How to Start a Clothing Line: Buying Fabric for Your First Production Run
The most common question from new clothing brand founders is: what fabric should I buy, how many yards, and what should I budget? Everything else — business registration, product listings, shipping logistics — can be sorted in a week. But the wrong fabric choice can cost you an entire production run and a wave of returns. This guide breaks down exactly what to buy for your first batch of 30–50 garments: fabric combinations by product category, yardage estimates, common mistakes, and realistic budget guidance.
Choosing Your Niche — and What That Means for Fabric Purchasing
Your niche doesn't just define your audience — it determines the specific fabrics you'll need to source.
Basic hoodies and sweatshirts. Brushed fleece (heavyweight French terry loop-back) at 280–340 GSM, plus 2x2 rib knit for cuffs and waistbands. This is the most straightforward starting point: fabric is widely available, construction is well-established, and demand is consistent. Competition is high, so don't cut corners on GSM or fiber content. See our full guide: "Fabric for Hoodies."
Basic T-shirts and long sleeves. Single jersey (cotton jersey) at 140–180 GSM for warm-weather styles; interlock knit or French terry (loop-back) at 200–240 GSM for transitional pieces. Lower yardage per unit means a cheaper entry point, but margins are thinner too. See: "Fabric for T-Shirts."
Activewear (leggings, rash guards, crop tops). 4-way stretch nylon spandex (activewear stretch) at 200–280 GSM, or performance knits with spandex (elastane). Fabric costs more per yard, but consumption per garment is lower. Mid-range competition with stronger margins than basics. See: "Nylon Spandex for Swimwear and Activewear."
Children's clothing. The same core fabrics apply — single jersey, French terry, interlock knit — but you must ensure all materials are certified to applicable children's textile safety standards (CPSC in the US, REACH/EN 14682 in the UK/EU). Always confirm certification with your supplier before ordering.
Loungewear and lingerie. Rayon (viscose) jersey, ultra-soft single jersey, and dedicated lingerie fabrics. A more specialist category, but competition is noticeably lower. See: "Lingerie Fabrics."
For a full fabric-to-garment reference table, see our guide: "Which Fabric to Buy for Each Garment Type."
What to Buy for Your First Production Run
Let's use the most common starting scenario: 30 hoodies + 30 T-shirts. This is enough to test a niche on a single e-commerce platform without overcommitting capital.
Brushed fleece (heavyweight French terry) 280–340 GSM. The main body fabric for hoodies. At a fabric width of 180 cm (71 in), expect 1.5–1.8 m (approximately 1.6–2.0 yd) per hoodie. For 30 units, that's 45–55 m. Add a 10% buffer for cutting waste and fabric faults: order 50–60 m (55–66 yd).
Single jersey (cotton jersey) 140–170 GSM. Your T-shirt base. At 180 cm (71 in) width, allow 0.8–1.0 m (approx. 0.9–1.1 yd) per T-shirt. For 30 units: 24–30 m, or 27–33 m (30–36 yd) with buffer.
2x2 rib knit 280–350 GSM. For hoodie cuffs, neckbands, and waistbands. Allow 0.25–0.3 m per hoodie. For 30 units: 8–10 m (9–11 yd).
Total for a 60-piece run: approximately 90–100 m (98–110 yd) across three fabric types.
Color breakdown. Don't order everything in one colorway. Aim for at least 2–3 colors: black (40% of the run), grey marl (30%), one accent color (30%). Black and grey marl consistently account for the majority of sales in basics categories on most e-commerce platforms.
Size breakdown. For a 30-piece run, a standard size distribution would be: S × 4, M × 8, L × 8, XL × 6, XXL × 4. Keep in mind that XL and XXL require 15–20% more fabric than S–M — factor this into your total yardage calculation.
Detailed yardage tables by size are available in our guide: "How to Calculate Fabric Consumption for a Production Run."
Notions and Haberdashery: What Else You'll Need
We've already accounted for rib knit trim above. Beyond that, you'll need:
Zippers (zips). For zip-up hoodies: chunky tooth (tractor-style) T-5 separating zippers, 50–70 cm (20–28 in) length. Order 30 for 30 hoodies, plus 2–3 spares. If you're making pullover sweatshirts with no zipper, skip this entirely.
Thread. Corespun polyester thread (equivalent to serger/overlocker thread), 2–3 cones per fabric color. A 30-piece hoodie run typically uses 1–2 cones per color.
Labels and care labels. Required in both the US and UK: fiber content, country of manufacture, care instructions, and size. Order from a label printer — unit cost drops significantly at quantities of 100+.
Poly bags / packaging. Each garment needs individual packaging for e-commerce fulfillment. Most marketplace platforms and third-party logistics providers require this.
Fabric and Notions Budget
All pricing below reflects wholesale rates when buying by the roll. Retail (by-the-yard) pricing will be noticeably higher.
Brushed fleece (heavyweight French terry) 280–340 GSM. Wholesale price varies significantly by fiber content and yarn type — a 65% cotton / 35% polyester blend sits at the lower end; 100% compact combed cotton at the higher end. For 50–60 m at wholesale: budget accordingly based on your tier (see mass-market vs. mid-range section below).
Single jersey (cotton jersey) 140–170 GSM. More affordable per meter than fleece. For 27–33 m at wholesale: a meaningful but manageable portion of your total fabric budget.
2x2 rib knit 280–350 GSM. Generally the most expensive fabric per meter in this kit, but used in the smallest quantities. For 8–10 m at wholesale: a relatively small line item.
Notions (zippers, thread, labels, packaging). For a 60-piece run, this is typically a modest flat cost — plan for it as a fixed overhead item rather than a per-unit variable.
