The Birth of a Clothing Line

Jul 15, 2008 - 14:17 PM PST




I get a lot of questions from friends, family, and fans about how I started my clothing line (StarCore Clothing), and the answer isn’t entirely typical. When I was little my dream wasn’t to grow up and own my own clothing line – I had big plans of studying outer space. However, I've always been into altering clothing whether it is because something didn't fit correctly or because I couldn't find what I had pictured in my head. When I was 19 I took just altering my clothing one step further, I began heat-pressing designs I created onto shirts. Now these prints were everything short of spectacular. Heat pressing is quick and cheap and they'd only withstand a few washes before the design would start to crack, flake and peel off. Of course this quality was fine with me - I got the shirt I wanted and for a cheaper price than anything I would never wear in an American Eagle.

My friends would see me in the clothing I created and would request a shirt or two for themselves. I would also post my design son online communities I was apart of and people I had never met before were willing to pay me for a creation of mine. Before I knew it, I was knee deep in designs, my carpet was a burnt mess (from all the heat pressing), and my fingers had more needle wounds than a junkies arm. Design, print, and sew. I had completely plunged into this project and I fell in love.

It eventually became too much for one woman to do all by herself. I was going to school and working at the time, and getting more requests than I could handle. I could have always turned down some requests when times were too busy, but I loved doing it and loved seeing my creations on others... enter the beginning of StarCore Clothing.

I decided to invest in this hobby that I loved so much and would get apparel professionally printed with my designs. With this decision made, there was no turning back. I have a way of completely involving myself into projects that I do 2,000% with determination so fierce that failure doesn’t stand a chance.

My next step was researching printers, costs, shirts, turnarounds, and all other variables involved with getting clothing items mass-produced. I chose the design, I chose the printers, and I was ready to get my first official batch of shirts. Having professionally printed shirts made me feel comfortable setting up an online store and selling to consumers who had never looked, touched, and felt the clothing first-hand. The quality was instantly better, just like any t-shirt in a department store. I used my knowledge of Internet marketing and my passion for the clothing line I had created to get my line known. As the fan base grew, so did the clothing line, eventually evolving into what it is today. StarCore Clothing has had dozens of different designs printed on shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, and polo’s, and all have sold well throughout the years. Although I've never had any paid advertising campaigns and the majority of people put there have not [yet] been exposed to StarCore Clothing, I have found a great niche of fans that love and support what I do. Five years and thousands of shirts later, it is those fans and friends that have kept me going.


Tips and tricks I've learned along the way:
Looking for printers can be an exhausting and sometimes confusing task. There are hundreds of places online and down the street that you can find to print clothing, but finding the right place can be tricky. My advice would be to find a DIY (Do It Yourself) style company. DIYer's are in it because they love it. They generally offer great pricing and customer service. They'll work with you every step of the way because they aren't just in it for the paycheck, they are in it because it's a passion of theirs and they want to make you happy. Most companies have a sample pack they can ship you if you are uneasy about choosing a company before seeing any of their work.

Keep prices reasonable. Many factors will go into how much a shirt costs to actually get printed, so pricing will vary on different styles, but keep it affordable for your audience. The consumers appreciate something they love and can afford. Of course do not sell yourself short by any means, but set prices so that you make what you need without ripping people off. The consumer will show their appreciation by becoming a repeat shopper and those repeat shoppers can also become great word of mouth advertisers.


Visit: www.starxcoreclothing.com
http://www.starxcoreclothing.com