Manufacturing Guide
How to Choose a Clothing Manufacturer for Your Brand
A practical checklist for fashion founders comparing garment manufacturers: minimum order, sampling, quality control, timelines and communication.
You have the designs, the brand name and a first budget. The open question is who actually cuts and sews the garments. Choosing badly costs months, and the mistake usually only shows up when your first customers open the parcel.
1. Ask About the Minimum Before Anything Else
The number that decides whether a factory is right for you is the minimum order quantity per style and per colourway, not per order. A low headline figure can turn out to apply only when you spread it across many colours. Yimifashion's minimum is 50 pieces per style in one colourway, which is low enough for a genuine first run.
2. Find Out What the Sample Stage Includes
A sample is not one step. A realistic sample stage covers fabric sourcing, pattern making, logo preparation and sewing. When a factory quotes a sample turnaround, ask what is included in it and what is not. Yimifashion runs that sequence in about 10 working days, and a blank sample with no branding can be ready in around 7.
3. Ask How Quality Is Checked During the Run
Final inspection alone comes too late to fix anything. Ask whether there are checks while the line is still moving. Yimifashion carries out two mid-production inspections plus a final inspection before packing, and the inspection itself takes 3 to 5 days.
4. Confirm the Timeline From Sample to Bulk
Bulk starts after you approve the sample and pay the bulk deposit. Ask for the bulk window, the packing time and the shipping options separately, because they add up. A typical Yimifashion order runs 5 to 8 weeks in bulk, then 3 to 4 days packing, then air freight in 7 to 15 days, express in 5 to 7 days, or sea freight in 28 to 45 days.
5. Match the Factory to Your Stage
A factory built for large runs may treat a small order as an inconvenience. If you are launching a first collection, look for a partner that already runs a line for low quantities, and ask to see work at your scale.
6. Send These Details for an Accurate Quote
Send your design or tech pack, a measurement chart per style, the quantities per style and colour, and your print or embroidery files if you have them. Email Michelle@yimifashion.com or call +86 13790426849, Monday to Friday 8:00-18:00.
