The bag market is set to outpace designer apparel to be worth $100 billion by 2027! This is the time to own an e-commerce brand! Here’s my product playbook – with factories – to start your own bag brand now.

I’ve worked on many bag products, tens of thousands of total units. There are so many opportunities out there, ranging from product presentation, to retail exit bags, to school bags, to designer bags, to mini bags. The size of this market can’t be underestimated!

Here’s a rough cost outline for bag products of different qualities from China:

• Translucents/mini bags: $10
• Artificial PU leather: $5-20
• Simple canvas totes, duffels, etc: $3-10
• Lower end genuine leather: $30-$55
• Real leather/sheepskin at designer quality: $100-250

Garment and tote bags to include with products is a great option for existing brands.

I purchase a lot of Rick Owens. What you may not know is that many Rick Owens’ products come with a super high-quality canvas bag that I use absolutely all the time. Providing a quality option for this helps cement your brand.

The Tiny Purse movement isn’t dead yet, and there’s lots of vendors with starting options. You need to ignore their styles, and design yourself. Take a loose concept they have so its a realistic starting point, but do you own design.

For most people it makes sense to start with an existing popular design and modify it to be something unique. This is a men’s option from Guangzhou Gaofeiya Leather Co

Translucent bags are also popular and affordable. Good option to easily put out a design in a unique style (over shoulder, fanny pack, tote, etc) with fun designs – especially for TikTok.

These are $10, custom logo at 100 minimum order quantity (MOQ).

These are 500 MOQ with custom graphics and packaging, but only $4.60 each

A vendor option for PU leather and patterned options on the cheaper end? Look at Shijiazhuang Anhong Trade Co

Quanzhou Fanlostar Int’l Co and Chongqing B.m. Import & Export are two legit factories who will import various materials as needed for quality options for any style you want to make.

Tips for sending a great “brief” to your chosen vendors:

• Note materials/colors inside & out
• Note logo placement and type of print (embroidery/silk etc)
• Clarify stitch types when possible
• Note material + quality of parts and hardware for straps, zippers, highlights etc

Process notes: Include sketches or cad drawings with dimensions in cm/mm. If you want real leather, get a sample of the leather sent prior to an actual bag mockup. Expect to pay hundreds for a real quality single sample. This can usually be applied against your order invoice (just ask).

If you want to go expensive and charge a premium, read How to Differentiate a Luxury Brand. This is my starter guide for different techniques for differentiating a premium brand over time.

Laundry list of ideas I’ve had in this space you should use:

• Kids’ book bags suck and haven’t changed in forever. There’s got to be better options to create.
• With designer knockoffs so prevalent, I feel high-end personalization is the next big trend, own this!
• Pattern development like Goyard/LV, etc. but using high-end digital techniques and renderings
• Utilizing complex textiles enabled by services like Byborre
• Mens’ bags is still wide open…

Backpacks are for kids, messengers aren’t much better. What’s a new form factor?

Quick checklist for succeeding with sourcing your product:

• Find a reputable vendor with existing transaction history
• Provide your product brief in significant detail
• Always sample ahead of time
• Go through all the details of packaging, shipment, and use by your customer

In today’s economy, differentiation is what’s going to make you stand apart from the crowd, like this vendor. With almost 1 million transactions under their belt (so to speak) the Dongguan Rainbow Touches Garment Co. is a great vendor for differentiated and custom men’s fashionwear. 

No time to read? Watch my TikTok short instead…

@orenmeetsworld

A great overseas manufacturer for mens fashion #productdevelopment #clothingline #appareldesign #fashionbrand #ecommercetips @orenmeetsworld #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen

♬ ASTRO Trap Beat – Hip Hop Instrumental – AfterInfinityMusic

Let’s start with this logo tee. If you look closely, this is actually a nice acid wash which will help make it stand out from what a basic tee is. You can start customizing your tee with a low MoQ (minimum order quantity) of just 30 pieces. Customized packaging also starts at just 30 pieces.

We’re looking at about 8.50 a piece on these if you want custom logo and packaging. Lead time for 100 or so pieces is just 7 days, and ordering 100 pieces also qualifies you for the $60 discount.

Let’s move on to this kind of jacket windbreaker, modeled here by legendary male model Stephen James. This is a great item for anyone doing merchandise because the actual cost is pretty cheap. And you don’t have to rush this for a super-high price point; You can make something useful and versatile for multiple seasons.

This is one of my favorites out of the options they offer. This is a satin-feel bomber jacket. Its obviously not real satin, but its embroidered with some really nice ideas.

With these, it would take about 200 pieces to get a customized logo, etc., and you’d need to order 500+ pieces for custom packaging. The good news is that you’re only looking at about $20 per piece, so you can get your thing up and running for about $1,000, plus shipping.

Here’s another unique item which would sell quite well. These all-over print shorts are polyester so I’d try to get a nicer fabric (like cotton or linen, perhaps). This has definitely got a very unique look that would help your merchandise stand out. This kind of all-over print is available in a range of options to choose from. 

What’s great about this is that a sample of your custom design is only $50 and you can get custom packaging at only 50 pieces. 200 MoQ for your own logo and the end cost is only about $10 per unit. 

Last is a great option for custom shorts if you’re looking for that 5-in. baggies look and all of the print. I actually like these camo ones right here, and with custom logos so you can make a fun product. Cost on these are only about $12 a piece.

Overall, this is a great vendor to look to if you want to start manufacturing clothing overseas. They have some versatile options and you can make more money than you would domestically.

Let me know in the comments below or on my TikTok video embedded above how far you got and what you eventually had made. And don’t forget to let me kno9w if you find other, similar vendors you think I should add to my curated list.

– Oren

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