How you can Start a Clothing Line - The Complete Guide

STEP 1. Market Research

Conducting marketplace research is essential towards the achievement of your line. You'll need to determine what trends are popular, what types are selling, what category does your concept fit into, what demographic age group does the line appeal to, what price point(s) are similar lines becoming sold at, and so on. The very best way to answer these questions would be to go...shopping! Shop the nearby malls, on-line and specialty shops for where you think your clothes might be sold. Take a look at what's on the rack, the costs and what items are promoting. Talk to sales reps, managers, shop owners and ask clients to get a feel for what's out there, promoting and what clients are asking for. The answers will be priceless! THIS Procedure IS ONGOING AND CONTINUES All through THE YEAR Every Selling SEASON.how to start a clothing line



STEP 2. Branding your clothing line




Determine what kind of clothing you need to make. What's the appeal of your clothes? Is your new line conservative or style forward? In other words, when people think of your clothing line, what do you want them to believe? Define your style and set a theme for the line you plan to make. You'll refine and continue to create your Brand as a lot as possible as your business grows.




STEP three. Name, Trademark & domain registration



Choose a name for your clothing line and trademark it. You should do a trademark search for the name you have chosen to create sure there are no other businesses or companies already using that name. If the name is available, register it with the United States Patent office.



You should buy the Web domain name for your clothing line as well. Domain names on the Internet are being sold quickly, so make sure you buy one with the name of your clothing line right away. You should develop a website to show perspective buyers your line as it will be the first place they will look to familiarize themselves with your clothing and wholesale price points. starting a clothing line



Furthermore, register your company as a D.B.A. or LLC with your city clerk, and then get a bank account under your new business's name. These are all important steps to take before you begin to actually design and produce clothes.



STEP 4. Produce idea sketches



Based on the findings from your marketplace study and Brand identity, you are now ready to come up with clothing types and graphic artwork to bring that concept to life. Be fun, creative and original. This is fashion! Your design sketches should reflect the images of your target consumer, age group, cost points and current trends in types. You should produce an inspiration board of images, fabrics, anything that inspires you. Once you have the designs, fabrics and trims, organize everything onto large art boards so you can see the entire line at once.



A. Design 4 color idea sketches



B. Choose fabrics and trims to match w/ each style



C. Produce Apparel line story boards - organized presentation of all types, F.A.T. choices



STEP 5. Source Materials



After you have created sketches of the clothing line, you should begin thinking about the materials you'll use to make your product come to life. You'll have to find everything from fabric to buttons to zippers and linings. Everything you choose must be available in mass quantities and in the right colors.



STEP 6. Edit types for sample development



The next step would be to edit your concept line. Not each and every style you create will make it to sample development. Edit the sketches towards the greatest styles, potential hot sellers, and looks that capture what you are trying to say with your clothing brand. Ask yourself," Do the chosen types reflect your original concept?



NOTE: Keep in mind budget constraints, time, and availability of raw materials. Part of one's decision of what styles to send to sample development will probably be what the selected styles cost to develop garment samples and send to production. You only have so much money.



You must also consider the time available. How long will it take to obtain the garment samples done in time to go to marketplace for the upcoming season? In general, apparel markets open 6 months ahead. For Fall delivery in September - markets open in early February. For Spring delivery in March - markets open in early September. What season are you working on? Do you have enough time?



In addition, any raw materials needed to create your clothing line must be available in mass quantities to fulfill the production orders at the time of production. Unless you have the money to pre order your raw materials and the warehouse space to store it, try to avoid limited quantity fabrics and trims.



Add, subtract and continue editing your idea sketches until you have selected the appropriate number of designs to enter sample development.



WARNING: DON'T Create A SKELETON LINE! Put enough samples into development to be able to merchandise your line (I'll get into this in more detail later). For now, know that Buyers want to see options when they look at your line.



STEP 7. Sample Garment Development



After you figure out what styles best represent the concept of your clothing line according to theme, budget, time and available raw materials, the next step would be to create "Sample" garments of each style to test the look, fit and wear ability in real life. Developing "prototype" sample garments of one's clothing line is a procedure involving corrections, changes and alterations. Here is an outline of that process:



1. Translate idea sketches into flat technical design drawings w/ specs.



a. Tech drawings are blueprints of each garment in the line



b. More factories now require a tech. drawing instead of a sketch



c. You can eliminate many design mistakes in this stage



two. Produce 1st patterns - generic pattern only, usually fitting issues will cause corrections.



a. Based on corrected technical design drawing



b. Based on supplied fit sample - a garment found from buying to base the first pattern off of



three. Sew sample garments in mock fabric - conduct a sample garment fitting test, indicate corrections in fit, style and send back samples with corrections marked



a. First round testing of clothing line for fit, pattern accurately



b. Test garments on a real person, not a mannequin



c. Cheap mock fabrics used that behaves like final fabrics



d. Upon observation, style changes to garment may be made



4. Make corrections to 1st pattern, sew another sample or cut final sample garment, and send back to evaluate proper fit - make any final corrections to pattern.



OPTION: CUT TO FINAL GARMENT OR CUT ANOTHER SAMPLE? The first round of pattern corrections from the first garment fit test will take care of most, if not all the problems during sample development. Depending upon the number of corrections needed from the first fit test, you may decide to create another fit sample or go ahead and cut the "final" sample garments. Keep in mind that fit is everything in this company. If a garment does not fit correctly, would you buy it?



5. Get approval to "Cut to final" sample garments. Prep Tech. Pac. for factory



6. Cut final Master patterns, grade sizes and deliver full design tech. package w/ sample garments to factory ready for sewing pre-production stage.



7. Factory sends back "proto" samples based on tech. Pac. and samples sent over.



8. Factory sews "final" showroom samples of the line for sales, marketing and catalog



STEP 8. Merchandise your Clothing line



Buyers want to see options when they look at your line. Coordinate items in the line so that they go together. Merchandising is all about increasing sales through a well coordinated line so that it has maximum appeal to buyers. Ideally, think of yourself when you go buying. Find a shirt to go with a pair of pants, sweater, and so on. Coordinate with fabrics, colors, trims, finishes or other styles in the line to give several looks that may appeal to buyers. The goal is to have the buyer place an order for as many items in the line as possible.



STEP 9. Pricing the line and Prepping for marketplace



a. Pricing -- It is time to cost your clothing line. After you Add up all expense, then mark up clothes at least 50% over your costs to create a decent profit. Account for negotiation with buyers as they will want better pricing for ordering more. Make sure each style "looks" like the cost you are asking for it. Take a look at what similar styles sell for.



b. PR -- Now that you have your clothing line appropriately priced, you are ready to start marketing and promoting your line. You can produce catalogs of all your looks by hiring models, photographers and stylists to do a photoshoot. Second, prepare a press kit by creating a vision statement about your fashion line, include a Designer bio and photographs from the fashion shoot. Produce a line sheet(must have for the buyers); this document includes pictures, descriptions, costs and color(s) for each and every style in your clothing line.



STEP 10. Selling your clothing line at marketplace



a. It's time to make money! Rent out a booth at apparel trade shows, attend apparel market weeks to get your new line in front of thousands of buyers. Your goal is to get orders, be very flexible with buyers!



b. Alternately, you can hire Designer Reps(sales agents) to sell your line for you. You will have to pay them a commission, upfront, for what ever they sell. Hire only experienced reps who have a lot of buyer contacts into stores you want to be in. how to start my own clothing line