needing info on getting an "idea"/ product in stores?

Question

my boyfriend is interested in getting his idea for clothes "out there" he has the idea of the clothing he wants to make, very simple one item for starters, but what all does he need to do to get his product out there in stores? whats a good starting point for someone who knows very liitle about this other than the item he wants to sell?

Answer 1

Here are some steps to take to get your boyfriend's clothing line into stores:

1. Once you've put some of your ideas into sketches, pick two or three of your favorites and create prototypes/samples.
2. Once you have your samples, make sure they're properly finished and will stand up to handling and careful inspection by prospective buyers.
3. Call the store's buyer and make an appointment to “show your wares”.
4. Show your samples.
5. Prepare a purchase order.
6. Once you feel comfortable maintaining one account, add others.

If you get "No" for an answer, try and try again. Call the next store on your list and see if they will say "Yes" this time

For in-depth information, you may want to read the following books :

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/

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

As 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

Answer 2

obviously he has to have a sample than take your sample to the buyers of dept stores