You may be someone wanting to start a clothing brand of your own, or you already own an existing brand. Still, you're trying to figure out the best ways to grow your business in this day and age- especially as we’re headed into a tough time economically.
Have no fear, beloved reader. We're about to bless you with valuable advice on starting and thriving your clothing business.
We met with Alex Doyle, owner of the blossoming Orlando-based fashion brand Pearled Ivory, to discuss some of the best ways to grow your clothing brand. Pearled Ivory is a carefully curated, unique brand- which sets them apart from competitors and brings them success. To provide context, Pearled Ivory sells mainly "cut-and-sewn" and vintage garments. Cut and sew is a manufacturing process used in making custom garments within the fashion industry.
A whole fabric is placed on a cutting table or run through a cutting machine. A garment piece or shape is cut out and then sent for sewing through the garment assembly.
Alex has been a brand owner and visionary who took things from a drawing board in 2018 to celebrity fashion in just five short years. He's grown his brand mainly via its social media presence—Pearled Ivory has even worked with stylists who have dressed celebrities such as Hailey Bieber and Niall Horan.
It's safe to say he knows something about growing your brand and bringing ideas to life. Alright, no need to keep you all waiting. Read onward to learn some things to keep in mind and some of the best ways to grow your clothing brand.
Having a consistent brand voice is critical to growing your clothing brand.
Brand voice is the unique personality of a brand. It's the distinctive way a company speaks to its customers. This voice should be reflected in all aspects of communication, from website content to social media posts to email marketing.
Doyle mentioned that it's essential to know the niche you want to fill and the voice you want your brand to present. It should be the foundation of what you decide to do with your clothing brand before diving in and designing/sourcing pieces.
"When we first started Pearled Ivory, it wasn't necessarily the product that I was trying to find first. It was more of the brand that I wanted to present, and then whatever that brand ended up being, I would then find the products that would associate with the niche vibe we were going for."
Pearled Ivory’s branding is very minimalistic, high-end, and clean. But it doesn’t feel sterile- the pieces they curate and create are full of unique personality. Whether we’re talking about the pieces they design or the vintage garments they curate for collection drops, you can tell that Doyle and his team care about maintaining their brand voice and aesthetic to tell a story with their pieces/presence.
Having a solid idea of what you want your brand to say is vital before starting to design or create your product inventory. Creating a clothing collection that tells a story and conveys emotion is a great way to capture the attention of your target audience and build out that hopeful brand loyalty.
Ask yourself questions such as “What am I trying to convey? How can I bring my vision to life? What kind of pieces do I want to sell?”
He also said that you should want to wear your pieces as a clothing brand owner.
Wearing your garments and representing your brand within your style is something many people don't do, which could help you separate yourself from your competitors. Being proud of your design makes your brand voice even more robust.
You want to make and sell pieces that YOU would wear that need to be added to your closet. Being unique in an arguably oversaturated market can be challenging, but it is a great way to grow and thrive.
Quality over quantity. Things take time.
Don't rush the process of pushing out products you don't know if you and your consumers will love. We value this a lot as a company that believes in selling high-quality garments.
“Don’t rush anything. That’s the worst thing you could do.”
In the case that you decide to screenprint a cool design on some tees for your clothing brand, buying blank t-shirts from brands such as American Apparel or Gildan before having your designs printed on them could be a great way to get a feel of what you will be selling (because you can wear them, hold them in your hands, etc.)
Quite literally a hands-on approach, if we do say so ourselves.
Knowing what the garments will feel like and how they will be worn is a great way to ensure that you're releasing clothing you believe in and would spend your money on as a consumer.
Fast fashion = NOT it.
Creating higher quality garments for your clothing brand is more sustainable and builds trust with your audience. People typically want something that will last in their wardrobe for a while, not something they wear a couple of times and have to get rid of since it got destroyed in the washer/dryer.
Product testing and figuring out what direction to take can be lengthy, but it will help you grow your clothing brand in the long run. It's essential to release pieces promptly and stay in front of your audience.
But that being said, you don't want to push products just for the sake of pushing products. Think quality over quantity.
Alex told us that in 2022, Pearled Ivory was dropping 150 vintage pieces per week on their website, which was a lot. He said that for a while, it felt like they were dropping "filler" pieces just to hit those numbers.
With that, they weren't consistently putting out their favorite clothing items. In 2023, they've cut back to dropping 50 pieces per week. And the brand is confident that all 50 weekly pieces are great. They sell well.
The same goes for any custom apparel you plan to have screen printed or embroidered for your clothing brand. Investing in high-quality garments pays off- people typically want pieces that will last, be stylish, and be comfortable.
Give the people what they want. *close your eyes and imagine me smirking here*
Knowledge = power.
Another great way to get your clothing brand to grow is by being knowledgeable about your products. Learn about how your garments are made.
Whether cutting and sewing your patterns or creating a unique design to be printed or embroidered on some t-shirts, it's good to educate yourself on these processes. Hence, when people inevitably have questions, you know how to answer them. Knowing the ins and outs of production builds credibility and trust within your brand.
Doyle shared that if he had to start from scratch again, he would put more time and money into product and industry knowledge.
This is not a prerequisite or something that everyone has the opportunity to do to start and grow a clothing business. Still, if you get the chance to be an intern, apprentice, or even job shadow someone in the clothing industry, that experience is valuable. Attending networking events in your area or even reaching out to individuals in the industry via LinkedIn or online groups can be valuable as well!
Whether with a screen printer, embroiderer, clothing brand, or vintage store, anything where you can touch clothes all day, is beautiful. But no matter the circumstances, it’s good to do some research.
"A lot of times people say things like "stay off of social media, don't look at other people's brands'- I think that's silly. You need to consume content to see what's going on."
Inspiration is everywhere, people!
Community is the heart of it all.
At the root of everything, building a community is the best way to grow your clothing brand. Having an online presence is essential, in all honesty. A lot of clothing brands nowadays feel like media brands in a lot of ways. Consumers view more content daily than the actual products you're selling.
You want to be in front of the consumer all the time. You might think, "oh, I have to drop so many pieces!" but as earlier mentioned, be conscious and selective about what you're putting out there product-wise.
Consider planning what best aligns with you and your community's liking.
Community translates to brand voice. Being active on social media and through other digital marketing efforts is a great way to connect with your community and have them love and understand your brand. And, of course, convert that engagement into sales. *fingers crossed*
"Without the community, we're nothing. Without a voice, we don't have anything to say. Without quality, we're not a viable brand."
Much to think about, huh?
Now that you've learned a bit about ways to grow your clothing brand in this day and age, we hope you're feeling inspired! There's space for everyone in the creative industry, so take time to plan and implement your ideas. Of course, we want to thank Alex Doyle and Pearled Ivory for taking the time to discuss with us based on their experience.
PS: If you're interested in starting a clothing brand selling super-soft and stylish apparel with custom designs printed or embroidered, hit us up. We've got a couple of tricks up our SLEEVE.*
*I must take one last moment to insert a corny joke here. Tricks up our SLEEVE? Because we customize many garments with sleeves? I'll leave. Sorry.
For more information about developing your clothing brand and selecting the right products for you, contact our customer success team. They have lots of tricks up their sleeve too.
.svg)
