Having been in the wholesale clothing business for some time we’ve encountered a few unbelievable facts and pieces of trivia relating to apparel that we thought we’d share with you.

Questions you never even knew needed answering….

1) Why do women’s polo shirts have their buttons on the opposite side to the men’s polo shirt?

Traditionally women did not dress themselves but rather they had handmaidens to help them out. Because of this, garment manufacturers placed the buttons on the left side where a right-handed maid would best be able to do them up. This Medieval practice has since influenced fashion to the point it is now customary for all ladies polo shirts to have their buttons on the left-hand side!

2) Has ‘Pre-shrunk’ clothing ever been washed?

No! Despite the name pre-shrunk clothing has actually never been washed before. This is because pre-shrunk describes the process whereby the uncut material is grooved to condense it, leaving a puckered texture that allows for real shrinking when first washed by you. It is the actual fabric, not the shirt itself, which is ’pre-shrunk’. This is why you are always advised that your t-shirt might shrink a size after its first wash.

3) Why is there a ‘Pouch Pocket’ in my Fleece?

Queen Victoria is responsible I’m afraid! The origin of the ‘pouch’ pocket found in fleeces stems from a tradition stretching back as far as Victorian times. Queen Victoria herself started the fad, and as was the case with most fashionable courtly airs it was swiftly imitated by the nation. The Queen and Prince Albert used muffs to keep their hands warm (and even hide money and jewellery) and this pouch was created for a place to store them. The fashion has been continued ever since.

4) Where does the ‘Henley’ style T-Shirt get its name from?

The ‘henley’ style t-shirt, characterised by its lack of collar and an elongated placket (essentially making it a collarless polo shirt), derives its name from the canals of England! The style of shirt was originally a rower’s shirt and was the traditional uniform of rowers in the small Oxfordshire town of Henley-upon-Thames.

5) Is it true that the t-shirt was meant to be worn as underwear?

Yes, the t-shirt was originally designed as a form of underwear! The t-shirt design as we know it was inspired by the light cotton undershirts of the European troops in World War I. American soldiers took these garments home with them as they were vastly superior to the heavy woollen uniforms they were issued with and by World War II the US Army gave each soldier a t-shirt as part of their standard issue field packs. These were originally intended to be used as underwear, and were formally described as such, but the troops were often pictured wearing their tees without a shirt covering them while completing heavy labour or when stationed in hot tropical climates. After the war the t-shirt became a popular garment in its own right, and no longer is it covered behind a buttoned shirt.

6) What common household tool is used to make certain fabrics?

The fabric ‘sanded gabardine’ is made using an actual sander! A belt sander is run over the material so that it is extra soft before being cut and sewn into a t-shirt.

7) When was the t-shirt first used as a promotional tool?

The first ever printed promotional t-shirt was made using a blank tee as early as 1939, to promote the film ‘The Wizard of Oz‘. But it took 9 more years for the t-shirt to be used as a propaganda tool, when Thomas E. Dewey, the Republican US Presidential candidate in 1948, printed t-shirts with ‘Dew-It with Dewey‘ emblazoned on the front. The oldest promotional t-shirt on record is an example of one of these t-shirts and is stored at The Smithsonian Institute.

Some T-Shirt stats to impress/bore your mates with….

Approximately 2 billion T-shirts are sold worldwide each year.

6 miles of yarn are used to make one T-shirt.

T-shirts made from recycled cotton prevent over 5 billion tons of textile waste from entering landfills each year.

The most t-shirts worn at any one time is 160 by Aaron Waltke, who entered the Guinness Book of World Records when he eclipsed the previous record of 155.

91% of Americans profess to owning a “favourite” t-shirt.

34% say white is the colour of their favourite T-shirt, nearly double the votes received for blue which lies in second place.

62% claim to own more than 10 T-shirts (that’s 1.5 billion t-shirts)

Americans alone own enough t-shirts to circle the globe more than 35 times.

The number 1 reason for most people as to why they love the t-shirt – comfort.

