How to Actually Choose a Clothing Manufacturer When You’re Just Starting Out

Photo: Keegan Henman

Every few weeks, someone sends me the same message in my DMs. “I have an idea for a small clothing brand and I have some savings, but how do I find someone to make it happen? And how do I know that person won’t just take my money and disappear?” Okay. The design part seems a little scary until you actually take your idea to the factory, but then you realize it was the easy part.

I’m not a fashion person. I stumbled upon this a few years ago with small printed t-shirts that I made myself and made some big mistakes, but in the end I realized what actually matters when choosing a clothing manufacturer. So this is the practical version. This is something I wish someone had told me clearly.

Forget about the “1,000 minimum” you always read.

The first thing that scares people is the minimum order quantity. When you email the factory and are told that the minimum production is 1,000 units per style, you do the math and quietly give up. I did exactly this twice.

Judge by how you respond to the first three emails.

It sounds obvious, but this is the best signal I’ve found. Before focusing on price, observe how the manufacturer communicates.

Do they respond within a day or two, or wait a week? Do they answer the actual question you asked, or do they send you a copy-pasted brochure? I asked one factory a specific question about the stitching on the collar, and they returned a two-line answer and a photo of a sample that did exactly what I described. Another person took 9 days and answered questions I didn’t ask. That contrast told me more than any price list.

You end up exchanging dozens of messages with these people while your money and your ideas are in their hands. If it’s a pain at the “just curious” stage, it doesn’t get better once the order is on the table.

Photo: Matthias Redding

First of all, let me prove it with a sample.

Please do not order from the photo. Samples are the key. Buy one or two, pick them up, wash them, and wear them for a week.

After my first sample, I learned that the fabric I liked online was so thin that I could read it through, and that the neckline I had approved on screen was unusually high in real life. They were £20 lessons instead of £2,000 lessons. Manufacturers who are willing to send you samples and take notes are the ones you can work with. Manufacturers that pressure you to skip sampling and “just order and you’re good to go” are telling you everything you need to know.

Ask boring questions about fabrics and costs.

This is my humble checklist of things I learned by mistake.

-What exactly is fabric? It’s not about the “cotton”, it’s about the weight, the blend, and whether it shrinks. Please request an essay in writing.

– What is the total price per piece?Not just the unit price. Shipping costs, sample fees, printing preferences, and customs duties are often listed later. Check out the full numbers before falling in love.

– What if the batch comes out wrong? Serious manufacturers have the answer. Suspicious things become vague.

– Who owns the design? Sounds paranoid unless you say so. Make your artwork your own.

None of it is exciting. All of this is the difference between a brand and a cupboard full of clothes that don’t sell.

The all-in price question is the one that bothered me the most. The initial quote looked great, but printing setup fees, courier costs, and customs duties that I hadn’t budgeted for turned into a pretty small amount that made me wince. Now, before I get attached to anyone, I only ask for a one-time landing fee for each completed piece until it is delivered to your home. If the manufacturer can’t or won’t tell you the number, it’s usually because the actual number is higher than the number provided by the manufacturer. And you’d rather know that number in an email than on the day the package arrives with the bill stapled to it.

Photo: Husien Bisky

Red flags I’m avoiding now:

I closed the tab for several reasons. Prices that seem unbelievably high are usually due to someone cutting corners and can be noticed on the day of delivery. A hard no is if you don’t have the desire to sample. And if you can’t get a clear answer as to where and how the clothes are actually made, I think there’s a reason why the clothes are so stubborn. Trust your instincts here. Trust me, even if the partnership feels shaky before you’ve even paid a dime.

Start by doing one thing right.

The most common mistake I see, and I’ve made myself, is trying to launch an entire collection at once. When you have five designs, each with three colors, all of a sudden you’re managing a spreadsheet instead of creating something nice.

Final thoughts…

Choosing a manufacturer isn’t really about finding the cheapest quote or the most luxurious factory. It’s important to find someone who communicates like a human, lets you test things before committing, and is honest with you about any areas that might go wrong. That way you can keep your first run small. That way, the whole dreaded “how do I get started” question is quietly reduced to an actionable to-do list.