r/apparelstartup

Hello everyone !

I’m getting started with screen printing and I’m now looking for good blank T-shirts for my first tests and projects.

I’m not necessarily looking for the cheapest option. I mainly want good-quality T-shirts with a nice fit, good fabric weight, a solid collar, and a comfortable feel, while still keeping the price reasonable.

For those based in France/Europe, are there any brands, specific models, suppliers or wholesalers you would recommend ?

I’m also wondering whether, in the long run, it makes sense to work directly with manufacturers in China/Asia to produce custom blanks (fit, fabric weight, material, measurements, etc.). Is it actually cost-effective once you factor in MOQs, samples, shipping and import taxes ?

For now, I’m mainly learning and working with small quantities, but I’d like to understand the different options for the future.

Thanks for any advice !

I've been sourcing clothing from a small manufacturer in Turkey but they're unable to ship internationally. This means I need to arrange shipping myself, either through a forwarding service or by getting the package collected from their address in Turkey and shipped to me in Melbourne, Australia.

I've looked into PTT Kargo but they require a Turkish ID number which I don't have. So does my supplier. I've also tried a couple of forwarding services but have had no luck getting through to them.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? How did you get your packages shipped from Turkey to Australia affordably and reliably? Any forwarding services, cargo companies or solutions you'd recommend would be a huge help!

Thank you!

Heyyy everyone!! I am a 25 year old and I am from surat Gujarat the textile hub of India .I have been born brought up and educated here only .I want to connect with any of you guys who wants to start any retail and wholesaler business anywhere from around globe .a

I have contact and experience along with my father in this side and will help you eventually out .if anyone wants to start any clothing apparel or any sort business this side or have any business then I will for sure what to connect with you guys .

Feel free to dm me!!

I'm building a children's clothing brand - organic, artisan-made, with a genuine social entrepreneurship angle in how it's sourced. Positioned against the volume DTC brands already in this space, on slow-fashion terms. I've spent the past year on sourcing, capacity, and unit economics. Open to pivoting the exact business angle as we ramp up - the sourcing and supply chain thesis is the constant, the product format isn't fixed.

What I bring: supply chain and manufacturing expertise.

What's missing is the design and customer side. Looking for someone who brings: real clothing design experience, prior founder or startup experience, genuine hunger to make this work not just interest, and a customer-first instinct that thinks about the parent buying this, not just the product.

Practical requirements: based in India, comfortable with Excel and AI tools, and ready to ramp up on whatever else the role needs. This is early stage so expect to wear a lot of hats, not a defined job description.

If this sounds like you, or you know someone who fits, comment or DM.

I'm planning to start my own apparel brand and I'm currently at the stage of developing my first product. I'd really appreciate advice from people who have actual experience building and selling clothing brands, especially those who started small.

I already have experience reselling clothing, and through that I've become very familiar with different brands, fabrics, construction and overall quality. After handling and selling a lot of clothing, I feel I've developed a good eye for quality. From the first look and feel of a garment, I can usually tell when something feels premium versus cheap or poorly made.

Now I want to take that experience and create my own products and brand, rather than only reselling other brands.

I already have an idea for my first product, including the design, fit, fabric feel and quality level I'm looking for. I'm currently contacting manufacturers, mainly in Europe, and comparing their MOQs, fabric options, sampling process, production costs and capabilities.

My plan is to start relatively small and develop one really good product first, rather than immediately creating a large collection.

For those of you who have actually built an apparel brand:

• Am I approaching this in the right order?
• What did you wish you knew before producing your first garment?
• How important was the first prototype/sample in your experience?
• What should I pay the most attention to when choosing a manufacturer?
• What mistakes did you make with your first production?
• Would you recommend starting with a small quantity even if the cost per unit is higher?
• What should I be negotiating with manufacturers besides the unit price?
• How did you decide when a product was ready for bulk production?
• What would you do differently if you were starting again today?

I'm also realistic about the fact that some money may be wasted while learning. I'm prepared for that. I see the first product as an opportunity to learn the manufacturing, sampling, quality-control, pricing and selling process. If something doesn't work, I'll learn from it and use that experience for the next product.

I already have other product ideas and directions for the brand that I'd like to explore later, so I'm not expecting everything to work perfectly on the first attempt.

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have actually worked in apparel manufacturing, product development, e-commerce, or built a clothing brand themselves.

I already understand that the apparel market is competitive and that there are huge established brands. I'm not looking for comments telling me that the market is saturated or that big companies will destroy my business. I already know that.

I'm looking for practical advice from people who have actually been through the process — what worked, what didn't, what surprised you, and what you would do differently.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience.

