Custom Costume & Dancewear Manufacturer for Dance Studios
- Est. 2005 · Sialkot, Pakistan
- MOQ 20–25 pcs per design · no limit for brands
- Free 24h digital mockup
- Sample 5–7 days, credited on bulk
- Bulk 15–25 business days · express 7–12
- DHL/FedEx/UPS 5–10 days
- 🛡️ Free remake within 3 days
Start from the show date and count backwards
A dance studio orders against a date on a poster, so the first thing ZipaSports asks for is the show, competition or term start, not the design. Counting back from that date sets which production route the costumes take and when the studio needs to have sizes in hand.
| Weeks before the show | What happens | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| 10–12 weeks | Brief sent: routine, music mood, colour, number of dancers, a reference photo or sketch. Free digital mockup returned within 24 hours; unlimited revisions. | Studio and ZipaSports design studio |
| 8–10 weeks | Optional physical sample in 5–7 days at sample cost, credited against the bulk order. Sizing checked on a dancer. | ZipaSports, then the studio |
| 7–8 weeks | Size breakdown confirmed per costume; bulk production starts, 15–25 business days. | Studio confirms, factory cuts |
| 2–3 weeks | Courier by DHL, FedEx or UPS, 5–10 days to the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or Europe. | ZipaSports ships, tracking sent |
| Under 4 weeks | Express production in 7–12 days at additional cost, then courier. Sublimated costumes are the fastest route. | Confirm the date first |
The calendar is built from the standard lead times: mockup within 24 hours, sample 5–7 days, bulk 15–25 business days, express 7–12 days, courier 5–10 days. A studio with several routines sends one brief per costume and receives one consignment.
Costumes, competition wear, class uniforms and warm-ups from one factory
Studios order four kinds of garment across a year, and ZipaSports in Sialkot, Pakistan manufactures all of them in-house, including the sublimation, embroidery and rhinestone work. That matters because a class uniform, a competition leotard and a studio jacket ordered together arrive in matching colour and with the same woven label.
| Order type | Garments | Fabric options | Product page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show and recital costumes | Leotards, unitards, biketards, crop-and-skirt sets, tutus and overlays, jackets for hip-hop | 4-way stretch lycra/spandex 180–220 GSM; foil, velvet, mesh and sequin options | Costumes |
| Competition wear | Competition leotards, team unitards, cheer shells and skirts, bodyliners | Sublimated spandex, velvet, mesh with rhinestone placement | Leotards & bodysuits, Cheerleading |
| Class uniform | Studio leotards, ballet skirts, leggings, tights, tees and shorts | Nylon-spandex 180–220 GSM; polyester interlock 140–180 GSM for tees | Skirts, leggings & tights |
| Studio-branded warm-ups | Tracksuits, crop hoodies, team jackets, joggers | Cotton-polyester fleece 280–350 GSM; performance poly fleece 240–300 GSM | Tops, jackets & warm-ups |
| Bags and accessories | Dance bags, garment bags, bows, scrunchies, socks | 600D polyester or 420D nylon; spandex offcuts for accessories | Dance bags, Accessories |
Each garment is one design at 20–25 pieces with sizes mixed; a studio whose competition team is smaller than that can ask for a lower quantity. The whole range is listed under dance teamwear.
Child to adult sizes in one costume run
A recital class has a seven-year-old and a seventeen-year-old in the same costume, and ZipaSports cuts both from one design and one order. Children's sizes and adult sizes (women's XS–4XL) are graded from the same pattern, so the neckline, skirt proportion and print placement scale with the dancer rather than looking like two different costumes.
Size grading is computerised and the size chart is fully custom. Studios that already have measurements on file send them as a spreadsheet; studios that do not can use the standard youth and adult charts, or ask for a physical sample in the most common size to fit on a dancer before the size breakdown is locked. Long-torso and short-torso adjustments on leotards are made on request at the mockup stage, and mixed sizes within a design do not change the 20–25 piece minimum.
Measurement tolerance within the size chart (±1–1.5 cm) is normal; anything outside the approved size specification is treated as a defect and covered. Sizing guidance is in the size chart guide, and cheer squads follow the same rule with skirt length chosen per squad.
