Me at the Canton Fair Taking Pictures of Product on the Sly to Check 1688 Later

(Don’t judge me — you’ve done it too)

You ever feel like an undercover agent at the Canton Fair? Pretending to admire a gadget while sneakily snapping pics so you can reverse image search it on 1688 later?

Congrats. You might be ready to start a clothing brand.

But fair warning: if you think starting a brand is just about finding “cool stuff to put a logo on,” you’re in for a wild ride involving MOQ minimums, sample roulette, and learning why “ready stock” doesn’t actually mean ready.

If that hits a nerve, I made a garment sourcing course just for people like you: Garment Sourcing 101. It’s basically a survival kit for anyone trying to build a legit fashion label without getting rinsed by dodgy suppliers or lost in translation.

So You Want to Start a Clothing Brand (and Not Just Resell the Stuff You Snuck Pics Of)?

Starting a clothing brand looks sexy online. Everyone’s “building” something, working from cafes, posting sneak peeks of moodboards and samples like it’s all aesthetics and ambition.

But here’s what they don’t show:

• Fabric suppliers ghosting you mid-chat.

• Tech packs that get ignored.

• A perfect-looking sample that fits like a potato sack.

I’ve been in the trenches for over 15 years, working in clothing manufacturing and garment sourcing for brands of all shapes and sizes. And the truth? This game isn’t easy—but if you’ve got a sense of humour and a willingness to actually learn how the sausage is made, you’ll already be 10 steps ahead.

Step 1: Find Your Niche to Start a Clothing Brand That Doesn’t Flop

“It’s for everyone” is not a strategy. It’s a one-way ticket to deadstock and despair.

Your niche isn’t just your aesthetic. It’s your fabric choice, your price point, your values, your audience. You’re not just making “t-shirts.” You’re making:

• Premium, heavyweight, pre-shrunk organic tees for gym dads.

• Soft bamboo basics for eco-minimalist parents.

• Loud-printed ravewear for East London pop-ups.

When you know your niche, everything else falls into place—factory choice, price point, even content. Pick a lane and own it.

Step 2: Your Tech Pack is Not Optional (And No, a Screenshot Doesn’t Count)

Imagine sending someone a blurry picture of a house and asking them to build it. That’s what it’s like when you brief a factory with “something like this” and no proper documentation.

A tech pack is how you communicate professionally. It tells your supplier:

• What you want

• What it should be made of

• What the fit, finish, and trims look like

You don’t need to be a designer. You need to be clear. In Garment Sourcing 101, I show you exactly how to do that—even if your idea of ‘design’ is sketching on napkins.

Step 3: How to Talk to a Factory Without Getting Ghosted or Quoted $20 for a T-Shirt

Factories aren’t psychic. They’re busy. And if you roll in with vague requests, no specs, and “influencer vibes,” they’re moving on.

What works:

• Introductions that show you’ve done your homework

• Clear quantity expectations

• Solid tech packs (see above)

• Questions that show you understand basics (like lead time and MOQ)

What doesn’t work:

• “Hey fam, can I do 50 units with my logo?”

• Canva decks full of vibes but no substance

Real talk: factories will test you. Your job is to show you’re serious and a pleasure to work with.

Step 4: Sampling Is Supposed to Be a Bit of a Mess

You will get weird samples. One sleeve too long. Stitching where there should be none. Labels sewn in upside down. Welcome to development.

Sampling is where you:

• Spot fit issues

• Test fabric behavior

• Fix construction errors

Expect 2–3 rounds. Build that into your timeline. Sampling is not a formality—it’s where 80% of problems get solved (or created).

And yes, you need to pay for samples. No, they’re not free just because you have an Instagram handle.

Step 5: Understanding MOQ When You Start a Clothing Brand

MOQ = Minimum Order Quantity. Factories set them to stay efficient. But MOQs aren’t fixed laws—they’re conversations.

You can usually:

• Start with 100–300 units per style with the right supplier

• Mix sizes and colors within a MOQ

• Pay a small surcharge to go lower

Don’t bluff your way into “bulk” unless you’ve got the cash and customer base to back it. (And please don’t let your first big spend be 800 lime green hoodies. Start small. Learn fast.)

Step 6: Logistics – AKA the Black Hole Where Time, Money, and Sleep Disappear

Once production’s done, your garments don’t magically appear at your door. Enter the wild world of shipping.

Here’s what trips most people up:

• Not understanding Incoterms (EXW, FOB, etc.)

• Forgetting to budget for import taxes

• Choosing air freight without knowing it’ll cost more than the clothes

In Garment Sourcing 101, I break this down in real-people language. No freight-forwarder jargon, just what you need to know to not get hit with surprise fees.

Step 7: Your Launch Strategy Should Not Be Just “Post on Instagram and Hope”

If you build it, they will not come. Not unless you give them a reason.

Plan your launch like it’s a campaign:

• Tell your story (not just your SKU list)

• Build a waitlist or early access group

• Use samples for content and UGC before launch

• Know your break-even point before you start selling

Marketing isn’t an afterthought. It’s the thing that makes all your work actually pay off.

TL;DR: Starting a Clothing Brand? Here’s What You Actually Need

Let’s recap your reality:

• Sneaky Canton Fair pics? Normal.

• Tech packs? Mandatory.

• Sampling drama? Expected.

• MOQ myths? Busted.

• Shipping stress? Inevitable.

• Success? Only if you put in the work (and have the right info).

This industry isn’t easy—but it is learnable. And honestly, if you’ve read this far, you’re probably not just here for the aesthetics. You want the real deal. The nitty-gritty. The factory talk, the sourcing hacks, the stuff no one puts on TikTok.

Final Word: You Can Start a Clothing Brand Without Getting Rinsed (I Promise)

I built Garment Sourcing 101 because I got tired of seeing smart founders get scammed, overcharged, or just straight-up ghosted. You deserve better.

Inside the course:

• Real-world sourcing strategy

• Templates and tech packs that actually work

• Insider tips from 15+ years of factory wrangling

• A few cheeky memes for morale

Start your brand the smart way—without losing your sanity or your life savings.

👉 Grab the course here. Your future factory-slaying self will thank you.