6 Essential Considerations When Creating a Clothing Line

If you love fashion and find yourself intrigued by the process of designing and selling clothing, you’ve likely considered starting a clothing line of your own. Whether you’re trying to fill a niche in your personal style or attract customers who share your flair, starting a clothing brand is a significant undertaking.

Keep these essential considerations in mind to guide you through the process if you’re exploring this exciting venture:

Outlining Your Signature Style

First, define your signature style and how it relates to your brand. Outline descriptive words that you want associated with your clothing line and those you don’t. For example, Versace might be a lot of things – chic, stylish, luxurious – but it’s not cheap or kitsch. 

It’s important to consider how your style and flair relate to your audience. Take some time to do market research and clarify who would purchase your products. You must understand who they are, their interests, their income level, and what emotionally resonates with them. 

Finding Reputable Materials

Once you have the initial components of your brand outlined, the next step is finding reputable materials and suppliers. While the designs themselves are important, your customers will also want comfort and quality. They’re trusting you to provide a good product, so you need to find a supplier you can trust in return.

Look for reputable brands of customizable garbs as your starting point – for example, bella canvas t-shirts. Your approach ultimately depends on the type of clothing line you’re starting. If you’re making clothing from scratch from raw fabric, your supply needs will vary greatly from someone printing designs on shirts.

Develop Your Design Skills

Honing your design skills is a must, whether you’re making original clothing from scratch or printing designs. The key thing to remember when starting your own brand is that you’re committing to a life of continuous improvement and skills development.

Invest in courses and dedicated practice to develop your design skills. Reach out to your audience for feedback and connect with like-minded creatives for guidance. Remember that there’s always room to improve, and your business will improve with you.

Create a Budget

Once you’ve outlined your suppliers and created designs, you need to create a budget and set a pricing strategy. At this point, putting together a detailed business and financial plan is highly advisable. Working through a business plan will not only help you secure funding if needed, but it will also highlight things you hadn’t considered so you can anticipate and solve potential problems.

During this phase, you’ll also start to look at your marketing strategy. Setting goals for both behaviors (i.e., posting daily on Instagram) and profits (i.e., aiming to secure $2,000 in revenue in the first month) will give you a roadmap to follow when things get tough.

Invest in the Right Tools

Once you’ve worked through the budgeting and business planning process, consider what tools you’ll need to make this vision a reality. In addition to design programs, you may require tools for printing your designs on clothing, social media scheduling tools, an eCommerce platform, and a website.

Think of the various touchpoints along the way and identify what tools you need to provide high-quality products and great customer service. 

Create Processes

As you start to navigate the work of developing a clothing line, start writing out processes with details. You’ll likely discover that there are many more steps to the process than you had anticipated. For example, you don’t just upload a piece to your website; there’s photography, writing copy, and accessing the back end of your page, etc. 

Having these processes outlined helps you create consistency in your offering and makes it easier to scale up over time. 

Starting a clothing line isn’t for everyone. If you’re interested in making clothing for yourself as a passion project, you can do it without monetizing. However, if you dream of having your own fashion brand, keep these essential considerations in mind.

Who Wore it Better? Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause vs. Tiffany Haddish in Hervé Léger Cold-Shoulder Ribbed-Paneled Bandage Mini Dress

It’s a fashion showdown! Both Tiffany Haddish and Chrishell Stause from Netflix’s Selling Sunset were recently sighted working it in the exact same $1290 Herve Leger Cold-shoulder Ribbed-paneled Bandage Mini Dress. Truth be told, it goes without saying that each of these bombshells radiated in the hot yellow hue cable-knit dress.

Tiffany wore the mini to the WWE Summer Slam party back in 2021. With styling by Law Roach, the dress was paired with matching Stuart Weitzman Beatrix 100 Wrap Sandals.

Similar look: $275 Stuart Weitzman Beatrix 100 Wrap Sandal

Chrishell was snapped by paparazzi while wearing the look during the filming of Selling Sunset season 5 which wrapped last year. She appeared in episode 8 sporting her version of the look. Along with a nude pair of strappy heels, she wore a sold out Tom Ford Satin 001 Chain Medium Shoulder Bag in the color Bright Pistachio.

Get the look: $580 Hervé Léger Cold-shoulder ribbed-paneled bandage mini dress

What say you?

Main Image: @celebmafia / IG

Switch Up Your Look this Weekend with Indique Hair + Get 15% off With the Code Bomb15

So I’ve been rocking with the short cut for a minute! But as I let my hair grow up, I am starting to wear wigs more. My go to? IndiqueHair.com.

This SEA Lace wig comes in a longer style…

But I cut it into a bob for my appearance on E! Daily Pop.

Get my look at IndiqueHair.com and use the code BOMB15 for 15% off!

Images: Shot by Nyp

Cardi B, Offset, and Kulture Step Out in Neon Pink and Green Balenciaga Looks

Cardi B stepped out with hubby Offset and their daughter Kulture Kiari wearing a $2,290 Balenciaga Paneled Bustier Lace dress and $2,150 Cagole Leather Knee High boots by Balenciaga on Mothers Day.

