High quality clothing manufacturer advice
- Thread starter Mukid Miah
- Start date
T
TomJ83
Hi Mukid. Have you looked at Alibaba? There are many suppliers there and as you are looking for suppliers in Asia, this might be a good option for you. Of course there are bad suppliers there, but you have to use due diligence. Order test samples so you can tell if the quality is consistent with the quality you want for your clothing line. Look at the payment options. If they prefer Western union, then stay away.
Also Alibaba is a platform with manufacturers, distributors and middlemen. The higher up you get in the chain, the better prices you get. What generally makes manufacturers stand out is that they require a high MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity).
Finally look if there are reviews as they can give you a hint if the supplier is good or bad. However, don't rely too heavily on the reviews.
Also Alibaba is a platform with manufacturers, distributors and middlemen. The higher up you get in the chain, the better prices you get. What generally makes manufacturers stand out is that they require a high MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity).
Finally look if there are reviews as they can give you a hint if the supplier is good or bad. However, don't rely too heavily on the reviews.
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- Original Poster
- #3
Hi thanks for the reply.
What's the best payment method. I have everything sorted for the business apart from the manufacturers.
I have looked at Alibaba but they all seem to be suppliers rather than actual manufacturers.
The only problem with high MOQ is that it sets me back quite a bit, especially as I don't know what the reception of my clothing will be like.
What's the best payment method. I have everything sorted for the business apart from the manufacturers.
I have looked at Alibaba but they all seem to be suppliers rather than actual manufacturers.
The only problem with high MOQ is that it sets me back quite a bit, especially as I don't know what the reception of my clothing will be like.
Upvote
0
T
TomJ83
Regarding the payment methods, paypal and escrow are best when buying on Alibaba. Otherwise it will be difficult to get your money back if something goes wrong.
As you are in a stage where you want to know what the reception of your clothing will be like, you should find a supplier that can offer lower quantities. It might be difficult to find a manufacturer as they want to sell big quantities. That's what their business is all about. Selling for low prices but earning on the high volume on products they sell.
You can find more information on following site:
https://www.shopify.co.uk/blog/1666...ts-from-the-worlds-biggest-supplier-directory
If you have further questions, feel free to ask.
As you are in a stage where you want to know what the reception of your clothing will be like, you should find a supplier that can offer lower quantities. It might be difficult to find a manufacturer as they want to sell big quantities. That's what their business is all about. Selling for low prices but earning on the high volume on products they sell.
You can find more information on following site:
https://www.shopify.co.uk/blog/1666...ts-from-the-worlds-biggest-supplier-directory
If you have further questions, feel free to ask.
Upvote
0
Not being funny but what experience do you have in Fashion Design and retail. without any good knowledge of one of them you stand a massive chance of going bust in the first year
Fashion clothing is one of the hardest things to sell and if you do not follow fashion then you will be unlikely to get design, Colour and fabric right
Fashion clothing is one of the hardest things to sell and if you do not follow fashion then you will be unlikely to get design, Colour and fabric right
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One strange thing that stand out is the number of new companies who only look at the far East to get clothing made when there is a massive manufacturing base in the UK of small friendly firms who will make the odd 50 or one hundred garments with skilled staff and meet the normal three to four months timescale which is the norm wherever you buy from
There is not a really big difference in costs although for larger orders the overseas makers will be cheaper
The main thing though is that a individual with no design skills or training stands little chance of getting anywhere as silly things like choice of fabric can make the difference between a item selling or not, and established companies have staff with expert knowledge yet still manage to get it wrong sometimes and selling is probably the hardest part but considered easy by so many start-ups
There is not a really big difference in costs although for larger orders the overseas makers will be cheaper
The main thing though is that a individual with no design skills or training stands little chance of getting anywhere as silly things like choice of fabric can make the difference between a item selling or not, and established companies have staff with expert knowledge yet still manage to get it wrong sometimes and selling is probably the hardest part but considered easy by so many start-ups
Upvote
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Thailand ,Cambodia and vietnam is the source of great material. Maybe you can Indicate using brand knowledge of quality material what you require?
For example.
GAP - good quality and normally from south east Asia
Reiss - poor quality
I would not launch a brand of clothes using alibaba. I'd have a working holiday and go and see the factories in thailand,Cambodia etc. Once you are face to face with suppliers and you show them your ideas/collection they would lower MOQ to get the ball rolling. Flights to Thailand can be cheap as £350 return in lower seasons or £475 during high season.
I was in thailand last year and saw this expensive brand of shoes in a mall that add 1.4 inches in height from within the shoe.
A week later I'm walking down a road and a leather craftsmen is in his retail shop crafting shoes. I look more closely and it is the same brand I saw earlier. The mnfr was contracting 20 small craftsmen like this to build hos product. He started with 1 who built him 50 pairs of shoes a week.
Andrew Christian underwear is made in thailand, most good quality garments are there and they are competing heavily with China in that sector and they are not losing.
For example.
GAP - good quality and normally from south east Asia
Reiss - poor quality
I would not launch a brand of clothes using alibaba. I'd have a working holiday and go and see the factories in thailand,Cambodia etc. Once you are face to face with suppliers and you show them your ideas/collection they would lower MOQ to get the ball rolling. Flights to Thailand can be cheap as £350 return in lower seasons or £475 during high season.
I was in thailand last year and saw this expensive brand of shoes in a mall that add 1.4 inches in height from within the shoe.
A week later I'm walking down a road and a leather craftsmen is in his retail shop crafting shoes. I look more closely and it is the same brand I saw earlier. The mnfr was contracting 20 small craftsmen like this to build hos product. He started with 1 who built him 50 pairs of shoes a week.
