How to start a clothing brand
Ten steps from idea to launch, told from the factory side: what to decide first, what to budget for, and how your first order gets made.
- Ten steps, idea to launch
- First orders from 25 pieces
- Real examples from our clients
Ten steps to your first drop
- Pick one customer and one product. Decide who you make clothes for, and start with the one product they want most. Tees and hoodies are a common first product.
- Name the brand and make a logo. Check that the name is free as a web address and on social media. Search the trademark records too. In the US, that is the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office).
- Set up the business. Register the business where you live, and give the brand its own bank account. The rules differ by state and country, so check yours.
- Choose how your clothes are made. Print on demand, printing on blanks, or cut and sew. The three ways are compared below.
- Make a tech pack. Write down how the product is made: sketches, measurements, fabric, trims, artwork and sizes. Use our free template, or send us a sketch and we make it for you.
- Find a manufacturer. Ask each factory about its minimum, its sample cost, its timing and how it takes payment.
- Make a sample. Check the fit, the fabric and the print on a real piece. Make your changes now, before the full order.
- Order your first run. Keep it small: one or two styles in a few colors. At Sharknits, the minimum is usually 25 pieces per style and color.
- Get photos and build your store. Shoot your pieces flat and on a model. We can photograph your finished order for you.
- Launch, then reorder. See which styles and colors sell, and reorder those.
Three ways to make your clothes
Each way has its own costs and limits.
- Print on demand. A printer prints each piece when a customer orders it, on a blank made by someone else. You hold no stock, but you cannot change the fabric or the fit, and each piece costs more.
- Blanks and printing. You buy ready-made blank tees or hoodies and have them printed. It is quick to start, but the fabric and the fit are the blank maker's.
- Cut and sew. A factory makes the garment from fabric, to your pattern. You choose the fabric, the fit and every detail, and your labels go on every piece. It takes a sample first and a minimum order.
What to budget for
Every design is priced on its own, so there is no single number. These are the costs to plan for, with ours where we have them.
- SamplesAt Sharknits, $150 to $500 each, depending on the design, plus shipping
- First orderQuoted for your design, from 25 pieces per style and color
- PaymentAt Sharknits, full payment is due when your order is ready to ship
- Labels and tagsNeck labels, size tabs and hang tags with your brand
- PackagingOur standard packaging comes with every order. Custom packaging is a separate order.
- Shipping and dutiesAir or sea freight, plus any import duties in your country
- Photos and storeProduct photos, your website and your first ads
What to have ready
You do not need all of it. The more you have, the faster and closer the quote.
- Your brand name and logo files
- A sketch, a photo of a garment you like, or a tech pack
- The fabric and the colors you want, or a garment to match
- How many pieces of each style and color
- Your sizes, or a size chart
- Your labels, tags and packaging ideas
- The date you want to launch
Sample first, then your order
We make one physical sample for $150 to $500, depending on the design. You can make changes during sampling. Bulk starts only after you approve the sample.
Changes go into another sample round before bulk starts.
- 1InquirySend your idea, sketch or tech pack.
- 2Digital mockupWe draw your design so you can see it.
- 3SampleWe make one physical sample.
- 4Your approvalYou check it and sign off.
Your full order is made, checked, paid for and shipped.
- 5ProductionWe make the full order.
- 6Quality checkEvery piece is checked against the sample.
- 7PaymentYou pay the balance before it ships.
- 8DeliveryShipped by air or sea to your door.
Made for Fince Up
Varsity jackets in five colorways, plus matching tees and shorts, for a US streetwear label.
Real talk, finding a manufacturer you can actually trust ain't easy. Sharknits came through for me heavy. I had a vision for my brand, and they didn't just get it, they executed it clean. The quality was solid, turnaround was quick, and they kept me in the loop the whole way. I ain't switching up, they're locked in as my go-to for every drop now.
JeanCEO, Fince Up Apparel LLC- ClientFince Up Apparel LLC
- ProductsVarsity jackets, ringer tees, shorts
- ColorsPurple, yellow, green, orange, black
- LabelsPrinted neck labels and hang tags
Five mistakes new brands make
- Too many styles at once. Every style and color is another minimum to fill. Start with your best one or two.
- Skipping the sample. The sample is where you catch fit and print problems, before they are on every piece.
- No size chart. Decide your sizes and measurements early, so every piece fits the same.
- Changes by chat only. Put every change in your tech pack, so you and the factory work from one file.
- Starting too late. Cut and sew takes months, not weeks. Count back from your launch date.
Questions buyers ask
How much does it cost to start a clothing brand?
It depends on your products and how many you make. The first cost is usually a sample. At Sharknits, a sample is $150 to $500, depending on the design, plus shipping. Your first order is quoted for your design, from 25 pieces per style and color.
Can I start a clothing brand with no experience?
Yes. You can start with an idea, a sketch or a photo of a garment you like. We make the tech pack and the pattern, and you check a sample before the full order.
Do I need a tech pack to start?
It helps, but you do not need one to talk to us. Send a sketch or a photo and we make the tech pack for you. Or fill in our free template.
How many pieces should my first order be?
Start small: the minimum, in one or two styles. At Sharknits, that is usually 25 pieces per style and color, and you can mix sizes within that number.
How long does it take to launch?
For cut and sew, plan about 4 months ahead of your launch. Orders can take up to 3 months when there is more than one sample round.
Is a clothing brand the same as a clothing line?
People use both words. A clothing line is often one collection, and the brand is the name it sells under. The steps to start are the same.
Should I start with print on demand or a manufacturer?
Print on demand costs little to start, but you cannot change the fabric or the fit. A manufacturer makes your own product, from fabric, with your labels. Some brands test designs with print on demand first, then move to a manufacturer.
Your request is ready
Send it to us on WhatsApp, or copy it into an email to sharknitsmfg@gmail.com.
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.
sharknitsmfg@gmail.com · +1 647 501 5424
Sharknits is a custom clothing manufacturer for brands in the US, with a factory in Lahore and a U.S. corporate office near Chicago.