Before approaching a manufacturer, you need: a clear garment description with visual references, a realistic target quantity, a confirmed timeline, an understanding of development vs production costs, and cash available for at least two sampling rounds. Vague briefs produce slow, expensive sampling processes.
Most production problems are predictable. This checklist is based on the conversations we have most often with brands approaching their first collection — and the gaps that cause the most avoidable delays.
Before you contact anyone
1. Know specifically what you are making
"I want to start a clothing brand" is not a brief. "I want to produce three styles — a heavyweight jersey tee, a wide-leg trouser and a zip-through sweatshirt — in one colourway each, for a Spring/Summer launch" is a starting point.
The more specific you are before the first conversation, the more accurate and actionable the response will be.
2. Collect visual references — and annotate them
Find images of garments that represent what you are trying to make — not just aesthetically but constructionally. Mark them up: "this seam finish", "this pocket placement", "this hem treatment, not this one." A manufacturer looking at annotated references can evaluate construction complexity, fabric requirements and approximate cost in minutes.
From our experience: The briefs we receive that produce the most accurate quotes and fastest first samples are always the ones with annotated references. The ones that produce the most back-and-forth are the ones with no visual references and extensive written description.
3. Have a real quantity in mind
Not "however many is the minimum." Have a number that reflects your budget, your storage capacity and your confidence in the product. Be prepared to discuss it. If your honest answer is "I'm not sure — somewhere between 80 and 150" that is a valid answer. "Whatever the minimum is" tells us nothing useful about your project.
4. Know your actual timeline
Work backwards from your launch or delivery date. A custom development timeline from brief to delivery is typically 10–16 weeks. If you need product in 8 weeks, say so at the start — a good manufacturer will tell you what is achievable in that window and what is not.
Budget decisions to make before you start
5. Separate development cost from production cost
Pattern development, sampling and specification work are development costs. They are separate from the unit cost of the production run. Budget for both. A surprising number of first-time brands budget for production and are then unprepared for the cost of getting to a production-ready sample.
6. Plan for two sampling rounds minimum
The first sample is almost never perfect and does not need to be. It is a prototype. Budget for two sampling rounds and build the time into your timeline. Brands that budget for one round either accept a sample they are not fully satisfied with, or lose weeks while they find additional budget.
Before you sign anything
7. Understand what the quote includes
Does the quote include fabric, trims, labels and packaging? Or is it CMT only — cut, make and trim with the expectation that you supply materials? Get a line-by-line breakdown. Surprises at invoice stage almost always trace back to an ambiguous quote.
8. Confirm payment terms
Standard in garment production: 30–50% deposit before production begins, balance before or on delivery. Understand the structure and have the cash available before committing. A production schedule built around a payment you cannot make on time delays everyone.
9. Ask specifically about quality control
What is the QC process before goods ship? Who is responsible if there is a quality issue after delivery? What constitutes a rejectable defect? This conversation is more important than the conversation about price and it is the one most new brands skip.
From our experience: The brands that have the best first production experiences are the ones that ask the most questions before they start. Not because the answers are always perfect, but because the questions reveal whether the relationship is going to work before you have committed to anything.
The brands that have the best production experiences usually did the most preparation before their first conversation. Clarity going in produces clarity coming out.