Sportswear Further to Brexit

How to Import Sportswear Further to Brexit

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Sourcing sportswear is a minefield. We have a network of over 50 trusted sportswear factories built up since 1997 that produce the best activewear around.

Read more How to Import Sportswear Further to Brexit
When is the Best Time to Start an Activewear Brand?

When is the Best Time to Start an Activewear Brand?

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

When should you launch your new startup sportswear brand. If you have a unique USP, then you need to launch now. Reach out for our support

Read more When is the Best Time to Start an Activewear Brand?
How the Best Sportswear Factories Were Effected by COVID

How the Best Sportswear Factories Were Effected by COVID

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Coronavirus had a major impact on all of our lives and this virus also affected the manufacture and supply of sportswear across the globe.

Read more How the Best Sportswear Factories Were Effected by COVID
How to Create Great Sportswear Marketing

How to Create Great Sportswear Marketing

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Blue Associates Sportswear now offers clients website development, SEO, PPC, social media platform creation and advertising, pacshots, photo shoots and videos.

Read more How to Create Great Sportswear Marketing
The Best Technical Sportswear Factories

The Best Technical Sportswear Factories

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

We have been sourcing technical performance sportswear since 1997, for some of the biggest sports brands and startups out there. 

Read more The Best Technical Sportswear Factories
The Best Sportswear Design and Factory

The Best Sportswear Design and Factory

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

We offer our clients a full turnkey solution from branding, sportswear design, fabrics, samples, sourcing, production and post launch marketing support

Read more The Best Sportswear Design and Factory
How to Find a Good UK Sportswear Factory

How to Find a Good UK Sportswear Factory

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Finding a MADE IN BRITAIN or UK sportswear factory that creates quality products isn't easy. We have a solution for anyone looking for activewear factories

Read more How to Find a Good UK Sportswear Factory
6 Easy Mistakes to Avoid When Finding your Activewear Factory

6 Easy Mistakes to Avoid When Finding your Activewear Factory

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

You have your brand name trademarked, sportswear designs and tech packs in hand and you’re ready to start the process of finding the perfect activewear factory

Read more 6 Easy Mistakes to Avoid When Finding your Activewear Factory
How to Create Amazing Sportswear? (Follow These 3 Tasks)

How to Create Amazing Sportswear? (Follow These 3 Tasks)

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

You have a great idea, found your niche but you now need to find a manufacturer that you can partner with to bring the products to life. Contact us...

Read more How to Create Amazing Sportswear? (Follow These 3 Tasks)
6 Simple Steps to Launch your Sportswear Brand

6 Simple Steps to Launch your Sportswear Brand

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

We support startup brands through the journey of launching. their sportswear brand, from design, samples, fabrics through to production

Read more 6 Simple Steps to Launch your Sportswear Brand
The Best 6 Brand Building Strategies for Sportswear Start-Up

The Best 6 Brand Building Strategies for Sportswear Start-Up

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

These are some effective strategies that can help sportswear start-ups with their brand-building efforts. These strategies can really help. Contact us...

Read more The Best 6 Brand Building Strategies for Sportswear Start-Up
How to Be Cool In Wool

How to Be Cool In Wool

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Sportswear brands use Merino wool: because for them, the focus is all about creating the ultimate sports apparel.

Read more How to Be Cool In Wool
Never White Label Garments if you Want to Launch a Successful Sportswear Brand

Never White Label Garments if you Want to Launch a Successful Sportswear Brand

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

White Label sportswear isn't how you create a sportswear brand. The quality, attention to detail and performance isn't where you need it. to be to compete

Read more Never White Label Garments if you Want to Launch a Successful Sportswear Brand
Creating an Activewear Film

Creating an Activewear Film

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Launching your activewear brand into such a crowded market can seem pretty daunting. It’s therefore paramount you do this the right way

Read more Creating an Activewear Film
Finding the Best Quality Sportswear Factory or Supplier

Finding the Best Quality Sportswear Factory or Supplier

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Today I have received 2 phone calls from fledgling start-up sportswear brands that have both been duped by sportswear designers and suppliers

Read more Finding the Best Quality Sportswear Factory or Supplier
The Best Ethical and Sustainable Sportswear Factory

The Best Ethical and Sustainable Sportswear Factory

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Hands up if you’ve heard any of these phrases thrown about; ethical fashion; sustainable fashion; slow fashion. 

Read more The Best Ethical and Sustainable Sportswear Factory
How Much Does Quality Sportswear Actually Cost?

How Much Does Quality Sportswear Actually Cost?

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Not sure how much it costs to buy sportswear directly from a factory. We work with startups that buy directly from our activewear factories 

Read more How Much Does Quality Sportswear Actually Cost?
How to Find the Best Gymshark Factory

How to Find the Best Gymshark Factory

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Looking for the factory that makes for Gymshark? Want to be the next Gymshark? We help startup gymwear brands find the best sportswear factories 

Read more How to Find the Best Gymshark Factory
How to Keep Sportswear Manufacturing Costs Low

How to Keep Sportswear Manufacturing Costs Low

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

How to keep the cost low when you develop sportswear with low MOQ's. Find the best sportswear factory that work with startups.

Read more How to Keep Sportswear Manufacturing Costs Low
How to Build a Great Sportswear Brand with a Small Budget

How to Build a Great Sportswear Brand with a Small Budget

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

Building a sportswear brand and growing organically is every startups dream. Your activewear should be KING and let your customers do the marketing

Read more How to Build a Great Sportswear Brand with a Small Budget
Looking for the Best Quality Activewear Factory?

Looking for the Best Quality Activewear Factory?

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

If you are trying to source a technical sportswear factory that produces any of the above, then look no further. We have a solution for you.

Read more Looking for the Best Quality Activewear Factory?
The Big Problem with Using Recycled Polyester in Sportswear

The Big Problem with Using Recycled Polyester in Sportswear

By Ted Stanford Nov 18, 2025

It looks like the plastic bottle is here to stay, despite publicity about bisphenol A and other chemicals that may leach into liquids inside the bottle.

Read more The Big Problem with Using Recycled Polyester in Sportswear

Check out our Start-Up Packs

These guides have been created to help entrepreneurs navigate the most common issue when launching a sportswear brand.