From Your Idea to a Finished Garment in 7 Steps

You have an idea for custom menswear. Maybe it is a sketch on a napkin, a tech pack from your designer, or just a photo of something you saw online and want to make your own. Whatever stage you are at, here is exactly what happens when you work with us, from first message to a finished carton of garments at your door. No middlemen. No guessing. One contact person handles your entire order from start to finish.

Timeline: Day 1–3

Step 1: Tell Us What You Need

Send us your idea through email, WhatsApp, or the quote form on this site. You can share a tech pack, a reference image, a rough sketch, or even just a written description of what you want. If you do not have a tech pack, that is completely fine. Most of our clients start with a reference photo and a few notes. 

What you send us: Product type (polo, hoodie, activewear, etc.), reference images or tech pack, preferred fabric and weight, print or embroidery details, target quantity per style per color, and your target unit price if you have one. 

What we do: We review your brief, check fabric availability, assess production feasibility, and reply within 24 hours with initial feedback and questions.

Timeline: Day 3-5

Step 2: Receive Your Detailed Quote

Once we understand your requirements, we send you a formal quotation. This is not a vague price range. It is a detailed document that breaks down exactly what you are paying for. 

Your quote includes: Fabric specification (composition, weight in GSM, finish), unit price with quantity tiers, sample fee and timeline, bulk production timeline, printing or embroidery cost breakdown, packaging details, payment terms (standard: 50% deposit, 50% before shipping), and available trade terms (FOB Guangzhou/Shenzhen, CIF, or DDP). 

Every quote is line-by-line transparent. If something affects your price, we explain why. We do not hide costs in vague "production fees."

Timeline: Day 5–12 (sample production: 5–7 working days)

Step 3: We Make Your Sample

After you approve the quote and pay the sample fee, we make a pre-production sample. This is a physical garment made exactly to your specifications: your fabric, your color, your print or embroidery, your sizing. 

Sample fee: $50–$150 per style, depending on complexity. This fee is credited toward your bulk order, so if you proceed to production, the sample is effectively free. 

Shipping: We ship your sample via DHL or FedEx at our expense. You pay nothing for delivery. Typical transit time is 3–7 days depending on your country. 

Need it faster? Rush sampling is available for an additional 30–50% fee, bringing the timeline down to 3–5 working days.

Timeline: Day 12–20 (depends on your review speed)

Step 4: Review, Refine, Approve

When the sample arrives, examine it carefully. Check the fabric weight, the stitching quality inside and out, the print or embroidery detail, and measure every dimension against your size chart. 

Our recommendation: Wash the sample 3 times before approving. This is the single best test for print durability, fabric shrinkage, and color fastness. If it still looks right after 3 washes, your bulk order will too. 

Minor adjustments (a slight size tweak, a color shift, moving a logo position) can be made directly and confirmed with updated photos. Major changes require a second sample, which takes another 5–7 working days. 

Take your time with this step. A careful sample approval is the single most important thing you can do to ensure a successful bulk order. We do not rush you.

Timeline: Day 20–35 (production: 10–15 working days for 50–200 pieces; 15–20 days for 200–500 pieces)

Step 5: Bulk Production Begins

Once you approve the sample and pay the 50% production deposit, we begin. Fabric is sourced (often already in stock at our Shaxi cluster suppliers), cut, sewn, printed or embroidered, and finished. 

You are never in the dark. Every 3–5 days during production, we send you progress updates with photos: fabric arrival confirmation, cut panels, sewing floor shots, print or embroidery close-ups, and finished pieces before packing. 

If anything unexpected comes up during production, we flag it immediately. No surprises at the end.

Timeline: Day 35–37 (2–3 working days)

Step 6: Quality Inspection

Before anything goes into a carton, every piece goes through our final quality check using AQL 2.5 standard, the same sampling inspection level used by major international brands. 

What we check: Fabric quality and consistency, stitching integrity (seams, hems, bartacks), print alignment, color accuracy, and adhesion, embroidery detail and thread trimming, sizing accuracy (measured against your approved spec, tolerance within plus or minus 1cm on major points), label placement, and overall finishing. 

We photograph the QC process and send you the inspection report for approval before packing. If you prefer a third-party inspection through SGS, QIMA, or another agency, we fully cooperate and make our facility available.

Timeline: Day 37–45 (packing: 1–2 days + transit time varies by method)

Step 7: Packing and Shipping

After you approve the QC report and pay the remaining 50% balance, we pack and ship. 

Packing: Each piece is individually poly-bagged with your hang tags and labels. Pieces are packed by size and color into export cartons. Custom packaging (branded bags, tissue paper, box inserts) is available on request. 

We support multiple shipping methods and trade terms. After shipping, you receive: Tracking number, packing list, commercial invoice, and certificate of origin (if needed for tariff benefits such as ChAFTA for Australia).

We support multiple shipping methods and trade terms:

Shipping Nethods
International Express (DHL/FedEx/UPS): 3–7 days

Best For: Urgent orders, small shipments (under 100kg)

Air Freight: 5–10 days

Best For: Medium shipments, time-sensitive orders

Sea Freight: 15–35 days

Best For: Large orders, cost-sensitive shipments

Trade Terms
FOB Guangzhou / Shenzhen

We handle everything to the port. You arrange shipping from the port onward.

