One of the topics I haven’t touched on since blogging…is Internal EthiKs - my clothing line. Currently, Internal EthiKs consists of seven t-shirts catered towards the “overworked and underpaid.” I’m a huge fan of everything clothing related - I’m a huge fan of t-shirts. I always walk towards those huge tables of logo T’s in stores like Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom and I can never mind a shirt that I can relate to. “R is for Radical” “Rockstar” “Spoiled Princess” They just don’t stand out to me. My shirts have slogans like “All Work No Pay” or “I Spill Coffee for a Living” Shirts that anyone who has ever felt under appreciated in the workplace understands.
I wish that it would be enough to wake up one day and say “Man I really want a clothing line” But NOPE - definitly not that easy.
To start a clothing line (T-shirts) You will need the following:
1. Trademark the name of the clothing line. You cannot trademark slogans so getting wrapped up in that - is a waste of time.
* Trademarking is not my specialty - you should talk to our blogger friend, Nina Kaufman, about all the ins and outs of this. I was still living in Florida when I started my line. I hired an attorney out of Los Angeles that was reccomended by a fashion friend of mine (Amy Tangerine). Between his fees and the legal fees this was definitly a pocketfull. So make sure you do your research and budget these fees in.
*Don’t assume that you are in the clear with the name of your line until you recieve word from your attorney. Before my line was called Internal EthiKS I wanted to call it Internal Affairs - that name was already trademarked. It SUCKS to wait BUT you don’t want to pay a graphic designer to make a cool logo with a company name that you do not own. You also don’t want to print that logo on shirts until you own it. Trademarking the clothing line name is protecting yourself against - remember that.
2. Find a Designer - Better Yet - Find One You Can Afford!!!
*This may sound silly but I found my graphic designer at my college in Florida (UCF). He was very talented with computers and design and he wanted experience so he was willing to cut prices for me. He designed my entire first line of T’s for Internal EthiKs. You will find a lot of young talented graphic designers through craigslist or through local college newspapers.
3. Wholesale Liscense/Business Liscense
*These change from state to state - but you should get your occupational liscense (usually you get this when forming a corporation as well). In Florida this cost me about 15 dollars and there was some paperwork to fill out. I was able to get my resale liscense right after I got my business liscense (I think even on the same day). A resale liscense enables you to purchase clothing and products at wholesale value and than mark them up for your own resale purposes.
4. Choose a T-shirt Vendor
*If you are in the market to create your OWN t-shirts than you will have to research the textile shows in your area. Unfortunately, I haven’t crossed that bridge yet - so I cannot comment. I decided to use American Apparel as my T-shirt of choice. This is what was reccomended to me through many of my fashion contacts. I called the company and had them send me some sample shirts. I liked how they fit nicely on the body and they were soft yet not ultra-thin. They were classic fit T’s. I used a local warehouse (Broder Brothers - they are a national company) as my supplier and ordered the American Apparel shirts via there Orlando warehouse.
*Note: To get shirts from American Apparel or another T-shirt Vendor you will need to register your company and/or corporation with the vendor. They will need your Federal ID Number to sell to you at wholesale prices. (You will get your Federal ID Number when your company/corporation is properly registered).
5. Find a Manufacturer.
*Ultimately you need someone to print (silkscreen) these shirts for you. In my case, I didn’t have the budget to print one thousand different shirts and use a mass printer. I researched local manufacturers in Orlando, Florida (where I was currently living) and found a small company that was willing to print me 40 of each T-shirt. When choosing a manufacturer you want to always ask things like :
- How much do you charge per color used?
- What is the set-up charge to upload the images onto your machines?
- Do you have any specials when ordering certain amounts of shirts ?
- Will your company order the shirts from the warehouse or pick the shirts up from the warehouse once they come in ?
- What is the turn-over time for the shirts?
- If I have a rush order, what will the extra charge be and how fast can I get them ?
MORE TO COME ON THIS
This entry was posted on Monday, June 4th, 2007 at 4:06 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.17 Responses to “IT IS TIME.. TO TALK CLOTHING LINE….”
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June 13th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Hey, Lauren — it’s your “blogger friend,” Nina the Lawyer!
