How custom clothing manufacturing works, start to finish

The custom clothing manufacturing process at NO FUGAZI runs in six steps: enquiry and brief, quote, pattern and fit development, sampling, bulk production, then quality control and shipping. Samples take 2-3 weeks. Bulk production takes 3-8 weeks after you approve your sample, plus shipping. The minimum order is 50 pieces, no tech pack is required to start, and we are based and managed in London, manufacturing at our own dedicated facility.

This page is the whole run, in order, with the real timings. It is written for a founder placing a first production order as much as for a brand moving factories.

Two things are worth knowing before the steps. Sampling always comes before bulk, so you hold the garment before you commit to a run. And nothing here is stock: we hold no blank garments, so every piece is cut and sewn from a pattern developed for your fit.

For the garments and capabilities behind the process, see what we make. For finished pieces made for real people, see the NO FUGAZI portfolio.

The six steps of an order

Every garment is made to order, never pulled from stock, so the same six steps apply to every run: hoodies, tracksuits, puffer jackets, t-shirts, sweatpants, activewear or a full collection.

1. Enquiry and Brief

Send what you already have

It starts with a message on WhatsApp. Send whatever exists: a sketch, a moodboard, reference photos, or a garment you own and want re-cut in your own fabric and fit. We will ask what you are making, roughly how many, and what the garment needs to do, then confirm the minimum order for your specific design.

MOQ is 50 pieces. Designs, colours and fabrics can affect it, so ask and we will confirm it for yours.

2. Your quote

Priced against a real spec

We price the garment you described, not a generic version of it. Fabric composition and weight, colourways and Pantone references, decoration, custom labels, woven tags and trims all sit in the quote, along with lead times and payment terms. Payment is by bank transfer, and terms are agreed with the quote before anything moves.

Changes to your quote are always free. Adjust quantities, fabrics, colourways or finishing as many times as you need.

3. Pattern and fit development

The technical work, done in house

Once the quote is agreed we develop the pattern: drafting the block for your fit, grading it across your size range, and turning your references into a production-ready spec. If you sent a garment to match, we measure it and replicate or adjust the fit from there. This is the work a tech pack would normally cover, and we do it in house rather than asking you to buy one first.

Pattern cutting, fit replication and size grading are included as standard.

4. Sampling and Approval

2-3 weeks, then it is in your hands

Your sample is made in 2-3 weeks so you can judge fit, fabric and finish in person before committing to a run. A free sample of each design is included with every committed bulk order; a standalone sample without a bulk commitment is charged. Nothing moves to bulk until you have approved the garment in front of you.

Sampling always comes before bulk. One free sample revision round is included.

5. Bulk production

3-8 weeks after you approve

After sample approval, bulk production runs for 3-8 weeks at our own dedicated facility, with your approved sample as the reference for every piece. Fabric is sourced or produced for your order, because we hold no stock garments. Every piece is cut, stitched and finished by hand, with your labels, woven tags and trims applied to spec.

Where you land inside the 3-8 week range depends on the design, the fabrics and the size of the run.

6. Quality control and shipping

Four checks, then dispatch

Every order passes four stages of quality control: fabric inspection, in-process checks during production, post-production inspection, and a final pre-shipment review. Your order then ships worldwide, with shipping time on top of production. The UK is our priority market, and we also ship to the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe.

Shipping time sits on top of the 3-8 week bulk window.

Five sampling stages shown as hoodies: prototype sample, fit sample, size set, pre-production sample and bulk production. — The five sampling stages between an idea and a production run.

What do I need to start?

Less than most people expect. No tech pack, no finished designs, no manufacturing experience. Any one of these four is enough to get a tailored quote.

A Sketch or a Moodboard

Hand drawn on paper is fine. A moodboard of references works just as well. We read the intent and turn it into a production spec.

Reference photos

Screenshots, lookbook images or close-ups of details you want copied. Point at what you like and tell us what should change.

A garment you already own

Send a piece that fits the way you want, or its measurements. We measure it, then replicate or adjust that fit in your fabric.

A rough quantity

Our MOQ is 50 pieces. Designs, colours and fabrics can affect it, so tell us what you are planning and we will confirm it for your order.

Do I need a tech pack to start?

No. Here is what we do instead, and what you can send us in its place.

No tech pack is required to get a quote or to place an order with NO FUGAZI. A sketch, a moodboard, reference photos or an existing garment are each enough to start. We handle the technical side in house: pattern development, fit development, size grading and the production spec the factory works from.

If you already have a tech pack, send it and we will quote directly from it. If you do not, nothing stalls and nothing is added to your order to fix it. We do not sell tech packs as a standalone service, so this is not an upsell. It is simply how an order runs here.

The longer explanation, including what we will ask you to decide along the way, is on our no tech pack clothing manufacturer page.

What if the sample is not right?

That is what sampling is for. Here is exactly how changes are handled, and what they cost.

A first sample that needs adjusting is normal, not a failure. Sleeve length, body width, hood depth, rib tension, print placement, a colour that reads differently in fabric than it did on screen: these are the things you can only judge properly with the garment in your hands. That is the entire reason sampling comes before bulk.

The rules are fixed and we do not move them:

One free sample revision round is included. Send your notes and we remake the sample with the changes applied.
Further sample revisions are chargeable. We tell you the cost before any work starts, never after it.
Changes to your quote are always free. Quantities, fabrics, colourways and finishing can be adjusted as often as you need, at any point before you commit.

Bulk production does not begin until you approve a sample. Nothing is made at scale from a sample you were not happy with.

The process at a glance

Process specification

Everything below is standing policy, not an estimate. Where a figure is a range, the range is real and depends on your spec.

Steps in an order: Six, in this orderEnquiry and brief, quote, pattern and fit development, sampling, bulk production, quality control and shipping.
To get started: A sketch, moodboard, photo or existing garmentNo tech pack required. Pattern development, fit development and the technical work are done in house.
Minimum order: 50 piecesDesigns, colours and fabrics can affect the MOQ. Send your design and we will confirm it for yours.
Quote: Tailored to your specChanges to your quote are always free, at any point before you commit.
Sample lead time: 2-3 weeksSampling always comes before bulk production.
Sample cost: Free with a committed bulk orderOne free sample of each design. A standalone sample without a bulk commitment is charged.
Sample revisions: One free roundFurther revision rounds are chargeable and quoted before any work starts.
Bulk lead time: 3-8 weeks after sample approvalPlus shipping to your destination.
Quality control: 4 stagesFabric inspection, in-process checks, post-production inspection and a final pre-shipment review.
Payment: Bank transferTerms are agreed as part of your quote.
Based: London, UKManaged from London; made at our own dedicated facility.
Shipping: WorldwideThe UK is our priority market. We also ship to the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe.

Start the process on WhatsApp

Send a sketch, a moodboard or a garment you already own. All three work.

As seen in

As seen on

Che Lingo
King Promise
Grace Ajilore
Blanco

More finished work is in the NO FUGAZI portfolio.

Manufacturing process FAQs

The questions brands ask most before starting their first production run.

Ready to start step one?

Send a sketch, a moodboard, reference photos or a garment you already own. We come back with a tailored quote, make your sample first, and start bulk production only once you have approved it.

Start Your Project on WhatsApp

Still deciding what to make? See what we manufacture or browse the NO FUGAZI portfolio.

The same eight stages apply to every garment we make. Cut and sew manufacturing sets them out in order.

Our Process