You've validated demand on Shopify — now you need product that's good, compliant and doesn't sink your cash flow. Here's the path, in order.
Direct-to-consumer changes the sourcing math. You don't have a buyer's purchase order de-risking the run — your own cash funds the inventory, and you'd rather sell through a tight first drop than sit on a warehouse of unsold sizes. That makes MOQ, lead time and consistency matter more than shaving the last dollar off unit price.
Gauge, yarn, measurements, construction and trims on one document. A vague brief is the No. 1 cause of bad samples and slow timelines.
A 250-piece-per-style minimum lets you launch a capsule across a couple of colorways without a 1,000-unit Asian commitment. Test, then reorder your winners.
A proto to prove the look, a fit sample on your block, a pre-production sample that is the bulk standard. Approve nothing you wouldn't ship.
FTC fiber and care labels, country of origin, and — for cotton — traceability for UFLPA. Cheaper to get right at the factory than to relabel later.
Decide EXW, FOB or DDP, and route to your fulfillment center. Roughly two-week ocean transit from Turkey keeps the timeline DTC-friendly.
Map the money against the calendar: sampling cost up front, a deposit at bulk confirmation, balance before shipment, then the lag until sell-through. A lower MOQ and a ~two-week lane both shorten the gap between cash out and cash back — which, for a self-funded DTC brand, is the metric that actually keeps you alive.
Send a tech pack or even a reference sample. We'll come back with a capacity check, indicative pricing and a sample timeline within a business day — straight from the founder.