Rhinestones, foil, velvet and mesh: how costumes are decorated
Costume decoration is a mix of print and hand-applied embellishment, and the decision for each costume is which parts are printed into the fabric and which are applied on top. Sublimation carries the colour, gradient and pattern; rhinestones, sequin panels, foil and mesh add the stage finish.
| Technique | What it does | Suits | Note for studios |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sublimation | Gradients, galaxy prints, faux-panelling, team names printed into the spandex | Polyester-spandex, sublimation lycra | Will not crack or peel; unlimited colours within one design |
| Rhinestone and crystal | Hand-set or transfer-applied stones on necklines, bodices and cheer shells | Velvet, spandex, mesh | Stone density is set on the mockup; more stones add production time |
| Foil and hologram | Metallic surface on panels and skirts | Foil spandex | Pair with plain spandex on high-stretch zones |
| Velvet and stretch velvet | Matte depth for lyrical and contemporary | Stretch velvet | Takes rhinestones well; solid colour rather than sublimated |
| Mesh and power mesh | Illusion necklines, sleeves, skirt overlays | Nylon mesh | Lined at the bodice |
| Embroidery | Studio crest on warm-ups, jackets and bags | Fleece, 600D bags | Digitised once, reused every season |
Fabric choices are explained on dance costume fabrics. Cheer shells use sublimation or tackle-twill lettering with rhinestone accents, as on the cheerleading page.
How a studio orders: one brief per costume, one size sheet, one shipment
The ordering method for a studio is deliberately light, because studio owners are running classes, not a procurement department. There is no tech pack. A brief per costume, a size sheet and a date are enough for the ZipaSports design studio to produce a mockup within 24 hours and for the factory to schedule the run.
- Brief: routine name, genre (jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, ballet, musical theatre, acro, cheer), colour, a reference photo or sketch, number of dancers.
- Mockup: free digital mockup within 24 hours, front and back, showing print, stone placement and any mesh; unlimited revisions before approval.
- Sample (optional): one costume in 5–7 days at sample cost, credited against the bulk order.
- Size sheet: one line per dancer or a quantity per size, per costume.
- Production and delivery: 15–25 business days, then 5–10 days by courier, packed by costume and size with dancer names on the polybag if supplied.
Class uniforms and warm-ups are usually ordered once at term start and topped up for new joiners; a top-up below 20–25 pieces is possible on request for an established studio. Studio crest, Pantone references and size specification are kept on file so next year's uniform matches this year's.
Studio branding, private label and the parents' shop
Studios that sell uniform and warm-ups to parents through a front-desk shop or an online form are running a small dancewear brand, and ZipaSports supplies them the same way: woven neck labels with the studio name, printed size tags, hang tags and branded polybags on every piece. Nothing on the garment names the factory.
The studio-branded warm-up is the piece parents see most, at competitions and on the school run. A tracksuit or crop hoodie in cotton-polyester fleece at 280–350 GSM with an embroidered crest, dancer's name on the back, and matching joggers is the usual first order, at 20–25 pieces per design in child to adult sizes. Dance bags in 600D polyester with the same embroidered crest are added to the consignment as a separate style.
If the studio grows the shop into a registered dancewear brand, the MOQ limit no longer applies and the same label files carry over. Branding options are listed on labels, tags and packaging and private label; studio-brand startups are covered separately on dancewear brands.
Shipping to the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Europe
Costumes ship from Sialkot by DHL, FedEx or UPS and arrive in 5–10 days in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Europe, tracked to the studio door. Sea freight at 3–6 weeks is only sensible for a very large multi-branch uniform order placed well ahead of term.
Costumes are packed flat by routine and size, with rhinestoned pieces individually bagged so stones do not abrade in transit, and warm-ups folded separately. Export documents (commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin) go with the shipment. Import VAT or duty in the destination country is payable by the importer on arrival unless otherwise agreed; the shipping policy and the import duties guide set out who pays and when, and the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and EuropeIrelandNew ZealandUAESaudi Arabia pages carry market notes.
