To start a streetwear brand, pick one or two hero products, define the fit and fabric weight, get artwork and a reference garment together, sample with a factory that accepts 50-piece minimums, then launch a small drop and reorder what sells. The whole first cycle takes about eight weeks and $2,500–$5,000 in product costs.
This is the manufacturing side of starting a brand, written from the factory’s chair: what to make, what it costs, what to send, and the two mistakes that end most new labels before the second drop. It assumes you have the creative direction and an audience, however small. If not, get those first; product cannot create demand on its own.
Step 1: Choose the first product
Start with what your audience already buys and what proves your fit. For most streetwear brands that is an oversized or heavyweight tee and a hoodie. Tees are cheap to sample and fast to sell; hoodies carry the margin. Leave sets, jackets and hats for the second or third run, once the block is proven and the customers have told you what they want next.
Step 2: Define fit and fabric
Fit is the brand. Decide between oversized, boxy, drop-shoulder or regular and find a reference garment that has it; the factory builds the block from that. Then choose a weight: 240 GSM for a standard oversized tee, 300 GSM for heavyweight, 350–450 GSM for hoodies. The hoodie GSM guide and t-shirt GSM guide explain what each number feels like and costs. Pick stock colours for the first run to keep the minimum at 50.
Step 3: Prepare artwork and labels
Vector logo files, print artwork at final size, and a label design. Woven neck labels, care labels and hang tags are produced by the factory from these files; you do not need a separate label supplier. What a full label set includes is on woven labels, hang tags and packaging. A tech pack helps but is not required for a first sample.
Step 4: Choose a manufacturer
You need a factory that will sample first, run 50 pieces, decorate in-house and ship DDP, and that answers within a day in a language you share. Domestic cut-and-sew usually starts at 150–500 pieces; Chinese factories at 300–500; Sialkot factories like ours at 50. Ask the twelve questions before committing, and read how to find a clothing manufacturer for a small brand.
Step 5: Sample, approve, produce
A pre-production sample costs $35–$80 for a tee or hoodie, takes 7–10 days plus courier and is credited against the bulk order. Wear it, wash it, measure it. Approve, pay a 50% deposit, and bulk ships in 2–3 weeks, DDP to your door in another week. The timeline is in how long manufacturing takes.
What does a first drop cost?
| First run | Factory cost | Samples | DDP air to USA | Landed total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 oversized tees, 240 GSM, one print | $460 | $35 | $120 | about $615 |
| 100 tees (2 colours) + 50 hoodies (400 GSM) | $920 + $1,150 | $95 | $420 | about $2,585 |
| 100 tees + 100 hoodies + 50 beanies | $920 + $2,100 + $230 | $120 | $700 | about $4,070 |
At typical streetwear retail prices ($45 tee, $95 hoodie, $30 beanie) each of those runs returns three to four times its landed cost at sell-through. Detailed pricing is on MOQ, pricing and lead times.
What are the two mistakes that sink new brands?
Ordering too much of too many things. Six products in four colours at 50 each is 1,200 pieces of unproven fit. Two products, two colours, then reorder. Skipping the sample. Every horror story about a factory starts with “we did not see it before bulk.” A $60 sample is the cheapest insurance in the business. See how sampling works.
What happens after the first drop?
Reorder what sold, on the same block, with no minimum and no sampling: about four weeks door to door. Add a product each run. Keep the fabric lot references so colours match across seasons. Our USA programme and full product range cover what comes next; when you are ready, send the first brief.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need to start a streetwear brand?
About $2,500–$5,000 for a first run of 100 tees and 50 hoodies with samples and freight, plus whatever you spend on branding, a store and content. Many brands start with a single 50-piece tee run for under $1,000.
Should I start with blanks or cut and sew?
Blanks for a 20-piece test of demand; cut and sew for the first real drop. From 50 pieces, custom manufacturing costs about the same and the product is yours.
What should my first product be?
A heavyweight tee or a hoodie, in one or two colours, with one strong graphic or embroidery. Sets and jackets come later once the fit is proven.
Do I need a tech pack to start a brand?
No. A reference garment and clear artwork are enough for a factory to sample. Read our tech pack guide for what helps.
Last updated September 5, 2026 · Mike Apparel, Sialkot. Pricing and lead times reflect current factory capacity; confirm on your quote.