Business · 18 recordsStart a clothing brand

Clothing brands run out of money in the gap between a good logo and a garage full of unsold stock. This defines who the brand is for, designs a deliberately small first collection, gets samples made and worn before ordering, works out the full cost per piece, and launches a first drop with pre-orders or print on demand so stock follows demand.

Install this templateSee the others

Free on any plan. You will see this list again in the app, and nothing is created until you press install.

✦ Everything it creates

The whole plan, before you install it

Goal

A first drop launched and sold Month 5

Small, sampled, costed, and led by demand.

Define the brand Week 4

Who it is for, before what it looks like.

  • Describe the customer and what they would payDo firstDay 7
  • Check the name is available, including the domain and social handlesDo firstDay 10
  • Design three to six pieces for a first dropDo firstWeek 4

Samples and costs Month 3

Worn and costed before anything is ordered in bulk.

  • Choose print on demand, or find two or three manufacturersDo firstWeek 6
  • Order samples and wear them for a weekDo firstMonth 2
  • Work out the full cost per piece, including shipping and feesDo firstMonth 2
  • Set prices with a real marginDo firstMonth 3

Launch the drop Month 5

Stock follows demand, not the other way round.

  • Photograph the collectionDo firstMonth 3
  • Set up the shop and open pre-ordersDo firstMonth 4
  • Launch to the people already followingDo firstMonth 4
  • Review what sold, and plan the second dropMonth 5

Routines

  • Share progress on the brandweekly
✦ It puts something in the calendar

Dates you will not have to remember

First drop goes live

Month 410:0060 min
✦ It comes with a note

Cost per piece

Fabric and making, or the print on demand base price Sampling, spread over the first run Labels, tags and packaging Shipping to you and to the customer Payment and platform fees An allowance for returns

Price from the full cost upwards. A margin that looks healthy before shipping and returns often disappears after them.

Questions

Start a clothing brand, answered.

It ranges from very little with print on demand, where pieces are made only when ordered, to thousands for minimum orders from a manufacturer. A small drop, pre-orders or print on demand keeps the first test cheap.
Directories, trade shows and recommendations, then samples from two or three before choosing. Ask about minimum order quantities, lead times and how they handle faults before paying for a production run.
Very few, often three to six pieces. A small drop is easier to fund, photograph and sell out, and selling out of a small run teaches far more than half-selling a large one.
✦ More templates

Other systems you can install

Install it and start this evening

It takes one press. Everything it creates is tagged, so if it turns out not to suit you, it is easy to find and remove together.

Install this template