Original T-shirts for low-budget apparel OEM. How much money do you really need?

There are many apparel companies as well as musicians and celebrities who are considering creating their own clothing line.

When creating original clothing, it is possible to do everything by hand, but it is time-consuming and difficult.

To save as much time and effort as possible, we recommend making clothes on an OEM basis.

Since OEM is a very specific term, this article will provide the OEM beginner with a detailed explanation of the money required to make clothing on an OEM basis on the lowest possible budget.

How to start an OEM

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturing and refers to the outsourcing of the manufacturing of a company's own brand products to an outside contractor.

※The difference between OEM and ODM in the apparel industry.

For OEM beginners who want to OEM clothes on a low budget to start with, it is easy to leave the material and shape of the T-shirt to an outside company and just create the design.

In such cases, many companies ask so-called original T-shirt companies to print or embroider on ready-made products.

Money needed to make clothes in OEM

Normally, to make clothes on an OEM basis, a variety of money is required, including the cost of the base garment, the cost of the design and letter molds, and the cost of processing.

Specific amounts vary from vendor to vendor, but here is an example of one "original T-shirt" company.

Assume that the company commissions a vendor to make its own original T-shirts and uses a plain white T-shirt as the base.

The quantity can be commissioned from 25 pieces and can be ordered at 464 yen per piece.

The higher the quantity, the lower the price per piece, which is 371 yen per piece for a consignment of 500 pieces.

Any number of colors can be used, but the more colors used, the higher the fee, so to keep costs low, it is recommended to use fewer colors.

If printing in one color, the price per piece is 169 yen for 30-49 pieces; the higher the quantity, the lower the price per piece.

In addition, plate making and delivery fees will also be charged, so a total of at least 30,000 yen will be required.

Keep in mind that other vendors will always require several tens of thousands of yen.

Points to consider when making clothes on an OEM basis

There are several points to consider when making clothing on an OEM basis.

The first point is to clarify the concept of the clothing.

Decide in advance in detail what kind of target you want to sell your clothes to and at what price.

Once the details are finalized, if any problems arise during the clothing production process, the process should proceed smoothly and without problems.

The second point is to hire the right contractor.

We prefer vendors who are willing to meet with us in person, not just via email.

Also, check the prices carefully.

To select a vendor whose pricing is appropriate for the quality of your clothing, request quotes from multiple vendors.

The third point is how to market the product.

Since many of these products are nowadays sold directly to customers through D2C online shopping, it is necessary to consider sales channels such as building your own e-commerce site or opening a store in an e-commerce mall.

summary

We have explained in detail the money needed to make original T-shirts, as well as the key points to consider when making them.

Original T-shirts offer the advantage of low-cost and hassle-free creation of original clothing.

Although there are some disadvantages, such as the lack of uniqueness of the clothes and the inability to acquire production know-how, this is the best choice if you are making your own clothes for the first time.

If you want to make your company's own original clothing on an OEM basis, start by making clothes with original T-shirts.