Launch with one hoodie style, one fabric, a short colour range and branding that makes the piece unmistakably yours, then time the first order to arrive before your selling season. That is how to start a hoodie brand without the cost and delay of developing your own pattern, and it lets you put your energy into the brand, the community and the sales.
White label manufacturing means you choose from our existing hoodie and sweatshirt styles, pick the fabric and colour, and we add your labels, tags, embroidery, print or woven patch and packaging. Here is how to work through the launch, step by step.
Step one: define the hoodie and who wears it
Write down who you are selling to and when they will wear it. “Students who want a heavy, oversized hoodie for winter” and “commuters who want a light zip layer for autumn” lead to completely different products.
Then choose the style that matches. We manufacture four:
- Pullover hoodie. The classic, with a kangaroo pocket and fixed front.
- Zip hoodie. Opens fully; suits layering.
- Crewneck sweatshirt. No hood; cleaner and more minimal.
- Oversized fit. Dropped shoulder and roomier body; suits streetwear.
Our guide to pullover, zip, crewneck and oversized styles goes into each in more depth.
Step two: choose fabric, weight and colour
Every style comes in cotton fleece or French terry. Fleece is brushed inside, soft and warm, and suits cooler markets. French terry has small loops inside, feels lighter, and suits warmer climates and layering. Within each, heavier and lighter weights are available, shown at quotation.
For colour, keep it tight. Two or three colours in your launch style is plenty. A dependable neutral, such as black or grey marl, alongside one colour that expresses your brand, gives buyers a choice without spreading stock thin. The minimum is 100 pieces per style with sizes mixed, and the colour split is confirmed at quotation.
Step three: build the brand into the hoodie
Hoodies have more space for branding than most garments, which is part of why they work so well for new brands.
| Element | Where it goes | What to decide |
|---|---|---|
| Neck label | Inside back neck | Woven label design, size marking |
| Wash-care label | Side seam | Care text; content for the destination country confirmed at quotation |
| Hang tag | Neck or sleeve | Card, design, barcode if needed |
| Embroidery | Chest, sleeve, hood | Logo size and position |
| Front, back, sleeve | Artwork, colours, position | |
| Woven patch | Chest or hood | Size, shape, position |
| Packaging | Polybag, carton | Fold size, stickers, barcodes |
A useful rule for a first range: pick one signature detail that appears on every piece. It might be a small embroidered chest logo, a woven patch on the hood, or a print running down one sleeve. Buyers learn to recognise it.
Trims matter too. Decide whether you want drawcords, eyelets, and ribbed cuffs and hem, and we confirm the options at quotation.
Keep the artwork practical. Embroidery suits chest logos and sits well on heavier fabric, but very fine lines and tiny lettering can lose detail in thread. Print suits larger front, back and sleeve designs and handles detailed artwork better. If you are unsure, send the artwork as it is and we will suggest the method and size that suit it. Getting this right at the start means your sample shows the hoodie as you intend to sell it, not a rough version you need to revise.
Step four: sample, then the first order
Our process follows a set order: enquiry, quotation, sample, advance payment, production, quality check and dispatch.
The sample is your chance to test everything before committing:
- Wear it for a full day.
- Wash it several times and measure it again.
- Check the hood holds its shape, the cuffs recover and the zip runs smoothly.
- Look at the embroidery or print up close.
- Photograph it for pre-launch posts.
Once you approve the sample, bulk follows it. An advance starts production, and the balance is paid before dispatch.
For the first order, put most of your 100 pieces into M and L, keep S and XL solid, and hold a few of 2XL and 3XL. If your buyers are a known group, such as a college society, collect sizes first.
Step five: time the launch
Hoodies are seasonal in most markets. Work backwards from the start of the cooler months where your buyers live:
- launch date;
- minus shipping time to you;
- minus the production lead time confirmed in your quotation;
- minus time for sampling and any changes;
- equals the date to send your enquiry.
We take enquiries from buyers worldwide. Shipping method, terms and documents are confirmed in the quotation.
After launch
Track sales by size and colour from the first day. When you reorder, move stock towards the sizes and colours that sold. Reorders follow the same per-style minimum, and because your branding and sample are already approved, they are simpler to confirm. Once the first style sells steadily, add a second, such as a zip hoodie alongside your pullover, or a crewneck for a cleaner option.
To begin, choose a style from our white label hoodies and send us the fabric, colours, quantity per size, branding and destination country. We will come back with a quotation and sample terms.