Episode 02 · Choosing a Factory
Episode 02 · Choosing a Factory
Choosing a factory is not about finding the best factory. It’s about finding the right one for your brand — three things decide it, and most founders get at least one wrong.
Who is actually going to run production? The answer picks the factory structure for you:
Same design, same sketch — it can be made at three different quality levels. Look at your reference brands, then locate yourself on the ladder:
Match the factory to the tier you are actually playing at — before you fall in love with a quote.
Knitwear is its own world — different machines completely, a different factory type. Don’t put sweaters and down jackets inside a woven collection:
| Normal machines — skill of the hands | Special equipment — separate factory | |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Suits, dresses, shirts, blazers | Knitwear, leather, yoga wear, wool coats & down |
| What decides quality | The hands and the QC system | The machines themselves |
| For a small brand | Keep in one collection | Keep out — or accept a second factory |
Every extra factory is extra coordination, and every bit of extra coordination is a risk to consistent quality.
Ask ChatGPT. Describe your brand honestly — style, price range, quality tier, product types — and see what it recommends.
But don’t stop there. Vet every single name yourself.
That’s exactly what I’m doing right now — next episode, factory by factory, honestly.
Solo founder → one full-service FOB partner. Splitting factories is for teams that can coordinate them.
Know your tier before you talk to factories — light luxury ≈ $500–$1,000 retail.
Right factory, not best factory. The $48 blazer in a high-end atelier is a mismatch, not a bargain.
Keep knits, leather and down out of your woven collection — every extra factory is extra risk.
Use AI to build the shortlist, then vet every name yourself.
How do I choose the right garment factory for my brand?
Three things: company size (solo → one FOB partner; team → split and coordinate), quality tier (match the factory to your retail tier), and product types (knits/leather/down need separate factories from wovens).
What is light luxury in garment production?
The tier below true luxury — roughly $500–$1,000 retail. A factory that can do light luxury can usually do high-end but cannot do cheap; a low-cost factory can never do light luxury.
Should a solo founder use a full-service FOB factory or separate factories?
One full-service FOB factory — they take the design and hand back finished garments. Even large companies use FOB to avoid the cost of a production-following department. Splitting only makes sense with a team that can coordinate.
Can one factory make both knitwear and woven garments?
Rarely, and usually not well. Knitwear runs on completely different machines. Every extra factory is extra coordination — a risk to consistent quality.