If you are a creative person who loves fashion, and design and would like to learn how to start a small clothing business from home, you are in the right place. You might think that the fashion industry is something developed by only fashion designers and world brands that dictate high fashion standards.
Not at all. So, how to start a t-shirt brand, and what steps do you need to go through?
All you need to start a clothing line is some creativity and a great desire.
Nowadays creative t-shirts are popular among youth and everyone can build such a brand fast and with little money. So, what are the steps you should go through to start a clothing business? Let’s discuss them.
Table of Contents
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How To Start A Clothing Brand Online
1. Do a Market Research
Study your market well. Know who else is in the game and understand the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.
Understand your target audience’s preferences, buying behavior, and pain points. That’s how you will know what fashion items to create and how to sell them globally to achieve success faster.
2. Brand Identity
Your brand identity is the very soul of your clothing line. It will help you articulate your USP (unique selling proposition), target audience, brand values, and aesthetic.
Here are the steps to start with:
- Create a brand name
- Logo
- The tagline that people can associate with your vision.
Consider the story you want to tell through your brand.
3. Create a Business Plan
Best way to start a clothing brand is to start with a business plan. A good business plan includes:
- Business goals
- A marketing strategy
- Product development flow
- Sales plan
- Operational costs
This is an essential document that will guide you. But it doesn’t mean your clothing line business plan should be perfect from the start. Remember to stay flexible and modify it as your business grows.
4. Start an LLC
A Limited Liability Company (LLC) reduces your liability and has tax advantages. An LLC service provider, such as ZenBusiness, can take all the steps to create your LLC, including paperwork and law, all from the Internet.
ZenBusiness
A leading LLC service provider that does all the legal processes for you
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5. Design
Every clothing brand starts with an idea. Find inspiration and think about the concept of your future clothing line. Try to understand how to make it differ from your competitors.
Perhaps, your t-shirts will have a unique design or unique colors. It is up to you to decide, but this decision can influence future growth.
Fortunately, today we have AI, and we don’t need to spend a lot for hiring professional designers unless you have such skills and can do it yourself.
Just take a look at the AI photo below – I asked DALLE to generate some weird t-shirt design and here it is:
So, you can play with it and come up with some fashion ideas for your future brand. Just don’t be afraid to be creative and have fun.
One of my favorite examples of a successful t-shirt brand is ‘Johnny Cupcakes’ which became popular due to its creative idea of making t-shirts. At the beginning of the brand’s growth, it was the t-shirt design that attracted so many people to the brand. A logo demonstrating cupcakes with crossbones seemed unusual, and people got interested in it. Furthermore, Johnny opened the so-called t-shirt bakeries that made the brand become popular worldwide. Just imagine you come to a bakery and it appears to be a t-shirt shop with super creative t-shirts.
This example shows that you should think out-of-box while starting a clothing business. In such a case people will pay attention to it, remember it, and make it popular sharing their emotions from collaboration with you.
- Show your individuality
I have another example, the t-shirt brand ‘Raubdruckerin’ creates the design for their t-shirts using street architecture for prints. The idea of traveling around the world and investigating new forms on the streets and then printing them on clothes is more than just great. Why not if people love it?
Such printing road trips bring not only new designs to the brand collection but also an inspiration to its creators and strong promotion to the brand itself.
6. Clothing items production
When your design is ready, it is time to get down to production and make your product real. Let’s discuss how you can do it simply.
- Get the right equipment needed to start a clothing line
Here is a detailed guide on the best clothing equipment list to start making clothes.
- Use online services
Nowadays, some popular online projects provide great opportunities for designers and allow them to sell t-shirts and other products with one’s own designs. One of the most popular projects you can try is Threadless.
All you need is to register on one of such platforms, upload your design, select the items you would like to sell with your design (t-shirts, bags, accessories) and that’s it. When your items are sold you earn your commission. It is an excellent and simple way when start a brand of clothing because there is no need to think about production and channels of brand promotion.
- Find a t-shirt supplier
If you are interested in how to start a clothing business, start by finding a t-shirt supplier. Some companies supply t-shirts and make customized prints at the same time. I think it is very convenient and can save a lot of time for you. At the very first stage, I would recommend testing the product and producing only several items. You can spread them among your friends and get feedback. If you see that people love your product and are interested in purchasing more, start increasing your production volume.
- Find local sewers
Finding local sewers for the first fashion brand collection was the way I started my clothing line Capslook. I got inspired by some fashion looks on Pinterest and imagined how my hoodies should look like. My investments were minimal because I wanted to test the market and learn the demand. As a result, my product became popular on Instagram in the shortest time frame and now it is presented in 7 showrooms and tenths of marketplaces across the country.