Total fabric + notions for 30 hoodies + 30 T-shirts: the realistic range depends heavily on your quality tier. Mass-market inputs (blended fleece, open-end cotton jersey) come in at the lower end; mid-market (100% cotton, compact combed yarn) will run 30–50% higher. The difference between the two is the difference between competing on price and competing on quality — see the section below.
For a full cost breakdown including CMT (cut, make, trim) and packaging, see our guide: "Hoodie Cost Breakdown."
Mass-Market vs. Mid-Range: How Fabric Tier Affects Your Brand
This is the most important strategic decision you'll make at the fabric sourcing stage.
Mass-market / price-competitive. Blended brushed fleece (65% cotton / 35% polyester), open-end (OE / rotor-spun) cotton jersey. Lower fabric cost per meter, but the trade-off is real: pilling typically appears after 10–15 washes, and the hand feel is noticeably coarser. The advantage is that low COGS lets you compete on price. Example product: brushed fleece 340 GSM 65/35 blend.
Mid-range / private label clothing. 100% carded cotton or compact combed cotton. Costs 30–50% more per meter, but dramatically softer, more durable, and pill-resistant. This tier supports higher retail pricing and genuinely differentiates your brand from commodity sellers. Example product: heavyweight French terry 310 GSM 100% carded cotton loop-back.
For a detailed comparison, see our guides: "French Terry 2-Thread vs. 3-Thread" and "French Terry: Understanding GSM."
Pre-Shrinking (Pre-Washing): The Step You Cannot Skip
Cotton fabrics shrink 3–5% on the first wash. If you cut and sew without pre-shrinking, your customer receives a garment that drops a full size after one laundry cycle. The result: a return, a negative review, and a direct hit to your seller metrics.
Pre-shrink before cutting: soak the fabric in warm water (40–60°C / 104–140°F) for 2–4 hours, then dry flat. The fabric stabilizes, and your cutting layout is based on final, washed dimensions.
Full instructions in our guide: "How to Pre-Shrink Fabric Before Cutting."
Common Mistakes When Buying Fabric for a First Production Run
Ordering everything in one color. A run of 30 identical black hoodies with no color options sells two to three times more slowly than the same 30 units spread across three colorways. Start with at least 2–3 colors.
Not building in a cutting buffer. Real-world fabric consumption runs 10–15% above the theoretical calculation. Pattern matching, fabric flaws, cutting errors — they all eat yardage. If your math says 50 m, order 55–58 m.
Skipping pre-shrinking. A 3–5% shrinkage rate on a size L hoodie means losing 2–3 cm in body length. The customer notices, returns it, and writes a review saying "shrunk in the wash." Avoidable.
Buying cheap rib knit trim. Lightweight 2x2 rib knit at 180–220 GSM stretches out after 3–5 washes. Cuffs go baggy, the garment looks worn. Use 280 GSM or heavier for cuffs and waistbands.
Not testing shrinkage on each new roll. Shrinkage can vary between production batches of the same fabric. Before cutting your full run, test a 30 × 30 cm (12 × 12 in) swatch: soak it, dry it, measure it.
Overcomplicating the fabric mix at launch. Two or three fabric types is enough for a first run: brushed fleece for hoodies, single jersey for T-shirts, rib knit for trim. Adding nylon spandex, interlock, or jersey knit makes sense only once you understand what's actually selling.
Ignoring seasonality. Brushed fleece at 320+ GSM sells from September through March. If you're cutting in May for summer sales, you want single jersey and French terry (loop-back), not heavyweight fleece. See our guide: "Fabric Seasonality."
The Other Steps: From Fabric to First Sale
Business registration. For a solo start, a sole trader / self-employed structure (UK: sole trader; US: sole proprietor or single-member LLC) is the simplest entry point. Scale into a limited company or LLC as revenue grows. Check your local requirements for garment labeling — in the US, the FTC Textile and Wool Acts apply; in the UK, the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012.
Production. For runs of 30–100 units, outsourcing to a freelance sample maker or small CMT (cut, make, trim) unit is usually the most cost-effective option. Inspect every finished garment for seam quality and fit before packing.
Product listings. A strong listing includes at minimum five images (on-model plus detail shots), an accurate size guide with actual measurements, and a description specifying fiber content and GSM. Buyers in the mid-range segment expect this information. See our full cost breakdown in: "Hoodie Cost Breakdown."
Fulfillment. For a first run, self-fulfillment (shipping direct to customer) or a third-party fulfillment service gives you the most flexibility and control. Move to marketplace-warehoused fulfillment (e.g., FBA, or platform-equivalent) once your sales velocity justifies the storage commitment.
Recommended Fabrics to Start Your Clothing Line
Summer T-shirt base fabric (30-unit run): single jersey (cotton jersey) 140 GSM, 100% cotton, open-end (OE), black. View product. 27–33 m (30–36 yd).
Marketplace hoodies — winter weight (30-unit run): brushed fleece (heavyweight French terry) 340 GSM, 65% cotton / 35% polyester. View product. 50–60 m (55–66 yd).
Premium 100% cotton hoodies for private label clothing: heavyweight French terry (loop-back) 310 GSM, 100% carded cotton. View product. 50–60 m (55–66 yd).
2x2 rib knit for hoodie cuffs and waistbands: rib knit 320 GSM, 95% cotton / 5% spandex (elastane), compact combed, black. View product. 8–10 m (9–11 yd).
Separating zipper for zip-up hoodies: T-5 chunky tooth separating zipper, 25 cm (10 in). View product. 30–35 units.
Browse the full range in our categories: French Terry & Fleece, Knit Fabrics, Notions & Haberdashery. Related guides: Which Fabric to Buy for Each Garment Type, Hoodie Cost Breakdown, Fabric Seasonality, Wholesale vs. Retail Fabric Buying.