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Tips for Anyone Who Wants to Start a Clothing Brand

Here are some tips to any person ready to or thinking about launching their own clothing line.

Tip # 1. Don’t Rush

What I mean by this is take your time when it comes to the launch of your line. There is so much competition out there these days, setting up some social media pages with a t-shirt coming soon is not going to cut it. Have you ever got excited about a Facebook page with 12 likes and “a fresh new clothing brand coming soon”in the about me section? Me neither.

Tip # 2. If you can’t design, then pay someone who can.

Too many street wear start-ups launch their brand with just their name in a script font, screen printed on a black t-shirt. Now I’m all for supporting a brand, but you need to at least put some thought and creativity into your clothes, otherwise people will see that you are just like the rest of the clothing brands who have started and failed. If you can’t draw or design, pay someone who can. You’re going to want solid designs if you want to stand out and it doesn’t have to be expensive. A great website for design work is called Designcrowd. This site allows you to post your design brief, set your budget, then wait for designers from all over the world to post their entry and you can choose the best one.

Tip # 3 Don’t rip-off others!

Every brand wants to be as successful as Obey, Stussy and HYPE, but blatantly copying their ideas, style and ripping off their designs is not going to get you there. In fact, It’s much more likely to have a bad effect because these brands are well known, respected and their thousands of fans will know that your clothing designs aren’t original.

Tip # 4 Think outside the box.

You have probably heard this saying before and although it is much easier said then done, a good way to start off is to do a fair bit of research to gather your own ideas. Ask yourself what kind of clothing do I want to make? What are my favourite brands? What do I enjoy in life? Once you know the answers to these questions then you can start to research brands, jot down ideas, take photographs and doodle to really build a picture of the kind of street wear items you want your brand to be producing. But please don’t ignore tip number three while doing your research!

Tip # 5 Research your product.

Now that you have a few designs or ideas that you would love to see printed on a t-shirt, it’s time to look into what company you will use to provide your blanks. There are many companies which make blank clothing ready for printing so this part can be a bit overwhelming, but deciding on your budget and who your target market is will really help to narrow down the choice.

Gildan and Fruit of the loom are at the cheapest end of the scale but they tend to have a boxier fit and you’re not likely to find many reputable clothing brands printing on them.

Tultex and Anvil print a good quality tee for a reasonable price if you want a high-quality feel but your budget won’t stretch to expensive blanks.

And at the higher end are American Apparel and Alternative Apparel. While these will be expensive, the quality is exceptional and they also carry a range of colours and products which will make your brand stand out from the rest.

Tip # 6 Don’t cut corners.

If you want to be taken seriously as a brand, production is the one place you do not want to rush or cut corners.
Firstly, choose a good printing company. It is going to cost you much more time, money and effort in the long run if you decide to print with a guy in his bedroom who prints your designs wonky and gets chocolate stains on your t-shirts while he is printing them.

You can find many reputable companies by typing in “Screen printers” in Google, and don’t forget to shop around. Octomuffin and Woven Inc are rated highly in the UK.

Secondly, think about your brand image. Do you want to be thought of as a professional brand? If you do, then your going to want custom neck labels, swing tags and some neat packaging. This doesn’t have to be expensive, but little touches like that can have a lasting impression on a customer.

Lastly, don’t print too many. When you first release a design, you’ll have no idea how it will sell, so it is best to order a smaller quantity at first to test the water. Don’t worry about selling out quickly, it will make your brand look popular if you do and you can always just re-order more.

Tip # 7 Website, and photos.

You don’t need a huge budget to make a good looking and functional website, there are so many e-commerce platforms available now which offer great looking websites for a low monthly price. Big cartel, store envy, volusion and shopify are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these.

Once you have chosen your web platform, buy a domain. Domains are so cheap these days clothing brands have no excuse not to buy one, and it makes you look so much more professional when you come to launch.

Now you’re ready to upload your products and photos. It’s important to make sure you get some professional looking photos taken of your products and not ones which look like they have been taken on a 3 mega pixel phone camera. Your photos are the only way your customers can interact with your products over the web, if the photos are small, blurry or do not show enough of the products detail, you are likely to not get a sale.

Tip # 8 And now we wait.

When you first launch, the excitement might be a little too much and you’re likely to be expecting big things within in a short period of time. Try to stay grounded, things take time, a lot of time, so don’t get disheartened if you haven’t sold out in your first month and just keep going. It’s also a good idea to try and get feedback from friends and family to see if the products are actually as good as you think they are.

And that’s it, I really hope your found this article interesting and hopefully a little helpful, as I mentioned before I am not an expert in the street wear industry, but those are just some of the things I have learnt along the way.

Make sure to leave comments about what you think on the subject.

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Enjoy Kids’ Day Trips to Puffin Island Off the Anglesey Coast

If you are planning family holidays and are looking for kids’ day trips that will be both fun and educational, a cruise to Puffin Island while taking a break in Anglesey is likely to fit the bill.

Anglesey is one of the best destinations for UK family holidays, with lots of fun activities for children available, together with some beautiful scenery and all the facilities you will need for your break. There is a wide choice of accommodation, with everything from campsites to country house hotels to choose from, so there is sure to be an Anglesey holiday to suit your budget.

