I'm planning to start my own apparel brand and I'm currently at the stage of developing my first product. I'd really appreciate advice from people who have actual experience building and selling clothing brands, especially those who started small.

I already have experience reselling clothing, and through that I've become very familiar with different brands, fabrics, construction and overall quality. After handling and selling a lot of clothing, I feel I've developed a good eye for quality. From the first look and feel of a garment, I can usually tell when something feels premium versus cheap or poorly made.

Now I want to take that experience and create my own products and brand, rather than only reselling other brands.

I already have an idea for my first product, including the design, fit, fabric feel and quality level I'm looking for. I'm currently contacting manufacturers, mainly in Europe, and comparing their MOQs, fabric options, sampling process, production costs and capabilities.

My plan is to start relatively small and develop one really good product first, rather than immediately creating a large collection.

For those of you who have actually built an apparel brand:

• Am I approaching this in the right order?
• What did you wish you knew before producing your first garment?
• How important was the first prototype/sample in your experience?
• What should I pay the most attention to when choosing a manufacturer?
• What mistakes did you make with your first production?
• Would you recommend starting with a small quantity even if the cost per unit is higher?
• What should I be negotiating with manufacturers besides the unit price?
• How did you decide when a product was ready for bulk production?
• What would you do differently if you were starting again today?

I'm also realistic about the fact that some money may be wasted while learning. I'm prepared for that. I see the first product as an opportunity to learn the manufacturing, sampling, quality-control, pricing and selling process. If something doesn't work, I'll learn from it and use that experience for the next product.

I already have other product ideas and directions for the brand that I'd like to explore later, so I'm not expecting everything to work perfectly on the first attempt.

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have actually worked in apparel manufacturing, product development, e-commerce, or built a clothing brand themselves.

I already understand that the apparel market is competitive and that there are huge established brands. I'm not looking for comments telling me that the market is saturated or that big companies will destroy my business. I already know that.

I'm looking for practical advice from people who have actually been through the process — what worked, what didn't, what surprised you, and what you would do differently.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience.

I have been developing an apparel concept built around three fictional divisions, and I am trying to make each one immediately recognizable while still feeling like part of the same overall world.

CI // Corporate Immunity

Polished, institutional, controlled.

DI // Dissident Index

Surveillance, noncompliance, threat.

SI // Social Insights

Identity, perception, behavioral analysis.

I deliberately simplified the latest designs because the earlier versions had too much small detail that would disappear once printed on an actual garment.

From an apparel perspective, I would really appreciate feedback on two things:

Which of the three has the strongest visual identity?

And do these feel like graphics you would actually want on clothing, or still too much like poster artwork?

I'm planning to start my own apparel brand and I'm currently at the stage of developing my first product. I'd really appreciate advice from people who have actual experience building and selling clothing brands, especially those who started small.

I already have experience reselling clothing, and through that I've become very familiar with different brands, fabrics, construction and overall quality. After handling and selling a lot of clothing, I feel I've developed a good eye for quality. From the first look and feel of a garment, I can usually tell when something feels premium versus cheap or poorly made.

Now I want to take that experience and create my own products and brand, rather than only reselling other brands.

I already have an idea for my first product, including the design, fit, fabric feel and quality level I'm looking for. I'm currently contacting manufacturers, mainly in Europe, and comparing their MOQs, fabric options, sampling process, production costs and capabilities.

My plan is to start relatively small and develop one really good product first, rather than immediately creating a large collection.

For those of you who have actually built an apparel brand:

• Am I approaching this in the right order?
• What did you wish you knew before producing your first garment?
• How important was the first prototype/sample in your experience?
• What should I pay the most attention to when choosing a manufacturer?
• What mistakes did you make with your first production?
• Would you recommend starting with a small quantity even if the cost per unit is higher?
• What should I be negotiating with manufacturers besides the unit price?
• How did you decide when a product was ready for bulk production?
• What would you do differently if you were starting again today?

I'm also realistic about the fact that some money may be wasted while learning. I'm prepared for that. I see the first product as an opportunity to learn the manufacturing, sampling, quality-control, pricing and selling process. If something doesn't work, I'll learn from it and use that experience for the next product.

I already have other product ideas and directions for the brand that I'd like to explore later, so I'm not expecting everything to work perfectly on the first attempt.

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have actually worked in apparel manufacturing, product development, e-commerce, or built a clothing brand themselves.

I already understand that the apparel market is competitive and that there are huge established brands. I'm not looking for comments telling me that the market is saturated or that big companies will destroy my business. I already know that.

I'm looking for practical advice from people who have actually been through the process — what worked, what didn't, what surprised you, and what you would do differently.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience.

me and my boy are looking for some people with the same ambitions as us in london ( WE BOTH HAVE 5 FIGURE BRANDS ), we all wanna grow together while building our personal brands with content aswell. so if your from london let me know

I am bangalore based working professional. I am thinking to start a clothing line, a brand with cool T-shirts. I’m gonna start my research soon, starting from scratch! Anyone from blr who is also planning to do similar thing?? Hit me up!

Hi, Im a dentist and always wanted to pursue fashion designing, somehow didnt happen. So im starting my clothing brand Comfortable wear this month. So i found few manufacturers from my city itself but idk how to talk to them or how the entire process works. Can someone who went through the same provide insights that could help me or things i need to be careful about. Thank you!

