Private Label Clothing Manufacturer: Low MOQ

Private label is a common way for clothing brands to get their products made: the brand owns the designs and the name on the label, and a manufacturer produces the garments. This guide explains how private label clothing works with a manufacturer, what you need to prepare, how minimum orders work and what UK law requires on a garment's label. It is written by Desa & Co, a clothing manufacturer in Tirana that produces private label clothing for brands, including a UK brand whose order is described below.

The short answer: you bring the designs and your brand, the manufacturer sources the fabric, makes the samples and produces the garments with your own labels sewn in, then packs them for you. You sell them under your name.

Key takeaways

Private label means your designs and your labels, made by a manufacturer.

A clear brief or tech pack is what makes quotes and samples accurate.

Ask how the minimum applies: per style, per colour or per size. Ours is 100 to 150 pieces per product.

Plan the labels early: in the UK, textile products must be labelled with their fibre content.

Private label, white label and print-on-demand

The three terms are often mixed up, but they mean different things:

Private label gives you the most control over fabric, fit and finish, in exchange for buying a production run up front. If you are still at the idea stage, our guide on how to start a clothing brand covers the steps before production.

How private label works with a manufacturer

1. Brief or tech pack: sketches, measurements, fabric, trims, artwork and quantities for each style.
2. Quote: the manufacturer prices your styles at your quantities and confirms the timeline.
3. Fabric: chosen for each style. We source it through our network of fabric suppliers in Turkey.
4. Sample: a trial garment to check fit, fabric, colour and decoration. You approve it, or ask for changes.
5. Production: the approved sample becomes the standard for the whole run, with your labels sewn in.
6. Packing and delivery: folded and packed to your instructions, then shipped to you.

What to prepare before you ask for quotes

• Designs: flat sketches of the front and back, or a reference garment and photos.
• Measurements: for one base size and how they change across sizes.
• Fabric: composition and weight. Our guide to fabric weight (GSM) explains the numbers.
• Decoration: logos as vector files, with the method, size and position: see embroidery or printing.
• Labels and packing: neck labels, care labels, swing tags and how each piece should be packed.
• Quantities: per style, per colour and per size.

Low MOQ clothing manufacturers: what to ask

Most manufacturers set a minimum order quantity (MOQ), because pattern making, sampling and setting up production take the same work whether the run is small or large. A low headline number can hide a higher minimum per colour, so ask how it applies: per style, per colour or per size.

Ours is a low MOQ: 100 to 150 pieces per product, depending on the garment, with sizes mixed as you need. That suits a first collection of a few styles. If you are still comparing countries and factories, our guide to clothing manufacturers in Europe compares Portugal, Turkey and Albania.

The labels your garments need

Your neck label is what makes the clothing yours, and it is only one of the labels a garment carries. In the UK, a textile product must show its fibre content (GOV.UK, textile labelling), and customers expect care instructions. Plan these with the production run, not after it:

• Brand label: your name or logo at the neck or on a seam.
• Composition and care label: fibre content and washing instructions.
• Swing tag: price, barcode or a short brand story, if you sell in shops or online.

A real private label order for a UK brand

For a UK clothing brand we produced 1,000 hoodies, 2,000 T-shirts and 500 polo shirts in one order, to the brand's designs and in fabric we sourced in Turkey. Three garment types meant one supplier for fabric, samples and production, all in our factory in Tirana.

A first order can be much smaller, and the process is the same at 100 pieces as at 3,500: brief, sample, approval, production. Trade between Albania and the UK is covered by the UK–Albania Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Whether a garment qualifies for its lower duty depends on the rules of origin, which can turn on where the fabric was made, so check your products with your customs broker before you order.

Questions to ask any private label manufacturer

1. What is the minimum per style, per colour and per size?
2. Do you source the fabric, and can I approve it before production?
3. How long do sampling and production take, from approved sample to dispatch?
4. Are embroidery and printing done in house?
5. Can you sew in my labels and pack to my instructions?
6. Which certifications do you hold, and who handles shipping?

Private label with Desa & Co

We make T-shirts, hoodies, polo shirts, joggers and jackets to your designs, with your own labels, from 100 to 150 pieces per product. Production of the minimum quantity takes 2 weeks after sample approval. Embroidery and DTF printing are done in house. We are certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, and our cotton is certified to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. We deliver to the United Kingdom, Italy and across Albania.

See the garments brands order most: custom hoodies, bulk custom T-shirts and embroidered polo shirts. Ready to talk about a collection? Send us your designs and quantities.

Frequently asked questions

What is a private label clothing manufacturer?

A factory that produces garments to a brand's own designs and sews in the brand's labels, so the brand can sell them under its own name.

What is the minimum order for private label clothing?

It varies by manufacturer and by how the minimum is counted. Ours is 100 to 150 pieces per product, depending on the garment, with sizes mixed within the order.

Do I need a tech pack?

It is the clearest way to get accurate quotes and samples. Without one, a manufacturer can work from a reference garment and photos, but expect more back-and-forth at the sample stage.

Can you source the fabric for me?

Yes. We source fabric through our network of suppliers in Turkey, chosen for each style.