Some people struggle with some of the more technical jargon that is involved in the wholesale clothing industry so here at Qtag we have created a glossary of both wholesale and clothing terminology we think might be useful.

50/50:  A fabric blend made up in equal parts of 50% cotton and 50% percent polyester.

Backorder:  An item not currently in stock, but to be sold or delivered as soon as it becomes available.

Banded Self Collar:  A type of collar made of the same material as the t-shirt.

Baseball Shirt:  A (generally long-sleeved) t-shirt style that is made with a crew collar, white body, and sleeves in a different colour to the main body.

Besom Pocket:  A strengthened top seam found on the pockets of polo shirts that helps the pocket to keep its shape.

Blanks:  Can refer to any undecorated items or apparel such as a blank t-shirt, blank polo shirt or blank sweatshirt. Often bought for customisation or by t-shirt designers as they are ideal for imprinting.

Breeze Knit:  Garment-washed cool knit. By garment washing, the cool knit gets a softer hand and reduced shrinkage.

Bulk:  Items sold in large quantity, often at a significant discount. Buying in bulk allows a wholesaler to buy for less because it guarantees the seller will be able to move a certain (usually large) quantity.

Carrier:  Any organization who transports goods, be it by air, land or sea.

COD:  Cash On Delivery. Payment is made directly to the carrier upon receipt of the merchandise and not before.

Cost:  Typically referred to as ‘at cost’. Goods are not being sold for a profit, usually because the wholesaler wishes to swiftly move old stock to make room for newer items at their warehouse.

Cotton Sheeting:  Plain-weave cotton fabric that is typically pre-laundered and is used in the creation of durable sportswear.

Crew Collar:  A rounded, ribbed collar cut loose to the neck of the type often found on a polo shirt.

Ecommerce:  Transactions performed electronically, most commonly over the internet.

Expedited:  An order or shipment given top priority and rushed to the front of the queue.

Fabric Memory:  When the washing instructions for cotton fabric t-shirts are laid out so that it will always come back looking as if it were brand new from the wash.

Fleece:  A fabric with a pile or napped surface most commonly used in sweatshirts. The term can also refer to a specific type of warm jumper made with the material.

Grommet:  An eyelet of stiff material to strengthen or protect an opening (such as those for a button on a polo shirt).

Heavyweight:  Fabric heavier than 10 ounces per linear yard, equal to 1.60 yield. The standard weight in the industry is 8 ounces (2.0 yield) or lighter.

Henley Style:  A t-shirt made with a banded neck and button placket.

Invoice:  A billing document presented to the buyer which contains the products, quantities and price for all goods delivered by the seller. The invoice lets the buyer know how much is owed to the seller and contains all salient information.

MSRP (or SRP):  Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (or Suggested Retail Price). What the manufacturer recommends you sell the item for in the retail market.

Oxford:  A soft cotton weave commonly used to create t-shirts of the same name.

PFD:  Prepared For Dyeing.  This means that the blank garment has been especially prepared with the dyeing process in mind.

Pigment Dyeing:  A type of dye used on cotton or poly/cotton that enables neon or fluorescent colours to be dyed onto a t-shirt or polo shirt.

Pique:  A knit fabric can be easily spotted due to the waffle like appearance of its texture.

Placket:  The opening in the front of a t-shirt or polo shirt.

Raglan:  A raglan sleeve is stitched in two parallel lines under the arm, leading from the armpit to the neck and enables far easier arm movement.

Ring-spun:  Material that is reproduced on ring frame equipment which results in a softer feel when knit.

S/O:  Sold Out.

Waterproof:  A material that keeps water out but allows water vapour to pass through and cool the wearer.

Wholesale Clothing Provider:  A clothing wholesaler buys in bulk so that it can offer buyers the cheapest possible bargains on cheap clothing. The buyer will either purchase for the purpose of either straight resale or may wish to alter the blank product to improve and then resell it at a higher price.

