Are you a jeans manufacturer or a wholesaler?

We are a jeans manufacturer. We make everything in our own factories in China and Cambodia, and we supply bulk and wholesale orders directly to fashion brands and retailers, from an MOQ of 500 pieces.

Can small brands and startups order from you?

Yes. Our minimum order quantity is 500 pieces, so startups and small brands can order from us as well as established retailers. Sampling typically takes around 7 days, so you can approve a style before committing to bulk. Read the denim sampling guide: https://topmondial.net/en/guides/denim-sampling-explained/

Do you make private label jeans?

Yes. Through OEM we make your own designs to your specifications, and through ODM you choose from our existing styles and put your label and branding on them.

What types of garments do you manufacture?

Denim is our core specialism — jeans, jackets, shorts, dresses, and denim skirts across womenswear, menswear, and kidswear. We also manufacture casual trousers, tops, and non-denim outerwear. With long-term partnerships across 20+ fabric mills and in-house wash development, we support a wide range of fabrics, finishes, and construction types.

What is your minimum order quantity (MOQ)?

Our minimum order quantity is 500 pieces.

What are your typical production lead times?

Our average bulk production lead time is around 30 days, depending on the order size, product complexity, and material availability.

How long does the sampling process take?

It typically takes around 7 days to develop a sample and ship it to you. Timelines may vary depending on the design, fabric sourcing, development requirements and your location.

Where are your manufacturing facilities located?

Our manufacturing operations include one factory in Zhejiang, China, and two factories in Cambodia. This setup gives us greater production flexibility and stronger supply chain support.

What is the difference between OEM and ODM?

OEM means we manufacture based on your designs, specifications, and brand requirements. ODM means you can select from our existing designs and adapt them to fit your brand. We develop around 1,000 new styles in-house each year, so there is usually something close to what you need. By offering both, along with our own unique in-house designs, we give brands flexible support, faster development, and trusted manufacturing expertise. Read the OEM vs ODM denim manufacturing guide: https://topmondial.net/en/guides/oem-vs-odm-denim-manufacturing/

How do you ensure bulk production matches the approved sample?

Once you approve a sample, all specifications — fabric, construction, wash, and finish details — are locked into a detailed tech pack that governs the full production run. Our inline quality control team conducts regular checks throughout production, and each order undergoes a final audit before dispatch to verify it meets the approved standard.

How do I start a project with your team?

Getting started is simple. Share your product ideas, requirements, target order quantity, fabric preference, and any tech packs if available, and our team will guide you through the next steps from preparing a quote, to developing and sampling to production and delivery.

Guide

Clothing manufacturers for startups:
how to place your first jeans order

Many clothing manufacturers do work with startups. Whether a factory takes your first order depends less on your size than on whether your quantity meets its MOQ and your product is clearly specified.

The factory weighs the order against the setup it needs: fabric, washes and line time. A new brand that arrives prepared is easier to quote and easier to say yes to.

This guide covers what a jeans or denim factory asks for, what a first order looks like and how to prepare, plus when a smaller factory is the better fit.

10 OCTOBER 2026

Jeans on overhead conveyor rails inside a Top Mondial factory

Will a clothing manufacturer work with a startup?

Yes, many will. Three things decide it: your order quantity against the factory's MOQ, how clearly the product is defined, and whether you can meet the payment terms.

Factories think about the whole relationship, not just the first order. A brand that may come back with repeat orders and new styles is worth setting up. A large factory does not refuse small brands by default. It does need the first order to make sense for its production lines.

Top Mondial's minimum order quantity is 500 pieces, so startups and small brands can order from us as well as established retailers.

This page covers the startup's side. The full supplier checklist is in our guide on how to choose a denim manufacturer.

What a factory needs from you before it can quote

A factory can only quote what it can see. Bring these five things to your first conversation.

Tech pack or reference garment. It sets fabric, fit, wash and trims. See our guide to the denim tech pack.
Target price. Give a price per piece and the delivery terms it assumes, for example FOB. The factory can then tell you early whether the fabric and wash fit your budget.
Quantity. Give total pieces, split by style, colour and size if you know it.
Delivery window. State when you need goods in your warehouse. Work back through bulk production and sampling.
Company details. Give your registered company name and address, plus a contact who can approve samples and payments.

A quote based on guesses changes later. Clear inputs give you a firm quote. To see what makes up the price you are quoted, read how much it costs to make jeans.

Minimum order quantities for a first jeans order

A minimum order quantity (MOQ) is the smallest order a factory will accept. Denim factories set one because fabric is bought in rolls from mills, washes run in batches and every style needs line setup. Below a certain quantity, the cost per piece climbs.

Top Mondial's MOQ is 500 pieces. We see that as the size that keeps quality consistent from the first production run onwards.

Ask every factory how its MOQ applies: per order, per style or per colour. The answer decides how many styles you can launch with.

Be honest about your own numbers too. If 500 pieces is more than you can sell or fund for a first drop, a smaller factory may suit you better for now. We cover that further down.

Start your project

How a first order usually runs: sample, approval, bulk, payment

A first order follows the same path as any other order. The difference is that the factory has no history with your brand yet, so each sign-off counts for more.

Nine steps a denim manufacturer follows from tech pack review to quality control

The diagram shows the full flow. The four stages below are where a startup spends its time and money.

1. Sample

The factory makes a development sample from your tech pack. Sampling typically takes around 7 days to develop and ship. This varies with design, fabric sourcing, development and location.

Expect more than one round. For the detail, read denim sampling explained.

2. Approval

You sign off fit, fabric and wash. Then you approve a pre-production sample made in bulk materials. Once approved, the specs are locked into the tech pack that governs the run.

Our guide to how jeans are made shows where your brand signs off.

3. Bulk production

Average bulk lead time is around 30 days. It depends on order size, complexity and material availability.

Inline QC runs during production, and there is a final audit before dispatch.

4. Payment

New customers usually start on lower-risk terms. For FOB orders, Top Mondial typically works with a 30% deposit and a 70% balance before shipment.

For how this compares with other structures, see payment terms explained.

How to reduce the risk on your first order

A first bulk order always carries some risk. These five habits cut it.

Budget for sample rounds. Do not approve the first sample just to save time. A second round costs less than a bad bulk run.
Keep the first run small and focused. Order at the MOQ, with fewer styles and colours. One core fit in one or two washes is a good start. Then reorder what sells.
Approve in writing. Confirm fit, wash and trims against the tech pack and keep one current version. Changes after sign-off mean re-sampling. See the common sampling mistakes.
Agree inspection before the balance. Know which checks happen before the balance is due and the goods ship.
Plan the timeline backwards. Start from your launch date and leave room for an extra sample round.

1. What to prepare to look credible to a factory

Factories quote faster, and offer better terms, to buyers they can check. A new brand cannot show order history, so it shows everything else.

Registered company details

Have your company name, registration number and registered address ready, plus a named decision-maker. The fuller company-information checklist is in payment terms explained.

A website and brand presence

Even a simple site or lookbook shows the brand is real and who it sells to.

References and background

Share any previous manufacturing or retail experience, stockists, or your industry background. If you have none, say so and explain your sales plan.

A realistic forecast

State your first-order quantity and the reorders you expect if it sells. This is what makes a small first order worth setting up.

When a smaller factory is the better fit

The right factory depends on where your brand is now. A large factory is not always the right first partner, and a smaller one is not a lesser choice.