This guide is for boutique owners, online clothing sellers and small brands thinking about selling clothing under their own label. It explains what private label actually involves, the routes in (from relabelled stock to custom production), what tech packs and samples are for, and the U.S. labelling rules you need to meet.
What private label clothing means
Private label clothing is made by another company and sold under your brand. How much of it is “yours” depends on the route you take:
| Route | What you change | Typical trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Relabelling existing styles | Neck label, hang tag, packaging | Fastest and lowest minimums, but competitors can buy the same garment |
| Decorated blanks | Print or embroidery on blank garments, plus your labels | Low entry cost; your design is the difference |
| Modified existing styles | Fabric, colour, trims or fit on a factory’s existing pattern | Higher minimums; more distinctive product |
| Full custom (cut and sew) | Everything, from your own design and tech pack | Highest cost, minimums and lead time; fully your product |
Most small sellers start with the first two routes and move to custom production once they know what sells.
Minimum order quantities
Minimums depend on the route and the supplier. Relabelling and decorating blanks usually have the lowest minimums, because the garment already exists. Custom production often has minimums per style and per colour, because the factory has to buy fabric and set up a production run. Ask each supplier:
- What is the minimum per style, per colour and per size?
- Is there a separate minimum for custom labels or tags?
- Can colours or styles be combined to reach the minimum?
- Do sample costs come off the first order?
Tech packs
For anything beyond relabelling, the factory needs a tech pack: the instruction document for your garment. A basic tech pack includes:
- Flat sketches, front and back, with design details called out
- A measurement chart for each size, with tolerances
- Fabric and trims: composition, weight, colour references, zips, buttons, thread
- Construction notes: seams, stitching, finishes
- Label and packaging details: where each label goes and what it says
- Decoration artwork and placement, if any
A clear tech pack reduces sample rounds and arguments about what was ordered. If you do not have one, ask whether the supplier can work from its own existing patterns instead.
Sampling
- Prototype or first sample: checks the design and fit. Expect changes.
- Revised sample: confirms your corrections.
- Pre-production sample: made in the final fabric and trims. Approve it in writing; it becomes the standard the bulk order is checked against.
- Bulk inspection: check a selection of the delivered order against the approved sample before you sell any of it.
Ask up front how much samples cost, how many revision rounds are included, and how long each round takes.
U.S. labelling rules
Clothing sold in the U.S. has federal labelling requirements enforced by the FTC. In summary (read the FTC guides for the detail):
- Fiber content, country of origin and the identity of the manufacturer or dealer must be on the label. The FTC explains these in Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements Under the Textile and Wool Acts.
- Identity: you can use your company name or a Registered Identification Number (RN) issued by the FTC; see the RN FAQ. The FTC guide explains which businesses may be identified on the label.
- Care instructions are required on most clothing under the Care Labeling Rule; see Clothes Captioning: Complying with the Care Labeling Rule. You need a reasonable basis for the instructions, so get them from the manufacturer or test them.
- Children’s clothing may also need third-party testing and a Children’s Product Certificate under CPSC rules.
When you relabel existing stock, do not remove required labels unless your replacement label carries all the required information. Ask the supplier to confirm fiber content and origin in writing.
Suppliers in the directory to start with
The following apparel suppliers mention private label, custom tags or blank garments for decoration in their Suppliers Central listings. Confirm current services and terms directly with each:
- Dear-Lover Wholesale: women’s apparel; its listing mentions custom tags and private label.
- Infant Blanks: blank infant garments; its listing mentions custom imprinting and private-label orders.
- The Park Wholesale: blank garments and headwear, with embroidery and screen-printing services.
- WholesaleSweats: blank hoodies, sweatshirts and joggers for printing or embroidery.
- Tan’s Club: blank apparel, headwear and tote bags for customisation.
More options are in the apparel and clothing category.
Costs to budget for
- Garments (unit price at your chosen quantity)
- Labels, hang tags and packaging, which often have their own minimums
- Labelling or decoration charges per unit
- Sample costs and shipping for each round
- Tech pack preparation, if you pay someone to draw it
- Freight and any duties on imported goods
- Testing for children’s products
Private label checklist
- Choose your route: relabel, decorated blanks, modified styles or full custom
- Shortlist suppliers that confirm they offer that route
- Get minimums per style, colour and size, plus label minimums, in writing
- Prepare a tech pack (or agree to use the supplier’s pattern)
- Approve a pre-production sample in writing
- Confirm label content: fiber, origin, identity (name or RN), care instructions
- Get CPSC testing and certification for children’s items
- Inspect the bulk delivery against the approved sample before selling
