This article is part of our Clothing Business Startup Guide—a curated list of articles to help you plan, start, and grow your clothing business!
Running a successful clothing company isn’t just about dreaming up new designs. If you want your business to flourish, you’ll need to keep up to date with the industry, learn the ins and outs of sourcing and manufacturing products, and turn to other successful clothing designers for inspiration.
To help your clothing business reach success, here is a list of 10 varied resources, guaranteed to make the process of starting and growing your clothing company easier and more enjoyable. Have you come across a great resource that helped you with the process of starting or growing your clothing company? Let me know in the comments!
Podcasts
American Fashion Podcast
With nearly 100 episodes, the American Fashion Podcast discusses the fashion industry as a whole, taking on a variety of topics. This great podcast is well-loved by industry tastemakers and fashion publications, and includes interviews with manufacturing experts, heads of famous design houses, and even Netflix’s own costume designer.
Behind the Thread
In a slightly different direction, Behind the Thread tells “the untold stories of the people and places that make your clothes.” What does this sound like? Get ready for interviews with brand leaders and discussions of aspects of the industry, like the environmental impact of clothing manufacturing, and the difficulties faced by garment workers in certain parts of the world.
Industry news and associations
Apparel Magazine
Whether you’re just starting out or expanding into a new niche, if you’re in the process of conducting market research, Apparel Magazine is a good place to start. This site boasts a wealth of reports, news features, and insights on new technology in the industry, as well as a great buyer’s guide.
Just Style Blog
A combination of industry news and market research, Just Style’s blog posts are informative and will help you keep up-to-date on what is going on in the fashion industry on a broad-scale, global level.
American Apparel and Footwear Association
If you’re interested in joining an association for networking, or you’d simply like to make sure you’re aware of the legal considerations of starting and running an apparel or footwear business, the AAFA has plenty of information.
Apparel Resources
If you plan to source your textiles or garments from overseas, Apparel Resources should be on your “to read” list. They cover news on overseas manufacturing and fabric sourcing, as well as industry trends.
Blogs, websites, and further reading
The Business of Fashion
The Business of Fashion is the industry insider’s equivalent of a glossy magazine. Covering everything from industry news to interviews with designers, this is one site that gives a great general overview of the industry, while still managing to dive deep into the specifics that will impact your business. For a taste, check out their article #Menswear Is Dead. What’s Next?
Startup Fashion
Startup Fashion contains a lot of great actionable information, such as details on how to source your fabric and tips on picking a factory to produce your product. The site is broken down into categories like fabric sourcing and fashion business advice, so finding relevant articles is straightforward.
Triple Pundit’s Sustainably Attired
A series through website Triple Pundit and backed by Levi Strauss & Co., Sustainably Attired focuses on, unsurprisingly, sustainability in the garment industry. The articles in this series are fascinating and thought-provoking, covering topics from the interplay of water scarcity and clothing manufacturing to the history of sustainable fashion.
Online Clothing Study’s Blog List
To round off this list of blog recommendations, check out the suggestions from Online Clothing Study. They’ve compiled an exhaustive list of virtually every blog, website, and helpful written resource for the garment and textile industry, including everything from blogs on fabrics, sewing techniques, and design inspiration, to resources on vintage fashion.
If you’re eager to start strategizing, check out my recent article on How to Increase Revenue for Your Clothing Business. If you’re still in the startup phase and eager to dive in, you may also want to check out How to Start a Clothing Company, and our free retail and online store sample plans.
Briana is a content and digital marketing specialist, editor, and writer. She enjoys discussing business, marketing, and social media, and is a big fan of the Oxford comma. Bri is a resident of Portland, Oregon, and she can be found, infrequently, on Twitter.
