Whether you are a kids clothing designer, have a kids clothing boutique or want to start your very own kids wear clothing business, this article is definitely for you! Good kids clothing manufacturers are difficult to find and there is a lot to consider. So let’s dive in.
A Brief History
Kids’ fashion has laid dormant and generally unprofitable for as long as history records. That is until the rise of social media. Millennials and high tech selfie cameras. This in parallel with the rise of convenient low minimum order quantities from kids clothing manufacturers has resulted in an explosive resurrection of kids fashion.
“Young parents don’t want to sacrifice their own aesthetic choices for the sake of dressing their children plainly. They want them to look cool in the latest trends too.”
And we agree, why leave the kids out? After all, they are an extension of ourselves.
But beware, baby clothing and kids clothing manufacturing is not all rainbows and butterflies. It is comes with its fair share of challenges.
In this article, we are going to share one of the top children’s clothing manufacturers. But before we do, lets to explore 4 pro tips that you need to consider when working with children’s clothing manufacturers.
- Where to start
- Sizing Challenges
- Potentially Harmful Products
- Quality
Where to start
First, kids apparel brands need to develop their design concept. Clearly representing your idea has to be the single most important step to take. Whether it’s a sketch, a mock up, or a product’s mood-board. The clearer your children s apparel design idea is, the better it is for manufacturers to work with you.
Second, designing kids clothing patterns and everything else works around concepts that are fundamental. Ease of care, safety and comfort are the primary focus. The rest is a combination of durability, originality, seasonal factors and of course – style.
Last but not least, details details details. Design can be a complex thing if you don’t have the experience. The more details you can provide, the more likely your childrens wear will come out as you have envisaged.
You will need to have a completed tech pack. If you aren’t sure what that is, please read this guide on what is a tech pack. Some manufacturers will have in-house designer’s to help, so don’t stress. Your garment manufacturing team should now be ready to go!
Kids Clothing Size Charts Challenges
In their brilliant book on “Sizing in Clothing”, H.A.M. Daanen and P.A. Reffeltrath perfectly worded the sizing dilemma;
“Very few size categories are labeled according to numerical codes listing the body dimensions used except for infants, toddlers, and children between the ages of 0 months and 6 years. For girls’ and boys’ sizes from 7 to 12 years old, the common way of labeling garment size is by age. For teenage girls and boys ages 13–19 years old, size labels are usually letters or numbers. However, these size labels can vary tremendously from one manufacturer to another, which creates confusion and difficulties for consumers”
Indeed, children’s clothing sizing has to be the most difficult to figure out in fashion.
In contrast to men and women, children’s sizing requires not just one but multiple grading rules. Also, ones based on their developmental stages. From the lie-flat infant clothes, to crawling and all the way through their fast growing stages.
Following your targeted kids’ age, a good clothing factory is able to help you navigate the complexity of kids sizing. More-so, with determining precise dimensions, assuring the right fit for your clothes.
Kids Clothing Harmful Products
When it comes to children’s clothing (and everything – really), there’s a lot to consider. From picking fabric to printing, dying and other harmful chemicals.
First, you need to consider durability and fabric state needs. Second, the comfort feel on skin and breathability factors. Last but not least, the ease of washing. After all, it’s children we’re making clothes for here.
Sew Guide has an insightful courier on suitable fabrics for baby and children’s clothes. The adorable kids clothing label Lucy And Me has put together a helpful guide to Safe Color for kids clothing.
Also, Conscious Life & Style made a very useful kids clothing brands list. Showcasing a wide range of the best eco-friendly & organic apparel out there.
Quality
Kids clothing manufacturing requires more care and meticulousness from manufacturers than other types of clothing.
Not only style and decorative details need to be taken into consideration, but also comfort and safety.
In order to control the quality of your products, a thorough check during the production process is mandatory. As for the machinery involved, a good kids clothing manufacturer will do regular inspections on that too. All the way to the finishing steps. You want your clothes to be scrutinized by meticulous inspectors for all flaws and overall appearance.
Top Kids Clothing Manufacturer
Yoke Apparel Manufacturing located in Vietnam is a perfect example of a manufacturer that personifies all of the above. With high quality services starting from consultancy, to design & sampling, all the way to manufacturing.
The Australian visionaries heading up this amazing project have children of their own and work with hundreds of brands from around the world. They really do understand kids clothing. Reach out to see if they can help your brand grow.
Conclusion
As you can see, finding the right children’s clothing manufacturers for your brand can be an absolute minefield (without help). You need one with the right technical skills to manage sizing. Along with an ethical practice to ensure no harmful products are used in the clothing. But most importantly, one that can manufacture high quality clothing.
Now you have the knowledge to kick start your journey. But if you feel it’s not quite enough yet please read this extensive guide on clothing manufactures.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
