From Our Resources
Clothing Manufacturing Costs: Why a First Call Can't Quote
By Nailya Belkacemi, Founder, CMT Studio | Published
Clothing manufacturing costs come up on almost every first call we have. Today was no exception.
I had a Discovery Call with a designer this afternoon. It was a good conversation. She knew exactly how she wanted her brand to feel, and she'd clearly done her homework. Then, quite naturally, the budget question came up: roughly how much will this cost?
I couldn't answer. Not because I didn't want to, and not because I didn't know how. I simply couldn't.
There were no sketches yet, not even a simple moodboard. No fabrics had been chosen, and nobody knew the finishes. Any number I gave at that point would have been a guess, and a guess dressed up as a quote does more harm than good.
Why an Experienced Manufacturer Can't Price a Dress on Sight
Some of you may be puzzled. We've been making evening wear, bridal and corsetry for over twenty years. Surely we can cost a garment with our eyes closed?
It's a fair question, and the honest answer is no. Experience tells us what to ask. It doesn't tell us the answer before we've asked it. That's why any figure mentioned at the discovery stage should be taken with a pinch of salt, whether it comes from us or from any other manufacturer.
The BMW Problem: What a Name Tells You About Price
Think about buying a car. You walk into a showroom and say you want a BMW. What does that tell either of you about the price? Very little. A compact hatchback and a top-of-the-range saloon wear the same badge.
Even once you've picked the model, the dealer can't give you a final figure until you've chosen the engine size, the colour, the interior finish and the extras. Every choice moves the number.
Garment manufacturing works in much the same way.
- The model is the garment itself. A bias-cut slip dress and a boned corset dress are both "a dress" in conversation. In the studio, they're completely different jobs.
- The engine is the construction: boning, structure, layers and lining.
- The colour is your fabric. Silk crepe de chine behaves very differently under the needle from a stable cotton, and it takes longer to cut and sew.
- The interior finish is your internal finishing: French seams, bound edges, hand-finished hems, a fully lined bodice.
- The extras are the details: hand-beading, covered buttons, rouleau loops, embellished panels.
So "an evening dress" is a bit like "a BMW". It's a starting point, not a specification.
From Sketch to Estimate: Close, But Never Exact
Once we know those details, we can give you an estimate close to the real cost. Close, though. Not exact.
This is where we part ways with BMW. Their cars come off a production line, and each model is built the same way thousands of times. Our garments are made by people, by hand. At the end of the industry we work in, a piece is often a one-off or part of a very small run. Two gowns cut from the same pattern can still need different amounts of hand work, especially in fluid silk or with beading.
That's why we never confirm an exact production price until the pre-production sample is complete. By then, every question has been answered in fabric, and the price is based on a garment that exists rather than a description of one.
Two Things That Move Your Price After the Estimate
Even with sketches, fabrics and finishes agreed, two more things shape what you finally pay.
The number of revisions. Development is charged by the hour, and our sampling rate is £40 per hour plus VAT. A design that's resolved after one fitting costs less to develop than one that changes direction three times. Neither is wrong. Changing your mind is part of designing. But every round of changes takes time, and at this stage, time is what you're paying for. If a change is needed because we made a mistake, we put it right at no charge.
Your order size. Our London studio produces from 4 pieces in one colour across 2 sizes, and bridal has no minimum at all. Pricing works on a sliding scale. Cutting, setting up and learning a new style takes much the same time whether we make four pieces or forty, so the cost per piece changes with the quantity.
What to Bring If You Want to Talk Numbers
You don't need a tech pack yet, though it helps if you have one. We work with designers at every stage of readiness. If you'd like a realistic cost conversation, these will get you most of the way there:
- sketches, even rough ones, or a moodboard with reference images
- your fabric, a swatch, or at least the fabric type you have in mind
- the finishes you expect inside the garment
- any embellishment or special details
- a rough idea of quantity and sizes
- your budget, if you have one
That last point deserves a word. Sharing a budget isn't giving away your negotiating position. It tells us where to steer the fabric, the construction and the finishes, so the garment lands where you need it to.
Why the First Call Is Where Your Estimate Starts
So if you book a call with us and we don't give you a number straight away, please don't read it as us dodging the question. It's quite the opposite. We'd rather spend that time understanding what you're making than hand you a figure you'll plan your launch around, only to revise it later.
The Discovery Call is where we learn about your concept, your customer and your timeline. By the end of it, you'll know exactly what we need from you to price your collection properly, and roughly how development will run from there.
Have a collection in mind?
Book a complimentary Discovery Call on Zoom. Bring whatever you have, whether that's a sketch, a moodboard or a single fabric swatch, and we'll tell you what we need to give you a meaningful estimate.
Already have designs and want a proper look at costing and your route to production? 60-Minute Clarity Call, £175 + VAT or 90-Minute Clarity Call, £250 + VAT
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