I'm planning to start my own apparel brand and I'm currently at the stage of developing my first product. I'd really appreciate advice from people who have actual experience building and selling clothing brands, especially those who started small.

I already have experience reselling clothing, and through that I've become very familiar with different brands, fabrics, construction and overall quality. After handling and selling a lot of clothing, I feel I've developed a good eye for quality. From the first look and feel of a garment, I can usually tell when something feels premium versus cheap or poorly made.

Now I want to take that experience and create my own products and brand, rather than only reselling other brands.

I already have an idea for my first product, including the design, fit, fabric feel and quality level I'm looking for. I'm currently contacting manufacturers, mainly in Europe, and comparing their MOQs, fabric options, sampling process, production costs and capabilities.

My plan is to start relatively small and develop one really good product first, rather than immediately creating a large collection.

For those of you who have actually built an apparel brand:

• Am I approaching this in the right order?
• What did you wish you knew before producing your first garment?
• How important was the first prototype/sample in your experience?
• What should I pay the most attention to when choosing a manufacturer?
• What mistakes did you make with your first production?
• Would you recommend starting with a small quantity even if the cost per unit is higher?
• What should I be negotiating with manufacturers besides the unit price?
• How did you decide when a product was ready for bulk production?
• What would you do differently if you were starting again today?

I'm also realistic about the fact that some money may be wasted while learning. I'm prepared for that. I see the first product as an opportunity to learn the manufacturing, sampling, quality-control, pricing and selling process. If something doesn't work, I'll learn from it and use that experience for the next product.

I already have other product ideas and directions for the brand that I'd like to explore later, so I'm not expecting everything to work perfectly on the first attempt.

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have actually worked in apparel manufacturing, product development, e-commerce, or built a clothing brand themselves.

I already understand that the apparel market is competitive and that there are huge established brands. I'm not looking for comments telling me that the market is saturated or that big companies will destroy my business. I already know that.

I'm looking for practical advice from people who have actually been through the process — what worked, what didn't, what surprised you, and what you would do differently.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience.

I am bangalore based working professional. I am thinking to start a clothing line, a brand with cool T-shirts. I’m gonna start my research soon, starting from scratch! Anyone from blr who is also planning to do similar thing?? Hit me up!

Hi, Im a dentist and always wanted to pursue fashion designing, somehow didnt happen. So im starting my clothing brand Comfortable wear this month. So i found few manufacturers from my city itself but idk how to talk to them or how the entire process works. Can someone who went through the same provide insights that could help me or things i need to be careful about. Thank you!

Hi guys,

I’m in the early stages of starting an athleticwear / athleisure clothing brand in Australia and I’m currently researching into different fabrics.

Before I start reaching out to manufacturers, I wanted to get a better understanding of which fabrics to select per garment, to compare and contrast.

I’ve recently ordered physical swatches from Fabric Wholesale Direct and SwatchOn so I can start comparing things like composition, GSM, stretch, hand feel, finish and overall quality; they'll be delivered soon.

I’d be really interested to hear where others source fabric swatches or sample books from, particularly for:

• Performance fabrics for tees, singlets and shorts
• Cotton fabrics for premium lifestyle tees
• French terry, fleece and similar fabrics for hoodies, crews and pants

I’m based in Australia, but happy to order internationally.

If anyone has any for someone trying to learn more before approaching manufacturers, I’d really appreciate any help!

Thanks!

me and my boy are looking for some people with the same ambitions as us in london ( WE BOTH HAVE 5 FIGURE BRANDS ), we all wanna grow together while building our personal brands with content aswell. so if your from london let me know

https://preview.redd.it/xfxb0jstzejh1.png?width=1549&format=png&auto=webp&s=7023c488d49089b6a1653f20e121aeaddb5adc84

Till Now, I Added these Questions in the FAQs, Can You Guys let me know what would you ask a clothing manufacturer you are working with for the first time?

I’m currently looking for a reliable clothing manufacturer to work with for my clothing brand.

I’m looking for a manufacturer who can produce garments according to my specific requirements, including materials, sizing, fit, construction, and overall quality.

I’m mainly looking for manufacturers who can offer:

Custom T-shirts with different sizing cuts and fits
Custom fabrics and materials
Custom labels, tags, and packaging
Good-quality materials and stitching
Smaller MOQs, as the brand is still growing

If you’ve personally worked with a manufacturer that you trust, I’d really appreciate any recommendations.

If you’re a manufacturer yourself, feel free to DM me with your portfolio, MOQ, pricing range, location, and available customisation options.

Thanks!