How to start clothing business? (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you want to start your own clothing brand or business in the fashion industry, then it is a profitable and evergreen business. Clothing is always in demand in India and can be sold both online and offline.

Here I will give you a step-by-step guide by which you can make your clothing business successful.

Step 1: Choose a business model (Which clothing business will you do?)

There are many methods of clothing business. You need to decide what kind of business you want to run:

✅ 1️⃣ Private Label (Create your own brand)

Sell ​​clothes with your own design and brand name.
Get clothes prepared in bulk from manufacturing units.
Best for: Those creating premium and unique brands.

✅ 2️⃣ Reselling / Trading (Buy & Sell)

Buy and sell clothes in bulk from places like Surat, Ludhiana, Tirupur, Delhi.
Business can be started with less investment in the beginning.
Best for: If you want to start a business without a factory.

✅ 3️⃣ Print-on-Demand (POD) Clothing

Printing and selling clothes on customer’s order.
You can start a business without keeping any stock.
Platforms: Printrove, Qikink, Printful, Teespring etc.

✅ 4️⃣ Custom & Boutique Clothing

Creating custom designs and high-quality clothing.
Making and selling wedding, party wear and designer dresses.
Best for: If you know fashion designing and sewing.
👉 Tip: If you want to build a brand, start with private label or POD.

Step 2: Choose the right clothes (Select Niche)

To be successful in clothing business, you have to choose your target audience.

✅ Men’s Wear – T-shirts, Hoodies, Shirts, Jeans, Joggers
✅ Women’s Wear – Kurtis, Sarees, Dresses, Tops, Leggings
✅ Kids Wear – Baby Clothes, School Wear, Funky T-shirts
✅ Gym & Sportswear – Activewear, Gym T-shirts, Leggings
✅ Ethnic & Traditional Wear – Kurtas, Sarees, Sherwanis
✅ Luxury & Designer Wear – High Fashion Clothing

👉 Tip: Start with one category initially and then expand gradually.

Step 3: How to Sourcing and Manufacturing Clothing?

You have two options:

1️⃣ Buying and selling readymade clothes in bulk

Buy cheap clothes from wholesale market and sell them by branding.
Where to buy?
✅ Surat (Gujarat) – For cheap and trendy clothes.
✅ Ludhiana (Punjab) – For winter wear and woolen clothing.
✅ Tiruppur (Tamil Nadu) – For T-shirts and cotton wear.
✅ Delhi (Gandhi Nagar, Karol Bagh) – For local trading.

2️⃣ Set up your own manufacturing unit
If you want to sell clothes with your own design and branding, then get it made from a factory.
Best option for doing business on a large scale.
👉 Tip: If you want to start with low investment, buy clothes from the wholesale market.

Step 4: Branding and Packaging

💡 Remember, building a brand is important!

✅ Create Brand Name and Logo.
✅ Get custom tags & labels installed.
✅ Do Premium Packaging – Customers will be impressed by good packaging.

👉 Tip: You can order custom packaging material from Etsy and Alibaba.

Step 5: How to sell clothes online and offline?

1️⃣ How to sell online?
✅ Instagram & Facebook Store – Increase sales by placing ads.
✅ Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Meesho – Create seller account on these.
✅ Shopify or WordPress Website – Create your own website.
✅ WhatsApp Marketing – Promote clothes by creating groups.

2️⃣ How to sell offline?
✅ Tie-up with local garments shops.
✅ Can open boutique or showroom.
✅ Take Bulk Orders for College, Gym, Startups & Events.

👉 Tip: In the beginning, more sales come from Instagram and WhatsApp, so focus on these.

Step 6: Do marketing and promotion 📢

Now you have to do branding and marketing of your clothing brand.

1️⃣ How to promote for free?
✅ Create Instagram Reels & YouTube Shorts.
✅ Influencer Marketing – Get promotion from small creators.
✅ Promote in Facebook Groups & Telegram Channels.
✅ Use WhatsApp Status & Groups.

2️⃣ How to do paid marketing?
✅ Instagram & Facebook Ads – Start with ₹500-₹1000/day.
✅ Google Ads – If you have your own website.
✅ Affiliate Marketing – Pay commission on selling to other people.

👉 Tip: Most orders come from Instagram, so take it seriously!

Step 7: How to grow the business?

🚀 Once your business is up and running, do these things to make it big:

✅ Do bulk manufacturing – cost will be less.
✅ Launch new designs and collections.
✅ Start International Selling – Sell on Etsy, Amazon Global.
✅ Do Influencer and Celebrity Marketing – You will get promotion on a large scale.

📌Cost and Earnings (Investment & Profit) 💰

If you start from wholesale market, you can start with ₹10,000-₹50,000.

If you start with manufacturing, it will cost ₹1 lakh+.

💰Profit Margin:

Normal T-shirts/Sarees: ₹200-₹800 per piece
Designer Wear: ₹1000-₹5000 per piece
🚀 Monthly Earning: ₹30,000 – ₹5,00,000+ (Depending on business growth)

🎯 Conclusion

If you want to earn big profit with less investment, then clothing business is best!

👉 Do you want to create your own clothing brand or start with reselling?