If you think that buying wholesale t-shirts in bulk and re-selling them in smaller numbers for a little profit in a competitive marketplace is not a viable business proposition, then there are other ways you can profit from the fantastic prices offered by wholesale clothing businesses. With a little work you can transform a blank t-shirt into something unrecognisable from the original, and provided it is popular enough you can generate a great deal more profit than you might otherwise have done. There are several ways in which you can add value to traditional wholesale clothing. Any of these methods can be used to mass-produce a line of clothing for regular sales or to craft special one-off garments to order for individuals.

The first way in which you could alter plain clothing like a blank t-shirt or polo shirt is by tie-dyeing it. With the popularity of ‘retro’ styling (and you can‘t get much more retro than the hippy days of the 60‘s) tie-dyed tees are sure to be a quick seller, and they are easy and cheap to produce. You can find tie-dye shirts selling for large amounts on eBay (£25 for some!) which leaves you a large margin, especially considering the cheap clothing you can get from the wholesalers and minimal cost of conversion from blank tee to finished article. There are websites to help you learn the basics of tie-dyeing with Instructions and some Top Tips.

If tie-dyeing is a bit too ‘far out’ for your tastes you can stencil your own graphics onto a blank t-shirt or polo shirt. This technique is perfect for small runs of unique designs as the stencils can be re-used countless times and with different colour combinations. Stencils are the perfect way to transfer simple designs onto blank t-shirts and can be a great seller. Again, it is easy to find A Guide to help you do this, and there are even Videos Demonstrating Stencilling Techniques to be found.

If you want to create designs that are a little more intricate than stencilling allows you should look into printing your designs using one of a variety of methods. Be aware that this is a large and expensive undertaking though – a great article on staring your own t-shirt design business which can help you decide if this option is best can be found Here. There are some DIY Screen Printing methods but the quality might suffer and they are not suitable for anything other than tiny runs or individual made-to-order designs.

If imprinting your design onto a wholesale blank t-shirt doesn’t appeal to you then there are a variety of ways to embroider your design and create a trendy new tee. You can follow tradition and embroider a pattern into your t-shirts, but this can be time-consuming work if you do not have the right equipment and is only suitable for small runs. Alternatively you can sew pre-made fabric designs onto a blank t-shirt which will be quicker to produce but will not have the same feel as an embroidered design.

These methods are by no means the limit for taking advantage of the cheap clothing offered by wholesale blank clothing providers, they are just a few ideas to get you started. The only limit to creating a fabulous new t-shirt range is your imagination, so you should get out there and start designing!

While the wholesale clothing industry is necessarily dominated by companies with spending power and large warehouses this does not preclude smaller independent companies from getting into the wholesale act. There is a great deal of profit potential to be had in becoming a middleman, who doesn’t buy in bulk in the same way a wholesaler would but buys enough garments to be able to offer cheap clothing to customers. Provided you buy the right wholesale products that are in demand and research the market carefully you can make plenty of money. But whilst the rule of buying in bulk holds, namely the more you buy the less you pay, it is important to remember not to over-stretch yourself. While it might be attractive to buy another thousand t-shirts or polo shirts for those extra pennies off, if you cannot sell the stock it will cost you dearly. Determine the market’s desire for your product and the price they are willing to pay for it, only then can you find a good wholesaler and choose one that suits you best.  Buying in bulk is a great investment if you have a little space and buy fast-selling popular items such as t-shirts, polo shirts and sweatshirts. If you have more space it is worth not only buying in bulk but also selling slow-shifting items in bulk. Don’t overreach though, what is popular now will not be popular forever – only buy what you are confident you can sell.

The emergence of internet-based wholesale clothing providers makes the job of searching for a wholesaler to stock your fledgling business much simpler. You can now search and compare thousands of wholesale products by price, brand or size. Once you have found your wholesaler there are several ways to market and sell your products.

