#making clothes patterns is soooo hard

[jiraisupportgroup]

♡ Hair Care Tips for Hard Times ♡

Hair care is hard! Especially now that "clean girl" and similar things are super popular, everyone seems to have a 10+ step hair care routine and that is exhausting (/hyp).

Don't be afraid to have a basic routine! There is absolutely no shame in skipping extras like leave-in conditioner or oils, depending on your hair type you honestly might not even need them.

This post is mostly aimed towards bare basic "I cannot get myself into the shower but need to take care of my hair" tips for maintaining hair outside of the shower. Because of this (even though I just said skip all the extras), it does talk about leave-in conditioners, oils, etc, but mostly as an outside-of-the-shower alternative to conditioners, or as a way to freshen up in between showers.

On another note: I tried to add additional tips for textured hair because I know care can be very different. I spent a lot of time poking around Reddit for more tips, but if I worded anything incorrectly, or if you have more tips that you use, let me know! I'd love to edit or add to this with more tips you guys have!

♡ Greasy or in need of refreshing ♡

⟡ If you're feeling a bit more motivated, but not prepared to take a full shower, try washing your hair while sitting down in the shower or on the edge of the tub. Forget about leave-in conditioners, oils, etc, just do the basic shampoo -> conditioner -> done. Make it as easy for yourself as possible. If you need to use a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner combination, do it! They aren't the best for your hair, but if it makes the process easier for you, do it. Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly, do whatever you can to make it easier for yourself to get it done.

⟡ For some people, washing your hair in the sink works well since you don't have to worry about the rest of your body getting wet, and you can leave your clothes on. I recommend putting a towel over your shoulders and using a larger sink if possible (I have most definitely washed my hair in the kitchen sink before).

⟡ If you have thicker or more textured hair, the washing process can be exhausting sometimes. Sometimes running cool or lukewarm water through your hair just to wash off your scalp, then applying a light oil or leave-in conditioner to the ends to keep them hydrated can help freshen up without taking up too much of your day.

⟡ Dry shampoo is your best friend. You can use store-bought aerosols, or sprinkle cornstarch or baby powder onto your scalp, let it sit for a few minutes, then brush out the excess or if your hair is thicker you can shake it out over a bathtub to get the extra out. With thicker or more textured hair it can help to part your hair into sections so it can get to your scalp more easily.

⟡ Wetting and running your fingers through your hair just to fluff it up or break it up can help with upkeep, especially if you don't have the energy for (or your hair doesn't do well with) brushing it out.

♡ Dry or tangling easily ♡

⟡ If your hair is really dry at the ends (sometimes dry shampoo can dry out your hair a little too well), you can use a leave-in conditioner, or a little bit of an oil like jojoba oil or coconut oil to bring some moisture back into it. I recommend getting your hair a little bit wet for this, or diluting the oil with water and spraying it on your hair for better absorption. This can also help with keeping your hair pattern better, if you have wavy hair it can lose it's bounce if it's too dry, if you have textured hair it can lose it's fluff or be hard to style if it dries out, don't be afraid to oil those ends!

⟡ Oils or conditioners can also help prevent hair from tangling as easily. Dry or damaged hair can tangle much easier than moisturized hair, so keeping it a little oily can help prevent really bad tangling.

⟡ Be careful with straighteners! Depending on your hair type straightening it can make it a bit easier to maintain, but it can dry your hair out soooo much, especially if it is already damaged. Use a low setting and try to put just a little oil in the ends to keep them from tangling.

⟡ NOTE: When I say a little oil I mean a little. Like a teeny tiny bit, the least you can get away with using. This depends on your hair type, but especially if you have thinner hair you don't want to get into a cycle where you use dry shampoo because it's greasy and then you use too much oil and it gets greasy again. This is something you'll feel out as time goes on.

♡ Hairstyles or hiding ♡

⟡ Using bonnets or wrapping your hair in an old t-shirt while you sleep can help keep it from getting too tangled, losing texture, breaking, or losing moisture. It also helps keep your hair out of your way and off of your mind for a while.

⟡ For thinner hair, consider putting it into a ponytail or braid if it is long enough to keep it all together and out of your way. Try not to tie it too tightly, and stay away from those little rubber band-type holders if you can, using a thicker hair tie will help keep your hair from getting stuck in it, and will make it easier to take it down in the future. Try to take it down and put it back up if it starts getting tangled, I usually aim for about once a day if I can but I've definitely left my hair in braids for 4 days at a time before taking it out and re-doing it.

⟡ For thicker hair or more textured hair you have a few more options. Ponytails and buns work great, or you might consider braids or twists just to keep maintenance a bit lower for a while. This can be a lengthy process so ask friends or family for help! You also don't have to do it all at one time. Depending on what style you're doing you may be able to pull it up and wrap it with a scarf when you go out, or if you're braiding it sometimes you can wrap the braids you have done around the unbraided part to make a little braid bun situation.

⟡ If you're not feeling up to putting it up like that, or you want to just wrap it up and not think about it, things like headbands, scarves, beanies, hats, etc are great options. When I shaved my head I would wear beanies 24/7 and I didn't worry about hair maintenance until it was about shoulder length again because I just didn't know what to do with it T_T. But! No one even knew that I didn't brush it for like 6 months (I also was very grunge at the time so it fit the theme).

♡ Tackling matted hair ♡

⟡ If your hair is badly tangled but not quite matted, use a detangling spray, let it sit for a few minutes, then go in with a wide tooth comb first to break up the hair, then a thinner brush (like a wet brush) to continue brushing. Start from the ends and work up, hold the hair above where you’re brushing to avoid pulling on your scalp, and apply more spray as needed. Do this in a comfortable place like the couch or your bed, and have something to entertain yourself during this process like a movie or music or YouTube video, whatever you can do to make this process as bearable and comfortable as possible.

⟡ If your hair is matted (thick hard chunks of hair) it’s a bit more of a process. Do not panic, do not beat yourself up, it happens, it’s okay. It’s honestly more common than you would think, especially in people with depression or fatigue. Start with wetting the hair, do not try to use shampoo or wash it, just get it wet, then slather it with either a deep conditioning conditioner or a hair mask mixed with an oil like jojoba oil or coconut oil (or mineral oil surprisingly enough; works well for detangling but it can be kind of hard to get out of the hair afterward), and a little bit of apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, you want to give your hair time to soak up all the moisture it can. Take your hands and break apart the larger chunks into sections, if this causes tearing or hurts, leave that section alone and move on to another section or brushing. Take a hard brush (like a wet brush or a tangle teezer - really just don’t use a bristle brush) and start from the bottom. It can be hard to tell where the bottom of a mat is, just start from whatever part of it is furthest away from your scalp. During this process a lot of hair will come out, most of this is hair that has already fallen out and is trapped inside of the mat, don’t worry, you’re not balding or ripping your hair out. Apply more oils as needed, break the larger chunks into smaller ones when you can, and have patience! This is a lengthy and frustrating process, it might even feel like you’re not getting anywhere at times but I promise with time you will get there. You don’t have to do this all in one session either. If you can break it into smaller mats, just focus on one of the chunks at a time & go from there. If you can, ask for help! Friends or family, anyone who is willing to hang out and watch movies and brush your hair for a while, it is so much easier with just a little help. You might be surprised at who is willing to help you out (like one of my coworkers recently came over to help me clean my apartment and I really didn't expect her to, it was super nice! No shame in asking, the worst that will happen is they'll say no or they're busy, don't sweat it!)

Thank you for reading ~

Hopefully, some of these tips can help out! Don't forget that you're not alone! I sit writing this with hair that hasn't been properly washed in about 2 weeks so fear not! You're not gross or lazy or anything like that, sometimes it's just hard!

