WholeGarment produces a superior garment by every measurable standard except initial production cost.
WholeGarment knitwear is knitted as a single three-dimensional structure from start to finish with no cutting and no sewing. Cut-and-sew knitwear is produced by knitting flat fabric panels, cutting them to pattern shapes, and assembling the pieces. The difference in construction method affects fit, durability, sustainability, and the behaviour of the finished garment in ways that are meaningful and lasting.
This is not a subjective preference. The structural, environmental, and performance differences between the two methods are documented, measurable, and directly relevant to any decision about what knitwear is worth buying and wearing for the long term.
How Cut-and-Sew Knitwear Is Made
Cut-and-sew, also known as cut-and-link or fully fashioned knitting, is the dominant production method for most commercial knitwear globally. The process follows these stages:
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Flat fabric panels are knitted on industrial machines
Yarn is knitted into flat sheets or partially shaped panels on flat or circular knitting machines. The fabric at this stage is two-dimensional.
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Panels are cut to pattern shapes
The flat fabric is cut using pattern templates to produce the front, back, sleeves, and other components of the garment. This cutting stage generates yarn waste that typically represents 15 to 30 percent of the input material.
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Panels are sewn or linked together
The cut pieces are assembled by sewing or linking, creating the seams at the shoulders, sides, and sleeves. The quality of this assembly varies significantly between manufacturers.
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Finishing treatments are applied
The assembled garment typically undergoes finishing processes including steaming, stretching, and in some cases chemical treatments to improve surface appearance or stability.
How WholeGarment Knitwear Is Made
WholeGarment is a registered technology developed by Shima Seiki of Japan. It uses specialised flat knitting machines with multiple needle beds to knit a complete three-dimensional garment in a single continuous process.
A WholeGarment machine knits simultaneously across multiple needle beds, building the three-dimensional shape of the garment directly into the knitted structure. Sleeves, body, collar, and cuffs are all formed during the same knitting process. The machine is programmed with precise shaping instructions for each style and size. When the knitting is complete, the garment requires no cutting and no assembly. It is finished.
NZ Charly uses Shima Seiki WholeGarment machines for all production in Auckland. Every piece in the range is produced using this method, which means every piece has no seams, no cutting waste, and no post-knitting assembly of any kind.
A Direct Comparison Across Every Relevant Measure
| Property | WholeGarment | Cut-and-Sew |
|---|---|---|
| Seams | None Better | Shoulders, sides, sleeves Friction points |
| Yarn waste | Negligible Zero waste | 15 to 30 percent lost as off-cuts Significant waste |
| Structural weak points | None More durable | At every seam junction Failure risk |
| Fit precision | 3D shaping built into knit Better fit | Flat patterns approximating body shape |
| Skin comfort | No seam contact anywhere More comfortable | Seams contact skin at shoulders and underarms |
| Fibre performance | Uniform across entire garment Consistent | Interrupted at seam junctions |
| Post-knit assembly | None required Simpler | Sewing or linking of all panels |
| Production cost | Higher per garment | Lower per garment Cheaper to produce |
| Long-term cost per wear | Lower over 10-plus years Better value long term | Higher if replaced more frequently |
| Landfill contribution | Zero from production off-cuts Lower impact | Off-cut waste typically goes to landfill |
Where the Cost Difference Comes From
WholeGarment knitwear costs more to produce than cut-and-sew equivalents in the same fibre blend. The reasons are straightforward. Shima Seiki WholeGarment machines represent a significant capital investment. The software programming required to produce a three-dimensional garment with precise shaping, stitch structure, and size graduation is considerably more complex than programming a flat panel knitter. Machine time per garment is longer. The skill level required to operate the machines and manage quality is higher.
These costs are real and they are reflected in the retail price of WholeGarment knitwear. What they buy is a garment with no structural weak points, no seam discomfort, negligible production waste, and a fit that is built into the fabric rather than assembled from flat pieces. For a garment intended to be worn for a decade, the additional cost per year of ownership is small.
A WholeGarment piece costs more to make than a cut-and-sew equivalent. It also lasts longer, fits better, and creates no waste. Over ten years of wear, the maths changes considerably.
How to Tell If a Garment Is Truly WholeGarment
The easiest way to verify WholeGarment construction is to examine the garment for seams at the shoulder, underarm, and sleeve join points. A true WholeGarment piece will have no seams at any of these locations. The fabric will be continuous from body to sleeve with no join, and the underarm will be a smooth curve of knitted fabric rather than a sewn junction.
Some brands use the term seamless loosely to describe garments that have had side seams removed but retain shoulder and sleeve seams. This is not WholeGarment construction. True WholeGarment has no seams anywhere on the finished piece.
NZ Charly garments can be verified as WholeGarment by examination. There are no seams at the shoulders, underarms, sides, or sleeve joins. The only knitted junctions are the structural ones built into the fabric as part of the three-dimensional shaping process, which are not seams in any meaningful sense.
WholeGarment vs Cut-and-Sew at a Glance
The Sustainability Argument for WholeGarment
The environmental case for WholeGarment construction is direct and unambiguous. Eliminating cutting waste removes one of the most significant waste streams in garment manufacturing. At NZ Charly's scale, this means every metre of natural fibre yarn that is ordered from Woolyarns ends up in a finished garment rather than a portion of it ending up in landfill.
This matters particularly when the yarn in question is made from ZQ certified merino, possum down, cashmere, or silk, fibres that represent significant environmental and biological value. Wasting 20 percent of that yarn to off-cuts in a cut-and-sew process is not a trade-off that makes sense when an alternative production method exists that eliminates the waste entirely.
WholeGarment construction is not sufficient on its own to make a knitwear brand sustainable. The fibre sourcing, dye chemistry, shipping footprint, and end-of-life biodegradability of the garment all matter equally. But as one component of a broader commitment, it is one of the most direct and verifiable sustainability claims a manufacturer can make, because the waste simply does not exist to go anywhere.