Custom Apparel Boxes
Every other product on this site is a fixed object you measure once. A garment is whatever size you fold it to, which means the box is not sized to the product — the fold is sized to the box, and someone has to decide which comes first.
Get a price for Apparel Boxes
Send the size and quantity — we reply the same working day with a price, a dieline and a date. Artwork optional at this stage.
- 8styles in this range, each with its own page and price
- 100unit minimum on every style, printed or plain
- 4markets quoted in the delivery currency
- ±1mmcutting tolerance on folding board, checked on a sample
8 styles in this range
Styles we make in this range
Every one below is written up, priced and dielined. Tap a style to see how it is built.
01See the build →Baseball Cap Boxes
Custom baseball cap boxes that hold the crown up and the brim flat, from 100 units.
02See the build →Lingerie Boxes
Custom lingerie boxes with an interior that will not snag lace and an exterior that says nothing to the…
03See the build →Scarf Boxes
Custom scarf boxes for a folded or a rolled scarf, from 100 units.
04See the build →Shirt Boxes
A shirt has no dimensions until someone folds it.
05See the build →Sock Boxes
Custom sock boxes for a single pair, a gift set or a monthly subscription, from 100 units.
06See the build →Sock Sleeves
A sock sleeve is a strip of printed card around a folded pair.
07See the build →Swimwear Boxes
Swimwear sells months before it is used, is returned more often than almost any category, and spends the…
08See the build →Underwear Boxes
Most garment packaging argues about whether a window is worth the cost.
Side by side
Which apparel boxes style fits
| Style | Board | Build | Minimum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball Cap Boxes | 18–24 pt SBS or kraft for retail; E-flute corrugated for the shipping box | Two-piece lift-off, hinged lid with window, ear-lock or tuck-top mailer | 100 boxes | Open → |
| Lingerie Boxes | 18–24 pt coated SBS with turned edges; wrapped chipboard for rigid | Ribbon, magnetic flap, lift-off lid, drawer with ribbon pull | 100 boxes | Open → |
| Scarf Boxes | 18–24 pt coated SBS with turned edges; wrapped chipboard for rigid | See the page | 100 boxes | Open → |
| Shirt Boxes | 14–18pt folding; grayboard wrapped for premium builds | Two-piece lid and base, tuck cartons, window boxes | 100 boxes | Open → |
| Sock Boxes | 16–20 pt SBS or kraft; 22 pt for the letter-box mailer | Window carton, set of three with dividers, gift set with lid, letter-box mailer | 100 boxes | Open → |
| Sock Sleeves | 250–350gsm; kraft, coated or uncoated | Glued band or flat blank; supplied pre-glued or flat | 100 sleeves | Open → |
| Swimwear Boxes | 12–16pt cartons; 300–350gsm sleeves and bands | Bands, flat sleeves, tuck cartons, window cartons, two-piece boxes | 100 units | Open → |
| Underwear Boxes | 12–16pt cartons; 300–350gsm sleeves and bands | Bands, flat sleeves, tuck cartons, window cartons, two-piece boxes | 100 units | Open → |
Decide the fold before you decide the box
Fix the folded dimensions of the garment and write them down. A men's shirt folded to a board is a different object from the same shirt folded in thirds by hand, and the two need boxes that differ by centimeters in every direction.
Then add compression. Cotton springs back, and a jersey garment folded to 30 mm will sit at 35 mm in the box until it has been pressed for a while. Sizing to the measured fold with no allowance is the reason apparel boxes bulge at the lid.
Fold three units, measure all three, and use the thickest. Fabric is not consistent and the box has to fit the worst one.
Sleeves, bands and the packaging that is barely a box
Most apparel brands over-buy here. A sleeve costs a fraction of a carton, ships flat in bulk, and on a shelf it shows the product instead of hiding it.
- Sock sleeve. A printed band around a folded pair. Almost no material, all of the branding, and it takes the barcode.
- Belly band. The same idea on a folded tee — cheap, and it lets the fabric itself be the visual.
- Header card. For hanging retail; the fold and the card have to be designed together.
- Full carton. When the pack is the gift, or when the garment needs protecting in post.
Swimwear and underwear have their own problem
Both are elastic, both are often returned, and both are frequently sold with a hygiene seal. That combination means the pack has to open cleanly and, ideally, close again — a returned item in a destroyed box is a write-off of the packaging as well as a resale risk.
Elastic also creeps. Anything with a waistband will push outwards against a tight window or a thin side wall over months in a warehouse, so leave the pack a little loose rather than a little tight.
Printing where the customer actually looks
An apparel box is opened from directly above, and the first thing the buyer sees is the inside of the lid and the tissue. That surface is worth more than the outside of the base, and it is the cheapest place to make an impression, because it is a second print pass on board you have already bought.
If the box is going in the post rather than in a bag, the outside has to survive the journey as well — the trade-offs there are the same ones set out in our mailer construction notes.
Sizes we see most often
| Sock sleeve | Band around a folded pair, printed both sides |
|---|---|
| Underwear carton | Shallow tuck box, often with a window |
| Swimwear pack | Flat carton or sleeve, generous on depth |
| Shirt box | Two-piece lid and base, tissue and a card insert |
Across the range
What every apparel boxes job runs on
Boards
- Natural kraft
- White SBS
- E and B flute
- Wrapped grayboard
- Food-grade board
- Recycled content
Chosen from what goes in the box and how far it travels. Our notes on recyclable and compostable stocks say which claims each board can carry.
Finishes
- Matte
- Gloss
- Soft-touch
- Foil
- Emboss
- Spot UV
- Kraft
- Textured
Each one is a decision about light on a shelf — the specialty finishes range shows them on real boxes.
Artwork
- Vector PDF or AI, fonts outlined
- 3 mm bleed, 4 mm safe area
- CMYK; a spot color where a match must hold
- Proof on the dieline before press
Files not set up that way are fine — see the guide to preparing print files.
Interactive · five steps · no sign-up
Build your Apparel Boxes in 3D
Pick a shape, type a size, choose a board and a finish. The preview on the left redraws as you go, and the spec lands with us exactly as you set it.
Frequently asked questions
Got a question about apparel boxes? The answers below cover what we get asked most. If yours is not here, send it with a brief, message us on WhatsApp, or call +1 503-461-4788 — we reply the same working day.
What is the minimum order?
100 units — sleeves, bands, cartons or two-piece boxes.
I do not know my folded size yet — can you still quote?
Yes. Send the garment type and size range and we quote against a typical fold, then confirm the dieline once you have folded a real one.
Do sleeves work for hanging retail?
Not on their own. For a hanging pack you want a header card or a hang hole in a carton — a band has nothing to hang from.
Can the box be reused for returns?
If you specify it: a tuck or lid build rather than a glued one, and a closure that survives being opened.
Is a window worth it on underwear packaging?
Usually yes — it is one of the few categories where buyers genuinely want to see the fabric and color.
How much should I allow for compression?
Fold three units, measure all three, use the thickest, then add a few millimeters. Cotton springs back for weeks.
I do not know my folded size yet — can you still quote?
Yes. Send the garment type and size range and we will quote against a typical fold, then confirm the dieline once you have folded a real one.
Do sleeves work for hanging retail?
Not on their own. For a hanging pack you want a header card or a hang hole in a carton — a band has nothing to hang from.
Can the box be reused for returns?
It can if you specify it: a tuck or lid build rather than a glued one, and a closure that survives being opened. Tell us the box is a returns box and we will build for it.
Is a window worth it on underwear packaging?
Usually yes — it is one of the few categories where buyers genuinely want to see the fabric and color before buying.
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