If you have any additional tips or edits feel free to message me or pop them in the comments below!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

[tra1nchi]

train there's gonna be a LOT of cumplay/slickplay here so erm... I'm freaky ok

—

so, incubus reader going into heat.

Your step brother thought it'd be a great idea to trigger your heat!! Even if he was a wolf his own rut was coming soon and he just needed to pound your boycunt!!!

Tricking you to wear slutty clothes on the living room couch, playing with your thick and girthy t-dick!!! He loved how you would squirm every time he stroked you!!!

But oh how naive he was...., not realising that incubus heat is incredibly difficult to manage if you breed with different species!!! Once he got inside he almost came instantly!!! Your boycunt so tight it made him woozy,,... Who knew aphrodisiacs would leak in your slick and cum...

It eventually turned to you riding him!!! He was so powerless that he accidentally triggered his own rut..., causing him to pump his knot straight into his own step brother!!! He ran out of cum sooo fast!!

Since your step bro couldn't pump you full anymore, you moved on to your step dad, who was conveniently asleep and horny!!! Who knew he could smell the aphrodisiac-coated slick in the air!!!!

Riding him until he pumped his own knot into you,..., his wolf ears laying flat against his head!!, you kept cumming so deliciously..., you squirted your slick so nicely and shot your aphrodisiac-coated cum straight onto his stomach....!!!

He woke up and started to help you pound yourself onto his girth!!, cum and slick making such a huge mess, from the hall in which you left the living room couch to the trail of it onto your step dad's bed!!!

He eventually ran out of cum as well..., you didn't like how he started having dry orgasms..., but you weren't satisfied!!! You needed more!!!, so the logical reason was to go to your neighbour's house.., right?

Stuffing a dildo in your boycunt to keep the cum and slick in,,, you left the house with newfound urges..., it wasn't good that you were only 18 but it felt sooo nice to have so much cum in you!!!

Forcing your neighbour's door open,, removing the dildo and hopping on his flaccid dick!!! Feeling it grow so hard just by you made you much more horny!!!, you bounced and bounced,,, his cum filled knot filling you soooo deliciously full!!! But incubus are known for being greedy,.. this wasn't enough as well but luckily your neighbour's two sons came down the stairs just in time your neighbour stopped producing cum!!!

You jumped both of them at the same time...., forcing both cocks into you as they whined and moaned!!! The two dicks went in sooo easily due to previous cum and slick coating your walls!!!, they eventually came in you at the same time, blowing their knots as well!! You never felt so addicted before!!! Both the sons passed out too... But you were still soooo hungry for cum!!!

You stuffed the dildo in your boycunt again, this time making your way to your uncle's house where he had 4 sons.... You licked your lips,,, thinking about how much cum you would get!!! Jerking off your useless but long and girthy t-dick, you made your way to his house down the streets!! Just thinking about how to drain all of them...

When you reached, you pushed your uncle's length into your boycunt with the dildo still inside!!!, it felt sooo good.... Continuously shooting slick and cum everywhere!!! His own knot busting into your boycunt too!!!

You moved on to his 4 sons, hypnotising them sit in a square like pattern and shoving all 4 cocks into your tight heat!!! All of them moaning in seconds!!! Their knots and cum blowing into you while you finally reached an amazing ecstasy!!... You were finally satisfied with the amount of cum you got!!!... Stuffing the dildo in you again, you turned on the vibration mode and happily made your way back to your bedroom... Leaving behind a trail of slick and passed out bodies....

You pounded and bounced on your dildo for multiple rounds after you plopped yourself onto your bed....you didn't want to think about how you were going to drain the entire male population in your neighborhood.. your heat lasting 5 days and yet this was only the first...!!

—

... ok maybe I should stop fantasizing 😭😭😭 I hope you like the brainrot I have over cumplay/slickplay

- 🕳️anon

I read this with my mouth open the entire time, THIS IS SO AAA HOLD ME BACK!!!!!

[malleide-fever]

why is your art so shape (walks out with your art stuffed inside my pockets) FR THO THIS IS SOOOOO GOOOODDD like I just went through all your posts and its chef's kiss SO UNIQUE AND BEEAAAUTIFUL i love the way you draw them, you highlight everybody's best features and THE CLOTHES. THE CUNT. THE FA SHION. love this a LOT

I reaaally like Idia's ENORMOUS FLUFFY HAIR and his bulky hoodie, also his face lololol he looks a lot like the og Disney Hades, wanna see him open a big smile and show all of those teeth

ALSO MALLEUS, MALLEUS IS SO. UGHHHHH i can feel the WHIMSY radiating off of him, just look at those eyes, they're soooo sweet and kind but also. OMINOUS. He really looks like something out of an old dark fantasy movie I wanna take a bite off of him

ANYWAYS I WOULD SPEAK ALL OF MY TRUTH SINCE I ALSO L OVED YOUR VIL, LIKE, THOSE PEARLS IN HIS HAIR, THE FLOW OF HIS CLOTHES????? a true queen, omg, i love the red on him AASQJQSE

I'm dying to see what Riddle looks like in your style, his og dorm uniform is already a packed mess of style, shapes and patterns, I'm sure you would really elevate it (I just imagine you making his ahoge into a giant heart just like you did with Malleus' horns lololol) ANYWAYS LOVE YOU ACCOUNT HAVE A GREAT DAY XOXO

Thank you so much for the kind words ❤❤❤ I appreciate them greatly 🥰

As for Riddle.....I cannot draw him properly without designing his mom first. Because she raised him to be just like her (funnily enough, the way I pictured her is scarily similar to how she looks like in the comics- except that in my head she was a bit thicker like the actual Queen of hearts from the animated movie...I also hc Riddle's dad to be small, and that's where he inherited his height from 😭) (Ignore how stiff Riddle's pose is...actually don't it's in his character to look like he got a stick up there)

For his face, I wanted his cheeks to be really soft and rosy...I need Riddle's face to look cute (it's Floyd's fault 😭, he put the cute petite red goldfishie in my head) However, I wanted his eyes to be striking. Deep enough to make you fess up your mistake with just one disapproving look (skill acquired from mama Rosehearts)

As for his clothing, I took inspiration from two things: those young prince designs with the pantaloons and a boy scout.

I wanted his clothes to look like they're eating him up. Like they're a little too big for him but he makes it ✨work ✨ because I wanted to show that responsibility and expectations are overwhelming him without making it too obvious. I also need to mention that his face is painted white, because insert deep meaningful "mask your mistakes" symbolism here.

The royal prince look is there because...well judging by how ridiculous the Queen's rules are, the clothes she likes are probably just as ridiculous (plus I think that they're really cute and cute Riddle is a necessity)

The Boy Scout is there because well, boy scouts work towards a certain goal. Then they get rewarded with an insignia (feels good in the moment but those little trinkets are kind of useless and for looks only....tho it's nice to bedazzle bags with em..not like Riddle would be allowed to do that LMAO) and then they work towards another goal

This constant work-"reward"-work thing is common in Riddle's household. And you bet he's a completionist and wants all the insignia no matter how much they end up weighing on him in the end

I also removed the crowns from his design because he has too many symbols (roses, all card symbols and a crown... Very hard to balance) You can headcannon the little triangle design on his hat as a crown tho if you feel like it :)

[gyll-yee-haw]

I JUST FOUND YOUR ACCOUNT AGAINNN OH MY GODDDDDDDD I LOVE YOUR WORK SOOOO MUCH!! CAN YOU WRITE SOMETHING FOR DONNIE DARKO? 💕❤️

HIII, my sweet angel!!! <3

Anything you ask, my love, let's give our sweet boy some attention 😭🥺❤

Warnings: Donnie being a scared adorable baby. Unprotected sex, pain kink, dry humping, risk of getting caught, fluffy stuff...

