"Let’s Bring Your Vision To Life"
Ordering custom clothing is harder than it looks. These are the things that decide whether the finished garment matches what you imagined — collected from the questions we answer most often.
Choose the fabric weight before anything else
Weight in gsm decides how a garment feels, drapes, lasts and costs — more than the brand, the fit or the price. A 160gsm tee and a 270gsm tee are different products, not different grades of the same one.
Roughly: 160–180gsm for light summer tees, 200gsm for an everyday brand tee, 240–270gsm for heavyweight and streetwear, 280–350gsm fleece for lighter sweats, 400–550gsm for proper winter hoodies. Ask for a number, not an adjective — 'heavy cotton' means nothing across two mills.
Match the decoration to the artwork, not to your budget
The cheapest method is not the cheapest outcome if it produces something that fails. Embroidery cannot hold detail below about 3mm — small text and thin lines disappear into stitches. Sublimation only works on light polyester. Screen printing costs per colour, so a four-colour design is four screens.
Send your artwork and let the method be chosen from it. Any decent manufacturer will tell you when the method you asked for is the wrong one; if they do not, that is worth noticing.
Specify colour with a Pantone reference
'Navy' spans a hundred shades. '19-4024 TCX' spans one. If you are producing more than once, or across more than one garment type, a Pantone reference is what keeps them matching.
And expect a lab dip before bulk on any custom colour. A screen glows; cloth does not. Approving colour from a monitor is how brands end up with a season of garments in a shade they did not choose.
Send a reference garment if you have one
This is the single most useful thing you can do, and the most often skipped. A physical garment answers questions a written brief never covers — seam construction, exact measurements, how the collar sits, how the fabric behaves after a wash.
We will take it apart, pattern it and quote against the real thing. It is the fastest route from an idea to a sample that fits.
Be fussy at the sample, not after
The sample is the last point where changes are cheap. Once fabric is cut, a change means a new run. So measure it, wash it, wear it, and say what is wrong.
Nobody minds a customer who asks for the sleeve 2cm shorter. Everybody minds finding out at 300 pieces.
Plan backwards from your date
If the garments are for an event, the date is the constraint that matters. Work back: delivery, production, sampling, artwork approval. Then tell your manufacturer the date first, before anything else.
A factory that knows the deadline can tell you at the start whether it is achievable, and what would have to change if it is not. A factory that finds out late can only apologise.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most common mistake you see?
- Choosing the decoration method before the artwork. People decide they want embroidery, then send a design with 2mm text and gradients that embroidery cannot reproduce. Send the artwork first and let the method follow.
- Is heavier fabric always better?
- No. Heavier costs more, holds heat, and is wrong for summer or activewear. The right weight is the one that suits how the garment will be worn.
- How do I know if my logo is good enough to print?
- Send it and ask. A vector file always works. A raster file needs to be 300dpi at the size you want it printed — not the size it looks fine on screen.
- Should I order extra?
- Usually yes, a small overage. Sizes get misjudged, people join late, and a repeat run of five pieces costs far more per piece than five extra in the original run.
- How do I compare quotes from different factories?
- Compare specifications, not prices. Ask each for the fabric weight in gsm and the decoration method. A cheaper quote is often a lighter fabric, and that is not a saving — it is a different garment.
Ask us anything about your project
Even if you are not ready to order. The questions people send are how these guides get written.
Get a quote