Offset and Kulture also wore Balenciaga looks ($2,390 track suit jacket and $1,690 jeans; $725 necklace and $1,350 bag), styled by @shexshe .

Get their looks below:

Would you splurge? 

Claire’s Life: Celebrating Balmain’s Madison Avenue Store with Olivier Rousteing + Fern Mallis’s Icons Book Launch at Nordstrom with Ty Hunter and Marjorie Gubelmann

Happy Thursday!

What a busy week it’s been. From covering the Strength of a Woman fest in Atlanta to appearing on E! Daily Pop in LA, the Bomb Life has been busy! The fun continued with a few high wattage New York events, including a celebration of Balmain’s Madison Avenue store last night:

Credit: Sone Jr

For the occasion, I wore a Balmain x Barbie look from Marlo Hampton’s Le Archive. Olivier said he loved it!

I picked up on the gold buttons of the look with gold accessories.

Credit: Sone Jr

The store is absolutely stunning. I can’t wait to shop there! If you want to stop by, pay them a visit at 650 Madison Avenue.

Credit: BFA

Afterwards, I stopped by Nordstrom to celebrate Fern Mallis’s new book, Fashion Icons 2:

Fern Mallis created New York Fashion Week, and further solidified her Icon status by interviewing fellow Icons with her conversations series at the 92nd Street Y.

I said hi to fashion friends Ty Hunter, Bevy Smith, and Marjorie Gubelmann:

Then we dined at Brooklyn Chophouse and called it a night!

Today my head is down, writing recaps and taking calls!

We have a lot of exciting events coming up, including the Bomb Fashion Show, September 10th!

If you’d like to collaborate, you know what to do! Email book@clairesulmers.com and let’s work!

Smootches!

Images: Salvatore Demaio

Rihanna Has Announced Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin Are Coming to Africa Wearing South African Designer Thebe Magugu

This week billionaire singer-songwriter and business mogul Rihanna took to social media to announce the arrival of her hit Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin lines to Africa! In doing so, the fashion maven posted a picture dressed in a white turban, gold accessories and a $160 Thebe Magugu white Turtleneck Sleeveless Top w/ Detachable Bralette looking like the whole Nubian queen she is!

Photo: IG/Reproduction

In the post she wrote “I’ve been waiting for this moment!! […] Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe… we coming at ya May 27th and that’s just the beginning!!! #FentyAfrica.” Fans from the continent sounded off in the comments, and many were delighted that Bad Gal Riri shared the big news while wearing an African designer.

Photo: IG/Reproduction

In a separate Twitter post, Fenty Beauty confirmed that they would be stocked at Edgars and ARC Store in South Africa.

The top worn in the Instagram post is currently available at Bergdorf Goodman!

Get the look: $160 Thebe Magugu white Turtleneck Sleeveless Top w/ Detachable Bralette

What do you think?

Kim Kardashian Channels Marilyn Monroe Again in Vintage Norman Norell Gown She Wore to the 1982 Golden Globes

Following her viral Met Gala moment, Kim Kardashian wore another dress previously worn by Marilyn Monroe: a vintage Norman Norell gown the icon wore to the 1962 Golden Globes.

The dress is owned by @juliens_auctions. It features a tight fit and a low back.

Kim posed with the award Marilyn won that night, now owned by her florist Jeff Leatham.

Kim’s strange obsession with Marily Monroe persists. Perhaps she can relate to her sex symbol status.

What do you guys think?

📸IG/Reproduction

Claire Sulmers on E! Daily Pop: Shop The Vacation Looks You Need Today from Fe Noel, Eugenia Kim, Keva J Swimwear, and More!

Ready to go on vacation? We know we are! I was blessed to appear on E! Daily Pop to discuss some fly vacation looks with Justin Sylvester:


Which look is your favorite?
Look 1:
* Keva J Swimwear Jayde Wrap bikini available at FashionBombDailyShop.com
Fe Noel sunrise wrap skirt
*Eugenia Kim Do Not Disturb Hat
SybG Co Pedestal heels

Look 2:
*Keva Ja Swimwear Monokini (as worn by Ciara )
Sai Sankoh Kaftan
Full look available at FashionBombDailyShop.com !

Look 3
Jae Jolly jumpsuit (as worn by Gabrielle Union )
Petit Kouraj bag
*SybGCo awareness flats


My look:

Image: @ShotbyNyp

 Look: Glitzz Galore @glitzzgalore
Shoes : Jessica Rich Collection


Pro tip: Just stick to the same color scheme and go!

What do you think?

Banana Moon: Choose Your Favorite Bikinis and Beachwear

The time has come to take swimsuits and bikinis out of the closet, as well as to take a look at the trends in swimwear, which are full of color and with designs for all tastes. Although like every year, our small complexes also concern us again.

