How to Vet a Clothing Supplier: Questions Worth Asking

Price is the easiest thing to compare and the least predictive of a good outcome. The questions that matter concern minimums, realistic lead times, what happens when artwork is not print-ready, whether reorders can be reproduced exactly, and how problems are handled.

Ask About Minimums Properly

A stated minimum is only half the answer. The question that matters is whether it applies per order or per size — a 50-piece minimum that allows mixed sizes across the run is a completely different proposition from one requiring 50 of each size. The first lets a small brand test across a full size range; the second forces a much larger commitment. Velocity Wear's minimum is 50 pieces per order with sizes mixed freely inside it.

Ask When Lead Times Start

This catches people out repeatedly. Production time is usually quoted from artwork approval, not from when you place the order — so any delay in proofing is added to your timeline, not absorbed by it. Establish which milestone the clock starts from, and add delivery separately. As a working guide, screen printing and embroidery run around 10–15 working days from approval, sublimation and complex jobs nearer 15–20, with tracked UK delivery adding roughly 2–5 working days.

The Questions That Predict Problems

These reveal more than a price list does.

• What happens if my artwork is not suitable — will I be told before production, and what format do you actually need?
• Can you reproduce this exact order in a year? What details should I record so a reorder matches rather than approximates?
• How closely can you match my brand colours, and does that answer change depending on the decoration method?
• What are the realistic constraints on my design — will fine detail or small text survive the method I have chosen?

Reorder Consistency Is Underrated

For uniform, club kit and any brand ordering repeatedly, the ability to reproduce an order exactly matters more than the price of the first one. A supplier who can tell you precisely which garment code, colour reference, logo dimensions, position and thread numbers were used is one whose next order will match. If nobody can answer that question, your second order will be a near-match — and near-matches are conspicuous when garments are worn side by side.

“"Anyone can get the first order right. The second one is the test."”

Understand What You Are Buying

Be clear about the model. Velocity Wear is an online supplier rather than a physical shop — you brief, proof and order online and the finished garments are delivered on a tracked service to the UK, USA, Europe and worldwide. That suits buyers who want to handle everything remotely, and it is worth confirming with any supplier so expectations match reality.

Test Before You Commit

The most reliable due diligence is a small order. A 50-piece run with mixed sizes tells you more about a supplier than any conversation — how the proofing process works, whether the finished product matches the proof, how communication is handled, and what the quality actually is in hand. Model options in the free instant price calculator and preview your design in the free Design Studio, then order small before you order big.