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At first glance, this sounds like an obvious question. But the truth is that it’s incredibly difficult to find a clothing manufacturer. There are, of course, directories and websites devoted to finding reputable clothing factories. However, the difficulty is not so much finding the manufacturer, but finding an apparel manufacturer that meets your specific needs. For that, you’ll need to have a very clear understanding of your specific needs and be able to meet their needs as well.

This challenge is the very reason that Prpapparel exists. We offer easy and painless clothing manufacturing solutions for fashion brands around the world.

The cost of manufacturing clothing generally depends upon the quantity, quality and the value of the materials that you’re using in the production. This varies widely, of course, and there is no fixed standard price. What you may be asking, however, is if there are costs in addition to the unit cost of the items. And that’s a great question.

The answer is yes, and no. Many people aren’t aware of all the early stage product development work that goes into the clothing manufacturing process. There are prototypes, various types of samples, and of course the documentation that you’ll need to have a successful manufacturing order. All of those items are paid separately and most clothing manufacturers do not assist you with those steps of the process.

A clothing manufacturer will typically expect you to come to them with all steps completed. If you don’t, generally the factory will ignore you, which can be very frustrating to the beginner who may not realize they have done anything wrong.

Here at Prpapparel, we’re ready to help, regardless of where you are in your process. Just contact us and we’ll take it from there!

Many people try to discover the manufacturer of their favorite brand. Sometimes it’s for the purpose of copying a brand’s products or sometimes for curiosity or other reasons. But it’s not an easy task. It’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to discover the exact manufacturer of a brand.

If you spend a tremendous amount of time in a certain manufacturing region, it’s possible that you could track it down. But the big brands have contracts in place and NDA agreements that would make it very difficult for you to determine exactly who is manufacturing what.

Getting a manufacturer to make your clothing is not as easy as just choosing one and giving them money, as anyone in the fashion industry can attest. That’s because it’s a 2-sided relationship. Just as much as the clothing manufacturer needs to meet your needs, you’ll need to meet their needs. They may have specific requirements for minimum order quantities, types of clothing, required documentation or other requirements.

The best way to get a manufacturer to make your clothing is to be carefully prepared with all required documentation before contacting them. Or, choose a manufacturer who is sophisticated enough to understand where you’re at in the process and who can assist you with completing all the required steps.

Clothing manufacturers work on a contract. There’s no “standard” contract simply because the needs of each customer and each manufacturer vary so widely. Small quantity manufacturing will have a completely different set of requirements as a big order.

One thing to consider is that the validity of the contract will vary based on the region in which it was signed and in which it has jurisdiction. Truthfully, many apparel manufacturers have contracts that are mostly worthless in the case of any potential liability. For that reason, here at Prototype, we offer our clients a contract with jurisdiction in the USA. We find that offers a degree of confidence that is not offered anywhere else internationally.

If you want to manufacture clothing for your own brand, the first consideration is whether or not you have sufficient demand for your products to reach the quantity required by a clothing manufacturer. In general, you should have the ability to sell at least 100 units. If you haven’t figured out how you’re going to sell the items yet, it’s really best if you spend additional time in planning your fashion business so that you’ll be in a position to be a strong customer.

The time it takes to manufacture clothing will vary widely based on the type of clothing, the quantity, the manufacturer and the season. In general, most clothing manufacturers require an order to be placed at least 3-4 months before completion. For big orders, this can be up to 6 months or more. However, with the growth of “fast fashion”, the timeframes have dropped significantly, as larger companies have rolling orders that may be completed in as little as 2 months.

For a small company or startup, we always recommend that you start the process at least 6-12 months before you expect to start selling.

Contacting a clothing manufacturer can be difficult, especially if they’re overseas. The truth is that many of them don’t really want to hear from new customers, because many of the inquiries are a waste of time from the perspective of the manufacturer. It takes a lot of time to provide a quote and most inquiries don’t result in significant orders. Lots of tire-kicking in the fashion industry.

It’s best to contact a clothing manufacturer that actually wants to hear from you and has the ability to help. Here at Prpapparel, we work with clients at every stage of the process. We’re easy to contact and we’re happy to answer your questions!