Your manufacturer affects quality, cost, timing and how smoothly your brand grows. Use this checklist when comparing clothing manufacturers.
Questions to ask
- What is your minimum order quantity per style and per color?
- Do you make samples, how long do they take and what do they cost?
- What are your production lead times?
- Do you handle embroidery, printing and labels in-house?
- Can you help with tech packs and patterns?
- How do you handle quality control?
- What shipping terms and countries do you support?
Red flags
Be careful with manufacturers who will not make samples, avoid clear pricing or are slow to answer simple questions.
Start with a small test order
Order samples first, then a small run, before scaling. We work this way with new brands. See clothing manufacturer for startups.