Pre-shipment photos of the finished costumes are available on request before the box leaves, which is the point at which most studios check stone placement against the mockup.
What you need to send us, and the Quality Guarantee
This is the whole checklist for a studio order at ZipaSports.
| Item | What we need | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Show or term date | The date on the poster, plus the delivery address | Choosing standard or express production |
| Brief per costume | Genre, colour, reference photo or sketch, number of dancers | Free 24-hour mockup |
| Studio logo | Vector (AI, EPS, PDF) if you have it; PNG for a first mockup | Embroidery on warm-ups and bags, woven labels |
| Colours | Pantone references, or a fabric swatch or photo | Sublimation matching; kept on file for next season |
| Size sheet | Quantity per size per costume, child and adult together; 20–25 pieces per design | Grading and cutting |
| Names (optional) | Dancer names for warm-ups or polybag labels | Personalisation and packing |
Quality Guarantee: if any garment arrives with a manufacturing defect, we remake it free of charge — the remake goes into production within 3 days of your report. A misprinted panel, an open seam, stones missing against the approved mockup, or a wrong size against the approved specification all count. Report it with photos and the order reference within 7 days of delivery; replacements ship at no charge, or a credit is issued if you prefer. Dye-lot shade and ±1–1.5 cm tolerance are not defects, and made-to-order costumes with your labels cannot be returned for change of mind. Full policy: quality guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a dance studio get custom show costumes made in small quantities?
ZipaSports in Sialkot, Pakistan manufactures sublimated, rhinestone, velvet and mesh costumes for dance studios from 20–25 pieces per design, with child and adult sizes mixed in one run. The mockup is free within 24 hours and a physical sample takes 5–7 days.
Can one costume design be made in children's and adult sizes together?
Yes — children's and adult sizes are graded from the same pattern and cut within one order, so a recital class of mixed ages wears one costume in proportionate sizes. Mixed sizes do not change the 20–25 piece minimum.
How many weeks before our show should we order?
Ten to twelve weeks is comfortable: 24-hour mockup, optional 5–7 day sample, 15–25 business days of production and 5–10 days by courier. Under four weeks is still possible with express production in 7–12 days, particularly for sublimated costumes.
Do you do rhinestones, or only printed costumes?
Both — rhinestone and crystal embellishment is applied in-house at ZipaSports on velvet, spandex and mesh, with stone placement and density agreed on the mockup. Sublimation carries the colour and pattern; stones, foil and sequin panels are added on top.
Can our competition team order fewer than 20 costumes?
Lower quantities are possible on request, particularly for an established studio that has ordered before. The standard minimum is 20–25 pieces per design with sizes mixed, and a class uniform or warm-up ordered alongside usually reaches it easily.
Can we see a costume before the whole order is made?
Yes — a physical costume sample is made in 5–7 days at sample cost, and that cost is credited against the bulk order. Most studios sample one costume in the most common size to check fit on a dancer before confirming the size sheet.
Will our studio name be on the label of class uniforms and warm-ups?
Yes — woven neck labels, printed size tags, hang tags and branded polybags with the studio's name are available on every piece, so uniforms sold to parents carry the studio's branding and nothing identifies the factory.
Can you match this year's uniform colour exactly next year?
Yes — approved Pantone references, sublimation files, crest digitising and the size specification are kept on file, so next year's reorder matches the previous run within normal dye-lot tolerance. A top-up for new joiners can be smaller on request.
What if stones are missing or a costume is the wrong size when it arrives?
Missing stones against the approved mockup or a wrong size against the approved specification is a manufacturing defect under the ZipaSports Quality Guarantee, and the affected costumes are remade free of charge with the remake in production within 3 days of your report. A credit is available instead if you prefer.
Do you make cheer uniforms as well as dance costumes?
Yes — cheer shells, skirts, bodyliners, briefs, bows and practice wear are made in the same Sialkot factory as the dance costumes, in sublimated spandex or with tackle-twill lettering and rhinestone accents, at 20–25 pieces per design in youth to adult sizes.