---

You woke up to weird noises on your window. You opened your eyes, knowing exactly what you would find. It wasn't the first time Donnie broke into your room like that, but it still scared you every single time.

He usually did that so you could make out after both of your families were asleep. But at the moment you sat down, ready to ask him not to do that again without a warning, you realized those weren't his intentions at all.

He looked pale. Lost. He had dark bags under his terrified eyes. The scene was heartbreaking. He rushed to sit beside you on the bed and hugged you tightly.

"What happened?" You asked, very worried as you hugged him back.

"Frank wants me to do something really bad." He confessed. "I don't want to do it, Y/N…"

"Shit. Did you see Frank again?" You sighed. "Well, tell him you won't do it. He can't force you to, Donnie. You're a good, sweet and kind person."

"Frank never finds me when I'm with you." His fingers squeezed your arms strongly, like he was scared you would disappear and leave him lonely.

"Yeah, that big ass rabbit knows better than messing with me, I won't let him hurt my boyfriend." You shrugged.

Even on such a serious situation, you were able to make Donnie laugh. Well, it wasn't much more than a chuckle, but he seemed to relax a little.

"Come on." You told him. "We can cuddle until it goes away."

He removed his shoes to lay on his side. The two of you faced each other for a second. Then he got a little closer and you wrapped your arms around him, keeping his face buried on your chest and his soft hair brushing your chin.

"You're safe now." You said, kissing the top of his head.

He lifted his head to look at you and whispered: "I love you."

Your heart almost stopped. It was the first time he had ever said that to you. And that look in his eyes was so sincere... maybe it meant more than the words themselves.

"I love you too, Don." You smiled at him.

You were ready to go back to holding his tightly, but, before you could, he placed his hand on the back of your neck and pulled you for a kiss. A hungry one. He had so many emotions he needed to let out. He would never be able to tell you how grateful he was for you always being there, and not thinking that he was crazy. Well, he probably would be if it wasn't for you.

His hands ran through your body, ending on your butt, squeezing and pulling your hips closer to his at the same time.

He continued kissing you while his hips brushed yours until he started getting hard.

"Donnie…" You moaned into his mouth.

"Need you, baby." He told you, then quickly glued his lips to yours again, his hands going under your shirt and he began stroking your nipples very gently with his thumbs.

Your body melted under his touch and you ended up letting him do whatever he wanted to you. He kept rubbing his erection against you, and even though you were both still clothed, it drove you crazy. But only when he stopped caressing your nipples and started pinching them, was when you gave up: "Shit, Donnie… Fuck me."

He would let out one of those adorable laughs he had as you started taking your clothes off. But at the sight of your naked body craving his, he started undressing himself pretty quickly too.

You two were laying on your sides, facing each other, and he lifted one of your legs, resting it on his hips so he could have access to your entrance. He began stroking your folds and you couldn't see his face very well, because the room was dark, but you could feel that the patterns of his breathing changed. His heart was beating faster.

He grabbed his cock and entered you at once. You bit your lip to control yourself, but he moaned loudly.

"Shhh…" You whispered. "Calm down, if anyone hears us…"

"I know, sorry." He chuckled. "But you feel so good, it's hard to…"

"Well, keep your mouth busy." You smirked.

He didn't understand it at first, but you took your hand to the back of his head, guiding his mouth to the crook of your neck.

He grabbed your hips and started pulling you down on his cock. It wasn't very fast, but it was so deep, and so good.

As he kept doing it, your fingers held to his hair very tightly, pulling it a little too hard. You weren't doing it only to control your moans, you knew Donnie absolutely loved the pain. You could tell by the way his teeth digged deeper in your skin every single time.

You pulled his body as close to yours as possible and whispered in his ear: "Harder, baby, please… make me cry.", followed by bitting his earlobe hard enough to leave a purple mark.

He absolutely lost it.

He flipped you over, so now you were under him and started thrusting faster inside you. His face buried on the pillow beside your head and you could hear the muffled sound of him screaming "FUCK FUCK FUCK".

He came hard, but kept thrusting until you came too, your walls clenching around him until his last drop was finally inside you.

His body collapsed on top of yours and you wrapped your arms securely around him again.

You kept stroking his back until you felt him relax completely. Maybe a little too much. He fell asleep.

You didn't have the heart to wake him up. He was exhausted. What if he saw Frank again? It would be better for him to spend the night, even if that increased the risk of you getting caught.

You would risk anything to make him feel safe.

[redr0sewrites]

Hi! I absolutely loved your lucifer x punk reader and was wondering if you could do a gn punk reader but with Velvette please?

nonnie i hope u know that u absolutely made my year with this request i NEED more velvette reqs she is my guilty pleasure

🥀 Cw: fluff, slightly suggestive at the end

Velvette is absolutely the type of person to LOVE having an alternative s/o

she def finds anyone with a unique style intriguing, and once she actually met you she fell hard

def inspired a clothing line or two after you before you both even became official

she would also ask you to model and would ask for your opinion on designs!!!!! ur def her muse in a way, and she LOVES dressing you up in spunky outfits and designing new outfits just for you

velvette just loves dressing you up, and loves going out together when you're both dressed to the MAX in full aesthetic outfits

shes so good at doing hair and makeup too, URGRHRH imagine her sitting on your lap and doing your eyeliner for you or putting liberty spikes in your hair...

if your super into DIY or patch vests, pants, etc Velvette LOVEESSSS helping you make clothes

she will make patches and pins for you to wear!

velvette def has you show her some of the DIY tricks you know, and she shows you some in return

YALL ABSOLUTELY DEFINITELY POSITIVELY HAVE MATCHING OUTFITS

all of hell starts to see even more alternative and punk influence in fashion once you both become OFFICIAL official

velvette also announces it on practically every social media platform possible that you both are together, she loves showing you off and she is NEVER the type to be ashamed of her partner

you both def make those alt couples goals videos, and if anyone ever hits on you velvette will conveniently post blurry photos of you both making out the next day on her sinstagram

she shows up to important meetings and work events with you both in your spunky matching fits

you both heavily believe in being fashionably late and def help eachother get ready (but it ends up taking longer bc she just can't help but kiss you over and over while you're trying to do eyeliner, and you are definitely no help when she's struggling to choose which accessory to wear)

she's already a huge advocate for change in the way hell is run, and you both bond over your anti-authoritarian ideals

velvette does what she wants and nobody can tell her otherwise, and teh same goes for you. she genuinely admires that you really don't care what others think about you and you're style, and was def attracted to that aspect of your personality before you both even dated

LOOK ME IN THE EYES AND TELL ME SHE WOULDNT ADORE FEMINIST ROCK LIKE SHE WOULD EAT THAT SHIT UP

you both love bikini kill, hole, x ray spex, destroy boys, JOAN JETT, all of that genre

she probably knew about punk music before she met you, but you def introduced her to it more

velvette loves long car rides where you're BLASTING music and screaming it at the top of your lungs while chains and hair is flying everywhere as you tear down the road speed limit where

if you wear lots of chains she def tugs on them to pull you into kisses and pulls you in by the belt too... (i want to make a drabble about this soooo bad)

all in all, yall r a POWER COUPLE lmao

"babe, what about this?" Velvette twirled you around, adjusting some of the pins on your vest before turning you towards the large, illuminated mirror that covered one side of the messy dressing room. music played in the background, filling the room with guitar riffs and breathy solos. discarded fabrics and chains covered the floor, all remnants of Velvette's past designs.