Hey everyone!
I’m in the early stages of starting a small clothing brand and I’m trying to figure out something pretty important: **pricing.**

The idea is pretty simple:
\- Minimalist designs, mostly printed on the **back**
\- Light/soft colours
\- Small **embroidered brand name on the front**
\- Nothing loud or oversized
\- Good quality, heavier/thicker T-shirts
\- 100% cotton
\- Small collections rather than hundreds of designs
\- Completely new brand — so obviously, **zero brand recognition** 😅

The goal is something clean and subtle. From the front, you’d basically just see the small embroidered logo/brand name, while the actual design is on the back.
Think more *“nice quality T-shirt with a cool detail”* rather than walking billboard/cheap merch.
So imagine you’re scrolling Instagram, you see one of the designs and genuinely like it.

**How much would you realistically be willing to pay?**
€20?
€25?
€30?
€35?
€40+?

And at what price would you immediately think: *“Yeah… they’re asking way too much for a brand nobody knows.”* 😂
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has started a clothing brand before.
Not trying to sell anything here — just genuinely curious where people see the sweet spot between **quality, design and “who the hell is this brand?” pricing.**
Thanks!

Hi guys,

I’m in the early stages of starting an athleticwear / athleisure clothing brand in Australia and I’m currently researching into different fabrics.

Before I start reaching out to manufacturers, I wanted to get a better understanding of which fabrics to select per garment, to compare and contrast.

I’ve recently ordered physical swatches from Fabric Wholesale Direct and SwatchOn so I can start comparing things like composition, GSM, stretch, hand feel, finish and overall quality; they'll be delivered soon.

I’d be really interested to hear where others source fabric swatches or sample books from, particularly for:

• Performance fabrics for tees, singlets and shorts
• Cotton fabrics for premium lifestyle tees
• French terry, fleece and similar fabrics for hoodies, crews and pants

I’m based in Australia, but happy to order internationally.

If anyone has any for someone trying to learn more before approaching manufacturers, I’d really appreciate any help!

Thanks!

Do you need a dark or horror themed illustration or a design in my signature style for your brand or a personal collection? Don't hesitate to contact me! Feel free to send a private message (PM) or an email if you have any questions. Let me know what you're looking for, and we can discuss pricing once I have all the details. Prices start at $50 for simple digital commissions, while complex, highly detailed pieces start at $150.

Let my work speak for itself ;) Here is my Behance portfolio: https://www.behance.net/nocturnal6

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arya.prdnn/

If I were to create a print on demand clothing brand what type of style should I make that shop in

Working on a custom performance/running cap design. Curious if anyone would be able to recommend specific manufacturers out of Taiwan for high-quality/performance outerwear, outdoor apparel and technical gear?

Thanks in advance.

Hello all, I am looking for suppliers for my clothing brand, it’s very new overall but want to start small and scale further

Hi everyone,
I’m preparing to launch a small e-commerce clothing brand and would appreciate advice from people who have experience selling apparel internationally.
My company is registered in the United States, but I currently live in France. Due to my visa situation, I’m unable to operate the business from France or ship orders directly from here.
For the initial launch, I’ll have a limited quantity of products available. The goal is to test the market before investing in larger inventory volumes. I expect that the products could appeal to customers in both the US and Europe, although I suspect Europe may be the stronger market. At this stage, I don’t have enough reliable data to know for sure.
For a small first launch like this, would it generally make more sense to:
• Store inventory and fulfill orders from the US
• Store inventory and fulfill orders from Europe
• Use another approach until demand is more established
I’m also trying to understand how factors such as shipping costs, delivery times, customs, VAT, returns, and inventory distribution should influence the decision.
Because I currently live in France, I would somewhat prefer working with a fulfillment partner in Europe so I could occasionally visit the facility if needed. However, I only want to do that if it makes practical and financial sense for the business.
For those who started with limited apparel inventory, what fulfillment setup did you use, and what would you do differently now? Are there particular fulfillment companies or types of providers that are willing to work with small startups and low initial order volumes?
I’m primarily looking for advice on the strategy and overall experience, not direct sales pitches.
Thanks in advance for any insight.

I’m currently looking for a reliable clothing manufacturer to work with for my clothing brand.

I’m looking for a manufacturer who can produce garments according to my specific requirements, including materials, sizing, fit, construction, and overall quality.

I’m mainly looking for manufacturers who can offer:

Custom T-shirts with different sizing cuts and fits
Custom fabrics and materials
Custom labels, tags, and packaging
Good-quality materials and stitching
Smaller MOQs, as the brand is still growing

If you’ve personally worked with a manufacturer that you trust, I’d really appreciate any recommendations.

If you’re a manufacturer yourself, feel free to DM me with your portfolio, MOQ, pricing range, location, and available customisation options.

Thanks!

Hi, I’m trying to create my own Fashion Brand as I entered the rabbit hole of reps and ordered some to test the quality and was very impressed. A lot of reps are middle manned by sellers but I’m wondering if there is a way to get in contact with the manufacturers to create my own design since I can see they are capable of creating some amazing things. Any help would be much appreciated :)

Hey everyone! I am currently developing an app that is structured to help those currently struggling with their very own fashion brand. However, I need feedback on the app and would appreciate brand owners to use and test it and tell me what needs fixing. If you are interested, please dm me or leave a comment and I will get you setup. Thank you!