Start A Sportswear Brand In Scotland

Just Start.

In order to start a sportswear brand in Scotland you need to just start. If you think about it too much it will never happen. You will need to find a sportswear factory that will work with startups and produce small production runs, but dont let that stop you from getting started with your new brand.

What Is Sportswear ?

Sportswear is a specialist area of fashion that requires specialist professionals and machinery. Sportswear includes gymwear, fitness wear, athleisure, activewear, golf wear, swimwear, and functional wear.

Find The Right Sportswear Professionals.

You dont need to be experienced to start a sportswear brand, but you do need to choose the right professionals to help you. Above all you need a good pattern cutter and a good factory.

Scotland does not have many sportswear factories that can produce  small runs, so you will probably need some assistance with sourcing fabrics and factories.

You will need to find the right sportswear professionals to help create your brand. You need a good sportswear pattern cutter and a good sportswear factory. Apart from me there are very few sportswear specialists in Scotland, so you may need to look further afield.

Finding a Factory.

It is rarely a good idea for a startup brand to manufacture abroad. This can result in a disaster. So, unless you want large quantities you are well advised to stay within the UK. Sportswear factories are few and far between in Scotland, but we can help you find a suitable no minimums factory.

The factory you use depends on the specialist machinery required for your styles. But many factories with the right machinery will want large scale production. Most startups only require small production runs. They need to use factories with low or no MOQ`s ( Minimum Order Quantity).

We are happy to advise on the best no minimums small clothing factories in Scotland. These are mostly  around Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee, and are happy to work with small startup Scottish brands.

Your Customer.

You will need to know who your customer is. You should have an image of the person that you are selling to. Often with startups that customer is YOU. If it is you or a close friend, you can test the garments more easily.

Reference Garments.

Next you will need to get together some competitor garments for reference that would suit your own brand. You wont be copying these styles, just using elements of the fit and elements of the design.

Creating A Look Book.

At the same time as you are finding reference garments you also need to be creating a look book of ideas and inspirations. These ideas can come from anywhere, and does not have to be clothing or fashion related. It could be a colour, a texture, a trim, or a fabric. It could even be an interesting quote. Anything that helps with designing your brand, or brand identity.

Fit And Sizing.

It is essential to get the fit and sizing right from the outset, so you will need reference garments for this purpose. You could rely on the pattern maker to decide this, but it is better to use the reference garments so you are sure they will be as you want them, without having to remake the samples.

At this stage we are only concerned with the base size. Creating the other sizes comes later in the process. But once you have determined your base size the other sizes just fall into place after some thought to creating the grading rules.

Sketch Your Designs.

Often startups are not confident with drawing their designs, or find it difficult to get their ideas across. Again, this is where reference garments come in handy. You need to be very clear about exactly what you want, otherwise it can be very costly.

Even if you provide reference garments, you still need to provide a sketch. A picture says a thousand words, and even a bad sketch is better than no sketch at all. It shows the pattern cutter roughly what you want.

If you feel that you need a professional to draw your designs according to your own ideas, we can help you there too.

Tech Packs.

A tech pack is the blueprint of your design, ensuring that it is made exactly as you want it to be. I wouldnt worry too much about the tech pack at this stage, but we offer a tech pack design service if you are interested.

Make An Appointment For A Consultation.

If you just need guidance on where to go for your services, or small scale production,  just send us an email and we will be happy to help you. If you would like a zoom  appointment with our junior fashion business adviser, then the cost would be £45 for a one hour consultation.

If you would like a face to face consultation with our senior adviser in Dundee, then  the cost would be £80 for a one hour consultation. Please feel free to ask for further details by emailing us. Bill is based in Dundee and has immense experience in the fashion industry generally, and specialises in sportswear.

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