"damn, this looks sick as fuck!" you exclaim, giving a little twirl to show off the distressed patterns and chunky shoes. Velvette nodded approvingly, stepping towards you with a smirk. she reached out, hooking her finger through your belt and pulling you into a kiss. her tongue slipped past your lips, exploring the cavern of your mouth as the kiss grew more steamy. "fuck you're so hot," she murmured against your lips, her lip stick was smearing across your skin as she pressed hasty kisses and nipped at your hawline. "i adore dressing you up," she whispered, pulling you in closer, "but i love undressing you even more..."

SHES SOOOOOOO RAHAWHAHGWGGGGGG i need more velvette contentttttttttt

[eebeewrites]

can i suggest like. reader being obsessed with rennyn and him underestimating it. he thinks her devotion and loyalty is the same as always, since he killed a man for trying to take her away, a man who was her first love nonetheless! and she was just ready for him immediately. but it’s baddd. imagine she kills a human sent to assassinate rennyn in the middle of the night and she just cares abt rennyn. she doesn’t care abt the blood literally on her hands and clothes- she just wants rennyn to see what she’s done for him like ‘do you see? do you see what lengths i’ll go to for you? :)))’ with the most unnerving smile on her face. i like to think he’s shocked as fuck bc he never imagined her killing someone for him, ever. didn’t she try to escape? now she’s killing for him….oooh cue the most primal, rough pounding he’s ever given her as her reward 😋 make him better? no, he can US worse actually! 😜 idt he’d be uncomfortable, bc he’s killed so many himself, but he’s so fucked up i think he’d enjoy the fact that reader killed for him. it would turn him on soooo bad. if he saw her stab the human in the back, he’d probably get hard. then teach her more ways to kill <3 he’d probably be sooo pleased….like ‘yeah my sex toy kills ppl. fuck yeah’

WAITTTTTT YOURE COOKING YOURE COOKING

I thought about making this a continuation of the original story, but I think this will be a stand-alone thing since personality is much different than how reader has been previously established, even if events are the same. We can call it…an alternate path, if you will.

ALSO UH DISCLAIMER IM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BUT DONT FINGER YOURSELF AFTER COMING IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S BLOOD. HES LITERALLY FUCKING INSANE.

Idek how to tag this. CW for bloodplay and murder I guess

Rennyn Masterlist

Elvish General x Yandere! Reader

The General was a lucky man.

Few were as fortunate as him to have a concubine who looked up to him so fondly. You were like a needy puppy to him; always needing his attention, his affection. It annoyed him to no end, but the sex and ego-stroking was too good to give up.

He wasn’t quite sure what he did for you to feel this way. He knew he had treated you rather poorly. He didn’t regret any of his actions. A human girl like you needed to know your place after all. He hit you, he used you, degraded you, and yet you’d happily rest your head on his lap, your loyalty undying.

You sat under his desk between his legs, gladly licking and sucking his cock. He did nothing to please you, hardly paying you any mind as he wrote letters, yet you still let out little moans and whimpers, as if the mere action of sucking his cock stimulated you.

You listened to his steady breathing, moving your head further down to lick his balls, his cock resting on your face as you sucked on each one. He took another quick breath, breaking the steady pattern; a subtle sign you were doing a good job. He placed a hand on your head, petting you gently.

You looked up at him with needy eyes, stroking his cock with your hand as you continued. He paid you no mind, still focused on his work. You let go of him, “master?”

“Shh, patience, pet,” he said as he caressed your face, still writing with his other hand. He must’ve been in a good mood that day, leaving your interruption unpunished. He eventually set his quill back in the ink pot, looking down at you. “What is it?”

You licked his shaft up and down, kissing his cock. “My body needs you, master.”

He smiled, amused at your words. “Of course it does.”

“May I sleep in your bed tonight, master?”

You took his cock back in your mouth as he mused it over. He grabbed both sides of your head, pushing it down further. “That’s a privilege you need to earn, pet.”

You started to deepthroat his cock, pushing forward despite gagging on his length. You were determined to earn your place by his side. He let out a quiet moan, moving your head back and forth. “That’s right, good girl.”

You moved faster, eager to milk his cock. He relaxed into his chair, leaning back as he used your mouth. He started to thrust upwards, your face nothing more than a warm hole for him to use. He let out another moan, this one louder than the last, before the bitter taste of his cum hit your tongue. You gladly swallowed it all, licking the tip as if you wanted more, tasting it as soon as it came out.

He stopped, and you lifted your head up, wiping off your mouth. “Was that good, master?”

“Yes, my pet,” he said softly. “You may sleep by my side, so long as you don’t disturb me.”

You nodded your head, “I won’t master, I promise.”

He held your chin, “remember, I decide when your pussy is used. Not you. If you need it so bad, I’m sure someone here can satiate you for the night.”

You nodded once more. You didn’t want anyone else, you only wanted to feel him. Yet he owned your pussy, and only he could decide when you were bred. “Yes sir.”

“Good. Now, get yourself ready for bed.”

———

You slept naked, as always; after all, if he wanted to use you in the middle of the night, you needed to be ready and accessible.

He laid beside you fast asleep, and you couldn’t help but just lay there and watch. Everything about him was beautiful. His toned, muscular body. His long, soft hair. The peaceful expression on his face. You just wanted to reach out and touch him, but you refrained; he could touch you, but you couldn’t touch him.

You were shaken from your fantasies by the sound of armor falling to the floor. You looked over at him, still fast asleep.

Something wasn’t right. There was a guard by the door, yet when the armor fell, you didn’t hear it move again. You slowed your breathing, trying to focus. You noticed a faint clicking noise; someone was picking the lock.

You panicked, hearing the lock get closer and closer to opening. You stood up, moving as quietly as you could before grabbing a dagger sitting on his desk. You sat behind it, hiding as you heard the lock open. You were naked, armed only with a dagger, but you focused all your energy on staying calm.

The door opened, and in walked a tall man wearing black, leather armor. You watched as he approached the bed, holding a dagger in his hands. He leaned forward, low enough for you to reach, and you took the opportunity to strike.

You moved quickly, plunging the dagger into his skull. You quickly pulled it out, terrified of his next move. You stabbed him over, and over, and over, his blood splattering over your naked body as he fell to the floor, a pool of blood forming around him. You just kept going; you needed to make sure he was dead. You needed to make sure your master was safe.

You finally stopped, looking up to see Rennyn staring back at you in shock. Your entire body was covered in the man’s blood, illuminated by dim candlelight. You dropped the dagger onto the floor, listening to the metal clash against stone.

You threw yourself at him, clinging to him desperately. Your voice shook, a burning in your throat as you felt tears well in your eyes. “He was going to kill you…but I saved you!” You cradled his face, your blood soaked hands staining his skin. “I can’t…I can’t lose you…I’ll do anything for you…” you started to sob. “I just can’t lose you. I love you,” you said with a weary smile.

He was speechless, eyes widened and silent as you cried in his arms. He finally spoke, his voice quiet, but his tone unreadable. “Stand up. Let me get a look at you.”

You nodded, pulling away and standing up. The blood on your body had stained him, the look of it on his chest enticing you. He stood up, looking you up and down. He ran his hands along your body, caressing your sides, your breasts, your ass.

He leaned in and kissed you ferociously, and only then did you notice his hard cock pressed against you. You gladly accepted his affection, feeling his tongue against yours, his hands continuing to touch you.

He finally pulled away, sitting back down on the bed. Even though his hands were covered in the blood of your victim, he started to stroke himself slowly. “I saw what you did. I saw how you killed him.”

“You…you did?”

“Mmhmm. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for me. To die for me.”

