If you are planning to start a clothing business, here are a few things to consider before choosing a clothing manufacturer.
1. can they manufacture your products?
This may seem like an obvious question, but it is very important. Not all clothing manufacturers can produce all types of clothing. For example, outdoor or sports clothing often requires special materials such as Lycra or waterproof fabrics. You need to make sure that the manufacturer you choose can produce the clothing products you want. Even better, you should try to find a manufacturer that specializes in the clothes you want. If you are going to start a clothing company that sells fashionable summer clothing, then it is best to work with a clothing manufacturer that has a lot of experience in clothing. Just like if you want to sell luxury clothing, then you might want to work with one of the luxury clothing manufacturers and so on.
2. Domestic or Foreign Clothing Manufacturers?
You will need to decide whether you want to work with a local manufacturer in your country or region, or an overseas manufacturer. Often, this means choosing between manufacturers in the United States and Europe or manufacturers in Asia (usually China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, India and Bangladesh). It can be difficult to find economically viable apparel manufacturers in smaller countries, but if local manufacturing is important to you, you may be able to do it.
Domestic (U.S., European) Apparel Manufacturers
There are many benefits to working with a domestic apparel manufacturer. For starters, it’s easier to meet with manufacturers, inspect their factories, and discuss your specific needs with no language barrier. There are stricter labor regulations and better working conditions. Consumers are becoming more aware of these things, and “locally made” can be a powerful selling point. You can also enjoy faster shipping times, which will keep customers happy. The quality is usually higher as well.
However, all of this comes at a financial cost. Using a domestic manufacturer is usually more expensive, although you can also charge more for your own garments.
Overseas Clothing Manufacturers
The main benefit of using an overseas manufacturer is cost. They are almost always much cheaper, which is why so many garments are made in China. However, this is usually because labor standards and working conditions are not regulated, which is something you need to keep in mind.
It’s also harder for you to visit and inspect factories. While overseas manufacturers can produce high quality clothing, it is up to you to choose a reputable manufacturer.
When products are shipped internationally, the shipping time is also longer. However, this is not a big problem if you buy clothes in bulk and ship them yourself.
Another benefit is that you can usually get more options from overseas manufacturers – fabrics, styles, etc. – and they are more willing to go out of their way to do business with you.
3. What is the minimum order quantity?
When you work with a garment manufacturer, you need to know what their minimum order quantity is. This means the minimum number of items you need to purchase in an order. Minimum order quantities can range from 200 to 2,000 items or even more. Very few manufacturers do not have a minimum order quantity. It’s important to understand this because if you start working with a manufacturer and place your first order and they tell you that you need to buy 1,500 pieces of the swimsuit you want made, you may not be able to afford it. Also, it’s not a good idea to buy 2,000 suits if you’re not sure you’ll be able to sell them all. This leaves you with excess inventory that will be difficult to sell.
In short, make sure you can manage your minimum order before you start working with a clothing manufacturer.
4. Can they provide product samples?
Try before you buy. There’s a reason clothing stores have fitting rooms, and that’s because people want to know what they’re buying before they buy it. The same applies to your manufacturer. If you have a manufacturer that makes clothes for your company, you need to make sure that you get samples before you place a big order. This is important because if something doesn’t quite fit, you can keep tweaking it until it does. Imagine receiving hundreds of orders for a jacket you designed, only to find out that they don’t fit quite right or are buttoned up wrong.
The easiest way to do this is to raise the issue early in your communication. Most manufacturers are happy to provide samples, usually for a small fee, but you have to get them to commit from the start.
5. What are their fees and shipping costs?
In the excitement and rush, it’s easy to overlook basic due diligence. All you need to do is write a line or two in your email asking the manufacturer if there are any additional fees you should be aware of and what their shipping costs and times are.
This information is important in your decision to work with this manufacturer, so be sure to address it early.
Bonus: Check out our guide to communicating with manufacturers and suppliers (including an email script you can use!) .
6. How productive are they?
You may not think about this until your business is booming. When you’re just starting a clothing line, you may be focused on getting your first order and making the sale. But what do you do if business is better than expected and the clothes sell out quickly? Can you rely on the manufacturer to produce clothes quickly and increase production capacity? This is why you should ask your suppliers about their production capacity. Make sure they have the ability to increase capacity when needed. Also ask about turnaround time or lead time, which is the amount of time it takes for a manufacturer to fulfill an order. You don’t want to miss out on business and sales opportunities by waiting weeks or months for your order to arrive.
7. What are their quality standards?
Unfortunately, this is not something you can ask a manufacturer via email and take their word for it. However, you can do your own research
