How to Search and Select a Manufacturer for Your Fashion Startup

Get your fashion line off the ground with these manufacturer sourcing tips

Co-authored by Devin McSween

Last Updated: March 13, 2023 References

Where to Look

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Vetting a Manufacturer

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Domestic or Overseas?

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Wholesale vs Dropshipping

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Cost

You’ve made the leap to start your fashion career and have all your designs drawn up. All you have to do is find a clothing manufacturer to make your designs, but where do you find them? Luckily, there are lots of great in-person and online places to search for manufacturers and get your clothing into customers' hands. In this article, we’ll show you some of the best places to find reputable clothing manufacturers and tell you what to consider when choosing a manufacturer for your fashion line. Read on to make your clothing designs a reality!

Things You Should Know

Go to industry events like trade shows and fashion shows to meet and talk to clothing manufacturers in your area.
Use curated online directories like Maker’s Row to search for clothing manufacturers based on their location, the clothing they produce, and their prices.
Search for clothing startup or entrepreneur pages on Facebook and Reddit to see what clothing manufacturers other business owners recommend.
When choosing a manufacturer, verify that they’re reputable, make your type of clothing, and make quality products that match your budget.

Section 1 of 5:

Where to Look for Clothing Manufacturers

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Go to trade shows and fashion shows. Reputable clothing manufacturers typically attend these events to show off their work and generate new business. Just search for clothing trade shows and fashion shows in your area. These events allow you to meet manufacturers in person, establish relationships, and get a sense of what they do and how they operate. It’s also a great place for you to network and market your business.^{[1]
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Search through manufacturer directories. Luckily, lists of reputable clothing manufacturers already exist online. These directories usually list the products the manufacturer makes, their prices, samples of their work, and reviews from customers. All you have to do is search through them and find manufacturers that fit your needs.^{[2]
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- If you’re in the United States, Maker’s Row and The Council of Fashion Designers of America are great resources. Maker’s Row costs a monthly fee to use.
- In Europe, people typically use Sqetch to find manufacturers. It also costs a fee to use.
- For overseas manufacturing, look through Kompass.
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Check out social media sites and forums. Facebook groups and pages for clothing entrepreneurs are great places to find manufacturers. You’re able to ask what manufacturers other people recommend and what ones you might want to avoid. Similarly, forums like Reddit are great websites to use and ask for manufacturer advice.^{[3]
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- Join Facebook groups like Fashion Business Owners Support, Fashionline, and Small Business Owners/Entrepreneurs to get help and advice for other startups.
- Subgroups on Reddit like r/SmallBusiness, r/ClothingStartups, and r/Entrepreneur are great forums to search and ask questions.
- If you’re in the first steps of starting a clothing line, these sites are also great resources for networking and getting tips and knowledge from people who have already started their businesses.
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Network and ask your connections in the industry. One of the best ways to find a clothing manufacturer is to ask who other business owners and retailers use. Going to tradeshows and joining online communities are great ways to meet and connect with people in the industry. Once you get to know them, get in contact with their connections to further build your network. Soon enough, you’ll have a list of people to talk to about the manufacturers they recommend.^{[4]
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Look online. Of course, one of the simplest ways to find a clothing manufacturer is to search online using Google. While this casts a wider net of potential options, this also often makes it a more time-consuming process. Unlike directories and networking connections, you have to vet the manufacturers yourself.^{[5]
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- Narrow down your results by using keywords like the type of clothing you’re designing and the location of where you want to manufacture. Then, look at the reviews and select the manufacturers that people are happy with and provide quality products.

Section 2 of 5:

