Most new clothing brands do not fail because the design is wrong. They stall because the first conversation with a factory goes nowhere: the request is vague, the quantities do not fit, and nobody replies. This guide is written from the factory side. We run a small garment factory in Humen, Dongguan, and these are the steps that make a manufacturer take your project seriously.
1. Decide what kind of manufacturer you need
“Clothing manufacturer” covers very different businesses. Before you search, know which one you are looking for:
- Blank suppliers sell stock garments. You add a print or embroidery. Fast and cheap, but every brand using the same blank has the same fit.
- Print shops decorate blanks. Good for a first drop of graphic tees, not for your own fit or fabric.
- Cut and sew manufacturers make the garment from fabric to your pattern. This is what you need for your own fit, fabric weight and details.
- Full package (FPP) manufacturers are cut and sew factories that also source the fabric and trims, make the pattern and sample. Most small brands need this, because they do not have their own pattern maker or fabric supplier.
If you want a heavyweight boxy hoodie that nobody else has, you are looking for a cut and sew, full package manufacturer.
2. Prepare one page per style before you contact anyone
Factories answer clear requests first. For every style, put these on one page:
- Front and back sketch or photos of a reference garment
- Measurements for your sample size (or send the reference garment)
- Fabric: composition and weight, for example “100% cotton fleece, 450 gsm”
- Colours and the quantity per colour
- Artwork size and placement, and how you want it applied
- Label, tag and packing requirements
- Delivery country and the month you want the goods
A full tech pack is ideal, but this one-pager is enough to get a real answer. Pictures and numbers survive translation; long paragraphs do not.
3. Know your numbers: MOQ per style, per colour
The most common misunderstanding is the minimum order quantity. At most factories the MOQ is counted per style and per colour, not per order. If a factory says “100 pieces”, that usually means 100 of one design in one colour. Three colours of the same hoodie is 300 pieces. Sizes are split inside the number, for example S 15 / M 30 / L 30 / XL 20 / XXL 5.
Ask every factory exactly how they count it. We explain the logic in detail in our guide to low MOQ clothing manufacturing.
4. Where to search
- Google: search the product plus “manufacturer”, for example hoodie manufacturer or jeans manufacturer, and look past the first directory sites to the factories’ own websites.
- Marketplaces: Alibaba and Made-in-China list thousands of suppliers. Many are trading companies; ask for factory photos and video.
- Industry districts: In China, Humen (Dongguan) is known for streetwear, denim and knitwear, Guangzhou for fast fashion and many trims markets. Knowing the district helps you judge whether a supplier is a real workshop.
- Communities: founders on Reddit and in brand-owner groups share who they worked with. Ask for names, not just “DM me”.
5. Vet the factory before you pay for a sample
Ask these questions. A good factory answers them plainly:
- What is included in the sample cost, and is it refunded on bulk?
- What is the real MOQ per style and per colour?
- Who sources the fabric, and can you see a swatch first?
- What happens if the first sample is wrong?
- How long is bulk production after sample approval?
- Can you show the workshop on a video call?
Be careful with a supplier that says yes to everything immediately. A factory that asks questions about your fabric, fit and quantities is usually the one that has thought about how to make it.
6. Treat the sample as the contract
The approved sample is what bulk production is checked against. Review it on a person, wash it, check the measurements against your spec, and write every change down. Do not approve a sample made in “similar” fabric if you care about hand feel; ask for the real fabric. Typical sample time at our factory is 7–10 days, and bulk is about 2 weeks after the sample is approved.
7. Start small, then reorder
Your first order should prove the product, not fill a warehouse. Start with one or two styles at the minimum, sell through, then reorder the style that works with the approved sample as the reference. That is how most of our brands grow.
Checklist
- Decide: cut and sew / full package, not blanks.
- Make a one-page brief per style.
- Confirm how the MOQ is counted.
- Shortlist 3–5 real factories and ask the vetting questions.
- Pay for one sample, review it properly, record changes.
- Order the minimum, sell, reorder.
If you are planning streetwear, hoodies, T-shirts, jeans or tracksuit sets, send us your one-pager and we will tell you how we would make it.