Online:

Once again, the internet is a good place to start. Setting up a store on Ebay is relatively cheap and will let you have access to a ready-made customer base you know will be interested in your products. Ensure your prices are competitive (and having bought from a clothing wholesaler you will not need a miniscule mark-up to make sure this is the case) and you will have customers desperate for a cheap quality alternative to the high-street flocking to your (virtual) door. Providing a picture of the garment you are selling is always a good idea as people like to see exactly what they a re buying. Bear in mind that Ebayers like and trust brand-name garments that they recognise, such as Fruit of the Loom. It is also important to bear in mind that Ebay charges a commission on each product you sell, so be sure to include this calculation in your overheads. Alternatively you can set up your own site, which will establish you as an independent retailer and mean that no-one will charge you a commission – but will be expensive to set up, maintain and run in comparison to Ebay. For this to become profitable you will have to feature prominently on Google (and other popular search engines). The website BestMoneyMaker offers some good advice on how to set about achieving this.

On the Street:

If you do not wish to sell over the internet and believe in a good old-fashioned approach you can set up your own store. Renting floor space in a desirable area will not be cheap but you have the added bonus of casual shoppers wandering in and discovering your store. A cheaper alternative to this way of selling your wholesale clothing would be to set up and run a flea-market booth. While this would operate on a smaller-scale than either a dedicated online or physical store it would be far cheaper to run and is a great idea if you are just starting out. Having purchased your goods online you will have both a cheaper product than your rivals at the market and a better selection to boot.

However you decide to sell your wholesale products you must always keep a record of your sales and other figures. Keeping a profit and loss column is not only a good idea for tax purposes but will also give you an accurate idea of which products you sell are the most popular and which you must restrict your wholesale orders of.

As the government confirm what those of us left counting the pennies already know, people are coming up with inventive ways to save money and beat the recession. A great area to save money on is clothing, an essential area of expenditure that people (especially those with children) often pay over the odds for. Shopping for wholesale clothing online can enable you to buy t-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts and jackets at a fraction of the regular price.

By purchasing your cheap clothing online you are avoiding the middleman (and his hefty cut) which will lessen the price of garments such as t-shirts and polo shirts considerably. The massive advantage of online wholesaling, besides cheap clothing, is the convenience afforded. Stock is automatically and instantly updated, so you will always know how much of a certain product is left available and in what sizes and colours you can buy it. This straightforwardness makes online wholesalers a far more attractive option than clothing wholesalers who only deal over the phone or in person. Wholesale clothing can offer customers a wide range of quality clothing at discounted prices because the wholesaler themselves buy in bulk from a big brand garment manufacturer like Fruit of the Loom. Working exclusively online helps to cut margins, which means that an online clothing wholesaler can offer you a cheaper garment than anywhere else.

With such a diverse range of quality cheap clothing and well-known brands, it’s a wonder it has taken a recession to open the eyes of the British public to this fantastic money-saving alternative to high-street shopping.

It’s often hard finding a good wholesaler, and the sector as a whole has to deal with a bad press due to the occasional rogue untrustworthy agents out to scam people. With the shift towards internet trading these concerns over the reliability of wholesalers has intensified – online business is often fraught with risk and the process is easy to take advantage of. With this in mind we have created a checklist that will prove handy in selecting a reliable online wholesaler that you can trust to deliver quality goods on time.

1 - Find the Product you Want

It may seem an obvious first step but selecting the right product to order is key. You must find a category of product that is not already over-saturated (electronics for example) or else you will struggle to be successful in what is in all likelihood an aggressive marketplace. Once you have selected a product category (and presumably if you have wound up here it is wholesale clothing you are after) it is important to research what items you can best sell and profit from. There are a wealth of options in the wholesale clothing market from wholesale polo shirts, t-shirts and jackets to hoodies, sweatshirts and blank clothing. You must also decide if you want to sell cheap clothes such as a plain t-shirt, or branded garments such as Fruit of the Loom polo shirts (you might even decide you want the best of both worlds!). Once you have fully researched the products you want and the prospective marketplace in which to sell it you can then set about the task of finding a wholesaler for your clothing.

2 - Find the Right Price

Often when people get frustrated and complain about a lack of quality wholesalers it is because of their own unrealistic expectations. If you have found the perfect product to sell but are fixated on an unreasonable purchase price you will never find a wholesaler to deal with, and the companies you do find are ones that offer unfeasible prices and turn out to be scammers. It is essential to research the correct pricing for your product and be reasonably flexible. If you must compromise a little on price to secure an outstanding wholesaler the sacrifice might well be worthwhile in the long-term.

