Category
Private label apparel and textiles
Clothing has fewer pre-market approvals than cosmetics, but it multiplies inventory fast. One shirt in four colours and six sizes is 24 SKUs before you have sold anything.
Private label clothing: the tech pack and the size curve decide the outcome
Private label clothing means garments made to your specification by a contract factory and sold under your label, from a blank with your tag to a fully original cut. Paperwork is lighter than in regulated consumables, but fibre and care labels are mandatory in the main markets, and the commercial risk is high. Fit, size mix and returns can destroy a good-looking margin.
Two documents protect you. A tech pack records measurements, fabric, trims and construction so that a second factory could make the same garment. A size curve, built from demand data rather than a factory default, stops you holding only extra-large sizes at the end of the season. We set both in assortment planning and take production through selected contract manufacturers.
If the brand story is the print and not the garment, white label blanks may be enough. If fit is the reason to exist, contract manufacturing from your own patterns is usually required. This page offers general guidance on labelling, and the specifics for your product are checked with a specialist.
Routes into apparel
From lowest commitment to highest control.
Blanks with your branding
Print or embroidery on ready garments. Fast and low-risk, but anyone can buy the same blank. Make sure the fibre content and origin on your label stay accurate.
Own patterns
Your block, your grading. Higher development cost, more control, and a real barrier to copying.
What drives the minimum
Fabric roll and dye-lot minimums per colour, then factory minimum per style. Stock fabric cuts the entry point dramatically.
Label and safety rules by market
Mandatory information differs. A tag that works in one country can be illegal in another.
| Market | Fibre and origin | Care labelling | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | Regulation 1007/2011: fibre composition in decreasing order, using listed fibre names, for products with at least 80% textile fibres | No EU-wide mandatory care label; check national rules before dropping it | General Product Safety Regulation and REACH restrictions; a responsible person in the EU is required |
| US | Textile and Wool Acts: fibre content, country of origin, and identity of the maker or seller. Origin goes on the front of a label at the inside neck for garments with a neck | FTC Care Labeling Rule requires care instructions with a reasonable basis | 16 CFR 1610 flammability for clothing; children’s sleepwear under 1615 and 1616 |
| Japan | Household Goods Quality Labeling Act covers textile goods | Labelling set by the Act | Formaldehyde limits for infant garments, as per JETRO guidance, should be reconfirmed for the product |
Claims such as organic or recycled, and any made-in claim, need evidence. In the US, Made in USA on a label must meet the FTC’s all or virtually all standard.
What to have ready before bulk
Most costly problems in clothing are decided at this stage.
- Tech pack with measurements, tolerances, materials and trims
- Approved fit samples in the sizes you will sell most, plus an edge size
- Size curve by style, based on channel demand and not on a factory default
- Fibre, care and origin labels approved for each selling market
- Returns assumption in the margin model
- Name search and trademark filing in clothing classes for each main market
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for private label clothing?
It depends on stock versus custom fabric. Our general working figure across categories is 300–1 000 units per product, but in clothing the true limit is often the minimum per colour. Fewer colours and existing fabric lower the entry point sharply.
What should a clothing label show in the US?
Most textile products need fibre content, country of origin and the identity of the maker or a business that handles the product, along with care instructions for apparel. The FTC sets the details and the placement of origin on garments with a neck.
Can a clothing factory keep my designs?
Not if the contract is sound. Keep the tech pack and pattern files, and state in writing that designs and tooling belong to you. Otherwise changing producer later can mean starting again from zero.
How long does a private label clothing collection take?
Mostly the time goes on sampling and fabric lead times. Across categories, we plan 6–12 months from brief to first sales. A blank-based collection may be quicker, and a fully original one can be slower if fit takes several rounds.
Have a product idea? Check it before you buy stock.
Send a short brief. We tell you what we think, including when we think you should not do it.
Tell us about your brand
A few lines are enough: what you want to sell, where and to whom. We reply with an honest view of feasibility, the stages you need and the next step.
- No obligation: the first review of your idea is free
- If we think the idea will not pay back, we say so
- Your idea stays confidential; we can sign an NDA
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