How to Start Your Own Clothing Brand in 10 Steps

To start a clothing brand, you need fashion design skills and knowledge. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you need a degree from a fancy fashion school.

In fact, many of the world’s most renowned fashion designers never received a formal fashion education. Notable examples of designers who started their own fashion line include Coco Chanel (self-taught) and Giorgio Armani (studied medicine). This goes to show that the brilliance that distinguishes the most acclaimed clothing brands isn’t necessarily born in the classroom.

Keeping up with fashion trends is part of the process of building your knowledge, but you also need to do market research and develop a good understanding of what people want and need from the clothing they buy.

Getting the right foundational knowledge starts with asking the right questions:

• What types of clothing are most in demand right now?
• What do all the latest fashion trends have in common?
• What tools do you need to manage a business’s finances?
• How many pieces should you include in a clothing range?
• What steps do you need to take to legally protect your designs?
• What scale should you start your production at, and when do you scale up?
• What materials and instructions do manufacturers need to produce your designs?
• What are the most effective ways to market your clothing line to buyers?

Reading this guide is your first step, but you shouldn’t stop here. Educating yourself will take time and dedication, but there are plenty of resources available online that will make the process a lot easier.

Get wisdom and inspiration from other self-starting clothing designers by hearing their stories. Good places to look include blogs, YouTube channels, and podcasts.

For your clothing brand to succeed, it needs to offer something valuable to buyers. This could be unique fashion elements or a business approach that meets buyer demand in a way that other clothing brands fail to do.

Before you begin the design process, think about what your purpose is in starting your own clothing line, how you can make your brand stand out, and who your target market is. This will help you figure out what niche you’ll fill.

Naming your clothing brand

Coming up with a name for your clothing brand is an essential step in starting your business, but don’t get too caught up trying to find the perfect name. As long as you find a name that’s memorable and in line with your brand identity, you’ll be good to go.

Whatever name you choose, be sure to confirm that it hasn’t already been taken by another business. You can check the availability of your desired name on sites like the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and ICANN Domain Name Registration Data Lookup.

Creating a logo

Once you’ve settled on a name, it’s time to create a logo for your clothing business. You can either create the logo yourself using tools like Canva, Logo Maker, or ICONA – Logo Maker or hire a freelance designer to help you out.

Creating a business plan will help you determine the next steps you need to take to establish your clothing line, and it’ll put the whole project in perspective. It can also help you get the funding you need to start manufacturing your clothing designs.

Here’s what your clothing business plan should include:

• Executive summary: Provides an overview of your business plan. It should be adapted to the reader, whether that be a potential investor or supplier.
• Mission statement: Details your brand values and your motivations for making your clothing line.
• Core products: Lists your product offerings and the scope of your clothing business.
• Market analysis: Summarizes key competition in the market and how you plan to distinguish your clothing line from all the rest.
• Operations plan: Specifies where and how you will sell your clothing products and what resources, tools, or personnel you’ll need.
• Marketing plan: Details who your target market is and what advertising strategies you will use to promote your products to them.
• Financial plan: Describes your predicted expenses and income and how you plan to fund your business and use money contributed by investors.

As is the case for most businesses, you need to have enough money to get it up and running. Thankfully, your business plan should help by giving you an idea of your projected expenses. Below is a breakdown of how much money you need to start a clothing line—plus financing options that can help you start a clothing line with no money.

Cost of starting a clothing brand

The three main expenses you’ll need to budget for are marketing, production, and inventory costs. When you’re first starting out, you can expect your upfront costs to range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $2,000+.

Below are the key cost factors you’ll need to consider:

• Samples and prototypes: If you don’t have any sewing skills, you’ll need to pay a tailor to bring your clothing designs to life, which can be very expensive. You’ll also probably need to make alterations to your designs, which can compound these expenses.
• Manufacturing method: You can either follow the “premade method” or “preorder method” of clothing manufacturing. With the premade method, you need money upfront to pay production costs. With the “preorder method,” you can save money by accepting customer preorders and then using their money to cover production costs.
• Store type: For a brick-and-mortar store, you’ll need to pay rent. For an online store on an e-commerce website, you may need to pay a monthly fee.
• Workspace: If you need to rent out a studio as a workspace, you’ll need to account for the cost of rent.
• Marketing: Some marketing and advertising strategies cost money. Free marketing approaches can save you money when you’re starting out, but they may hamper your business growth.
• Miscellaneous: You may have other additional costs, depending on your business model, such as business registration, logo and website design, or store utility fees.

The bottom line is that you won’t be able to start a clothing brand for free, but there are several ways to start your own clothing business with no money.

How to start a clothing brand with no money

Technically, you can start a clothing brand for free—though it can be a little tricky to pull off. You have four main options for sourcing outsider funding for your clothing line.

Business loans

You can get a loan for your clothing business from either a traditional bank or an online lender. Bank loans can have stricter requirements, so they may not be an option if you have poor credit, lots of debt, or limited income.

While business loans can be invaluable for helping you start your own clothing line, make sure you fully understand the terms of your loan before you commit.

Grants

State and local governments sometimes offer grants to small businesses and entrepreneurs, so it’s worth checking what’s available to residents where you live.

