The Latvia apparel sector has undergone significant changes over the past decades. Prior to the 20th century, a majority of Latvians wore folk costumes. Women wore long patterned skirts and covered their heads with scarfs.
Although they have preserved this mode of dressing as part of their culture, their dressing style has changed tremendously over the years. Today, Latvians wear a wide range of clothing including jeans, t-shirts, designer outfits, suits, shorts, and many other types of modern clothing.
There are nearly 750 clothing manufacturing companies in Latvia that produce a wide range of clothing products to meet the needs of consumers. These companies employ around 13, 000 people. A majority of clothing manufacturers in Latvia operate as outsourced production facilities for foreign fashion brands.
Latvia’s capital, Riga has around 50 clothing manufacturers. Other companies are spread out across the country. These companies specialize in producing all kinds of clothing products, though they are renowned for lingerie manufacturing. Most of the companies use special-purpose machines to carry out tasks like buttonholing, contour seaming, stitching, and welt pocketing.
Latvia has a long tradition of clothing production, making it one of Eastern Europe’s leading clothing producers. The Latvian clothing industry is highly export-oriented. The country exports a significant amount of clothing products to other countries.
Clothing manufacturers in Latvia use advanced sewing machines and enjoy a lower cost of production compared to many of their European counterparts. They also have a pool of skilled employees.
Latvia’s unique geographical position provides accessibility to large markets, especially the developed EU markets. The country is a gateway to Asia, United States, and the EU. They also have a skilled and motivated workforce, developed infrastructure, and a seamless information and communications network. Latvia has nearly everything clothing manufacturers look for in EU countries.