You nodded your head, everything he said factual. “Yes, master.”

He moved his hand faster, “the way you attacked him. Over, and over, and over. There’s a bloodlust in your eyes, I can see it,” his tone became much lighter as he pleasured himself.

“I…I couldn’t let anyone hurt you. I had to, I had to make sure you were safe.”

“Come here. Sit on the bed with me.”

“But the sheets, I’m still-”

“I don’t give a fuck about the sheets. Come here.”

You did as he said, sitting beside him, watching the tip of his cock grow wet with precum. He let out a breathy moan, wrapping an arm around you and holding you close. “Touch yourself for me. Pleasure yourself to the memory.”

You spread your legs, slowly starting to rub your clit. “Is…is that what you’re doing?”

“That’s right. It’ll be a memory I won’t forget for quite some time.” His voice was low, barely a whisper. “The look in your eyes. The way your knife plunged into his skull. The way you struck him over and over. The way his blood covered your naked body.” He grinned, “watching you take his life has inspired me to create another one,” he leaned forward and kissed you once more, both of you still pleasuring yourselves.

“I need you,” he moaned between kisses. “Present yourself to me. Present yourself to me while your victim’s blood is still fresh.

You moved onto your hands and knees, and he wasted no time lining his cock up with your pussy. He couldn’t stand to wait any longer, eager to feel you ever since your knife pierced your enemy’s skull.

He pushed inside you, his moans louder than you had ever heard. He held you tightly, his hands leaving bloody handprints along your ass.

“You are such a good girl,” he moaned, slamming into your pussy. “You’re such…such a good girl.” You didn’t even realize how wet you were until you heard the sound of your juices covering his cock with each thrust.

He leaned forward, growling into your ear before grabbing your breasts. “If you want to kill for me,” he slowed down, pulling out before moving you onto your back. He grabbed your legs, pulling you back onto his cock. “Then I’ll show you,” his thrusts were slower, yet harder, each movement shaking your body and slamming into your cervix. “You…you will be my siren.”

He leaned down to kiss you once more, increasing his pace as he held your face with both hands, looking you in the eyes. “You will lure my enemies with your body, then strike them down in my name,” he let out another moan. “We’ll make love on a bed of our enemies, and you…you will be my bride, and my knife.” He leaned down to kiss you once more, your tongue against his as he came deep inside you, shooting his cum deep inside your warm cunt.

He continued to kiss you, staying inside of you to ensure none of his seed left you. He finally pulled away, and for the first time, he looked truly breathless.

He caressed your face once more, leaning down to plant a kiss on your forehead.

“You’ve done well.”

Damn that was crazy uhhh

Yeah

[randomreadingtimewithtsuki]

Hello helloo!! I hope you’re doing well! I saw you were asking for AoEx requests sooo may I please request a Mephisto x Pregnant Reader please 😙

I’m so completely normal for him rn tee hee

Hello blessed anon!

Thank you soooo much for the request!!

I am in a Aoex mood, tbh honest i absolutely fell hard for the stinky raccoon *sigh*

anyway! on to your request! Please let me know what you think!

Tsuki's note : I did some HC, hope thats ok... Also! For the other readers, this is a Human! Reader with female organs, not necessarily female.

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When you first told Mephisto about your pregnancy he thought you were joking.

But your serious face and slight cocked eyebrow indicated that no, it was no joke.

The demon was super happy about it, he runs straight to you to both hug you and to caress your belly.

At the same time he was worried. What would happen to you and the baby?

He saw what happened with Yuri and the twins, i mean, sure, it was Satan's kids, but still.

There was a chance of things going a bit wrong.

So except a lot of health checks.

Also! Your pregnancy would most likely be held in secrecy, for safety reasons.

He can't have anyone using you and your baby to get to him.

Mephisto will give special keys to meet up with him whenever you need. He will also keep close tabs on you.

Not to the point of stalking, is just, keeping an eye on you.

All this stress aside, He is absolutely excited about the baby

10/10 will buy a ton of toys and things the day after you told him about your pregnancy.

So you may need to get him to senses expending wise - you don't even know if its a boy or a girl or have decided on colors or anything, really!

he will also start the baby's room project.

At first the crib will be with you guys, but later they will have their own space.

Mephisto won't do it all by himself though. He will ask you your opinion too! He just decided to start all of this, because he is excited.

Every day in the morning he will say good morning to you and the bump, caressing your belly while giving you a forehead kiss.

When you two are alone, he might absent mindly stare at your belly. He is just thinking about everything, in a good way!

Mephisto does try to be gentleman too and aid you bathing or going to bathroom if needed. Tying your shoes? he helps too!

No need to worry about your cravings either. He will provide anything you want to eat, as weird as it might be.

He will eat it with you. Ice cream with sour cream and a pickle? You both are eating it.

If you have morning sickness he will try his best to hold your hair for you and rub your back - he has a lot of work at the order, so he tries.

If you thought that only the unborn baby would receive gifts, you are wrong.

Be prepared to get all sort of things too. Comfy clothes, Yukatas, hairbands, flipflops, anything you want ( or don't, he will get you some stuff anyway)

Mephisto is aware of what you like, so don't worry, colours and patterns will be spot on!

Oh he will love going shopping with you for the baby.

Remember the health checks? Yeah, he will read through them and pay attention to every little detail. If a little thing is off, he will get worried and will try to find someone on the medical staff to check you further.

A bit overprotective? yes. He doesn't want to lose neither of you.

When the baby starts kicking he will get super happy!!!

Mephisto will try to catch all of the baby's kicking, following their movement through your belly.

When your due date is near, he will have a maternity bag ready to go. On his office and at home.

He will be rush to you when the contractions start. Mephisto will stay with you until that baby is born, making sure you and the little one are safe.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for reading! let me know what you think!

[iz-star]

OMG TODAY ZAYNE APPEARED WITH HIS WANDER IN WONDER OUTFITTTT

This is like one of my most favorite outfits for Zayne, because:

1._ The card where this outfit comes from is top tier, it made me daydream really hard lol.

2._ I like the colors and patterns a lot! The fabric is a piece of art itself.

3._ It's one of the few (if not the only one?) outfits of Zayne that highlight his waist instead of hips and it makes me go wildddd, I wanna grab that waist like a koala bear ggrrfrr besides the neckline is soooo??? Like it shows the perfect amount of chest for Zayne to be decent yet a bit slutty and I love that for my man ghhh

I rarely change his clothes bc normally I'm fine with the outfits he picks for himself and the very few times I make him change it's always with this outfit. It was about time for him to start to pick it by himself 🥹❤️ also, the accessory fits it so well!!

It's such a silly thing but it made me smile ahaha (being sick and at work rn is not the best day ever but thank you Zayne).

And as always, he never takes his ring off 🥹❤️ (except when he wears outfits that include gloves).

