Garment Manufacturers: 7 Ways To Find Your Professional Fit

You just had that ‘light bulb’ moment—finally, a creative idea for a clothing line that stands out. What you need (aside from ambitious ideas) are garment manufacturers who understand how to take that ambition and nurture it.

Here are seven surefire ways to find garment manufacturers who will understand everything from crafting clothes to helping you market your product.

What Are Garment Manufacturers?

Garment manufacturers, or clothing manufacturers, are companies that produce clothing. Not all clothing manufacturers are the same, so finding one that gels with you and your custom clothing ideas is essential.

In fact, it’s important to be a little picky, too. Let’s see why.

Don’t Settle For Less: The Benefits Of Being Picky

When starting your design career, especially if it’s your first clothing line, it’s tempting to choose the first garment manufacturer that crosses your path.

You’re doing yourself a disservice by picking the first manufacturer you see.

Instead, know your worth as a fashion designer. Yes, this means being a bit picky. However, ensure to temper your expectations a little. You risk choosing no clothing manufacturer if your standards are sky-high. We know it’s hard, after all, this is your fashion brand we’re talking about here.

Find a comfortable middle ground with a fashion manufacturer. Finding your middle ground means finding a manufacturer that respects your ambition and designs yet keeps you grounded in reality.

To sum up, if you’re an ambitious emerging fashion designer, this may be difficult!

On the other hand, the success of creating a successful clothing business is being, above all, realistic. After all, you can’t afford any missteps with your clothing brand.

A Garment Manufacturer For Startups

Custom clothing needs to be done right if you’re a clothing startup. Or maybe you’re an individual looking to test their design acumen with luxury clothing.

Either way, choosing a garment manufacturer that understands the intricacies of small business practices, marketing, and development will help you.

Fashion startups are popular business ventures. People love to see a refreshing new take on graphic t-shirts or a unique line of dresses designed by an ambitious indie fashion designer.

Unfortunately, small businesses don’t have the same capital as huge design houses like Gucci and Prada. That’s why dealing with a small clothing business, and its product needs a deft touch.

Garment Manufacturers With A Proven Track Record

Experience means the world, especially in garment manufacturing. That’s why finding garment manufacturers with an impressive portfolio is a no-brainer. Their work should speak to their strengths.

Don’t be afraid to ask the clothing manufacturer about their portfolios, past projects, and how they helped designers in the past. After all, a brand of your own could sink or swim because of them.

Work With Sustainable Garment Manufacturers (And Why They Matter)

We’ll always be at odds with fast fashion.

Not only does it saturate the fashion industry, but it decimates the environment. With cheaply-made, easily disposable apparel, these questionable industry practices are responsible for some of the earth’s most severe pollution.

Luckily, some entities are starting to recognize the massive downsides to fast fashion.

Environmental correspondent Helen Briggs, writing for BBC, discusses the European Union’s vital crackdown on fast fashion:

“Clothes, furniture, and smartphones sold in Europe must be longer-lasting and easier to repair under new rules proposed by the European Union.

The strategy, launched on Wednesday, targets products at every stage of use, including design, repair, and recycling.

The initiative aims to boost the market for sustainably made textiles.

It also says it will crack down on companies misleading consumers with false environmental claims, or greenwashing.

[Clothing manufacturers] will have to ensure their clothes are eco-friendly and hard-wearing.”

Additionally, The E.U. will provide citizens with how to be more sustainable.

“And consumers will be given more information on how to reuse, repair and recycle their clothes.”

We wholeheartedly welcome this initiative and hope the international community embraces new, sustainable fashion trends and practices promoting eco-friendly clothing.

It’s well past the time we start to embrace slow fashion!

A Clothing Manufacturer That Will Help Your Creativity Thrive

Clothing and bespoke fashion, in general, have fantastic potential to breed creativity.

Look at some of the most famous avant-garde fashion designers and how they push the proverbial fashion envelope.

We’re not saying you aren’t creative enough to develop your own designs. Not at all. But if you’re an emerging indie designer, collaboration with fashion design experts can help take your ideas for clothing and make them shine.

For example, at The Evans Group, we help our clients with brainstorming sessions, fashion mood board creation, and fashion sketching.

Take a fashion mood board, for example. Think of this as a detailed collage. Anything a designer can think of to help augment their designs should go into it.

Colors, shapes, words, thoughts, and anything that inspires creative design are placed on the fashion mood board. At The Evans Group, the talented design team doubles down on collaboration with indie fashion designers.

After all, your creative success is our creative success and vice versa.

Providing An Expert’s Touch: Clothing Manufacturers With Talented Individuals

Firstly, when searching for garment manufacturers for your clothing production, you need professionals.

Remember that all-important track record that clothing manufacturers need to possess? Clothes and memorable work don’t exist without experts.

For example, at The Evans Group, we have some of the most talented pattern makers in Los Angeles.

In short, having industry experts can mean the difference between a success and a flop.

Finding The Right MOQ

Before beginning production, a company will divulge its MOQ or minimum order quantity for clothing orders. This number is how many items a fashion production house will need to accept someone’s order.

At The Evans Group, there are no minimums whatsoever. If you want one to ten pieces of clothing manufactured, it’s entirely possible. Essentially, this lack of MOQ allows indie designers to market and test their brand’s products more efficiently.

Conclusion: Finding A Company For Your Custom Fits

In short, finding good made-to-measure clothing manufacturers near you can be a tricky task sometimes. That’s why you need to have a discerning eye. After all, your work is important; don’t water it down by using an untrustworthy manufacturer.

At The Evans Group, Jennifer Evans and her team have nearly 20 years of custom clothing manufacturing expertise. The manufacturing team will help you develop patterns, products, and your brand.

Have any questions for Jennifer and her team? Fill out the form below and begin your fashion industry journey in style!