How to work with a clothing manufacturer like GAT.
From your idea to sell-ready garments, with one path and one point of accountability. Here's the whole process: what you do, what we do, and in what order, all of it remote, in your time zone.
Working with a clothing manufacturer starts by sharing your project: reference images or tech packs of what you want to make, the quantity you need, and your target cost per unit. From there, a good manufacturer develops a physical sample you approve before any production run. At GAT that whole path runs remotely, in your time zone. One ally from idea to delivery.
One ally, from idea to delivery.
For over 20 years we've been making other brands' garments real, with a quality standard on par with the country's leading brands. We work full package: we develop your garment, produce it and deliver it, without you juggling several workshops or buying a single yard of fabric. One ally who answers for your entire product, start to finish.
The process runs in two phases: Product Development (2 to 8 weeks) and Production (30 to 45 business days). Every project has its own timeline, and nothing moves to production until you approve a physical sample. Here's the whole process, step by step.
How to get started with us.
Get a quote
It all starts in our quoting tool. You tell us your idea and your target with a reference or an image (tech pack, sample photo or sketch), how many units you need per design, your target cost, and when you need it. You get a free estimate in minutes through the quoting tool. Without images we can't quote: they're the starting point. (Fabrics and trims get defined later, while developing your physical sample.)
Physical sample and tech pack
- With your go-ahead, our Design & Development team prepares your sample quote within a few business days.
- Once you approve it, we define fabrics and trims, draft the patterns 100% digitally, sew the physical sample and you approve the fitting by photos.
- Then we ship you the physical sample and the tech pack so you can measure and validate it, along with the production quote: the exact per-unit price, measured on the real costs of fabric and processes. It usually takes 2 to 8 weeks.
- You close with the approved sample, the tech pack, and the editable digital patterns (PDS format), which become yours once the full service is paid. Development is billed separately from production and paid upfront. If you want to enter through this stage only, see Product Development.
Sourcing, manufacturing and delivery
- When you validate the production quote you received with your sample, we generate the production order.
- With the order approved, we source and buy the fabric and trims for the approved quantities (the thing that affects the timeline most), manufacture (cutting, processes and sewing) with a four-point audit (100% of fabrics on arrival, the cutting, manufacturing from start to finish, and a final check before shipment), and deliver with domestic or export logistics.
- Production usually takes 30 to 45 business days. Payment runs as a deposit to start and the balance before shipment.
- All quoted prices are ex-works at our facility in Colombia (EXW) and, if you need the garments in your country, we coordinate the international shipment (we export actively to Central America, the Caribbean and the United States). Freight, duties and import taxes depend on your country, order size and garment, and we estimate them before we start (these are estimates and can change at import time, depending on the authorities involved). See how we deliver to other countries.
Every project has its own timeline, and we've met demanding deliveries when a project called for it: samples in less than a week and 5,000 garments in under 28 days. We plan the whole project around the date you need.
What you need ready before you start.
You don't need to arrive with tech packs or patterns: that's exactly Phase 1. The one thing you do need is clarity about what you want to achieve: an idea, a reference, a photo or a sketch, plus a sense of how many units and at what target cost you're aiming. We won't invent your brand from a blank page, but we will turn your idea into a sell-ready garment.
And we're honest: you're a good fit for us if your product carries real value. If your only goal is to make very little and sell very cheap, we're candidly not your best option, and we'll tell you straight away, so we don't waste your time.
How each stage gets approved.
The whole process is approved in writing and remotely: WhatsApp and email carry the same weight. You approve fabrics, print or embroidery tests and the sample fitting by photos. We ship you the final sample after you approve the fitting, so you can measure and validate it yourself. No project moves to production without your written approval of the sample. You don't need to be in Colombia, and if you'd like to meet us, you can visit our facilities: we'll coordinate it with you. And because we share your time zone, you get answers the same day. See the garments we've manufactured in our digital showroom.
Frequently asked questions about working with GAT.
How much does it cost to start working with GAT?+
What happens if I don't approve the sample?+
Can I work 100% remotely, without going to Colombia?+
How do payments work?+
Do I need finished tech packs or designs?+
Ready to start?
Tell us what you want to manufacture and get an estimate in minutes, no commitment.
Get a quote