[jovenshires]

💙Smoshblr December Asks Day 18💛

What are your top 3 fave clothes, that you currently own? (can be faves for any reason, like comfort, smth you love to wear on special occasions, etc. 🤗)

Bonus: What are your top 3 fave accessories? (like jewelry, belts, bags, etc. 👜)

oh my god....... this is so hard bc i am a Fashion Girlie. but i digress. have some gpoys as well to showcase the Fits bc i am Proud of Them

the first is this cropped sweatshirt that says practice safe hex. i love her. SO much. i study witchcraft (one day ill practice. one day.) and i think this shirt is so funny and the and when fall hits? im a menace this is all i wear. (bonus shoutout to the patterned jeans in that pic bc they'd probably be my fourth pick for this list i LOVE those jeans.)

second is this brown corduroy skirt!! this is a more recent addition to my closet (i think i got it like last year?) and i wear it all the time. it is sitting on my bed to be put away from the wash rn. it's so cute and simple and goes with so many different things. ive got this outfit i really like to do with it (but no pics of the full thing unfortch) i call my shaggy fit where i wear this with like a lil green tank top sweater combo and its SUCH a cute winter/fall fit. (also this picture peeps one of my weeb tattoos so enjoy xx)

third and finally i cannot believe this is the best picture i have of this stupid thing (censored the face and an identifying landmark in the background LKNFKNSFLKNR) BUT this lil plaid overshirt? i have had that thing since i was literally... 13. so like 12 years and i STILL wear it ALLLLLL of the time. showing my arms makes me Uncomfy so this thing is a lifesaver. and i also wear a lot of plain black clothing so if smth needs a lil spice? ya just throw this bad boy on. plain black dress? plaid overshirt. lil romper? plaid overshirt. plain t-shirt? plaid overshirt. she's everything to me.

OH BOY OH BOY okay so two of these are like. staples to my wardrobe and the other one is. just for fun!

so the first one - my best friend handmade this for my birthday. this is my very own clown collar!!!!!! katie lore drop incoming - i am obsessed with clowns. i have a clown collection and a clown tattoo. so of course when she went to knit me smth she made me this!! i have not had the occasion to wear it but. im manifesting it soon (i will say she gave me this While i was dressed as a clown)

the second picture is of my class rings. (don't worry they've been heavily censored i'm not doxxing myself <3) the lighting is terrible and they also. don't leave my hands so the gems are grody as hell but the gems are blue zircon (my brother and mother's birthstone) and amethyst. im not even like. very proud of being an alumni from my schools but they remind me how hard i fought and all i learned to be where i am today and honestly. i love a ring! i love a ring moment and i wish i wore more so. class rings stick around.

and FINALLY. oh Boy oh Boy. i can talk about this thing for hours. this is my backpack. it is Covered in pins and keychains (spot all my special interests in there....... so many things....) and i take it Everywhere with me. this is actually the Third iteration of this backpack - i had a black backpack that all these pins were on (it broke tragically), then his white backpack had different pins, and now we've moved the black backpack pins onto the white backpack. im a bag enthusiast and a pin collector (i have so many pins....... so many) so i have multiple bags with pins all over them but. these pins are my faves.

ANYWAY. sorry ab being so extra but i love all these things soooo yeah <3<3<3

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

soooo ik you probably won’t get into this since sukuna menacing ass was the one who told megs of his potential (in such a simp way mind you like why was you twirling my son around, getting all up in his face, then smiling mad hard when he started glowing blue & shit but anyways) BUTTTT

how would megumi react knowing that the zenin in some fucked up way did “loved” him (or who he could’ve been to them) & that all the abuse he endured was their way of caring (abusive families are so fucked up…)

He’d shut down.

He wouldn’t talk about it. He’d blow off absolutely anyone who tried to talk to him about it. He’d say that he has nothing to do with them and what they think about him doesn’t matter. He’d pretend that it didn’t have any effect on him at all and try to just pretend it never happened.

It would proceed to eat him alive from the inside.

I think the Zenin’s hate for him has been a sort of twisted comfort to him. He just didn’t think about it like that until that comfort was taken away from him.

The thing is, it made sense, the Zenin hating him. It fit with everything they did to him. It was predictable and consistent and while it scared him shitless, being alone with them, he only had to worry about people who hate him hurting him the way that people who hate do.

All of that understanding and predictability gets ripped away if they loved him all along.

He knows love. He’s a seething little sea urchin with the friendliness of a rabid wolverine, but he knows love. He knows the kind of love that makes you want to destroy yourself just to keep the other whole.

You don’t do what the Zenin did to him to the people you love.

The Zenin loving him doesn’t change anything about how he feels about them, is the thing. He’s not going to suddenly be overwhelmed with familial joy, oh my oh golly he was loved all along. He still hates them. He still wants nothing to do with them.

But hes lost even more control over a very bad, very dangerous situation if this was all love.

Megumi gets hate. He feels it plenty. He understands why you’d do all that the Zenin did to him because of hate. But he doesn’t understand it if it was from love.

Like, take the entire thing with the robe—megumi gets doing that if you hate him. They dressed their bought boy up in clothes painted to mock the technique they purchased him for, humiliated him by making it happen in front of an audience, and sent him out to die while mocking him. But he can’t imagine anyone ever doing that to someone they loved. And if they’ll do that to him out of love, what else might they do? It would terrify him, how this might escalate if they’re obsessed with him in some twisted affectionate pattern, and he’d resent how afraid they could make him.

I think he’d shut himself off more. Be even less open with people. He’d be angry and resentful and very, very afraid. He’d probably snap under the pressure of it, eventually, and hopefully after the resultant breakdown he’d be able to process it a little bit more and come to a more healthy way of living with it.

[marigoldbaker]

hello! firstly GREAT taste in music fabulous playlist. id be curious to hear about deep blue somethings breakfast at tiffanys and cruel to be kind (letters to cleo cover) if you dont mind? also thotoughly enjoyed waterloo by abba right at the begining. its very them, even down to the random use of a napoleonic battle as a metaphor! :)

HI THANK YOU!!!! for giving me the opportunity to talk about this! and i feel so gratified by your appreciation of waterloo for them fdfjd i was walking home listening to abba last year and almost fell over. took me like 7 yrs to realize that's Their Song.

was going to put this under a cut before i realized that everyone really is following me with the understanding that i'm going to be insane about jenny and giles sometimes-to-all-the-time. so.

breakfast at tiffany's is a song about a relationship that is on the precipice of dissolution with two people mutually recognizing that they do still have this one flickering thing in common. like --

that specific set of lyrics, man!!! thinking very specifically about jenny and giles directly after angelus, and how this big rift has sprung up directly from jenny's omissions and giles's outrage. how they have this consistent pattern of flinching back when one of them learns just a little too much about their partner, who is desperate to earn back their approval. also "now your eyes see through me" + giles literally refusing to look at jenny, hello.

but this song is really about, like, two fundamentally different people who do not lead compatible lives --

and yet they do still have these things in common that they are both holding onto so hard, and it's ambiguous as to whether that will be enough, but maybe the wanting is going to make it enough, yk? AND the (male) singer is the one persuading his girlfriend by saying "look, we can fit back together, see? we DO have things in common, see? don't give up on this and don't try to talk me out of it." very giles and jenny.

as for cruel to be kind, it's first important that u know i SPECIFICALLY chose the letters to cleo version because that's the one from 10 things i hate about you and sometimes i look at that and go "teenage giles/jenny would go like that."

