It’s a business venture to launch your own line of clothing. However, the success of that enterprise hinges on your imagination and inventiveness. Preparation is the key to a successful first collection. Let’s discuss the first steps, then.
First things first: figure out what kind of clothing line you want to sell before you even start thinking about the specifics of your first season’s designs.
The fashion industry can take many different forms. Take a look at some of the more well-known examples:
Print-on-Demand
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With this business model, you hire a third party to print and ship wholesale clothes like t-shirts, leggings, and hoodies manufacturer. For instance, these custom clothing companies will print T-shirts and other items when they are asked to.
As orders come in, your custom patterns or prints are put on the right clothes and then shipped to your customers. So, you don’t have to store inventory or take care of fulfillment.
It’s one of the easiest ways to start a fashion business, but it’s also one of the least profitable because a lot of your profit goes to the third party who fills your orders.
T-shirt lines works well with this model, especially if you want to start small by personalizing your own t-shirts with DTF printing instead of pre-printing a bunch of them with no need. Read our full guide on how to start a t-shirt business for a more in-depth look.
Print-on-demand is a good way to run a business
- Most of the time, there are no or low set-up costs
- Prints of good quality (if you pick one of the top vendors)
- You can choose any color (but remember that the price increases with the number of colors)
- Perfect for small orders or single prints
- There are many ways to dress (shirts, t-shirts, hats, jackets, leggings, socks, dresses, etc.)
Cons for the business model of “print on demand”
- Not cost-effective for large quantities
- Few sellers offer discounts for large orders
- Few print products to choose from (you can only get what the vendor sells)
- Few options for ending (tags, labels, packaging, etc.)
Wholesale Custom
Custom wholesale businesses buy wholesale clothes that have already been made and then change them by hand.
You can print on, sew on, embroider, or do other things to the clothes you already have to make them fit your vision.
This model takes some time and money to set up. You’ll have to buy the clothes and pay for the materials and labor to make them unique.
You’ll also need a place to keep your stock and a way to fill orders.
But since there’s no third party to pay, you’ll keep more of your profits than with print-on-demand.
Benefits of a Wholesale-to-Retail Sales Structure
- Cost-effective when making a lot of them
- Most sellers give big discounts for buying in bulk
- You’ll make more money if your costs are lower
Negative aspects of the custom wholesale model
- Not cost-effective for big clothing lines with lots of different items, colors, and sizes
- You can only print simple designs and images. For example, you can’t print photos
- Usually, you have to order 10 to 25 units per color/size as a minimum
- You’ll have to figure out how to handle inventory and shipping on your own because the vendor won’t do it for you
Private Label and Cut-and-Sew
Most people think of this business model when they want to start a clothing line.
You will design the clothes, and then a manufacturing partner will make them according to your specifications so that you can sell them under your own private label. Here you can find out more about how to find a clothing manufacturer.
With a private label model, you will have to go shopping and buy the fabrics, decorations, and tools you need to make your clothes.
You will also need a place to keep your stock and a way to fill orders.
Advantages of cut-and-sew and private label production methods
- You design each piece of clothing yourself
- Customers think that unique clothing is worth more
- When you sell unique clothes, you’ll have less competition, so you’ll make more money
The difficulties with the cut-and-sew model are similar to those of the private label model
- High costs to start up
- There are a lot of moving parts, and you’ll have to handle everything yourself or with the help of your team
- It takes a long time to get ready and start
Made-to-measure
Custom couture could be the riskiest way to run a fashion business.
Couture clothes are made by hand to fit each customer. Getting to this level of detail takes a lot of time and work and costs a lot of money.
This means that each piece will have a very high price tag—the kind of price tag that only the wealthy can really afford. This makes it harder for people to buy from you.
But if wealthy people like your designs, your business could go through the roof.
Pros of the business model for custom-made clothes
- 100% custom product
- Rich customers thought it was a great deal
- Biggest margins
Cons for the business model of custom-made clothes
- Much smaller target market
- needs that you have a strong brand
- It can take years for a couture brand to get a good name
Find your niche
Once you know if you’re going to start from scratch with a cut-and-sew collection or a print-on-demand business, you can get more specific.
What clothes are you going to make?
Is your brand of clothes for sports? Or will you sell lingerie with a retro look? Will you design for men? Women? Both?
Before you make your first collection, you need to work on and improve your business idea by figuring out the niche for your clothing line.
It’s impossible to please everyone and do everything, and it costs a lot to try. You’re more likely to be successful if you make products that are good for certain people. So, figure out early on who your main customers are and what products will be the most important to your clothing line.
If you want to start a clothing line, here are some niches to think about:
- Sportswear
- Women’s Dress Clothes
- Men’s Dress Clothes
- Women’s Casualwear
- Men’s Casualwear
- Swimwear
- Sleepwear
- Lingerie
Even within these niches, you can choose from a wide range of clothing, and apparel, such as:
- Short sleeve shirts
- Long sleeve shirts
- Pants
- Leggings
- Hoodies
- Dress
- Lingerie
- Underwear
- Socks
- Ties
- Belts
Make sure you’re really interested in the niche you choose. Your designs will show that you are passionate about what you do, and your audience will appreciate and love the realness of your clothing brand.
Make your first set of clothing lines
Once you’ve chosen the right business model and niche for your clothing line, it’s time to start thinking about the clothes themselves.
Your first collection should show what your clothing line is all about and show off your unique style. So, think about the idea you had for your fashion brand.
You can branch out and try new things later, but your first collection should show your audience what they can expect from you as a designer.
We can’t tell you what your designs should look like. You’ll have to come up with your own magic. But as a designer, we can ask you to stay true to who you are. And, don’t be afraid to be unique.
Uniqueness and honesty will help your clothing line stand out in the fashion market, which is very crowded.