CIF (Cost + Insurance + Freight)

We arrange shipping to your destination port. You handle customs clearance.

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)

After shipping, you receive: Tracking number, packing list, commercial invoice, and certificate of origin (if needed for tariff benefits such as ChAFTA for Australia).

How Long Does It Actually Take?

Here is a realistic timeline for a typical first order of 100 pieces:
Phase Duration Cumulative
Quote and communication 3–5 days Day 5
Sample production 5–7 working days Day 12
Sample shipping to you 3–7 days (DHL/FedEx) Day 19
Your review and approval 3–7 days (your pace) Day 26
Bulk production 10–15 working days Day 41
QC and packing 2–3 days Day 44
Sea freight to destination 15–35 days Day 59–79

Total for 100 pieces via sea freight: approximately 60–80 days from first contact to your door. Via air freight: 45–55 days. Via express courier: 40–50 days. 

Repeat orders are significantly faster. We already have your patterns, fabric records, and production notes on file. A reorder of the same style can be completed in 10–15 working days plus shipping.

6 Things That Affect Your Timeline

Fabric availability.

Common fabrics are in stock and arrive in 1–3 days. Specialty fabrics like custom-dyed or organic blends may take 7–15 days.

Print and embroidery complexity.

A simple one-color chest logo adds zero extra time. All-over sublimation or multi-color screen printing with 4+ screens adds 2–5 days to production.

Number of SKUs.

One style in 3 sizes and 1 color is fast. The same style in 6 sizes and 4 colors means more cutting, more sorting, more packing. Plan accordingly.

Factory peak season.

Mar–May and Sep–Nov are peak months. Lead times may be 30–50% longer. Plan early if your deadline falls in these windows.

Sample revision rounds.

Each round of revisions adds roughly 7–10 days. The more detailed your original brief, the fewer rounds you'll need. Get it right the first time to save weeks.

Your approval speed.

Production starts once you approve the sample and pay the deposit. The faster you confirm, the sooner we ship. We'll send reminders to keep things on track.

What Can Be Customized?

Short answer: nearly everything. Here is the full scope of what we can customize for your order:
Customization What We Can Do Notes
Fabric Specify composition (100% cotton, polyester, cotton-poly blends, performance fabrics), weight (GSM), hand feel, stretch, and finish. We recommend fabrics based on your product type and budget. Free fabric swatches available.
Color Pantone color matching for precise brand consistency. Custom dye runs available. Standard colors from stock fabric ship faster. Custom dye requires MOQ 50pcs minimum.
Pattern / Cut Develop new patterns from your tech pack or reference garment. Custom fit, sizing, length adjustments. If you do not have a tech pack, we can develop one based on a reference sample you send us.
Sizing Custom size charts (S–3XL standard, extended sizes available). Adjusted for your target market. Australian sizing runs larger than Asian sizing. We adjust.
Printing Screen printing (up to 8 colors), DTG (digital direct-to-garment), heat transfer, sublimation (all-over print). Screen printing is most cost-effective at volume. DTG is best for photo-quality or small runs.
Embroidery Flat embroidery, 3D puff embroidery, applique embroidery. We digitize your logo in-house. Max embroidery area depends on garment location.
Labels & Tags Custom woven labels (main label, size label, care label), custom hang tags, custom packaging. Woven labels require 1,000pc minimum order from the label supplier, but we stock common formats.
Packaging Individual poly bags (standard), branded tissue paper, custom mailer bags, retail-ready box packaging. Custom packaging quoted separately. Turnaround 5–7 days on top of production.

Pricing and Minimum Order Quantities

We are built for small and medium orders. Here are our minimum quantities:
Order Type MOQ Description
Custom cut-and-sew (new design) 50 pieces per style per color Full custom: new pattern, chosen fabric, your branding. This is our standard custom production.
Blank garments + your logo No minimum We use our existing blank stock and add your logo via print or embroidery, plus custom labels. Perfect for orders under 50 pieces.
Existing style, new color or label 50 pieces per style per color Use a pattern we already have on file. Faster and slightly cheaper.
Reorder (returning client) 30 pieces per style per color We have your patterns and fabric records. Streamlined production at reduced MOQ.

What does custom menswear actually cost?

Pricing depends on fabric, construction, decoration, and quantity. To give you a concrete reference, here is real pricing for one of our most popular products, a 300gsm cotton printed hoodie:
Quantity Unit Price (USD) Cost Efficiency
50 pieces $12–$16 Entry level. Good for first-order testing.
100 pieces $10–$13 The sweet spot. Best balance of cost and risk.
300 pieces $8–$11 Optimal range. Full economies of scale kick in.
500+ pieces $7–$9 Maximum value. Ideal for proven sellers scaling up.

Our first-order recommendation: Start with 50–100 pieces in 1–2 styles and 2–3 colors. Use it as a test run to evaluate fabric quality, print consistency, sizing accuracy, communication, and how we handle problems. If everything checks out, increase your next order to 200–300 pieces and enjoy better unit pricing.

Ready to Get Started?

You do not need a perfect plan. You do not need a tech pack. You just need an idea and a rough quantity, and we will handle the rest.

Tell us about your project and we will get back to you within 24 hours with a plan, a price, and a timeline.

Or reach out directly:
• Email: jessie@gzgoodley.com
• WhatsApp: +86 137 6079 4016

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