but also just in general -- the entire song is about this idea of one lover floundering and struggling because the other person is jerking them around and tripping them up, & their honey asserting "no, this is how i love people. i'm being a dick to you BECAUSE i love you so much." which is. like. (gestures very pointedly to jenny lying about spilling coffee on giles's books. and taking him to monster trucks. and making fun of his clothes. and giggling whenever the kids make fun of him. the list goes on and on and on forever.) and it's actually soooo vital to me to adore that aspect of g/j, because so often i have seen in fandom people point to jenny being terrible and go "this is why calendiles doesn't work," OR they downplay her being terrible and go "calendiles is such an adorable twosome of cuteness and she's so supportive of him!!!" no. that woman bites and that man is repeatedly putting his hand in her mouth bc he wants her to draw blood.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Looking for clothing manufacturers for small orders to help take your fashion brand from idea to made? New brands are often intimidated by the high MOQs - lowest minimum order quantities - that many of the well-known factories demand. So they feel like they are left with only two options – invest heavily in large quantities of inventory or give up.  It might take a little extra work, but I want you to know there are small batch clothing manufacturers out there that are perfect for your small business.  This blog post is going to teach you how to find and work with clothing manufacturers for small businesses in two parts. First, I will teach you best practices for working with small quantity clothing manufacturers; then I will share a few of my favorites. Here is why the first part is soooo important.  Just because you have the email address, or direct phone number to an amazing factory, that doesn’t mean they will want to work with you. Competition to get into good factories is steep, and making a good first impression is critical. Think of it this way. It’s like getting a resi to an amazing restaurant, you wait 2 weeks to get to go, then you show up and can’t get in because you didn’t know about the dress code. So, close yet so far. I want factories excited to work with you (not ignoring you), so please don’t skip this first part.  I am here to help you on your clothing business journey, and sometimes that means not just giving you the info you are looking for, but even more!   BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED... I love helping startup brand founders succeed, so I created a bunch of free guides that will help you with your business. They won’t be free forever, so make sure to grab them while you can. In this post, you will learn: Why finding a clothing manufacturer with low minimum orders is hard  3 things you need to do, to turn a no from a factory into a yes The best sourcing trip you can take for your small business Online sourcing resources I love to find clothing manufacturers for small orders Nontraditional supply chain options perfect for small brands 3 things a manufacturer must do before you work with them (I know, it can feel like such a relief when someone finally says yet to you - but you still need to do your due diligence) Additional resources to help you even more NO TIME TO READ? CHECK OUT THIS 60 SECOND SLIDE DECK   WHY ARE FASHION MANUFACTURING MOQs SO HIGH? First things first . . .  Quick reminder – MOQ means minimum order quantity, or the minimum amount you need to order for a factory to agree to work with you. The reality is it takes a factory the same amount of effort to source and develop styles for an order of 10 shirts as it does for an order of 10,000. Sounds crazy, but it's true. Let me explain. There are nine steps leading up to a style moving to production, and these steps are exactly the same no matter what size the production order is. If you want to learn more about each step, you can check out this article. But to quickly recap it – here are all the things that need to happen. Pattern making Fit samples  Fit sample revisions Pattern revisions Fabric, trim, and component sourcing (sometimes working with up to 10 different supply chain partners to get everything needed to make a garment - from fabric to thread to labels and tags) Fabric, trim, and component sampling Proto samples/production quality sample (includes ordering sample fabric, trim, etc.) Pattern grading Ordering all components and organizing shipping and logistics to the factory A LOT of time, energy, and resources (read money) go into all of this. And again, it’s the same whether a factory is making 10 garments or a million.  So, from just a staying-in-business perspective, some factories need to have high MOQs just to cover the cost of all the development and pre-production work that goes into sampling. IF IT COSTS SO MUCH TO DEVELOP, HOW ARE FACTORIES ABLE TO TAKE ON SMALL MOQs? Traditionally, a factory will charge a client about 2x the bulk production rate for sampling, including pattern making, sourcing, and the whole shebang. So if a shirt costs $10 in production, the sample will cost $20. The factory ends up losing a lot of money. But there is this unspoken deal in the industry that if you sample with someone, you will work with them in production. And in production, the factory will make back the sampling costs, plus a lot in profits. This is also why factories don’t really like working with startups – there is no guarantee the brand will ever launch, give them a bulk order, and help the factory recoup the money spent on product development.  Now, if a factory is making tiny MOQs, there is no way they can sustain this, so manufacturing partners that help startups with small orders charge a fair rate for the costs of the sampling. So instead of $20, factories might charge $200 or more for the same sample with a low MOQ. And, this way, you can make as little as 10 pieces if you want to – because they aren’t relying on that bulk order to make their money back. Now, please don’t get any cute ideas and try to lie and say you are going to make big MOQs to get cheap sampling. It’s a great way to burn bridges and get a terrible reputation in the fashion manufacturing world. We all talk, we all know each other, and you don’t want factories to start deleting your emails without even opening them because they know you lied to their friend about big orders that never came last season. DO THESE 3 THINGS BEFORE YOU START WORKING WITH A SMALL BATCH CLOTHING MANUFACTURER Now that you understand why finding a low MOQ factory can be difficult, I want to help prepare you to make the best first impression possible. So, before you press send on that email, I need you to do these three things. Remember low MOQ factories are scarce, and there are more and more people starting brands every day. Some factories even have 3-month waits, before they will even schedule the first meeting with you. So, this means you need to stand out as a professional. TASK 1 - CREATE A BUDGET  This is the most important thing you can do for the success of your brand. And it is often the most overlooked.  If you don’t have a budget, you can’t get started. One more time for the people in the back – even if you plan to crowdfund, you still need a budget. Because crowdfunding is unpredictable, you could raise $100 or thousands. Your budget is what is going to allow you to estimate the number of styles you can afford to make and your MOQ. The point of your budget at this time isn’t to figure everything out to the penny. It’s just to get a general idea. By the end of your first budgeting exercise, you should be able to say, “With the money I have, I can afford to make about x styles in y colors and place a production order of z pieces per style. Now, a lot of new founders think they need to talk to a factory to figure this out.  You don’t.  In this post about working with fabric suppliers, I break down exactly how to estimate your costs without ever having to contact a supplier. The bottom line? When you set a budget, you set yourself up for success. I have helped over 200 people start their fashion businesses, and I can tell you this – the ones that have a solid budget are much more likely to succeed than the brands that don’t. Because, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how good your idea is, or how much the world needs it if you run out of money.  And knowing your budget looks good to manufacturing partners. Because when you can show them your have taken the time to make a budget, they trust you will make it past sampling and into production (again, production is where clothing manufacturers for small orders will be making most of their profits). TASK 2: NAIL DOWN YOUR DESIGNS You need to know what you want to make. And not just a vague idea. Your designs should be nailed down and about 90% finalized before you start talking to custom clothing manufacturers. That is because the factory you work with will be determined by the designs. There are some clothing manufacturers for small orders that make everything, but most factories are very specialized. They only make one type of product, whether it's woven women's wear, t-shirts, or swimsuits. Some factories will not work with luxury fabrics like silk and satin, while others only do that.  A lot of times, I see new founders thinking they found the perfect supplier.But once they finalize their designs and send them to the factory, the factory says, “Sorry, we don’t do those types of styles.” (It actually happens way more than you think). I know, I get it. You’re probably very anxious about finding a factory and checking that off your to-do list. But finalizing your designs will save you time in the long run. TASK 3: DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT YOUR CLOTHES TO BE MADE Where in the world do you want to make your product?  Some parts of the world specialize in different types of products. An example of this is with swimwear – there are actually five major hubs of swimwear production, they are – the USA, China, Brazil, Bali, and Italy. If you want to learn more about the pros and cons of deciding where to make your clothing line, you can check out this article. The reason you want to decide where you want your clothes to be made first is because, domestic and overseas clothing manufacturers opperate very differently. And, you you try to research both at the same time you will probably end up feeling overwhelmed. THE BIG QUESTION - Domestic Clothing Manufacturers vs. Overseas Here is my opinion on this great debate.  For startup brands, I recommend getting started close to home for not just one, but three different reasons. 