Pick one sock style, design a logo or pattern that knits cleanly, choose your packing, and place a first order of 300 pieces in that style. That is the whole of the production side; the rest of a sock brand is the idea, the look and the selling.
This guide covers how to start a sock brand with white label socks, in the order you will make the decisions. It suits new brands, clothing labels adding socks, gifting companies and sports brands.
1. Find the angle for your socks
Socks are an everyday product, so a new brand needs a reason to be chosen. Common angles:
- Design. Patterned socks with a recognisable style, sold as single pairs or gift sets.
- Basics done well. Plain colours, a neat knitted logo and good packing, sold in multipacks.
- Sport or activity. Sports socks in your colours for a gym, club or sports brand.
- Gifting. Boxed socks for festive seasons and corporate gifts.
- Add-on. Logo socks that sit next to your T-shirts or hoodies.
Choose one angle for the first order. It decides almost everything that follows.
2. Choose a style and yarn
We knit four styles: crew, ankle, sports and custom pattern.
| Your angle | Style to start with | Yarn to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Custom pattern | Cotton blend or polyester blend |
| Basics | Crew or ankle | Cotton blend for a soft daily feel |
| Sport | Sports | Polyester blend for strong colours |
| Gifting | Custom pattern or crew | Either, depending on colours |
| Add-on | Crew | Cotton blend |
Cotton blend feels soft and familiar. Polyester blend holds strong colours and keeps its shape through washing. If you are unsure, tell us how the sock should feel and look, and we suggest the blend.
3. Design for knitting
On our socks, your logo or pattern is knitted into the fabric using jacquard knitting. That gives a durable result, but it changes how you design.
- Use bold shapes. Fine lines and small text do not knit well.
- Limit the colours. A few colours knit most clearly. Gradients do not knit.
- Think about where it shows. On a crew sock, the outer leg shows above the shoe. On an ankle sock, the logo area is small and near the cuff.
- Allow for stretch. A knitted design widens on the foot.
Send your artwork as a vector file or a clear image before sampling, and we advise what will work. Simple designs also tend to look more like a brand, because they are easy to recognise.
4. Plan sizes and packing
We knit two shoe-size ranges, UK 4–7 and UK 8–11, and you can mix them within a style. Split your order by who you sell to: more UK 4–7 for a mostly women’s or younger audience, more UK 8–11 for a mostly men’s audience, and closer to even for unisex or gifting.
For packing, the sock carries no neck label, so the pack does the talking:
- Header card for peg display in shops;
- Paper band for shelves, drawers and online orders;
- Gift box for gifting;
- Hang tag and stickers for extra branding, size and barcode.
Our guide to sock packaging explains each option and what to print on it. Labelling requirements vary by country and are confirmed at quotation.
5. Quote, sample and order
Every order runs through the same steps: enquiry, quotation, sample, advance payment, production, quality check and dispatch.
- Quotation. We quote per style, by fabric, quantity and branding. The lead time, shipping method, terms and documents are confirmed in it.
- Sample. Wear it. Check the knitted logo, heel, toe seam, cuff and packing.
- Production. An advance starts production, and the balance is paid before dispatch.
The minimum for socks is 300 pieces per style. Within a style, sizes can be mixed, and a colour split is confirmed at quotation. For a new brand, one style in one or two colourways keeps the first order focused and the stock easy to manage.
6. Launch, learn and reorder
Once the socks arrive, sell them where your buyers already are: your own online shop, a marketplace, a market stall, a gym front desk or a gift shop.
- Photograph socks worn, so buyers see length and logo.
- Offer multipacks if you sell basics.
- Track sales by colour and size range.
Reorder what sells, in the same style, yarn and colour, and change slow lines on the next order. A repeat order needs no new artwork, which keeps it simple. When the first style is steady, add a second: ankle socks next to crew, or a custom pattern next to your plain range.
To start, look at the styles on our white label socks page and send us your style, yarn blend, colours, size split, artwork and packing. We take enquiries from buyers worldwide, and we will reply with a quotation for each style.