Additionally, some businesses and organizations offer grants to business owners who meet their eligibility criteria. For example, if you’re a woman of color, you can apply for the Tory Burch Foundation Women of Color Grant Program to receive $10,000 or $20,000.

Crowdfunding

You can use crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe, Patreon, or Kickstarter to request donations to help fund your clothing business. To build a good crowdfunding campaign, check out what other fashion businesses have done.

Angel investors

Angel investors are wealthy individuals who are willing to give you money to start a business in exchange for monetary rewards later down the line once your business takes off. This could be a portion of your profits or a stake in your company.

To woo investors, you’ll need a solid business plan. It’ll also help to learn about the other types of businesses that the investor has backed and tailor your pitch accordingly.

One of the most difficult (but fun) steps to making a clothing brand is designing your products. You need to understand both the creative and technical aspects of designing clothes.

No matter how great your design is, you won’t be able to sell it unless you can produce it. Take the time to find the right material supplier and a reliable manufacturer who can execute your designs.

You should also think about whether the manufacturer’s rates are within your budget and whether they share your values and priorities. For example, you might want to partner with a manufacturer who promises to ensure ethical, sustainable, and quality production.

If you’re producing the clothing yourself, you’ll need to not only set up a working space but also prepare all the necessary equipment. This includes sewing machines, cutting tools, an iron and ironing board, computer and design software, printers, and modeling dolls, to name a few.

Once you’ve found a source for your clothing materials and a reliable manufacturer, you’ll have a more accurate estimate of your total production costs. Pricing your products appropriately is key to keeping your business afloat. Set your prices too low, and you risk operating at a loss. Set them too high, and you may struggle to get customers.

Take into consideration the quality of your materials and the spending habits of your target demographic when you’re pricing your products. For instance, you can price your products higher if you make clothes primarily for high-end consumers.

It’s a good idea to check out the pricing models of other brands in your niche and use them as a benchmark for your own prices. Remember that your initial prices aren’t set in stone, and you can always adjust them as you go along.

To create a clothing brand, you’ll need to formally establish a business. You’ll need to pay a fee to register your business (usually under $300), but your personal assets will be protected. Small business owners who are just starting out often choose to register their business as a limited liability company (LLC) rather than a corporation.

In addition to registering your business, you should apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is required for tax purposes.

Don’t forget to check your state and local laws to see if you’re legally required to obtain any business licenses and/or permits. You can usually find the information you need on your local government website, but you can also contact them directly if you’re unsure about the legal requirements you need to meet.

You’ve likely already thought about this, but you need to decide how you’re going to sell the clothing you produce. There are four ways to set up a clothing store:

• Setting up an online store: There are several e-commerce websites to choose from, such as Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace. These platforms have monthly fees roughly in the range of $20–$250 just for maintaining your website. To ensure customer satisfaction, design your website in a way that’s easy to navigate.
• Opening a physical store: If you wish to open a brick-and-mortar shop, be prepared to spend a while scouting for the right location. As you can imagine, many popular locations in shopping districts have sky-high rent costs, and finding an ideal space can be quite challenging.
• Collaborating with retailers: Another option is to sell your clothing line through other retailers. With this route, you’ll have to pitch your brand to the retailer you want to work with. You won’t have the pressure of running your own store, but it can be difficult to land a fruitful collaboration when you’re a new designer.
• Launching pop-up stores: You can also launch occasional pop-up stores at local markets and other special events. This is a particularly good option if you live in a big town or city with a lot of foot traffic. Strong people skills are a must since you’ll need to handle all the sales yourself.

Setting up an online store is the most affordable option since you don’t have to pay for rent and other utility bills, but each approach has its advantages and disadvantages.

Marketing is essential to any type of business. The type of marketing you should invest in largely depends on your target demographic. You can use traditional marketing approaches, like putting up ads in local newspapers and magazines that your customers are inclined to pick up, but online marketing has become the norm.

Online marketing is a cost-effective strategy that can help you reach a wide audience, especially if you’re trying to appeal to a tech-savvy demographic. Start by creating an email list and different social media accounts for your brand and focus on gaining followers.

If your budget allows, you can run ads on various online platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Alternatively, you could try making partnerships with influencers or sending them free merchandise to review your brand on their social media accounts.

After you have your shop up and running, you’ll need to periodically review and adjust your marketing strategy and stay on top of your bookkeeping tasks. Consider consulting an accountant if you need any financial advice.

Additionally, set realistic goals for expanding your clothing brand over the next 3–5 years. You’ll need patience and persistence to reach the point where your business really takes off.

How profitable is a clothing brand?

According to ZipRecruiter, clothing brand owners can earn anywhere between $14,000 and $399,000 per year, with most earning somewhere in the range of $13–$60 per hour. 1

These statistics show that clothing design is a field with highly variable earning potential. How much you’ll make from a clothing brand mainly depends on your skills, experience, and location. Although there’s the risk of losing money by starting a business, there’s also no ceiling to your success.

Creating your own brand of clothing can be very profitable if you’re able to establish a large customer base and effectively market to your target customers. However, running a successful business is definitely easier said than done.