How does one start manufacturing a clothing idea?

Question

My father has a great idea for a pair of utility pants. I want to help start the process of producing them in large amounts, but I dont know where to begin.

Answer 1

You have the option of outsourcing your manufacturing abroad such as China, like many of the clothing manufacturers have done.

If within the United States, for manufacturing sources , I suggest you check out the manufacturers listed in the National Association of Manufacturers http://www.nam.org/s_nam/index.asp

I recommend that you read Kathleen Fasanella's blog at http://fashion-incubator.com . She is the author of the book "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing" and her blog is full of answers to questions on how to start a clothing line

For in-depth information, you may want to read the following books http://www.powerhomebiz.com/bookstore/clothing/clothing.htm :

The Official Step by Step Guide to Starting a Clothing Line
Start Your Own Clothing Store (Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Up)
The Business of Fashion: Designing Manufacturing, and Marketing
The World of Fashion Merchandising
So You Want to Work in the Fashion Business? A Practical Look at Apparel Product Development and Global Manufacturing
The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing
Fashion: From Concept to Consumer

You may also want to check out the resources of the following associations:

Professional Apparel Association http://www.proapparel.com
American Apparel Producer’s Network http://www.usawear.org/
Worldwide Responsible Apparel Manufacture http://www.wrapapparel.org/
American Apparel and Footwear Association http://www.americanapparel.org/
National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers http://www.nafad.com/
Fashion Group International http://www.fgi.org
Apparel News http://www.apparelnews.net/

Answer 2

First , you need the pattern of the utility pants.
To save money and materials you need a digital pattern design computer and desk (Gerber or Lectra Systems). Then search the supplier of the fabric and ask him which is the small amount you can buy and PAY.
Also if this design is "new" you need to patent it (tmexpress.com).
Figure out the brand and special name for the product. Think in your advertising and distribution channels (boutiques, departmental stores, etc).
If you can produce a huge quantity of pants, make a license contract, with detailed specifications.
Good luck!

Answer 3

Start selling them locally. Try to get them in local shops. You say utility pants. If they are for fishing, hunting, then go to shops that specialize in those kinds of things. If people love them, word will get around and you can sell to more markets. If they don't sell, then I wouldn't bother making large amounts of them until they are proven to be a winner.

Answer 4

i'm a producer from China?you may purchase a similar piece of outfits,deliver to them,they are able to make precisely same one for you,you do no longer could purchase fabric .the production facility can do it. no longer complicated ,yet maximum manufactures have minimum order quantity,frequently 1000pcs

Answer 5

Like what kind of quantitiy are you talking about?

In order to get a manufacturer on board you might need a very high MOQ (minimum order quantity) which could cost into the thousands.

Also, have you considered China manufacturers? Try http://www.made-in-china.com

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