It’s funny how starting just a “little thing,” like a T-shirt line sounds like a fun hobby, but as you start to put some flesh on the bones of the idea, you’re really morphing into a business. It’s no longer “hey let’s have some fun”; now, it’s a business, if you plan to take it seriously and want to make money at it. You raise a lot of good points about some of the legal and business issue that will come up. I suggest that anyone looking to start, well, any kind of remotely profit-making endeavor speak to an attorney and an accountant who knows your area (in other words, don’t rely on Uncle Steve, who does personal injury cases, to handle your business stuff). I have a free podcast (audio class) on one of my websites that goes into the ins and outs of choosing and using attorneys, including the Top 20 Questions to ask when interviewing them (good for accountants, too!) — check it out at http://www.wisecounselpress.com/audioclass.html!
June 13th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Great read. I’m actually forwarding this to two of my friends. They’re in the field of fashion, and I think this could kick them in the rear to get on track with at least getting some work out.
Like the mention of “Find a Designer - Better Yet - Find One You Can Afford!!!”
Many people seem to think graphic designers are people who just like to draw without realizing this is our profession. Whether print or web, many people seem to be asking for the best work at the cheapest price.
I always tell people to follow one rule, You get what you pay for. I would suggest people to partner with a designer so instead of one big check, the designer is offered a frequent paying client.
June 21st, 2007 at 11:03 am
Hey- great piece! I think I will link it to my blog. Thanks!
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:16 am
sir or mama plz i have 50,000# with me here and i want to used it for buy u probuct so how can i local you and u phone number and how can u be sending the goods 4 me plz i need u as my help plz help me here is my contact number +23408028020872 im in nigeria .plz help me
July 17th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
hey…thanks for your words….i have no idea what i’m about to get into…but i have this crazy idea…that’s so…so…hot….nothing has ever been done like it…it will break alot of necks….wish me luck…or better yet buy some t’s…..
July 25th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Funny Shirts
Great Funny Shirts
July 30th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Great Article…we have a website dedicated to the subject of starting a clothing line.
August 28th, 2007 at 9:32 am
HELLO MY NAME IS REGINALD AND I HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT A CLOTHING LINE PLEASE RESPOND ON HOW TO LAUNCH THIS IDEA
September 2nd, 2007 at 10:21 pm
HI….I was just reading your site and this is pretty much what i have been trying to do….if u could pls email me because i have some questions and maybe we could help each other….looking forward to hearing from u…..
September 7th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Hi, I read your article, it was very helpful and answered some of my questions. I’m very motivated and now feel like i can get started on my business adventure that i’ve been putting on the back burner. I would like to get some more advice from you in the near future.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
thanks alot i was trying ask the correct questions but you gave me alot of ideas.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Thank you for the information, the article wsa very informative. I to am also looking for a good graphic desginer/manufacturer and I will be starting school at UCF in June. I was hoping you could give me a listing of any companies that you had a postive expierence with. Thank you for your time and you could reach me at b.reeves08@gmail.com
June 24th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
This article has been SO helpful. Thank you!!!
July 14th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Hi Lauren,
Great article! I’m a little confused on the part that says you cannot trademark slogans. Can you please explain? I have been designing quite a few shirts to a niche group and was hoping these words (not necessarily slogans) would be exclusive to my company. Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Josh
September 4th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I was so looking for ways to start my clothing line. I have one thats a doozy, and so many are asking for it. This was a real big help! *thanks* Nydia
October 17th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Hi, I just siogned on today. I was wondering if 20,000 K was enough to start a cute trndy shirt line? I have a designer that is very talented, I have most of my contact for the shows like Project and Magic, I have a scew maker, sample maker, PR Friend, Manufacturer, drop shipping company etc. However, I do not an Attorney. I obtain my S-Corporation through this company called Direct Corporation last year. I’ve done so much research already being that I was also goign to start a Tee-shirt line. I initially wanted to utilize Socialites and fashion Icons from the 60’s like Grace kelley, Audrey Hefburn, Jacky O, Ava Gardner and Carment Jones. I had an issue with obtaining the permission to utilize them so I got discuraged. I am not going to give up! I’ve decided to start my own tredy shirt line utilizing Jersey material and silk. I hope that this is a go but I was wondering if 20K sounds good enough for a small line like that?? Please help!!
May 8th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
What a blog filled with vital and important information this is .. It must have taken a lot of hours for you to write these yourself. Hats off from me for your hard work. My blog http://meditationtechnique.blogsome.com/