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How to start a baby clothing brand
Start small: a few styles in a few colors, one sample of each, and a first order your budget can carry. Here are the steps, with our own numbers. You start from 50 pieces per style and color. A sample costs $150 to $500, and bulk takes about 3 to 5 weeks after you approve it.
- 8 steps
- From 50 pieces per style and color
- Samples from $150 to $500
Eight steps to your first order
- Pick a first capsule. Three to five styles in two or three colors keeps a first order small: a bodysuit, a romper, a set and a hat, say. Each style and color starts at 50 pieces.
- Choose your fabrics. Cotton interlock or rib, certified organic cotton fabric, or viscose made from bamboo. Ask for swatches and feel them first.
- Make a tech pack. Sketches, measurements, fabrics, trims and labels, in one file. Use our free template, or send a sketch and we make the tech pack with you.
- Order one sample. One physical sample of each style, for $150 to $500 depending on the design. Check the fit, the snaps and the labels on it.
- Plan the US kids rules. Pick a lab that the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) accepts, plan the tests for each style, and get ready to issue your Children's Product Certificate. We send samples to your lab.
- Order bulk. From 50 pieces per style and color, with sizes mixed. Bulk takes about 3 to 5 weeks after you approve the sample.
- Labels and packing. Your neck labels, care labels and permanent tracking labels go into every piece. Gift boxes and custom bags are a separate order.
- Ship and import. Kids orders are quoted FOB (free on board) Karachi. Your brand imports the goods and files the certificate data at entry, yourself or through a customs broker.
Your first order, in numbers
Our numbers for a first baby order. Lab test costs come from your lab.
- Minimum50 pieces per style and color, with sizes mixed
- Example4 styles in 2 colors each: 8 runs of 50, or 400 pieces
- Sample$150 to $500 per style, plus shipping
- BulkAbout 3 to 5 weeks after you approve the sample
- PaymentIn full when the order is ready to ship
- Shipping termsFOB Karachi. Your brand imports the order.
Mistakes new baby brands make
Each one costs time or money on a first order.
- Too many styles at once. Every style and color has its own minimum and sample. Start with a few, and add more when they sell.
- Skipping the sample. Snaps, necks and sizes need a real piece to check.
- Forgetting the lab. Kids clothing needs lab tests and a certificate before it sells in the US. Plan them before bulk.
- Hood or neck drawstrings. They are not allowed on kids tops in sizes 2T to 12.
- Calling it bamboo. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) wants "viscose made from bamboo" or "rayon made from bamboo" on labels and listings.
- Saying organic without papers. Use the word only with certified fiber and the papers for that lot.
What goes in and on each piece
Plan your labels with your tech pack.
- Neck label: printed inside the neck or woven, with your brand and the size.
- Care and fiber label: the fiber content, the country of origin and the care instructions.
- Tracking label: permanent, with your brand, where and when it was made, and the batch.
- Packaging: every order ships in our standard packaging. Gift boxes, custom bags, tissue and stickers are a separate order.
Questions buyers ask
How much does it cost to start a baby clothing brand?
It depends on the styles and the fabrics. Plan for samples at $150 to $500 each and a first order of 50 pieces per style and color. Add lab tests from your lab, and shipping and import costs. We quote each style for its design.
What is the minimum order for baby clothes?
50 pieces per style and color, with sizes mixed.
Do I need a tech pack?
It helps. Use our free template, or send a sketch or a sample you like, and we make the tech pack with you.
Do I need lab tests for baby clothes?
Yes. In the US, baby clothes are children's products. They need tests at a CPSC-accepted lab and a Children's Product Certificate from the importer, usually your brand. We send samples to the lab you pick.
How long does it take to launch?
Plan a few months: the tech pack, one or more sample rounds, the lab tests, then bulk in about 3 to 5 weeks after you approve the sample, plus shipping.
Can I start with certified organic cotton fabric?
Yes. Ask for the mill's certificate with your quote. To sell a garment as organic, your brand also needs the papers for that lot.
Can you help with the design?
Yes. Send a sketch or a photo, and we turn it into a tech pack and a sample, the way we made our own PEBBLE baby set.
Your request is ready
Send it to us on WhatsApp, or copy it into an email to contact@sharknits.com.
Want to talk sooner? Book a 15-minute call on Google Meet.
What happens next
- We reply with questions and a quote.
- We make one sample for you to check.
- You approve it, and we make your order.
contact@sharknits.com · +1 647 501 5424
Sharknits is a custom clothing manufacturer for brands in the US, with factories in Lahore and Sialkot and a U.S. corporate office near Chicago.