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Guides for getting product made.
Finding factories, tech packs, sampling, minimums and costing — written from the factory floor, not a content farm. For weekly industry news, see The Cutting Table.
Factory Feature: Outsourced Fashion Consulting, Los Angeles
Natasha Pavlica on starting an LA factory with two machines, why swim and activewear are the hardest to sew, what a realistic domestic budget looks like, and how a project runs from first call to second fit sample.
Meet Bobbin: The AI Agent That Chases Your Samples (and Waits for Your OK)
Bobbin is the AI agent inside Runsheet. It chases quiet samples, files factory email, checks tech packs and answers questions about your own work. You approve every send.
Sampling Fees and Minimums: How Factories Can Win Small Brands
How apparel factories can set sampling fees and minimums small brands will accept, without working below cost. Practical terms from both sides of the table.
Should You Build Your Apparel PLM in Airtable?
What it really takes to build your own apparel product system in Airtable, what it costs, and when an apparel PLM is the better call.
Do You Need an Apparel Production Consultant?
What an apparel product development consultant does, what it typically costs, when to hire one, and how to vet them.
What It Really Costs to Start a Clothing Line (3 Real Budgets)
Three realistic budgets for starting a clothing line, from a $3k blanks drop to a $50k collection, with every line item laid out.
Can't Sew, Can't Sketch, No Fashion Degree? You Can Still Start a Clothing Brand
No sewing, sketching or fashion degree? Here's how to start a clothing brand with no experience, objection by objection.
Clothing Samples Explained: Proto, Fit, Salesman and PP Samples
The clothing sampling process step by step: what each sample is for, typical rounds, costs and lead times, and how to write fit comments.
How Long Does Clothing Production Take? From First Call to Delivery
A realistic clothing production timeline, stage by stage, from first factory call to delivery, plus where delays happen and how to plan backward.
How Much Does It Cost to Make a Hoodie? A Line-by-Line Breakdown
A line-by-line hoodie costing: fabric, labor, print, trims and freight, plus how unit cost changes at 50, 300 and 1,000 units.
Factory or Middleman? How to Tell Who You're Really Talking To
Sourcing agent vs factory: how to tell who you're dealing with, when a middleman is worth it, and the questions that reveal it.
Low MOQ Clothing Manufacturers: What 'Low' Really Means
Typical MOQs for blanks, domestic cut-and-sew and overseas factories, why minimums exist, and how to get under them.
Am I Ready to Contact a Clothing Manufacturer? A 10-Point Check
A 10-point check for knowing when to contact a clothing manufacturer, and what to do next whether you tick 4, 7 or all 10.
What Is a Tech Pack (and Do You Actually Need One?)
What goes in a tech pack, what a factory needs to quote vs. sample, and whether to DIY or hire a tech designer, with approximate costs.
Every Big Clothing Brand Started With One Product
Ralph Lauren started with ties, Spanx with footless pantyhose. Why one great style beats a 12-piece collection, and how to pick yours.
Why Apparel Freelancers Shouldn't Pay to Bid on Upwork
Pattern makers, technical designers and graders are paying to bid on jobs they may never win, against people bidding on everything. Fashion work isn't lowest-bid work. Here's where it should live.
Why Your Factory Shouldn't Be Cold-DMing Reddit Threads
Every "looking for a manufacturer" thread gets twenty DMs, and the brand can't tell a real factory from an agent. Here's why that funnel loses, and what to do instead.
The Reddit Guide to Finding a Clothing Manufacturer (and Why You Shouldn't Need One)
What the good Reddit answers actually say about finding a factory, what happens after you post, and why the question should live somewhere better than a thread.
I Paid $6,000 for a Trade Show Booth and Got One Order. Here's How to Pick a Show.
A founder's honest account of a $6k booth at Show & Tell, what nobody tells you about trade shows before you sign, and the questions to ask before you pay for one.
How to Keep a Factory From Copying Your Designs
NDAs, NNNs, staged quoting and owning your pattern. What actually protects a small brand's designs when you send them out for quotes, and what mostly doesn't.
How to Get Clients for a Clothing Manufacturing Business
A practical guide for apparel factories on finding and keeping brand clients, from someone who places production with factories in LA and overseas.
How to Find a Clothing Manufacturer for Your Small Brand (Without Wasting Samples)
A step-by-step guide for first-time founders: what to prepare, which kind of factory you need, where to search, and how to vet before you pay for a sample.