To create custom clothing, you need custom quoting
It might seem like a simple request to get a rough production price for a garment, however, to calculate production prices, there is quite a lot involved, and we don’t want to give the wrong price. Here we explain what information we need in order to:
- Calculate correct production cost, and
- Ensure clothes are produced correctly.
What impacts the production prices:
- Your design and the machinery required
- Fabrics: What fabric type, GSM and treatments? What is the MOQ from the fabric supplier, what is the current price on the fabric (can fluctuate). Or are we custom-milling your fabric?
- Measurements and sizes: What is the fabric consumption after we have calculated how to lay the patterns on the fabric.
- Colours: Are we sourcing stock fabric colours, or are we custom dyeing?
- Prints: Are we sourcing stock prints, or are we designing and producing custom prints, and what print method?
- QTY per style/colour (the higher the QTY the lower the prices)
- Trims and finishings and the current prices
- Branding and packaging
- Factory and country (this is determined once we know all of the above)
- Certification requirements (audits for certifications are expensive)
What’s included in the production pricing
We provide FOB prices (finished garments with labels and packed in polybags delivered to port). Export costs from port are additional. We can provide full logistics service door to door including customs clearance via air or sea.
Branding and / or special packaging is an additional cost but we can arrange for this to be designed, produced and delivered to the factory for assembly (the cost of assembly is included in FOB prices).
Development costs
Whilst it is in everybody’s interest to forecast and estimate all costs in advance, the process of development is intricate and relies on many moving parts and parties. The prices and exchange rates on fabrics and trims fluctuate. Some costs may not be 100% clarified until the product has been developed and confirmed for bulk order. The development timeframe also relies on the client; how many changes are made, how complex the styles are, and how long it takes to source or produce fabrics and trims. The longer the sample development takes, the higher the risk of price change.
We have been estimating production costs based on tech packs for a long time and rarely experience the estimates change of any significance, however, every project is unique and nothing is 100% until the final sample is signed off as approved and bulk production is placed with final confirmed prices.
All though the clients pay for samples (between x 2 or x 3 of FOB each sample), these prices are too low to cover the cost of running the sample rooms, sourcing, leasing with suppliers and all the processes and communication that happen in the development stage. Investing in development for a new client is a risk for the factory especially when taking on a start-up business that doesn’t guarantee a bulk order big enough to recoup the development cost. There will always be a portion of risk for all parties involved, however, to minimise risk and maximise the success rate for both our clients and the factory, we have developed some streamlined systems to help the process; making it as time and cost-effectively as possible. We all want the same outcome; for our clients to grow a successful business.



WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO REQUEST A PRICE QUOTATION FROM GARMENT MANUFACTURERS
1 TECH PACK

1. TECH PACKS
Tech packs are essential for the entire process for calculating production quotes, development of samples, bulk production and quality control. Tech packs are your first and most important investment when creating a clothing brand. Without high-quality tech packs, you can end up with wrongly priced and wrongly made products.
Once you have a price quotation, you’ll have the opportunity to make calculated decisions before you set up with a factory and invest in physical samples. You can also make vital final design decisions before you invest time and money in the sampling process. There are many ways to alter the cost and perceived value of a garment. Once you have a reliable quotation, you can tweak your design, fabrics, trims, number of colourways, styles, sizes, and total order quantity or you can shop around with various garment manufacturers for quotations.
A tech pack means you are keeping record of your designs – it’s your proof of purchase. Tech Packs are updated throughout the sampling process, any change in design is to be reflected in the updated tech pack for the next round of sampling. If you run into problems during the sampling or bulk production process, you can always revert back to your Tech Pack to assess where the issue has come from.
WHAT’S INCLUDED A TECH PACK?
A quality tech pack consists of precise digital CAD drawings, spec measurements, sizing, fabrication, colours, print specifications, labelling, branding placements and maker instructions that must to be explained in a clear yet simple way for any manufacturer speaking any language to easily understand. A reference sample is helpful for the fashion designer to estimate spec measurements.
You also need to specify which size to make your samples in, which should be the size you will use for your fitting – model and photoshoot. Note: Grading of sizes is only created after you have approved your final approved Proto or SMS sample. Read more about: sample types, cost and lead times.
If the instructions are not clear, the physical sampling process can be quite tedious, expensive and not very eco-friendly. This often results in a frustrated and strained relationship with your manufacturer and it’s just not a sustainable way to move forward with your brand.
The more precise and detailed the information provided, the more accurate the quotation will be. Your tech pack also acts as your proof of purchase containing all the details about the product you ordered for both sample and bulk production processes. At Visionise we have fine-tuned our Tech Pack format over the years, and it has proven to make life easier for both our clients, designers and manufacturers.
By investing in tech packs you are avoiding costly and time-consuming setbacks during the sample development and bulk production

HOW MUCH DOES TECH PACKS COST?
We quote tech packs based on their level of complexity and the time that it will take to develop each one. We categorise the styles into groups of Basic, Intermediate and Complex, and prices range from $400 to $750.
HOW TO GET A QUOTE?
We will provide you a design handover template which is made in a format where you can easily communicate your design ideas to us; prompting you to provide us all the information we need to quote and create the tech packs.
NEED HELP?
If you like help with finalising your design brief before proceeding with tech packs, then a 1:1 with one of our senior Designers can provide you with valuable clarity and confidence on how to move forward with your design idea. Our highly experienced Designers will help you with fabric selection/sourcing, clarify production feasibilities, guidance on how to design to a specific budget or questions you have regarding the entire Design, Development, and Production process. She will guide you effectively and recommend the best steps to achieve your business objectives.

2. INTENDED PO (Purchase Order)
A Purchase Order (PO) is a commercial document and first official offer issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating types, quantities, and agreed prices for products. As prices are not yet known when requesting a quotation, an Intended PO is needed to indicate to the manufacturer the QTY (quantities)by style specifying for each: fabrics, colour-ways and sizes.
The quantities ordered (by style and colour) generally make a fairly large difference in price, this is mostly because:
- MOQ’S (minimum order quantities) from fabric suppliers. If your order don’t meet the MOQ, there will usually be up-charges to split the material.
- The process of production is more efficient when making multiples of the same style using the same material as opposed to changing style and fabrics because the process of changing machine set-up and fabrics can be time-consuming.
- The development and sampling process is costly and time-consuming for the manufacturer, they rely on bulk orders to compensate it, so the larger the order, the more profitable for them, hence the prices and can be reduced.
These are questions you want to ask when sourcing garment manufacturers and requesting a quotation:
- Is there a MOQ per style order?
- Is there MOQ on the fabric, and if i don’t use all on my first order, can i store the fabric with the factory?
- Is there a MOQ per colour?
- Is there a MOQ per size?