3 - Searching for a Clothing Wholesaler (Online)

Finding a decent wholesale supplier to buy in bulk from is often very difficult, but once discovered can provide the stable foundation for a thriving business. As such, you should be prepared to put a substantial amount of time into finding the right wholesaler for you and your business. The internet is a superb resource, but the overwhelming volume of information it holds can be a real barrier to sifting through the unreliable and untrustworthy wholesalers to find the one suitable for providing your goods. Searching Google for ‘wholesaler’ returns nearly 26 million results, so it is a good idea to narrow the search down some through a reliable intermediary. The Wholesale Directory, Wholesale Trade Directory UK and Wholesalers UK are all good sites that have gathered reliable and safe wholesalers in one easy to navigate place. Visiting a Wholesale Forum is also a good idea, as it will be packed with people who have experienced the exact problems you might encounter and can offer valuable advice and tips. There is no shortage of people who will profess to be able to connect you to the perfect wholesaler for cheap clothing so it is important to be wary of all websites, as well as sourcing agents and directories, that offer a quick fix solution to an intricate problem.

4 - Searching for a Clothing Wholesaler (Offline)

If you are really struggling to find a wholesaler from which to buy in bulk, leafing through a paper or local trade magazine might throw up some good leads. Another option is to pay cash for a supplier.  Bear in mind that a paid service is not necessarily guaranteed to provide you with the supplier you need - just because they charge you does not mean they are infallible!

5 - Trusting the Wholesaler

As mentioned before, wholesalers in general often receive a bad press - and in some unfortunate cases this is warranted. As with any business, wholesaling suffers from its fair share of illegitimate transactions and shady characters and the internet is the ideal place for them to hide behind the anonymity they crave. Scammers can be very creative in convincing naïve businesses to part with their money in return for nothing at all. However, following some simple guidelines will safeguard you from even the most devious of con-artists.

• Check their lines of communication

Often a website will be just that, a website – not a doorway to a company but rather a front for a trickster. You can check out the legitimacy of the website online by finding a site that will verify domain names and tell you who registered it. This name should match the one listed on the site as director/owner of the company – remember a scammer will be loathe to reveal their real name. The obvious way to never be fooled like this is to seek a telephone number and address, tangible evidence a real and reliable business is operating behind the site. Make a call or send a letter and see if you get a reply. Another good idea is to check the local directory of the company you are about to approach and see if they are listed.

• Check their knowledge

Scam artists never stock the product they claim to sell, ask your prospective wholesaler intelligent questions about the product they offer. A professional and courteous answer should be forthcoming.

• Check their business credentials

You can perform a simple search of the businesses registration number or VTA/TVA number (there are a number of sites that will do this for you) to ensure that they are trustworthy – you might have to obtain this number from the company themselves but they should have no problem giving it to you, it is not a secret as it is their identity.

6 - Making the Deal

Hopefully at this point you have found a prospective wholesale clothing provider you are interested in and who offers you a price for cheap clothing that you are comfortable with. It is important to remember at this stage and with any repeat business that nothing should be taken for granted. Just because an item such as a Fruit of the Loom polo shirt has been in stock for the last five orders does not instantly mean that it will be for the sixth. When dealing online you should always ensure you are paying via a secure method, this is something you should investigate when studying the prospective wholesalers you might employ.

7 - Making it Last

If you have found a wholesaler you trust and can work with, it is important to get to know them a little so you can build a lasting and fruitful relationship. Meeting face to face is the traditional method of doing this, but if you are a relatively small company with small orders of a few t-shirts regular telephone calls and emails may have to suffice. The advantage of working with an online company is that you will not need to feel you are constantly badgering them with requests for stock levels or price listings as these will be constantly updated via their website.

Hopefully this checklist will have you on your way to finding a good honest wholesale clothing company that can be relied upon to provide quality clothing at reasonable prices. All that remains is to wish you the best of luck in your business venture – although it seems daunting, the rewards are well worth the effort!