From Prototype to Clothing Manufacture: Why Preparation Matters
Taking your sewn product from prototype to clothing manufacture is an exciting leap—but it’s also a process that requires careful planning, trial and error, and a deep understanding of what you’re offering to the market. This article will walk you through the steps of creating, testing, and iterating your prototype to help you prepare for manufacture.
The transition from design to production is a big step, and it’s easy to underestimate just how much goes into preparing for successful manufacture. The more prepared you are, the smoother your journey will be. Preparing ahead helps minimize mistakes, extends your budget, and enables you to enter production with clarity and confidence.
Creating a Prototype
Creating and testing a prototype is the second step in product development, after you sketch your concept. The prototype phase is not about perfection, but about holding a physical version of your idea in your hands. This will help you to decide on the features and details of your product that you can include in the initial prototype or add-on in other variations, such as color, fabric, or stitch type.
You can work closely with your product development consultant to create variations and explore what works best. Just make sure to keep notes about how each sample feels, looks, and fits so you remember which version you liked best when you’re ready to branch out into multiple product options.
Prototyping and Testing Your Idea
Before you think about placing an order with a manufacturer, you need to thoroughly test your prototype. If you find any flaws or opportunities for improvement, this is the time to refine your design and ensure it meets the needs of your target customer.
Testing your prototype means having real people try it and wear it. You should wash it to see how it holds up and put it through stress tests that mimic how your customer will use it. If you’re not happy with the material, it’s easier to switch fabrics now than to try to swap something out at the last minute.
Testing also means gathering feedback, but not just from your friends—you want to ask real people what they think of your product. Ask them what they would change and what they love most, and then make necessary improvements based on the trends in the collective feedback.
For example, if only one person out of ten complains about the color, you don’t need to prioritize that detail to please them, as they don’t represent the majority of your test audience. But if 80% of your independent testers point out the same comfort issue or mobility concern, that is a design detail you’ll want to consider adjusting.
Testing Again with Sample Duplicates
As you refine your product, you’re getting closer to searching for a manufacturer, though you may not feel ready for the significant investment of full-scale manufacture. You may still want to test your product with real customers and validate that there is a genuine demand for what you’re selling before investing in large numbers.
This is the time to create sample duplicates.
Sample duplicates let you test the waters with a few samples at a time. I recommend making 1-2 units in each size or each variation (if it’s a one-size type of product). Choose the final color and design or the strongest contender based on your early feedback. Then, you can use these samples to sell to a beta audience (aka test audience) or give them away in exchange for further feedback.
Once you validate your concerns through these samples, you’ll start to gain confidence to move to the next step.
Sample Batch Manufacture—Where MOQ means Maximum Order Quantity
Ordering a sample batch is your chance to sell through a manageable inventory amount and collect further information on what your customers say, feel, and do with your product. Unlike traditional manufacturing, your costs are still by the hour, but things start to feel exciting and real.
Investing in a sample batch is a lot less risky than jumping ahead to manufacture, but it’s also the stage where many first-time designers give up. They might find it difficult to sell their product or lack awareness of how to even reach their customers. This is because marketing and sales are hard, and you may not be getting the sales you hoped.
If you’re having a tough time selling your product, it doesn’t mean your design is flawed—remember, by this stage, you’ve already tested and validated your product, and customers want it. This should give you confidence to search for other solutions.
In reality, the reason you’re not selling your product is that your marketing needs improvement. At this stage, many new developers can benefit from a little DIY marketing research. You can start by considering these actionable steps:
Make sure you have a website, even if it’s just a simple landing page that showcases how your product helps your customers.
Put some money into a marketing expert who can help you differentiate your brand, create a customer journey, and do keyword research on your site (aka SEO).
Attend pop-up shop opportunities or local markets to spread the word and practice your selling skills.
Grow your marketing skills with free online resources—use Google, YouTube, and podcasts.
Remember, don’t confuse a lack of success with bad design; it’s more likely due to bad promotion. Don’t give up yet!
Finalize the Details
Based on everything you’ve learned from your testers and early customers, it’s time to make final decisions on your pattern, fit, materials, and supplies. The entire goal of this process is to create a repeatable, manufacturable version of your design. Once you have these details in place, you’re ready to prepare the final step before manufacturing.
Create a Professional Tech Pack
A tech pack is your design’s instruction manual. It tells your manufacturer precisely what to do to ensure the finished product is exactly the way you envisioned and tested. The tech pack includes your measurements, materials, stitching, trims, and any fine details. It ensures consistency and accuracy and prevents avoidable mistakes.
Having a tech pack ready to go also shows your manufacturer that you’re serious and professional when you approach them.
Understand Your Budget and MOQs
Manufacturing is rarely cheap, so before you consider placing an order, you need to step back and answer a few questions before launching forward.
Are you confident in your final design?
Do you have a clear audience to sell to?
Do you have the promotional infrastructure ready to support sales? (website, customer support, marketing)
Do you have the space? No kidding here! You may need to invest in a storage unit or find space in your garage to keep your product.
If you answer ‘yes’ to those questions, you’re ready to manufacture!
Before you place an order, do some research with potential partners to find out their minimum order quantity (MOQ) and then set a realistic production budget. You might be dreaming of ordering 100 units, but realistically, you may have to order closer to 500 to have a decent profit margin. Don’t forget - production includes more than sewing the product; you’ll also need to consider the cost of shipping, quality control, and storage in your budget.
Confident Clothing Manufacture for New Creators
The road from prototype to clothing manufacture can be bumpy, but when you follow the right steps, it becomes manageable and even exciting! Every big brand started small. How did they succeed? They kept going, and you can too.
Need help preparing for manufacture? My proven product development process ensures you hit all the milestones and prepare for manufacture with complete confidence. Book your consultation to get started at the step that makes sense for you.
