Sourcing Guide

Where to Find a Clothing Manufacturer

The five routes founders use to find factories, sample rooms and fabric mills — local hubs, online platforms, customs research, trade shows and overseas regions — and how to vet a supplier before you send a deposit.

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"Where do I find a factory to make my clothing line?" It's the question I hear most from founders.

The honest answer: there's no single list of good factories. You find them through five routes, and the brands that get the best quotes arrive factory-ready before they ever make contact.

This guide walks through each route, then how to vet a supplier before money changes hands. — Lori Dilo, founder of Design Land NYC, 20+ years taking apparel from sketch to factory-ready for brands sold at Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters and Macy's.

01

Get factory-ready before you search

Good factories screen brands as hard as brands screen factories. Show up with a sketch and "how much?" and you'll be ignored or quoted high. Have these ready first.

Tech pack
Flats, measurements, construction, stitch types, trims and labels — the document a factory quotes and sews from.
Bill of materials
Fabric, zippers, labels, hang tags and packaging, so the quote covers everything.
Graded size spec
Every size, not just your sample size. Grading errors are the most common first-run problem.
Target cost & quantities
Your price target and units per style and color — this decides whether you meet a minimum order (MOQ).
See our tech pack services
02

Start local: NYC and US production

Domestic factories cost more per unit, but you get low minimums, fast samples and walk-in fittings — ideal for a first run of 50–500 units per style.

CFDA Production Directory
Free. Hundreds of New York factories and sample rooms, filterable by service and production minimum.
Garment District Alliance
Free. A local maker directory plus free patternmaking and supply-chain consults.
NYC Local Production Fund
A city program that subsidizes production runs at partner NYC factories.
Made in USA Directory
Free. The federal list of US knitters, weavers, cut-and-sew, printers and finishers.

Tip: ask a sample room for referrals. Pattern makers and sample sewers know which local factories are taking new brands right now.

03

Search online platforms

Directories give you a long list fast. A listing is not a vetting — treat every result as a lead to qualify.

Maker's Row
US factories by category and location. Post a project and get quotes.
Alibaba
Overseas factories with low minimums. Many listings are trading companies — ask for factory photos and audits.
Global Sources
Asian factories, with a low-MOQ section.
Foursource
Global apparel makers you can filter by certifications like GOTS and OEKO-TEX.
04

The pro move: find the factory behind a brand you admire

If a factory already makes for a brand at your quality level, it already understands your standard.

✦
Open Supply Hub
A free map of factories that brands have disclosed. Search by brand name, then filter by country or product.
✦
ImportYeti
US customs records. Search the company that imports the goods, see its suppliers, then see who else each supplier makes for.
Free download

Get the full Apparel Sourcing Directory

The nine-page PDF we use with our own clients: every NYC and US resource with costs, online platforms compared (and which to skip), a trade show calendar including the Canton Fair, 16 countries with their official factory directories and current US tariffs, and the vetting checklist.

05

Meet factories face to face at trade shows

Touch fabric, see finished samples and meet dozens of factories in two days. Bring your tech packs.

Texworld + Apparel Sourcing
New York, twice a year — fabric mills and full-package factories.
SOURCING at MAGIC
Las Vegas and New York — cut-and-sew, print and trims.
Kingpins
Denim mills and laundries, in New York, LA and Amsterdam.
The Canton Fair
China's largest trade fair, every spring and autumn in Guangzhou. Phase 3 covers garments and textiles; pre-register free about two months ahead for the invitation letter your China business visa needs.
06

Go overseas: match the country to the product

Countries specialize. Tariffs are changing fast, so confirm duty by product code with a customs broker before you cost a style.

IN
India
Cotton knits, fleece, prints and embroidery.
BD
Bangladesh
High-volume tees, polos and denim.
VN
Vietnam
Activewear, performance and outerwear.
LK
Sri Lanka
Intimates, swim and activewear.
PK
Pakistan
Denim, hosiery and knit basics.
PT
Portugal
Premium knits in small runs.
CA
Central America & Mexico
Knits, fleece and denim — fast to the US, and often duty-free when goods qualify.
CN
China
Every category, from fabric markets to technical outerwear.
07

Vet the supplier before you pay a deposit

Red flags
No factory photos or address · a price before they've seen your tech pack · 100% payment upfront · "yes, no problem" to every question.
The safe path
Pay for one sample, approve fit and quality, approve a pre-production sample, then place bulk — and inspect before the balance is paid.
FAQ

Questions founders ask

What's the difference between cut-and-sew and private label?
Cut-and-sew builds your garment from scratch to your specs. Private label puts your brand on a factory's existing style. Cut-and-sew is more original; private label is faster and cheaper to start.
What's a typical minimum order?
US sample rooms and small factories often start around 50–300 units per style. Overseas factories commonly ask for 300–1,000 or more per style, sometimes per color.
Do I need a tech pack to get a quote?
For an accurate one, yes. Without it factories guess — and guesses usually come back high or wrong.
Should I use a sourcing agent?
An agent helps if you're going overseas for the first time and can't visit. Ask how they're paid, and make sure you know which factory actually sews your goods.
How long from design to delivery?
Plan on three to six months for a first run: design and tech pack, sampling and fit rounds, then production and shipping.
Factories quote from tech packs. We build them.

Design Land NYC builds the CADs, tech packs, line sheets and branding that factories quote from and buyers say yes to.

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