Starting your own clothing line in the UK is an exciting venture, but how much should you budget for it in 2025? While the numbers vary depending on your goals, the process itself follows several clear stages: from design and development to sampling, production, and launching your brand.
At Hook and Eye UK, we work with start-ups and scaling brands daily, guiding them through each step with professional, live support that’s rarely offered in this industry. Here’s a realistic breakdown of what it takes—and what it might cost—to start your clothing brand the right way.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Clothing Line: The Essential Components
Many aspiring designers wonder how much it costs to start a clothing line, and the answer varies based on production scale and business model, keep in mind all costs are + 20% VAT for UK residents. Let’s break down the core expenses you’ll encounter.
Tech Pack and Design Costs
Think of your tech pack as your brand’s blueprint. It’s the single most important document in the development process. Every person in the production chain—from pattern cutters to sample makers and bulk manufacturers—relies on the information in your tech pack.
At Hook and Eye UK, we offer live tech pack sessions with trained industry designers—no endless emails, no confusion. We guide you through garment construction, fabric selection, graphics, and industry best practices, giving you clarity and creative control.
Cost (2025):
Online session: £73–£86/hour
In-person session: £83–£102/hour
Be cautious of “cheap” tech packs found online, especially on platforms like Fiverr. These often miss critical construction details, resulting in flawed samples and wasted budgets. Remember if it looks too good to be true it usually is!
Explore Our Tech Pack Services
Sampling Costs: Seeing Your Design Come to Life
Sampling is where your idea begins to take physical shape. It's more than just creating a garment—it's about testing fit, fabric, construction, and graphics to ensure your final product meets expectations.
At Hook and Eye, our sampling unit costs reflect UK wage rates and cover far more than just the stitching of a garment. These costs include:
- Sample development
- Sample reviews and reporting
- Production construction guides
- Quality control (QC) guideline checks
In short, we act as your in-house development team. Our seamless integration with our China manufacturing team ensures that your samples are built with premium precision, while our UK experts handle all the development stages to save you time, money, and costly mistakes.
We understand that sampling costs vary based on design complexity, the number of styles, and additional colourways. We offer discounts for grouped sampling or multiple colour options, helping you stay flexible as you test your ideas.
Unlike some manufacturers that offer a “1 free sample” in exchange for a bulk order commitment, we strongly advise against committing to bulk production before seeing sample quality. A sample should be your opportunity to assess craftsmanship, not a shortcut to lock into contracts. That’s why we always recommend—and provide—at least one independent sampling round without any commitment to ensure your brand maintains control over quality and next steps.
Cost (2025):
Basic sample range: £150–£175
Advanced or multi-element designs: £235+
Discounted rates for grouped sampling and multi-colourways
Contact us here to ask for our Estimated Pricing Guide which gives average sampling, pattern cutting, unit and shipping costs on our most purchased styles.
Sample Development: Refining Your Product
At Hook and Eye UK we have several protocols in place to try to get to sample approval in just 1 round and always offer a free pre-production round of sampling to allow for approval of any tweaks however it’s rare in industry to get everything perfect on the first try. With other manufactures most brands go through several rounds of revisions to get their samples right (typically discounted 30-50% from initial samples). This is where updated tech packs, re-fitting, and fine-tuning costs come in.
Once you have your samples in hand, we also offer a free live development session with our head garment developer to discuss tweaks, update tech packs, and prepare for bulk production - a service that would typically cost £150-300 elsewhere. This ensures you're ready for production without extra guesswork.
Bulk Production: Bringing Your Line to Market
Clothing production minimum order quantities often start at 50-100 pieces per style, which significantly impacts your initial investment. Your production costs will depend on:
● Order volume (higher quantities = lower per-unit costs)
● Fabric quality
● Construction complexity
● Graphic applications
● Production location
● Level of service from the manufacturer
Depending on your chosen quality level, basic t-shirts, bulk production might cost £8-25 per unit, while more complex garments like dresses or jackets could range from £20-50+ per unit.
As previously mentioned, we always offer pre-production samples free of charge to ensure the final product matches your approved version. And unlike many manufacturers, we’re integrated with our UK development and China manufacturing teams, so you don’t have to manage the process alone.
The Real Cost of Starting a Clothing Line: Beyond Production
The cost of starting a clothing line includes many expenses beyond design and manufacturing. Let’s explore these additional essential investments:
Marketing and Brand Development
Your clothing line startup costs must include marketing to build brand awareness, remember that brands trying to show a more premium aesthetic will need a higher budget in this area:
● Brand development (logo, identity, packaging): £500-5,000 *if you’re pretty tech savvy, have a clear vision and want a simple logo this can be done by yourself for free*
● Product photography: £300-2,000 per collection *making connections with as many different photographers as possible is very important to find a style you like*
● Website creation: £500-15,000 (depending on functionality)
● Social media management: £250-1,000 monthly (if outsourced)
Logistics and Operations
When calculating expenses to start a clothing line, don’t overlook these operational necessities:
● Garment storage: Most small brands start by storing inventory at home, but as you grow, storage costs can range from £100-500+ monthly, depending on volume and location
● Shipping: Determine your shipping strategy early. Many brands offer free local shipping and build this cost (£3-10 per package) into their retail prices *this doesn’t usually include international shipping and there is often a minimum spend*
● Packaging: £1-5 per unit for branded packaging materials
● Order fulfilment: £3-10 per order if outsourced
Legal and Administrative Requirements
Essential expenses to start a clothing line include these business foundations:
● Business registration: £12-100
● Trademark registration: £170-250 per class
● Insurance: £200-1,000 annually
● Accounting setup: £200-1,000
Final Thoughts: What’s the Total Cost?
A small capsule collection of 3–5 designs (with a decent first run) can realistically cost £5,000–£12,000 to launch in the UK, depending on your product complexity and launch scale. Cutting corners may seem appealing, but the most expensive mistakes come from unclear tech packs, rushed sampling, or poor-quality production.
Want to Build It Right From the Start?
At Hook and Eye UK, we don’t just offer a service—we partner with brands to bring their vision to life the right way. From your first sketch to final delivery, our integrated team supports you with professional design, development, and production that prioritises quality and long-term brand success.
Let’s create something great together. Get in touch with us today!
Hope you found this helpful,
H&E team :)
