Breaking into the Clothing Biz

The fashion industry, as you can well imagine, is a very competitive one. To succeed takes knowledge, patience, talent and a bit of luck. As far as the knowledge bit goes, I found some sources that will assist you further.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have about the clothing industry as well as many you haven't anticipated yet.  

• International Association of Clothing Designers & Executives
• Associations Directory for the Apparel & Fashion Industry

There's nothing quite like research – the more you know about the clothing industry, the better. There are plenty of free informational resources out there.

• Key to Starting Your Own Clothing Company by Bradley Johnson
• Your New Clothing Company – Apparel Sourcing by Bradley Johnson
• Fashion Marketing 101 by Amie Pronowski

Also, here are some book titles that may interest you:

• The Official Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Clothing Line by Jay Arrington
• The Business of Fashion: Designing, Manufacturing, and Marketing by Leslie Davis Burns
• Fashion for Profit (Revised Edition with Retail Chapter) by Frances Harder
• The Fashion Designer Survival Guide: An Insider's Look at Starting and Running Your Own Fashion Business by Mary Gehlhar