When we started Antidote, one of the first decisions was also one of the hardest. Where should our clothes be made?
It's a question that shapes everything that follows: how a fabric feels, how a seam sits, how long a piece lasts, and how closely we can work with the people making it. For our first collection, the answer was Portugal.
This is why, and what it means for the pieces you wear.
Why where it's made matters
Two hoodies can look identical on a screen. In the hand, they are not. The difference sits in things you only notice over time: whether the cuffs hold their shape, whether the seams twist after a few washes, whether the fabric softens or pills.
Those details are decided in the factory. The pattern cutting, the tension of the stitching, the finishing and the checks before a piece is packed. A brand can design something beautifully and still lose it in production. We wanted to be close enough to the making to stop that happening.
Why Portugal
Northern Portugal has a long tradition of textile and garment making, with many family-run manufacturers working in knitwear, jersey and cut-and-sew. For a new brand, that combination matters. You get experience and skill, and a scale of factory that will take a first collection seriously.
For us, Portugal offered three things.
Proximity. It's a short flight from London. We can visit, check samples on the factory floor and solve problems face to face rather than over email.
Craft. We chose our manufacturers for the beautiful craftsmanship they bring to materials and fabrics.
Partnership. We chose them not only for their quality, but for the kind of long-standing relationship we wanted to build. We have worked with many of our manufacturers from the very beginning, and we intend to keep it that way.
What it meant for the collection
The pieces made in Portugal are the Recovery Hoodie, Revive Sweatshirt, Reset Tee, Restore Joggers, Motion Shorts, our Balance Sports Bra and the Two Tone Tote. Working this closely shaped them in specific ways.
- Fabric. After going through hundreds of fabric samples, we found a heavyweight cotton we believe is just right. It is used across the majority of our jersey pieces.
- Fit. We went through multiple rounds of sampling to get the shape right. One example: we adjusted the chest grading between sizes after wear-testing, so the fit stays consistent across the range.
- Finishing. Every piece is checked, inch by inch and stitch by stitch, before it leaves the factory.
You can feel the result in the Recovery Hoodie and the Revive Sweatshirt: ribbed cuffs and hems with quiet structure, and subtle tonal embroidery rather than a loud logo.
What "made in Portugal" doesn't mean
We want to be straight with you. "Made in Europe" is often used as shorthand for a lot of claims a label can't carry on its own. Here is what we can say, and what we won't.
- We can tell you where our pieces are made, because we chose the factory and we visit it.
- We can tell you about the decisions we made with them on fabric, fit and finish.
- We won't make broad claims we can't evidence. When we have more to share about materials and process, we'll share it with the detail to back it up.
Why it's only the beginning
This is our first collection. Some pieces are made elsewhere, where another specialist is better suited to a particular fabric or technique. What won't change is the standard: knowing who makes our clothes, being close enough to check the work, and choosing quality over volume.
If you want the full story of where Antidote comes from, read Our Heritage.
Looking after what's been made well
Well-made pieces deserve a little care. Wash cool, turn inside out and skip the tumble dryer — our activewear care guide has the details. And if you're weighing up a heavier layer, here's what to look for in a premium gym hoodie.
Quick answers
Is Antidote made in Portugal? Much of our first collection is made in Portugal, including our hoodies, sweatshirts, tees, joggers and shorts. For some activewear pieces we work with manufacturers in China who specialise in those particular garments.
Why is Portugal known for clothing manufacturing? Northern Portugal has a long-established textile and garment industry, with many specialist and family-run manufacturers.
Is European-made activewear better quality? Not automatically. Quality depends on the factory, the fabric and the checks. Location helps when it lets a brand work closely with its maker.
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