Once there, all you will have to worry about is picking the best activities for all the family. One that is certain to be a memorable experience is a cruise around Puffin Island – a real treat if you are keen on wildlife and something that is sure to stimulate your children’s interest in nature.

The island used to be the site of a monastic settlement, but is now uninhabited – by humans, at least. Its location in the fish-rich seas off the east coast of Anglesey, coupled with its steep cliffs, make it a perfect place for colonies of birds to call home. These qualities mean it is now a Special Protection Area, helping to ensure the seabirds’ habitat is not disturbed.

You could be forgiven for thinking you are bound to see puffins during your cruise around Puffin Island, but that may not be the case. There were once 2,000 pairs of the seabirds with the brightly-coloured bills in the colony, but rats wiped out many of them. Measures are now in place to control the rat population on the island and puffins have started to return, but don’t be surprised if you do not see any.

One of the most common species on Puffin Island, which is also known as Ynys Seiriol, is the cormorant. One of the UK’s biggest colonies of these large black seabirds live here and watching them fly and hunt is a spectacular sight.

Thousands of guillemots and razorbills live on the island, as the craggy cliffs make the perfect place for them to nest – and you are sure to marvel at the sight of them landing in seemingly impossible spots.

Kittiwakes and eider ducks are also among the residents, while you may be lucky enough to see gannets, choughs, storm petrels and peregrine falcons. Committed ornithologists are certain to love the mix of species, but they are not the only ones who will enjoy the sights and sounds of Puffin Island.

If you’re a fan of nature documentaries, you are sure to be fascinated by the action as the birds swoop through the air and plunge into the sea at high speed in the hope of catching fish. Seeing the birds up close is a very different experience to watching them on television, with the deafening noise of thousands of their calls adding to the thrill.

Your boat trip to Puffin Island will also provide you with opportunities to spot other wildlife apart from birds. A colony of grey seals live there and your children are sure to love seeing these cute creatures relaxing on the rocks. If you are very lucky, you may also get a glimpse of some bottlenose dolphins or porpoises.

There are a number of different operators running boat tours to Puffin Island, meaning you can choose from a small group trip or travelling as part of a larger party on a catamaran. If you are hoping to learn something about the birds try to book a trip with an expert guide, such as those run by RSPB Cymru.

While in Anglesey for activity holidays for families, you will find plenty of other nature-related things to do. Take a walk or a bike ride through the countryside and you will see plenty of wildlife, together with some great views.

Head to the beach and you can help the kids explore the creatures in the rock pools, before perhaps indulging in something a little more adventurous. There are lots of facilities for kayaking, diving and windsurfing on the coast, or you could hire a boat for a relaxing fishing trip.

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Scheduling Summer Camp – Too Much or Too Little? 5 Considerations to Help You Find the Right Balance

School is almost out for the year. No more rushing around in the mornings, packing lunches, arranging carpools or cajoling your kids to do their homework, but wait…what are you going to do with them all summer? Maybe you have extensive vacation plans, or have kids who love to lounge around all day and can happily entertain themselves. For parents who work full-time summer camps may be their childcare option. But many parents are faced with an empty summer schedule wondering how to fill it. Here are 5 points to consider:

  1. Budget – Following a budget makes deciding how many summer camps to choose a fairly easy decision. (Sometimes it’s good to have boundaries). The only question becomes how to spend your allocated budget. Is 1 or 2 weeks at a high priced camp worth more than twice as many weeks at a lower priced camp?
  2. Friends’ Plans – Do your kids have a lot of friends who will be gone or otherwise occupied for the summer or do most of them have laid back summer plans and will likely be coming around asking your child to play with them? Will your kids miss out on casual play dates because they are over-scheduled? Or will they be bored because all of their friends are at camp or on vacation?
  3. Alternatives – If your kids are not in a camp, what will they be doing during the day? Are they avid readers and happy to entertain themselves all day? Or will they be watching TV, playing video games and whining about how bored they are? If the latter sounds like your child, explore camp options soon before your first choices are full.
  4. Exposure to Other Friends – Summer can be a great time for your kids to hang out with friends they don’t get to see during the school year. Meeting up with family friends, neighborhood pals and classmates from previous schools is sometimes a lower priority during a hectic school year. Signing up for a camp with a friend is a great way for the kids to reconnect and keep that friendship alive.
  5. Parental Talents – Think long, hard and honestly about your own willingness and ability to entertain your children throughout the day. Are you the type of parent who savors the thought of spending an idyllic summer hanging out with the kids and already has a plan of activities to keep them entertained? Or do you start having mild anxiety attacks in May when you realize there is only a month of school left? If you have more than one child, consider the interests of your children and how easy/difficult it will be to find common activities for everyone. Also think about the ages of your children. If you have a 7 year old who is full of energy is she better off at a summer camp or at home trying to stay quiet while her 2 year old brother takes a nap every afternoon?

Summer camps provide wonderful opportunities for fun, friendship and new opportunities. Think about the points above as you plan your summer. If you are unsure, half-day camps are a great way to go. Above all, try to create fond memories this summer for your children.