November 7, 2025 – Istanbul, Turkey
Manufacturing Dominance in Socks and Hosiery
Turkey (Türkiye) is a globally indispensable Supplier in the Innerwear and Hosiery sector, particularly for Socks (hosiery), Underwear, and other knitted Functional and Fashion Products. This segment is a quiet powerhouse of the Turkish Textiles industry, confirming Türkiye’s high technical capability in advanced Manufacturing.
- Global Hosiery Leader: Turkey is the second-largest manufacturer of hosiery in the world. Turkish Exports of hosiery alone amounted to approximately 1.33 billion dollars in 2022.
- EU Trade: The bulk of these Exports are directed to the EU, which relies on Turkey’s Nearshoring advantage for rapid replenishment of high-volume, staple items. Germany and the UK remain crucial Trade partners.
- Functional Fashion Growth: The industry is capitalizing on the global trend toward functional innerwear and seamless athleisure garments (Internal Link: Activewear Sourcing: Near-Shore Advantage). Turkish Suppliers utilize advanced circular seamless knitting machines to produce garments that offer superior comfort, fit, and durability compared to traditional cut-and-sew methods.
Nearshoring and Logistics for Supply Chain Agility
Turkey’s appeal in innerwear Sourcing is fundamentally tied to speed, quality, and compliance:
- Speed Advantage: Short lead times, often two to four weeks, minimize inventory holding costs and maximize retailers’ ability to react to seasonal fashion changes. This Logistics advantage is critical for the fast-moving innerwear and basics market.
- Quality and Compliance: The use of high-quality raw materials, including Organic Cotton and specialized synthetic blends (microfiber, nylon), combined with OEKO-TEX and GOTS certifications, ensures compliance with strict European product safety standards, particularly for items in close contact with the skin.
Investment Focus and Economy Challenges
Foreign Investment in the sector is targeting the adoption of seamless technology and sustainability measures.
- Technology Investment: FDI is being channeled into the seamless Manufacturing sub-sector to expand capacity and foster innovation in Functional Products. This shift towards high-tech knitting offsets the disadvantage of higher labor costs compared to Far East Suppliers.
- Cost Pressures: Like the broader Textiles sector, the innerwear industry faces sustained pressure from rising energy and labor costs within the domestic Economy. This forces Suppliers to continually seek efficiency through automation and the pursuit of higher unit prices through branding and advanced functionality. The long-term stability of the Economy depends on maintaining this value-added growth.
- Trade Risk: The sector, despite strong Exports, is not immune to global Trade fluctuations. Turkey’sefforts to diversify markets and solidify new Trade agreements remain a priority to secure future growth.
Next Steps for Global Buyers
For global retailers and specialized athleisure brands, Turkey / Türkiye offers essential Sourcing reliability for high-volume, high-quality, and increasingly Functional Innerwear and Hosiery, backed by a mature Manufacturing and Logistics infrastructure.
For expert Sourcing and Manufacturing partnerships specializing in Seamless Knitwear, Hosiery, and Functional Underwear in Turkey, contact the experts at Burc Consulting.
