And fulfill a dream or your unmet need

Tired of never finding clothing that fits your child, or other children like them? A new website lets you take your angst and basic design ideas and put them to good use.

Courtesy of LaunchYourLine.com

Launch Your Line, which itself launched at the end of March, gives you the resources and connections you need to actually start a clothing line.

“LaunchYourLine.com is free to join, and we provide all the tools and information entrepreneurs need to make their product lines successful,” says company founder Ruben Navarrete. “We encourage people to see how far they can take their ideas with LaunchYourLine.com.”

Here’s how it works:

1. Create a free account,
2. Answer questions about your idea that are geared toward helping you find the support you’ll need to get started,
3. Track your clothing line’s development process, step-by-step, from business planning and design to contract bidding and brand launch using the Launch Your Line Dashboard.

Sound simple? Well, maybe. You will still need to do lot of work to get your kids clothing line off the ground. But, the Launch Your Line (LYL) website has a number of resources to help you not only design clothing but create a successful clothing business by guiding you each step of the way. In addition to planning tools, though, the LYL network connects you with other clothing designers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers and service providers who have expertise in areas where you may not. These connections can help you overcome common hurdles to starting a kids clothing company of your own.

Designing Kids Clothes

Designing clothing for kids is somewhat different from designing for adults. Often there are growth and development considerations, safety precautions and laws, and issues of functionality to consider. But, designers must also think about the way clothes fit, how they look, and what they convey about a child and/or their parents.

“When designing children’s clothing remember you are designing clothing to make parents feel good about their children or helping parents give their children personality that may not exist in the child. This is an interesting form of projection. Designers who are aware of this can leverage it for a very successful brand.” — Navarrete

Navarrete told SizeTracker Blog that, when getting started, children’s apparel designers should also:

• Create what they know and trust their instincts. In other words, “if you have a 5 year old and you are creating a line for 5 year olds, you have a built in research analyst. You know what 5 year olds need.”
• For safety and legal reasons, completely eliminate drawstrings from any designs.
• Follow industry standards for size and fit, since consumers often buy off the rack for children. For younger children using weight (and length) as guidelines can be helpful if you choose to create your own sizes.
• Navarrete also suggests that designers carefully consider their fabric choices. “Research shows that children’s clothing is often felt and handled by the consumer more than adult clothing. The texture of the fabric is essential as it communicates level of quality.”
• Investigate creative packaging to help make your product stand out.

Streamlining the Manufacturing Process

Launch Your Line is set up to accommodate just about any type of clothing, shoe, sports gear, or other product design – it boils down to having an idea and then using the LYL network and resources, as well as your own research and connections, to find reputable pattern-makers and manufacturers that have experience in the area you want to delve into.

In general, it pays to carefully research your suppliers and manufacturers, as well as to take precautions when working with foreign entities. Navarette recommends that designers consider hiring an independent quality and safety test firm if they choose to work with an Asian manufacturer.

So, are you ready to start, or still a little hesitant? Create an account at LYL and check things out. If you’ve already seen LYL in action, please comment on your experience.