7. Create an Online Store
In short, you just need web hosting and a website builder to build an e-commerce website. So, what do you need to start a clothing brand? Here are the best options:
Option 1. Start with a WordPress website for free with web hosting from Hostgator. Their pricing plan starts as low as $3.75 a month.
Option 2. Build an e-commerce website with Shift4Shop. It has premium E-commerce features and a user-friendly interface.
Shift4Shop
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- Limited customization options
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8. Get Accounting Software
To manage your fashion business finances and invoicing clients you need accounting software. I would recommend trying FreshBooks for issuing and keeping your expenses in order.
This software allows small business owners to easily organize their financial records and reduce the workload for bookkeeping.
9. Sell your clothing line products
Think about the way you would like to sell and promote your product. Here are the best sales strategies for e-commerce business:
Local sales
- Offline local sales
If you want to know how to start a clothing store, the first option is to open a boutique in your area. This business model will require investments for renting a space, and buying furniture and equipment.
If you start a local business, you can also find a partner to share a space. For example, if there is a brand with sunglasses in your city, you can join it and share the cost of the shop rent. Such a partnership can help you sell a product to real people, get honest feedback, and become popular in your city.
- Online local sales
You need to optimize your website for local sales. Make sure to register your clothing line business on Google Maps and local catalogs. There is an all-in-one marketing solution for small business owners that will do the tasks of the whole marketing team for low costs. The service is called Semrush and you can try it for free!
Semrush
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Sell on marketplaces
- How to sell on Etsy marketplace
Etsy is a highly popular platform to sell clothes on.
Step 1. Go to etsy.com and on the top right click Open your Etsy shop
Step 2. Select your currency, country, and shop name. Click Save.
Step 3. Finish your setup – add a logo, a banner, and a welcome message to your shop page.
Step 4. Add your first listing to your Etsy shop.
- How to sell on the Facebook marketplace
Facebook as a marketplace is growing and getting more and more popular. Use this social network with high traffic to sell your clothing line items. So how to sell on the Facebook marketplace?
Step 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/
Step 2. On the left-hand side find the button +Sell something. Click on it.
Step 3. You will see a pop-up window offering you to select the type of product you are selling. Select an Item for sale.
Step 4. After that, you will be redirected to the Marketplace page where you need to put all the information about your clothing item. Make sure you upload a quality photo of your product and a detailed description.
10. Work with Influencers
People love shows and stories. Think about a long-term strategy to attract more clients and promote your fashion brand.
Plan a collection launch or any other event to create buzz around your brand. Use social media teasers, countdowns, and giveaways to get people excited. Collaborate with fashion influencers and press to get coverage.
11. Take Care of Customer Service
Think about loyalty. It is cheaper to hold a client than to attract a new one. So, let the buying process be smooth for your customers:
- Respond quickly to questions
- Process orders fast
- Be professional when making returns and exchanging items
- Get feedback from customers towards product or service improvement
12. Analyze and Improve
Regularly analyze your sales data, website traffic, and customer feedback. Point out where improvements are required and adapt your strategies to those needs.
Keep updated about fashion and innovate by the day to make your clothing brand stay afloat and succeed.
FAQs
1. How much does it cost to start a clothing brand?
The primary investment costs may vary depending on your clothing brand niche and the business model you chose. From my perspective, you can start as low as $100-$200 to test the market. I wouldn’t advise you to invest a lot from the very start. For example, for the Capslook brand launch, I spent $100 to sew 5 hoodies and the same amount was spent for marketing (to start social media with targeting costs). So, if you are interested in how much it costs to start a clothing brand, here are the primary costs to consider:
- Product Design. Costs include payments for designers (if you’re hiring) and the creation of prototypes. This can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
- Materials and Manufacturing. Material costs vary depending on quality and type, and manufacturing can be local or overseas, affecting the price significantly. Initial production might require at least $5,000.
- Branding and Marketing. In fact, you can do it for free or delegate it to a designer. Costs for logo design, website creation, and marketing materials can start from $2,000.
- Legal and Administrative: Includes business registration, trademarking, and other professional services. Costs could start around $500.
2. Is it hard to start a clothing brand?
No, it is not. In fact, a fashion business requires a similar approach used by business owners. Anyone can start a clothing brand and you do not need an experience or be a fashion designer.
Start with research and understanding the niche you are going to work with. Work with your mindset and believe in yourself.
Conclusion
As you can see, everyone can build a fashion brand in 3 simple steps. Starting a clothing brand all you need is some creativity and a great desire to make a cool product that people will love. I wish you good luck with your startup!
In case you have questions or comments, or maybe you would like to share your experience, let me know.
Tetiana is a business coach and owner of IStartHub, a business media for ambitious female entrepreneurs and small business owners.