9 Best Clothing Manufacturers for Startups
Last Updated: By Michaela Dale
For fashion startups, ecommerce startups, and independent designers, finding the right manufacturing company to make your ideas come to life is crucial to the success of your company. But with so many manufacturers across the globe, knowing the right manufacturer for your business can be a tall order.
Whether you’re looking to produce luxury items or screen-printed hoodies, we’ve got you covered with this guide to the best clothing manufacturers for startups.
Top Clothing Manufacturers
A top-tier clothing manufacturer needs to check a few boxes: customizability, experience, and order minimums that will work for your business starting out. Additionally, it is important to consider the type of items you plan to sell before choosing a manufacturer, as well as the assistance you may need with design, development, and fulfillment.
While many manufacturers offer development and design services, some take a more hands-off approach. These are the top clothing manufacturers that can help bring your creative vision to life.
1. Appareify
Launched in 2017 by industry veterans, Appareify is now one of the leading Chinese clothing manufacturers offering services for a variety of garment types, from activewear to shoe production. Brands that have partnered with Appareify include ASOS, Tesco, and Dunhill.
Services by Appareify include original equipment manufacturer (OEM), product development, private labeling, and cut and sew services.
2. Affix Apparel
Affix Apparel is a leading United States-based clothing manufacturer with over ten years of experience, as well as six certifications in ethics and sustainability. Plus, Affix Apparel’s minimums are notably low at 50 pieces per design for many services.
Beyond their manufacturing services, Affix Apparel offers a myriad of services, including cut and sew, private labeling, custom screen printing, sublimation printing, and custom embroidery.
3. Hawthorn
Hawthorn is a leading United Kingdom manufacturer focused on quality production over quantity. The company works primarily with startups, small clothing brands, and emerging designers. Plus, they offer low minimums of 50 pieces per design.
Garments manufactured by Hawthorn are made-to-order, hand-cut, stitched, and finished by hand and undergo a quality-assurance process. Additionally, orders are customizable by fabric, embroidery, print, sublimation, fit, and finish, giving entrepreneurs full control over the production of their designs.
4. Printful
Printful offers manufacturing and fulfillment services for ecommerce brands as well as a platform that integrates with Shopify, Etsy, Squarespace, and more. As a print-on-demand (POD) service, customers of Printful can design, print, and sell products as well as deliver the product to your customer's door if you opt into their fulfillment service.
Printful’s service extends beyond garment printing, they also offer sublimation, UV printing, cut and sew, and embroidery services. A few of Printful’s customers include Coca-Cola, Comedy Central, and AMC. Printful does not have order minimums; however, they do offer discounts for larger orders.
5. Oh Two Clothing
For companies looking for retail or promotional clothing production, Oh Two Clothing has services to meet either need. A vertically integrated manufacturer, Oh Two Clothing offers services from start to finish, from fabric sourcing to the execution of the design to delivery.
The company also offers trend forecasting, including downloadable trend reports. Most notably, Oh Two Clothing’s services range from cut and sew and embroidery to order fulfillment locally and internationally. Minimum orders from Oh Two Clothing are 200 pieces per style.
6. Apparel Production
For high-end, private label lines, Apparel Production boasts 75 years of garment production and luxury clientele such as Helmut Lang, Rag & Bone, and Marc Jacobs. Depending on the location, minimums range from 150+ in New York at the lowest to 350+ in the Dominican Republic, which can vary based on the project.
Apparel Production is not a low-cost manufacturer, they even encourage their clients to be prepared for upfront costs. However, they offer time-tested quality and experience as well as a variety of services from production to consulting.
7. Portland Garment Factory
Unlike many others on this list, Portland Garment Factory extends beyond clothing and textiles. The full-service, zero-waste manufacturer works with independent designers, brands, and artisans to produce everything from clothing to customized home goods to window displays.
Customers of Portland Garment Factory aren’t simply placing orders online, the team works to design, ideate, and execute ideas at the highest caliber. Clients of Portland Garment Factory include Adidas, Levi’s, New Balance, and Nordstrom.
8. Euphoric Colors
Euphoric Colors offers both manufacturing and development of products made in the United States. This is a vertically integrated manufacturer, which means they are hands-on for the entire process, with no outsourcing and no sacrificing quality.
Euphoric Colors works with clients to not only produce clothing – the team will also help develop ideas through their private-label clothing development service. However, their minimums are on the higher end at 300 per style and color for most designs.
9. Good Clothing Company
Good Clothing Company is a US-based manufacturing company offering production and consulting services, an ideal combination for startups and small businesses that are just starting out. The company offers both small-batch and large-scale manufacturing, working primarily with independent designers and brands.
Minimums are as low as 50 per size, style, and color, which is lower than many competitors. However, the company has a dedicated facility for large-scale production as well.
FAQs
How do I find a clothing brand manufacturer?
Finding the right clothing manufacturer for your business can be done through online reviews, Google searches, or word of mouth. Keep in mind it’s important to conduct research and due diligence on the manufacturer before committing to working with them.
What should I look for in a clothing manufacturer?
When choosing a clothing manufacturer for your startup, you should consider customizability, order minimum requirements, turnaround time, quality, and specialty of the manufacturer.
It is important to choose a manufacturer that has expertise in the type of designs you’re looking to manufacture, as well as order minimums that will work within your budget.
What are some alternatives to clothing manufacturers?
Depending on the types of items you’re looking to produce, you can opt for a print-on-demand (POD) service over a clothing manufacturer. This is primarily screen printing and typically requires no minimums, as items are created once an order has been placed.
How much does it cost to start a clothing brand?
The cost of starting a clothing brand varies depending on the type of clothing being produced, including quality and manufacturing costs. Each clothing manufacturer is priced differently, however. To cut costs when launching a clothing line, you can opt for a manufacturer with lower order minimums starting out.
