Wholesale Hoodies for US Brands: What to Look For
By The Velocity Wear Team
If you're building a clothing brand in the US, hoodies are probably near the top of your product list. They carry good margins, sell most of the year and give your artwork room to breathe. Where you buy them from shapes your margins, your quality and how different your brand looks.
Two routes
Route one: buy stock blanks from a distributor and decorate them. Fast, low minimums, familiar sizing. But lots of other brands use the same blanks, and customers increasingly notice.
Route two: work with a supplier who makes and decorates hoodies to your spec. You choose weight, fit, color and details, add your own labels, and end up with a product that's genuinely yours. There's a minimum and a lead time.
Specs to decide before you ask for quotes
- Fabric weight in GSM or oz/yd².
- Fiber composition, for example 80% cotton and 20% polyester, or 100% cotton.
- Inner finish: brushed fleece or French terry.
- Fit: regular, relaxed or oversized with dropped shoulders.
- Details: double-layer hood, drawcords or none, rib weight, pocket style.
- Branding: print, embroidery, neck label, hang tags, packaging.
If two quotes aren't for the same spec, you can't compare them. Put it in writing.
Understand landed cost
The unit price is only part of it. Add decoration, labels, packaging, freight, any import duties, and the cost of getting it from the port or courier to you. That full number is what your retail price and margin should be built on. For imported apparel, a customs broker can tell you how your goods will be classified and what applies.
Minimums that fit a growing brand
Many overseas factories ask for hundreds of pieces per color. That's a lot of risk for a brand with a few thousand followers. Our minimum is 20 per design with sizes mixed, and pricing improves at 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000, so you can start small and scale into better unit costs.
Labeling for the US market
Apparel sold in the US needs a label showing fiber content, country of origin and the identity of the manufacturer or dealer, plus care instructions. Get your label content right before production, because labels are made alongside the garments. Don't claim Made in USA on goods produced elsewhere.
Scale your colors gradually
New brands often launch with five colors because it looks like a full range. Then three of them sit. Launch your core hoodie in one or two proven colors, black and heather gray are the safest, and add a seasonal color once you have sales data. Each extra colorway is another design at the minimum, so being selective protects your cash.
Sampling before committing
Before your first wholesale run, get a sample in your chosen weight and color. Wash it five times, check shrinkage and pilling, and wear it for a week. It's the cheapest insurance a brand can buy.
Planning drops around demand
Hoodie sales peak from fall through the holidays. Plan your biggest drops for that window and use spring and summer for lighter pieces or restocks.
Questions to ask any supplier
- 1Can I get a sample in my chosen fabric and fit first?
- 2What's the lead time from artwork approval, and what happens if it slips?
- 3Can you do custom neck labels and packaging?
- 4Will reorders match, and how do you keep colors consistent?
- 5What currency do you invoice in?
Our answers: yes to samples, 10 to 15 working days, yes to labels and packaging, and we invoice in US dollars among seven currencies. See custom hoodies or cost your run on the calculator.