Vetting a Clothing Manufacturer

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Experience and reputation Once you’ve found a few potential manufacturers, first make sure that they’re legitimate. Look for their business certifications on their website and for how long they’ve been in the business. A manufacturer who’s been in the business for at least several years is likely servicing their clients well. To make sure, check their reviews to see if their customers are satisfied and happy.^{[6]
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- Ask the manufacturer for references from their current clients. The references can tell you if they’re happy working with the manufacturer and warn you about any problems they experienced with the manufacturer.
- Get a 3rd party inspection to double-check that the manufacturer is legitimate. Companies like Intertek and SGS charge a fee to send an inspector to the manufacturing plant and ensure that they are operating legally.^{[7]
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Clothing specialization It’s definitely important to check that the clothing manufacturer specializes in the types of clothes you’re making. If you’re designing activewear, contact the manufacturer to see if they’re capable and trained in making it. Then, ask them to give you a breakdown of the types of clothing they make each year. If they only produce a minimal amount of activewear, search for a manufacturer that is more experienced in the area.^{[8]
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- Also ask for samples of the manufacturer’s work. Most manufacturers sell samples for a lower cost or the price of shipping. Look at the quality of fabric they use, how well the garment is made, and the stitching.
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Price This might be obvious, but don’t choose a manufacturer that you can’t realistically afford. Go for a manufacturer that gives you the greatest quality product for the best price. Ask what the manufacturer charges for their service and if they require a deposit fee.^{[9]
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- Check over the manufacturer’s payment terms before signing anything. Most legitimate manufacturers require a deposit between 30-60% of your total order. Scammers are likely to ask for all your money upfront, so avoid those manufacturers.^{[10]
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Minimum order quantities When you’re starting your fashion company, you’ll likely only produce a few products at a time. Most manufacturers make products in bulk, though the minimum amount they require you to order ranges widely. Some might have a minimum order quantity of 50, while others require a minimum of 500. Larger orders are often riskier and more expensive when you’re just starting out.^{[11]
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- Check if the manufacturer has a minimum color quantity too. Sometimes the minimum order and color are the same thing, so one manufacturer might require an order of 50 tops all in the same color. Others might split their minimum order of 50 into different colors.
- Always ask if the manufacturer will work with you on your initial orders, even if they quote you a larger minimum order than you want.
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Production and shipping times Ask the manufacturer what their lead times typically are, which is the time it takes to make the clothes once you order the product. Generally, good lead times are between 30 to 90 days. Then, it’s important that your customers get their clothes as fast as possible. Ask the manufacturer how quickly they send the products to customers once they purchase your clothes.^{[12]
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Production capabilities Your manufacturer needs to keep up with your company once business picks up. A manufacturer’s production capability is typically the amount of product they can make and ship per month. So, choose a manufacturer that matches the growth you expect to make with your fashion line.^{[13]
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Attentiveness and responsiveness Ultimately, choose a manufacturer who is invested in you and your product. Ask how they handle support and when they’re available to work with you and answer questions. You’ve found a good manufacturer if they’re focused on helping you and making your designs come alive.^{[14]
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Section 3 of 5:

Is it better to manufacture clothes domestically or overseas?

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Domestic manufacturers offer better quality but are more expensive. Weigh the pros and cons when choosing between domestic and overseas manufacturers. Domestic manufacturers, or manufacturers based in your country, tend to have faster shipping times. They often produce higher-quality clothing and workers work in better-regulated conditions. These factors also typically make domestic manufacturers more expensive.^{[15]
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- It’s important to consider the ethics of the manufacturer you choose, too. While domestic manufacturers often provide safer working conditions, the people producing your clothes might not be paid a fair wage. Know that manufacturers who do offer fair wages are often more expensive.^{[16]
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Overseas manufacturers are less expensive but often lower in quality. Overseas manufacturers might be able to offer much lower costs because the quality of their products tends to be poorer. Shipping is also often longer, as your products have to cross multiple oceans and countries to get to you. Additionally, working conditions might be unregulated in some overseas manufacturing plants, making them a less ethical choice.^{[17]
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Section 4 of 5:

What’s the difference between wholesale and dropshipping?

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Wholesale provides you with a lot of stock for a cheaper price. Some manufacturers offer a wholesale model, where you purchase larger quantities of your clothing at a discounted rate. This is a great option if you have room to hold a lot of stock. This also allows you to see the quality of your products and saves you money in the long run. Buying wholesale can be riskier when you’re just starting your business, leaving you with excess product if your clothes don’t sell.^{[18]
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Dropshipping offers more flexibility and design changes. With a dropshipping model, the manufacturer sends your clothing directly to your customers. So, you don’t carry, maintain, or ship your own stock. This focuses all your energy on your designs. Dropshipping also gives you the flexibility to tweak your designs while they’re for sale online. On the other hand, you don’t see the product that your customers get, so there’s little quality assurance.^{[19]
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Section 5 of 5:

How much does it cost to get clothes manufactured?

Manufacturing start-up costs range from $500 to $50,000. Mostly, the size of your business and the amount of clothes you expect to produce determines the cost of manufacturing. For a small-scale, startup clothing business, $500 is typically enough to get you off the ground. If you’re planning a medium-sized business, you’ll usually need around $1,500 to $5,000. And for large-scale businesses, which are about the size of most popular clothing brands, expect to fork over around $20,000 to $50,000.^{[20]
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- Small-scale businesses typically produce around 50 to 500 items per design cycle. Large-scale businesses often produce 10,000 items and up, while medium-sized businesses land somewhere in the middle.^{[21]
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