How do I get started?
Most clients are either starting from scratch or are production-ready. We offer product development services to new brands or brands that are adding new products, or we can jump right into cut & sew for companies who already have their materials and digital patterns graded to all desired sizes.
Below are some questions we might ask you in order to get started:
What kind of garments are you looking to make?
We specialize in activewear and other stretch garments, and unfortunately we’re not able to make anything too tailored (blouses/dress shirts, dress pants, formal dresses, etc.), nor are we able to work with sequins, denim, or silk.
Do you have digital patterns?
This is what we would need to cut and sew either prototypes/samples or production garments. If not, we can help you create them based on measurements or a similar sample. For example, many clients bring in a legging that they like the look and fit of and then request any changes from those design elements or measurements (for instance, make the waistband 1” taller).
Do you have all of your materials or do you need help with sourcing?
This might include fabric, rubber/elastic, bra cups, any hardware, sew-in labels or heat transfers, etc.
We can help you source some or all of these items, as long as they’re available domestically. We do not source from outside of the U.S., although you’re welcome to!
How many garments are you anticipating producing?
We can do prototypes, but we typically cannot fulfill production orders of any less than 200 pieces per style, with this number increasing for more complicated garments or those that require special machine set-up. A good starting order size is about 300 pieces across 2-3 colorways and 3-4 sizes.
Pricing
We bill development and production separately, with development being billed hourly and production being billed per unit.
Development is billed at $200/hr, and the costs vary greatly based on the complexity of the garment, as well as what services you need from us. Some clients choose to source materials themselves to save money, which is totally fine! Clients with a strong vision of what they want and examples of similar garments often reach a final sample more quickly, which saves time and money. Once we understand what your project is and what services you’d need from us (sourcing fabric and trims, creating digital patterns, cutting & sewing prototypes, helping with fittings, grading patterns to different sizes, etc.), we can provide a proposal that outlines the anticipated number of hours per project. We can begin once we receive a 50% deposit, and you are only charged for time used; for instance, if you’re happy with your second sample and we budgeted for three samples, you will only be billed for the hours spent working on the project up to that point!
Once clients have a final sample, they would place a production order (PO) which we would use to provide a cost per garment. For example, you might provide the final prototype of your sports bra with a production order of 300 pieces across 3 colors, and we would tell you the cost per bra. Costing is based on the cutting and sewing operations, the fabric, the number of thread colors, and the order quantity. Larger orders yield a lower price per unit since production becomes more efficient with larger volumes.
We may ask you what you anticipate pricing your items at for retail; this is to help determine if your project is a good fit for us and for domestic manufacturing. Most brands manufacture overseas, where they can enlist much cheaper labor, so retail prices often need to be higher for U.S.-made garments. We also want to make sure you’ll be able to make a profit after labor, materials, packaging, and all selling costs, so we may decline projects in which we don’t believe you’ll have any margin left for profit.
Fabrics/Printing
We do not carry fabrics or other components, but we can work with you and our suppliers to find options for your project, including fabric, elastic, rings and slides, etc.
We do not have screen-printing, sublimation, or embroidery capabilities in-house, although we have partners that do.