Fabric comparison
When you are sourcing muslin cotton for baby clothes, how you order it changes what lands on the cutting table. We buy ours through a wholesale order, straight from the mill, so every batch of double-layer muslin cotton matches the one before it. A retail order works differently, filling smaller quantities from whatever muslin cotton a supplier has on hand that week, which suits a brand that needs a small run fast.
By Vanessa & Bob, Epic in Bali · Updated 1 September 2026
| Wholesale ordering | Retail ordering | |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre & construction | We order our muslin cotton wholesale, so we can specify double-layer construction with a set weave, and every batch from that order comes out the same. | A retail order usually draws from whatever muslin cotton a supplier has in stock, often single-layer, so the weave can shift from one order to the next. |
| Breathability | Muslin cotton's open weave breathes well, and because we order wholesale, that same weave holds consistent across the whole batch. | Retail muslin cotton breathes just as well fibre for fibre, but a tighter or looser weave can slip through unnoticed before it ships. |
| Weight & feel | Our wholesale batches arrive lightweight, and once we pre-wash them, soft to the touch, because we can test a sample before committing to the full run. | A retail order can feel just as soft, but a small buyer rarely gets to pre-wash a sample first, so the feel of the finished garment is more of a guess. |
| Hot-weather performance | The open weave in our wholesale muslin cotton lets air move through the fabric, which suits a warm climate like Bali. | Retail muslin cotton shares that same weave structure, but inconsistent thickness between suppliers means some retail batches trap more heat than others. |
| Softness & durability | Wholesale muslin cotton softens with every wash and holds up over time, because the mill can guarantee the same fibre quality order after order. | Retail muslin cotton also softens with washing, but durability depends on which supplier filled that particular order, so one batch might outlast the next. |
| Best for | A wholesale order suits a brand that wants the same fabric, wash, and feel in every garment it makes, which is why we chose it. | A retail order suits a smaller maker who needs a short run of fabric fast and can accept some variation between batches. |
Choose Wholesale ordering if you want the same muslin cotton weight, weave, and feel in every garment, batch after batch.
Choose Retail ordering if you need a small run of fabric quickly and can live with some variation from one batch to the next.