Understand every part of manufacturing.
The brands that win are the ones who understand what they are buying. Start with the four primers below, then go deep with a full guide or a brand playbook.
Guides & Playbooks
Nine guides written from the factory side: what we need from you, what we decide for you, and where the expensive mistakes sit.
How to build a streetwear brand
Identity, hero products, fabric weight, decoration, tech packs, costing and planning a first drop.
How to build an athleisure brand
What separates athleisure from gym wear, plus fit, fabric behaviour, sizing, sampling and first-range planning.
How to build a lifestyle brand
Trend timing, small-batch drops, reorder discipline and how to keep cash out of dead stock.
How to write a tech pack
Points of measure, bill of materials, construction callouts, grading, artwork files and the omissions that cost most.
How garment costing works
Fabric consumption, cut and make, trims, decoration, packing and wastage, and how MOQ moves the unit price.
From reference to sealed sample
Proto, fit sample, size set and pre-production sample: what to check at each stage and how to give usable feedback.
How to choose a manufacturer
What to ask, what a real quote contains, warning signs, and why the lowest price often costs more.
Labels and packaging
Neck labels, care and content labels, hangtags, polybags and mailers, and how each choice moves unit cost.
Planning a first production run
Splitting quantity across styles, colours and sizes, timeline planning backwards from launch, and budget buffers.
Fabric: the decision that shapes everything
Fabric is the single biggest driver of how your product looks, feels, lasts and costs. GSM (grams per square metre) tells you weight and substance; composition tells you stretch, breathability and durability; knit against woven changes the whole character of a garment.
- GSM: what weight suits tees, hoodies, leggings
- Knits, wovens and performance blends
- Composition: cotton, poly, spandex, nylon and blends
- Stretch, recovery, shrinkage and pilling
- How fabric choice drives cost and price point
Decoration: match the method to the garment
The wrong print method cracks, fades or destroys your margin. Each technique has a sweet spot: fabric type, durability needs, design complexity and order size all decide which is right.
- DTG, DTF, puff and HD print in house; screen printing runs through vetted partner units, managed by our QA team
- Sublimation for all-over graphics on polyester
- Embroidery, appliqué and woven labels
- Garment dye, pigment and wash finishes
- Cost and durability trade-offs by method
Tech packs: the contract with the factory
A tech pack is the document that turns your idea into a manufacturable garment. A complete one prevents costly sampling rounds and surprise defects; a vague one is the most common reason first runs go wrong.
- Points of measure (POM), tolerances and grading
- Bill of materials (BOM)
- Construction and stitch callouts
- Print, trim and label placement
- Labelling, packaging and finishing specs
Costing and MOQ: protect your margin
Knowing your true unit cost and a healthy retail margin before you order is what separates a business from a hobby. MOQ (minimum order quantity) decides how much cash you risk on an unproven style.
- What drives unit cost: fabric, labour, decoration, trims
- Building a cost sheet you can actually read
- Retail margin and pricing from landed cost
- Why a low MOQ de-risks your first launch
- What a quote should include, and what it should not hide
Not sure which guide you need?
Pick the description that sounds most like where you are right now.
You have an idea, not a product
Start with the playbook for your category: streetwear, athleisure or lifestyle. Each one takes you from concept to a first range.
You have a design and need it made
Read the tech pack guide, then the sampling process. Between them they cover everything a factory needs from you.
You have quotes and cannot compare them
Read costing and MOQ alongside choosing a manufacturer. Compare specifications, not totals.
You are about to place a first order
Read planning a first production run for quantity splits and timelines, and check your labels and packaging before sampling.
You need to choose a fabric
Start with the GSM guide, then read the pages for cotton jersey, French terry and fleece.
You just want to talk it through
Take the readiness test for a quick view of what to fix first, or book a call and bring your questions.
Common questions
If you are at the idea stage, read the playbook for your category. If you already have a design, read the tech pack guide. If you are comparing suppliers, read choosing a manufacturer and costing and MOQ together.
No. These guides exist so you can ask better questions, not so you can do our job. Most founders come to us with a reference garment and a rough idea, and we fill in the rest as we go.
From 50 pieces per style per colour, with sizes split freely inside that colour. That lets you run a full size curve on a small commitment. See low MOQ production for how the splits work.
Sample lead time is 10–22 days per round and bulk is 25–55 days, depending on the product. Most new styles need two to three sampling rounds. The first production run guide shows how to plan a calendar backwards from launch.
Yes. We build tech packs with founders as part of full-package manufacturing, working from a reference garment and a conversation about fit intent. See the full-package process.
Inspection to AQL 2.5 under an ISO 9001 certified quality management system, measured against the sealed sample and the graded spec. QC and inspection reports are available on request. Details on the quality assurance page.
Know what you need? Let us build it.
Or take the Readiness Test and we will show you exactly which of these to focus on first.