If until recently the bikini was the king of summer outfits, the swimsuit seems to have been gaining ground little by little, in recent seasons, and has more and more followers. The truth is that each has its advantages. While the former is more youthful and practical when sunbathing, the latter is presented as the most comfortable option for swimming and offers a stylized view of the figure.

Thanks to the variety of models that we have within our reach and in order to choose the swimsuit that best suits us, Banana Moon provide us each style and helps us find our perfect ally to show off our figure this summer.

The Swimsuit

In recent seasons, the swimsuit has made a strong comeback. In addition, it is perfect to hide some parts of the body and stylize the figure.

If you have small chests and nice shoulders, don’t hesitate; opt for strapless swimsuits to show off your style on the beach or in the pool. Also for those who nature has not endowed them with a voluminous chest are the “V” necklines, although in this case, they are also a winning bet for women with generous chests, as they stylize.

Bikini

Bikinis are a garment that favors young women more than those who have reached maturity, since they leave a lot of skin exposed and, regardless of whom they weigh, the smoothness and firmness of youth is not the same at 20 as it is at 50. 

However, it is the most seen on beaches and swimming pools, so we have many models and shapes available. The bikini favors all types of bodies, although it is necessary to take into account some details to choose the design with which to get the most out of it:

Little Chest?

The bikini in general favors tall and thin people, stylized, although due to the large number of cuts available in the market, today almost all women can wear them.

Those who think they have small chests will try to acquire tops with padding or a halter neck with a wide bow, which raises the chest area, creating the visual effect of greater voluptuousness. Those made of cotton increase the size.

They will flee from plain bikinis, in dark tones or in the shape of a triangle, which do less and which, however, will become the perfect allies for women who think they have too much bust.

Big Chest?

Busty women will wear bikinis with the top separated by a grommet, so that the two breasts are separated, they appear smaller, and swimsuits with a V-neckline or square neckline.

  • Triangle neckline: favors women with a lot of breasts and slims the figure much more, it is also very youthful.
  • Bandeau neckline: ideal to avoid sun marks. If you have little chest, it is perfect to use it with “foam” or “push up” to accentuate it, also with ruffles or fringes, fantastic to add volume. Wearing a smaller size than usual will help achieve a perfect fit and enhancement.
  • Push-up neckline: ideal if you have a small chest or want to highlight it to show off a very sexy neckline.
  • Wide strap panties: perfect for concealing wide hips. If this is your case, do not wear them with decorations, bows or knotted on the sides, as it would create the opposite effect, widening the hips. He also prefers plain colored models.
  • Knickers with a bow: they hide the wide backs phenomenally and they stylize the short ones a lot. In addition, they add volume to narrow hips.

Straight Body

Women with a straight body should wear all kinds of accessories that create false optical sensations, such as skirts with ruffles, ruffles, shorts, like those worn in the 50s, and that the iconic Marilyn Monroe made so fashionable.

They will also choose swimsuits and bikinis that boast prints, horizontal stripes, dots, and fabrics that imitate animal skins, such as leopard, panther or snake.

On the other hand, they will play with the shapes of the back, neckline and hips, so the trikinis, a hybrid between the swimsuit and the bikini, will greatly favor them. They will never wear full-length bathing suits or swimsuits with a racer back.

Women With A Lot Of Hips

If, on the other hand, like the movie divas of the golden years, your problem is the opposite and your curves surpass you, you should be able to divert attention to the upper part.

You will never use parts below a skirt or shorts, for you they will be totally prohibited. In addition, you will try to wear tops that are not very large, never high-waisted and yes, with fine bows, nor very small. Do not use belts or brooches, in general any type of adornment that draws attention to that area.

For Wide Women In General

They will never use loose fabrics, such as cotton, viscose or foam. They will love lycra, black, one piece swimsuits and will prefer large sizes to cramming into a smaller size just for the sake of thinking about the size number.

In addition, they will avoid unnecessary prints and decorations, opting for minimalist models that stylize their figure, in plain colors and with straight cuts.

Who Wore it Better? Yung Miami vs. Monique Rodriguez in Tom Ford’s Silk Trimmed Sequins Tank and Dolce & Gabbana Rainbow Sequinned Boots

By the looks of it, all that glitters was gold at this past Saturday’s Strength of a Woman Concert in Atlanta, held by Mary J. Blige and Pepsi, when both Yung Miami from the City Girls and Monique Rodriquez stepped out wearing the same $1,390 Tom Ford silk trimmed sequin tank and $1,345 Dolce & Gabbana rainbow sequinned boots!

Yung Miami wore her’s with her hair half a half up half down, three layered Diamond tennis chains and dark wash denim shorts!

Monique opted to accessorize the pieces with a Tom Ford bag, Louis Vuitton hoops and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry styled Jeremy Haynes!

Who wore it better, and how would you style this look?

Get the look: $1390 Tom Ford Silk Trimmed Sequin Tank

Get the look: $1345 Dolce & Gabbana Metallic-Effect Boots

Photos: Getty + Will Sterling + Freddy O. Art