Andrew Christian underwear is made in thailand, most good quality garments are there and they are competing heavily with China in that sector and they are not losing.
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0
For clothing, like gents said, the fabric is of the greatest importance, being followed by the tailoring and what often fails is the seam.
I have 14-years old Nike T-shirts that are like new. And I have killed them from wearing them. The stamps are all gone but the seams are still there!
And no, I’m not a paid Nike representative. Just being clinical and cool.
I have 14-years old Nike T-shirts that are like new. And I have killed them from wearing them. The stamps are all gone but the seams are still there!
And no, I’m not a paid Nike representative. Just being clinical and cool.
Upvote
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Sourcing top quality clothing line for men:
1. need a clear products line, what styles going to run: casual or formal? casual wear mostly for knitting wear series, formal wear with more woven line...as a clear products line decide where and how to source.
2. where to source?
If you search on web, resulting thousands garments factories in China. if these factories distribute irregularly? where to source your items? where produce knitting/woven series, where for high class knitting/woven series, where for low class? where for Tshirt, where for suit?
Garments is an industry of high-specialization, each factory with each own specialized style only 1 or 2 styles for its competitive development. As garments are made by worker's hands, workers' income costed by pcs, only when workers doing 1 style always steadily, they can get higher income for more and more mature handle, and make this style's labor cost more and more competitive for this factory. Labor cost is the determined point for a factory's competition ability in 1 garments style. that's why one factory, one strong item. even the basic Tshirt style, still different from: some Tshirt factory strong in high class, some factory strong in low class, some strong in basic Tshirt, some strong in designed complicated Tshirt...
To find and match your products with the strongest item factory meeting your styles, is the 1st and determined step for your whole sourcing, while how to find and match need long term experience, professional knowledge, and industry resource keeping updated...
3. How to source?
If I find the perfect match strongest item factory, then no problem for production and delivery?then the whole sourcing succeed?
Of course not !!
Pls be noted garments still traditional hand made industry, most production schedule processed by human hands, not machine, thus cannot be easily controlled as exact as machine products via one one copy.
If you are lack of professional knowledge and experience on garments manufacturing: difficult to know each key points of the production, difficult to aware or to find problems while producing, but only find problem when the goods all finished or even when you received, lose control of the production and quality.
Professional good control for the whole production is the most important point for you sourcing steady high quality goods. which also need long term experience, professional knowledge, and strong communications and skills and ability of problems solving ...
1. need a clear products line, what styles going to run: casual or formal? casual wear mostly for knitting wear series, formal wear with more woven line...as a clear products line decide where and how to source.
2. where to source?
If you search on web, resulting thousands garments factories in China. if these factories distribute irregularly? where to source your items? where produce knitting/woven series, where for high class knitting/woven series, where for low class? where for Tshirt, where for suit?
Garments is an industry of high-specialization, each factory with each own specialized style only 1 or 2 styles for its competitive development. As garments are made by worker's hands, workers' income costed by pcs, only when workers doing 1 style always steadily, they can get higher income for more and more mature handle, and make this style's labor cost more and more competitive for this factory. Labor cost is the determined point for a factory's competition ability in 1 garments style. that's why one factory, one strong item. even the basic Tshirt style, still different from: some Tshirt factory strong in high class, some factory strong in low class, some strong in basic Tshirt, some strong in designed complicated Tshirt...
To find and match your products with the strongest item factory meeting your styles, is the 1st and determined step for your whole sourcing, while how to find and match need long term experience, professional knowledge, and industry resource keeping updated...
3. How to source?
If I find the perfect match strongest item factory, then no problem for production and delivery?then the whole sourcing succeed?
Of course not !!
Pls be noted garments still traditional hand made industry, most production schedule processed by human hands, not machine, thus cannot be easily controlled as exact as machine products via one one copy.
If you are lack of professional knowledge and experience on garments manufacturing: difficult to know each key points of the production, difficult to aware or to find problems while producing, but only find problem when the goods all finished or even when you received, lose control of the production and quality.
Professional good control for the whole production is the most important point for you sourcing steady high quality goods. which also need long term experience, professional knowledge, and strong communications and skills and ability of problems solving ...
Upvote
0
You should look to Portugal, that is where all the top menswear brands are making (OLIVER SPENCER, FOLK, NIGEL CABOURN, ACNE, ALBAM, YMC to name a few), as well as some organic factories in India.
USA, JAPAN and UK made are also high ticket labels but you willl pay a lot more. Portugal is that middle ground, plus you will have your production 3 hours away should you need to go speak with them.
I have 10 years working in fashion, and have dabbled with production myself for the last 5 years, I would like to think I know a fair bit as I am always reading into the industry. I also have a frined who works at Puma in Germany who is always giving me insight.
Noy sure why someone mentioned Huddersfield as being a great place to manufacture, I've not heard of one factory that does mass.
Happy to talk if you want.
My best advice is study your competition, and study them again. Be obsessed with what they are doing, and find your own ways of learning how they do it and how you could do it better.
USA, JAPAN and UK made are also high ticket labels but you willl pay a lot more. Portugal is that middle ground, plus you will have your production 3 hours away should you need to go speak with them.
I have 10 years working in fashion, and have dabbled with production myself for the last 5 years, I would like to think I know a fair bit as I am always reading into the industry. I also have a frined who works at Puma in Germany who is always giving me insight.
Noy sure why someone mentioned Huddersfield as being a great place to manufacture, I've not heard of one factory that does mass.
Happy to talk if you want.
My best advice is study your competition, and study them again. Be obsessed with what they are doing, and find your own ways of learning how they do it and how you could do it better.
Upvote
0
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