4 minute read

2. FAQ - How to start a clothing line

Zach Houser

August 26, 2024

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We Play Crazy on VH1 Daisy of Love

Starting your own clothing line can be exciting.

Let's get started

"We Play Crazy" was what started it all for us. Over the years we have learned all the tips and tricks to leapfrog you ahead, without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our shirts were on TV, sold at music festivals, sold online, and in some stores.

The first thing you should know is it is hard. Over 90% of all clothing brands fail. It is not easy, and it does not happen overnight. It takes Knowledge, Money, and Hard work to turn a profit with your own line.

Step 1. Trademarks are important - Perform a trademark search on https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/search.

If the name has already been taken, then stop while you are ahead. Don't give up, just find something better.

Once you found something that is not trademarked, you're good to go!

Step 2. Define your customer

Focus on a specific niche when targeting customers. Trying to appeal to everyone, like with a "Lifestyle Brand," usually doesn't work. Instead, zero in on a particular group to make a stronger impact.

For Example:

let's start out with fitness, now niche down deeper to male bodybuilders, and now even deeper. Male body builders in their 20's, that go to the gym 5 times a week.

With our niche locked in, it's time to create a marketing plan that really connects.

Step 3. Build a marketing plan

Brainstorm where these people hang out, both online and in person.

For Example - Local Gyms, Bodybuilding tradeshows, Weightlifting competitions. Online forums, Facebook Groups

Start with the easiest cheapest way possible. Cheap means you will really have to put in the work. Google Gyms in my area, create a list, walk in and ask for the owner, see if they will do a collab and pay for half the shirts. A realistic number will be 1 in 50 that may say yes but collect names and business cards. you can come back to these contacts later.

Find a bodybuilding event and call the people putting it on. Ask if you can sell shirts at the event. Ask if you can put the event name and date on the shirts. This is one of the best ways to make sales in the beginning. People are buying the shirts to remember the occasion, but you get an opportunity to show them who you are and what your brand is. Collect emails and phone numbers from anyone that is interested. You can market to these people later.

Once you build a big enough list of target customers, then you can target these people and people like them on the internet.

These tactics will get people wearing your shirts and start to give you some traction. Once your brand has a bit of credibility, then you can cold call retail shops, or gyms, to see if they may be interested in carrying your brand. Don't get discouraged. It will literally take 100's of phone calls to get anywhere. This is normal.

Below are some marketing tactics to get you started (Read as many books as you can. All the information is out their) Most marketing companies are frauds. If you do not have a huge budget to start, you will have to learn this stuff.

Facebook Ads
Google Ads
Email marketing
Cold Calling
Events
Trade Shows
Website SEO
Influencer Marketing
Networking

IMG_20190108_131557

We Play Crazy sold at LA Fitness.

(Shirts don't fly off the shelves in a gym like this. We only made a couple sales a month.)

Step 4. get a free website

https://www.bigcartel.com/. Don't waste your money on expensive stuff until you prove a Stanger will give you their hard-earned cash. Once you make some money you can invest in software like shopify or other platforms to add additional capabilities.

Step 5. Get Digital Mockups

If you are not able to do this yourself in Adobe illustrator or Photoshop, then Go to Fivver.com and hire a freelancer to make you a design and mockup. Keep it simple. The best bet is to figure out something that resonates with your target audience.

Our Example

Motivational Phrases: Short, impactful phrases like "Pain is Power," "No Days Off," or "Strength is Earned" (We used chat GPT Below. We would ask the freelancer from Fivver to incorporate our logo and fix it up.

Keep it simple - 1 ink color and location. This keeps the cost down. It is tempting to want to add custom neck labels, and other features, but this is a waste of money in the beginning. The customers don't care. The size of the print does not need to be huge like this either. Printing companies will charge much more or refuse to work with you if your expectations are not reasonable. Let your printer recommend standard sizes and placements. This will help build a good relationship and ensure the best quality.

DALL·E 2024-08-23 15.41.23 - A minimalist and bold design concept for a clothing line targeting bodybuilders in their 20s. The design features a black background with a white grap

Step 6. Sell, Sell, Sell

This is the hardest part that most clothing lines never do. Once the hype of your friends and family boosting you up goes away, we are left to sell these shirts to our new potential bodybuilder customers.

Perfection will kill 99.9% of people who start a clothing line. The colors, size, placement, feel, and any other excuses you have to stop from selling are just that. Excuses. If someone gave you money for a shirt and has a opinion, then it is valid. Everyone will be offering their input on your clothing line, because that part is fun. If they did not pay you money, don't listen. You must even be careful with your own preconceived notions about what other people want. Sell your first batch and ask for feedback. This data driven approach will save you tons of money moving forward and give you the best chance of success.

Step 7. Money, Money, Money!

It takes some time to turn a profit. If you spend $100 in the beginning and can make $100 back, consider this a win. Despite what the internet Gurus tell you, clothing lines will not make you a millionaire overnight. Most Successful clothing lines have had their fair share of war stories.

Must read books -

Shoe Dog (the story behind Nike)
This Is Not a T-Shirt: A Brand, a Culture, a community--a Life in Streetwear (The Hundreds Clothing Line Story)
Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans - Books (Vans Shoes, and Clothing line)

Success takes failure. Try something and if it does not work out tweak it and try again.

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