All great apparel brands start from a reputable clothing manufacturer. Once you’ve scaled up your clothing brand, having a reliable source becomes essential to running the business. Questionable quality, frequent delays and other mishaps can quickly ruin your apparel brand’s reputation, which is why you need to know how to find a clothing manufacturer that’s right for you.
Luckily, you’re not starved for options; the modern internet age has made it easier to locate quality manufacturers for any line of apparel. What’s important is that you’re meticulous in your choice. There are shady manufacturers who prey on new entrepreneurs all the time.
How to Find a Clothing Manufacturer
Before jumping onto the first manufacturer you see, always consider these steps:
Prepare everything beforehand
We’ve talked before about tips on how to work with a manufacturer, and it’s basically making sure you have your whole plan prepared beforehand. Manufacturers won’t know what you want until you tell them explicitly. So, when figuring out how to find a clothing manufacturer, answer all these questions first:
- What is your main goal in manufacturing? Do you require specialized designs in small quantities, or simple designs in large bulks? Who are your customers and what do they expect from your products?
- How many units do you expect to produce at first?
- What’s your budget?
- What’s your timeline? Merchandising companies like Shirtual can help figure out the best roadmap for your apparel brand. You’ll need a manufacturer who can stick to it.
Decide: Overseas or Local?
Depending on where you are in the world, you’ll have the choice between local manufacturers or overseas manufacturers. Both have their own share of advantages, coming at their own costs. Here’s a quick rundown of each option:
a. Local/Domestic Manufacturers
- Connected to the local apparel scene; more knowledgable of market needs and specifications, such as sizing or quality
- Easier to communicate with, especially without the language barrier
- Accessible–you can often drive to visit them directly, and transporting goods is much more flexible
- If your apparel brand is based in the West, domestic manufacturers are often seen as higher-quality and more prestigious than overseas manufacturers.
- If your apparel brand is based in the West, domestic manufacturers tend to be pricier.
- Fabric and material options may be more limited.
b. Overseas/International Manufacturers
- Has more connections to different raw materials, especially in the East
- Usually has cheaper labor and material costs
- Great capabilities for large bulk orders
- Harder to oversee and communicate with
- Complicated shipping and clearance processes, leading to possible delays
- Higher transport costs
If you’re starting out as an apparel brand in the West, overseas manufacturers will generally be cheaper and more accessible to you. However, choose whichever fits your branding best. One of the ways to know how to find a clothing manufacturer is to trust your vision.
The biggest obstacle will be figuring out customs and shipping laws if you’re shipping from overseas–luckily, merchandising services like Shirtual have teams to take care of that for you.
Whatever option you choose, you also need to do your–
Research
You can find manufacturers everywhere on the internet, but it’ll be difficult finding high-quality ones–if you don’t know where to look. This is one of the few things to learn when discovering how to find a clothing manufacturer. Here are some sources to get you started:
- Search online
Specifically, you’ll want to search up manufacturer directories and listings. Alibaba has detailed listings of manufacturers along with ratings from previous buyers, though most will be from Chinese manufacturers. You can also find listings on Kompass, Sewport, the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India and many others.
- Social media groups
Alternatively, you can also browse through or post requests on social media groups, like Facebook (see this sportswear manufacturer group as an example). Be sure to double check the authenticity and websites of manufacturers here before confirming any deals, however.
- Textile and industry trade shows
Through online searching, you may come across advertisements for textile and industry trade shows. These are surprisingly great ways to find and directly interview potential manufacturers for your business. Their products will be on display and you can check the quality of their work for yourself–as well as investigate prices, certifications, and other important benchmarks for manufacturers.
Look out for…
If you’ve found a few candidates for manufacturing partnerships, it may be tempting to immediately jump into production. However, working with a bad manufacturer can cost a whole lot more than selling nothing at all. Check these things before pulling up the contract–
- Certifications
Worthwhile manufacturers usually have a few certifications to prove their merits to customers. There’s a long list of different certifications a manufacturer may have, and the value of each certificate depends on your intentions. The OEKO-TEX certificate is one of the most valuable ones to have, however, since it tests the safety of the manufacturer’s textiles.
- Audits & References
If a manufacturer doesn’t have certifications, you can also ask if they’ve been audited by previous buyers. Big buyers want to be sure of a manufacturer’s quality, so they’ll likely have a report of the final products that you can use to check for potential issues.
Alternatively, you may also just directly interview previous buyers as references for the manufacturer. The manufacturer may provide their own references, but you’ll find more concrete and less biased sources if you ask around for some yourself.
- Communication methods
This is a subtle bit that can make or break collaborations with your future manufacturer. How quickly do they respond to your requests or questions? Are their responses elaborate and sufficient? Are there any unexpected delays from their responses?
Being able to communicate your apparel needs to your manufacturer is key to making great products. If you find it difficult to pass on your concerns in the beginning, you may find it even more challenging when production becomes more urgent and breakneck.
Get samples
The final and arguably most important part in how to find a clothing manufacturer is asking for samples. You may have prepared your own fabric sample prior, in which case you can use it as a baseline for expectations from your manufacturers. However, if you don’t have a sample, discussing how to make one from your current tech pack will give you an idea on what working with the manufacturer will feel like.
Keep in mind that manufacturers charge a little higher for samples compared to bulk orders, as they stand to gain less from using a lot of fabric to produce one sample compared to a hundred units. In the US, samples can cost anywhere between $20-$200 and even more, depending on the complexity of the design. This price may be cheaper if you contact an Asian company, but they’ll also charge any extra shipping costs.
Interested in working with high-quality manufacturers with a wide range of apparel options? Work with us at Shirtual–our leading Singaporean team has experience in handling manufacturing and distribution all over the world, as well as running more than twenty different production methods for your brand needs.
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