Nothing sells more than a good quality T-shirt, especially in the online fashion market. From streetwear brands to luxury fashion houses, these clothing pieces are timeless staples that act as the ideal blank canvas for art, fan merchandise, inspiring quotes, company branding, etc.
On top of that, the good thing about the T-shirt market is that no matter how many products are produced and let out into the market, demand still remains high. In fact, some T-shirts even become vintage collectables. This means that if you can come up with creative designs and find a reliable partner like a T-shirt manufacturer called Appareify, then you can launch your very own T-shirt brand.
However, if you want to bring your brand ideas to life, there are still a lot of aspects to consider. So, we put together a quick guide that should be able to provide you with clear steps on how to go about starting a clothing line with almost no hassle involved. Without wasting any time, let’s dive into it!
How to Launch Your Own T-shirt Brand?
The good news about starting a T-shirt brand is that it can often be a fun way to quickly convert your creative ideas into a profitable venture. And if done right, it can even help you to grow your brand and branch out into other types of clothes. To this end, here are the main steps that you need to follow to get started:
Step 1: Decide On Your Niche
While the demand for T-shirts is huge, the fact remains that the market is still saturated. As such, it is vital that you are able to figure out what niche you can make the most impact in. This means considering what you are most passionate about, what designs/trends are circulating in the fashion industry, etc. The more that you can narrow your focus, the more likely you will be able to create T-shirts that people are eager to purchase.
Step 2: Craft A Unique Brand Identity
If you want to create a T-shirt brand that sells, you first need to make sure that you are able to craft a strong brand identity that effectively sets your products apart from the competition. This means coming up with creative design elements such as unique logos, font styles, color palettes, etc. You should also make sure that you stick with these same design elements throughout other areas like your social media, websites, etc.
Step 3: Source Reputable Manufacturers
It’s extremely vital that you work with a reputable clothing supplier that can provide you with high-quality garments. This means finding a company like Appareify that can provide consistent product quality, facilitate fast turnarounds, and offer cost-effective sourcing. Naturally, this will require you to do your research, which is what we will talk about in detail next.
How To Recruit The Right T-shirt Manufacturer?
As vital as it is to find a reputable and reliable T-shirt manufacturer, the challenge is that there are so many suppliers to choose from around the world. Also, since not all clothing suppliers are created equal, it can be especially tricky to narrow down the list to find the right one.
To this end, here are a few aspects to look at that should help you make the right choice and ensure the T-shirt manufacturing process for your business runs smoothly.
Pricing & MOQ: It is important that you look at the supplier’s MOQ and pricing structure. After all, there is no point in trying to work with a manufacturer that exceeds your budget or is unwilling to be flexible with their order quantities. Instead, focus on companies that are open to facilitating low MOQs and can offer competitive prices or even discounts for bulk orders.
Brand Reputation: You also need to do your research to learn more about the manufacturer’s reputation. After all, not all of them necessarily specialize in T-shirt production, so they may lack the experience or skills needed to help craft the type of designs that you want. A good example to consider is Appareify, as the clothing manufacturer has a wide variety of services that specifically cater to T-shirt production.
Quality Control: The quality of the fabrics and garments produced is non-negotiable because poor quality control means that you will not only waste your money but also compromise your reputation among customers. It is for this reason that you should always get samples and if possible, request some product mock-ups (sketch designs), as well as tech packs that detail aspects like measurements, patterns, colorways, etc.
Logistics: Another important area that you need to ensure that you do not neglect is shipping logistics. It is important that you work with a supplier that can ship to your doorstep because some will only be willing to drop your products at a collection port. So, always take the time to clarify this information beforehand and in detail, which will help you to avoid any delivery hassles.
Things To Consider Before Launching A T-shirt Brand?
If you want to launch a T-shirt brand but lack enough experience or skills in product design, then don’t fret. An alternative option to consider is to hire someone that can help you execute your vision. In most cases, you can often find a professional design partner through social media sites like Instagram or hire them via freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr.
Another practical idea to consider before investing in production is to get feedback on your T-shirt designs from your customer base. For instance, you can post your design mockups on your brand’s Instagram stories and create a poll to see what people’s reactions are. This can often be a great way to collect insights and reduce the risk of investing resources in a product that may not end up selling.
Aside from that, you should also consider the quality of the fabric that you intend on using for the production of your T-shirts. It is important to keep in mind that no matter how affordable the T-shirt is, quality should never be sacrificed. In this respect, T-shirts are usually made using 100% cotton or polyester, but most brands often go for a blend of both.
In fact, cotton-polyester blends tend to be the most popular choice for T-shirts because they tend to be breathable, easy to wash, as well as durable. They are also highly resistant to shrinkage, compared to pure cotton.
Final Word
The beauty of launching a T-shirt brand is that you can keep coming up with new product lines, even as you expand to new customer segments worldwide. The T-shirt industry is extremely wide, so as long as you have a reliable supplier to work with, a solid marketing strategy, and a creative design team, the sky is the limit as to how far your brand can go.
Hopefully, this article explained everything that you needed to know to get started on your clothing journey. And if you still need some help finding a clothing manufacturer, then we strongly recommend that you check out Appareify. They have the facilities, the brand reputation, and the production team that you need to bring all your design ideas to life!
