Comments on: 3 Considerations Before Launching Your Clothing Line

By: Ryan Eng

Ryan Eng — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:21:20 +0000

Hi Jon,

I am going to start a clothing line. I have a great name with many good ideas behind it. I am al ready to start it up but there is still one thing that I am not sure about.
What should I do about trademarking. I don't want to start the company up and find out that my name has already been taken, or that somebody has stole my idea. What steps should I take. Is it necessary to trademark right away. What did you do when you started your companies?

Thank you

By: Corey

Corey — Thu, 12 May 2011 07:53:59 +0000

Hi Jon,

I have created a clothing line named Dmarq which I think has endless potential. I have t-shirts for men and women, hats, hoodies, shorts, jeans etc…I am looking for a manufacturing distribution deal or a licensing agent who can take my business to the next level. I have a web page if you would like to view some of my products to give you an idea of the work I have created. If you could give me any advice to point me in the right direction.

Thank you,

By: Fidel nambundunga

Fidel nambundunga — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:08:38 +0000

I am greatful for what you doing. I have started a clothing line, young and fresh, got my logo and couple of tees and tops for ladies. I also came out with hotpants and bikinis. Mt target market is girls from 10 till 30 years. I have a problem in the marketing strategy of my products. I have a designer who does all my work and do you think its advisable to use more designers for one line? Or to outsource the printing to more than printer?

By: Jon Kruse

Jon Kruse — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:34:42 +0000

Emptees.com and behance.net are two great places where t-shirt artists go. All of my designers I have met through emptees.

By: Derric

Derric — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:35:34 +0000

Hi Jon,

I can’t say how grateful I am for finding your site. All the information you provide has been helping me tremendously as I am just trying to get started. The posts above have asked some great questions about printing costs and I am also very interested in how to find the right demographic numbers to properly prepare my financials for my business plan.

I have one big question that I have not yet seen on here, but I will keep looking. I have a great idea for a brand, the market I’m targeting is highly untouched, and my business strategy is coming along well. My biggest problem is that I’m not a designer. I have ideas of the image I want for my brand and how that is going to apply to marketing, but I need to find the right designers to work with. I’ve managed to get in touch with a couple through friends and contracted with them for a couple designs, but I still need more. Where can I find a good place to contact designers or see examples of some designers’ works to know if there style is what I’m looking for?

Thank you so much for all you are doing to help other people start their dream business.

By: Christian

Christian — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 03:31:05 +0000

Hi Jon,
Thanks for this info…I already knew I need a business plan and you just enforced it in me to do it. My problem is that I dont know where to get the demographic numbers for my financials.

I want to start a Brand and promote the meaning behind it. Therefore, my brand name and log is whats important. Should I still print on American Apparel clothing? or have to invest in putting my own labels?

I just don’t know whether I should start with using Cafe Press or Spreadshirt? or use a company like Jakprints? or try to Silkscreen or Heat Press on my own? or Outsource it to China? I don’t really have a lot of money thats why Cafe Press seems like an option but what are the negatives of doing this?

My Brand is really what is important to me. The meaning and what it represents is what I aim to be the driving source for sales. Hopefully my Designs will be just as good.

Hope you can give me some good advice in this.

Thank you!

By: Jon Kruse

Jon Kruse — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:36:19 +0000

Hi Yoeri. When you’re starting out you can’t compete with everyone else on their prices and selling to bigger stores that want low cost goods doesn’t leave you very much profit. I usually hear shops charge 2x the cost of the shirts and 3x seems really high. Later on you can print higher quantities that will lower your costs but right now just try and get into stores that will pay you more money, there are smaller shops that will probably do business with you will make more profit with.

Prices vary so you will have to check out different companies to see their prices. American Icon and Merchspin are two i would recommend.

By: Yoeri

Yoeri — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:54:55 +0000

Hi,

I was wondering how mutch you pay if you outsource the screenprinting.
Cause most online shops ask around 8,50 euro (yeah I’m from Europe) and when you sell to shops they pay 1/3 of the sales price. So if I sale for 30 Euro, I only make 1,30 profit on a shirt.
Isn’t that very low.

Thx alot for the help cause good help is hard to find

By: Julian

Julian — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:57:27 +0000

Hey! Thanks for looking out for us that are trying to come up with a great quality clothing company, I appreciate it. I am trying to start out, but am stump with a good company that would assist me with a proper business plan for a special business like a clothing line?
I also am have trouble with trusting and finding companies that would manufacture jeans and a high quality t-shirt. Would you be able to direct me to the best sites or whomever I could get this help from?

Thank You,
Julian

By: Jon Kruse

Jon Kruse — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:53:27 +0000

Hi Lauren, when selling online it’s comfortable for customers to buy a brand name shirt. I buy from places that print on American Apparel because I know it’s going to be super soft and fit me perfectly. Having s specific cut would be good if the customer can try it on but in the online world the unknown isn’t a good thing.