1. Work in person without time zone or communication issues. I like to call this face time. No, not the video calling thing, but actually spending time with your factory in person.  What over a decade in this industry has taught me is that anything is possible and everything is negotiable. That is, if your supply chain partner likes you. And the best way to get them to like you and build a strong working relationship with you is to spend time with them in person. Sorry, Zoom, the digital stuff will never replace IRL, IMO. When I worked in fast fashion, I can’t tell you how many times my boss would beg a factory to do something for him, and the factory would refuse. Then I would ask, and they would be like, “sure” (because they liked me).  The other benefit of working with a factory close to home is that you won’t have language barriers. Different countries communicate in different ways and have their own fashion industry lingo. For example, what most of us know as a clothing seam is often called a joint in India. Speaking the same language makes learning a new fashion language a lot easier. 2. Save on shipping and logistics prices. Shipping these days is expensive. And if you are shipping fabric swatches, lab dips, strike-offs, samples, and all the product development things halfway across the world, those costs are going to add up quickly.  Even though the production cost in developing countries tends to be much lower than in the West, by the time brands factor in all the development costs and shipping, they aren’t actually saving very much money. 3. No cultural learning curve, holidays, etc. When you work in a different country for the first year or two, you are going to be constantly surprised.  Random holidays you had no idea existed and even the weather are going to delay your timelines. One thing most people don’t realize when working in India is how slow things become in the monsoon. Yeah, during the fall, they might be able to crank out your order in a month, but during the rainy season, good luck – another month to two could be added to your calendar.  Once a brand is a few seasons in, their orders are growing, and they’re learning the ins and outs of the garment manufacturing world, then they can start exploring overseas options. Now, if you want to skip straight to overseas, I suggest hiring someone to help manage your project who knows the lay of the land. I offer private consulting, which you can check out here. To sum it all up - the reason small businesses often have more luck finding a manufacturer close to home for the small orders is because it is just easier.  Overseas partners often feel like not only are they spending time teaching new brands the ins and outs of getting their garments made, but also have to offer them a crash course in the local culture. It’s just too much free work for them.  For example every time I have a new client working in India for the first time, that first bank transfer is painful. Something as simiple as paying a deposit becomes a days long tutorial (sorry we don’t have Zelle, Venmo, or even Paypal here). THE ONLY GARMENT SOURCING TRIP YOU SHOULD PLAN Trade shows! I have said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love trade shows. Here is a list of my favorite textile trade shows. And, this is why trade shows are so great. They are a one-stop shop for global suppliers who actually want to work with you. So much so, that these suppliers are paying tens of thousands of dollars to travel and participate in the shows. Back in the day, tradeshow suppliers were mostly focused on big orders. But, times have changed, and that is no longer the case. Some shows even have special fashion startup areas that feature clothing manufacturers for small orders. And when you attend a trade show, there are also tons of free seminars and talks. So they are a great place to get educated at no cost to you. If your budget for your brand is going to restrict your ability to travel, going to a trade show is what I would spend those limited dollars on. Can’t make it to a show live? Most trade shows now have digital components as well. So, you can check out digital showrooms and chat with suppliers on their websites from your home. ONLINE SOURCING RESOURCES THAT EVERY STARTUP FASHION BRAND SHOULD KNOW ABOUT  Speaking of digital sourcing . . .  Here are a few of the most buzzworthy online sourcing resources that every fashion startup founder should know about. Not only do they have deep connections to suppliers, but they also help you stay organized and on top of your communication and orders. Their promoted partners range from mega suppliers with huge MOQs to clothing manufacturers for small orders that are perfect for startup brands. But, they do have their downfalls. Fabric sourcing and garment manufacturing are very physical businesses - it’s important to see, feel, and touch the quality. So, be careful and understand the limitations when working online. SEWPORT “Built to support emerging brands and aspiring fashion designers who struggled to connect with the right clothing manufacturers to launch their businesses.” SEAMLESS SOURCE “We developed an automated omnichannel sourcing platform and integrated order management tool to help your brand build a digitalized, faster, leaner and more responsible supply chain, all in one place with industry-leading, reliable, responsible and sustainable suppliers across the globe.” FOURSOURCE “A global network that brings people, organizations, and innovative ideas together. We make textile sourcing smarter, transparent, and more sustainable.” (FYI - I DO NOT RECOMMEND MAKERS ROW AFTER 2 BAD EXPERIENCES WITH THE COMPANY AND THEIR CLOTHING MANUFACTURING SERVICES) THE BEST NON-TRADITIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN HACK TO FIND CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS FOR SMALL ORDERS Sample rooms and home sewers.  Sample rooms are like mini-factories, with one or two sewing machines. And an alternative to that would be a home sewer, just like it sounds, someone who sews from their home.  Now, the pro is that these apparel manufacturers are more than happy to take on really tiny production orders. The downside is that they might not be able to scale with you, so they are not always a long-term solution. When I tell founders to try out one of these options, I usually get pushback because they are convinced that if their product is not made in a traditional factory, it will not be professional or high quality.  But this is very false. Independent sewers are some of the best clothing manufacturers for small orders around! A lot of people (especially women) go out on their own after working in factories for years. They are highly trained and are starting their own mini businesses for the same reason you are starting your own clothing business. The freedom, control of their own paycheck, and all the other perks that come along with being a small business owner. I would even go as far as to argue that if you are into true women’s empowerment, this is the ONLY option to choose.  3 THINGS A MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO DO BEFORE YOU START WORKING WITH THEM You know - what you need to do and, how to find a manufacturer for your small business. Now, let’s discuss some things THEY should do before you decide to work with them. Remember, you are always in control of your supply chain. Yes, finding a supplier that is a good fit is hard. But I hate it when new brands start working with the first person that answers their emails.  You don’t just have to accept the first person that responds to you. Be picky! Just because your order is small doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have options. Or, that you shouldn't be able to vet your supplier properly. Be choosey. Before you start working with anyone, make sure to do these three things.  1. TALK TO REFERENCES If a factory tells you they sign NDAs so they can’t share clients with you, that is a blazing red flag.  Whenever a new supplier gives me this excuse, I respond, “I am sure you must have one client that you have become friends with over the years that would be happy to vouch for you.” If they don’t, I can’t stress this enough. Don’t work with them. 2. LOOK AT SAMPLES Most factories have showrooms with samples from past projects that they can show you. This can give you an idea about the type of garments they can make and prove that they can make good quality clothing for your brand.   While clothing manufacturers for small orders might have fewer examples to show than a big factory showroom, they should still have something. Quick tip. When you look at samples, you are not just looking at the quality, but also the type of garment. If you want to make swimsuits and every sample in the showroom is a t-shirt... Well, this factory might not be the best fit. 3. GIVE PRICING  It is impossible for clothing manufacturers for small orders to give you accurate pricing until they make your sample. They need to see how much fabric the garment consumes (the more fabric, the higher the price) and how long the garment takes to make (the longer it takes to sew, the higher the price).  But what they can do is tell you approximately how much it will cost. Because if your target price is $30 per garment in production and they are quoting $50, you know they won’t be a good fit. So, why waste your time sampling with them? ADDITIONAL SOURCING RESOURCES Here are a few more articles to check out for even more help. Where to source sustainable fabrics (list includes suppliers) Affordable mentorship options My favorite hack to launch your brand faster Tips for working with fabric suppliers Everything you need to know about tech packs WHAT DID YOU THINK? What step are you on in finding your perfect clothing manufacturing partner? Let me know in the comments. Source link

[norajworld]

Looking for clothing manufacturers for small orders to help take your fashion brand from idea to made? New brands are often intimidated by the high MOQs - lowest minimum order quantities - that many of the well-known factories demand. So they feel like they are left with only two options – invest heavily in large quantities of inventory or give up.  It might take a little extra work, but I want you to know there are small batch clothing manufacturers out there that are perfect for your small business.  This blog post is going to teach you how to find and work with clothing manufacturers for small businesses in two parts. First, I will teach you best practices for working with small quantity clothing manufacturers; then I will share a few of my favorites. Here is why the first part is soooo important.  Just because you have the email address, or direct phone number to an amazing factory, that doesn’t mean they will want to work with you. Competition to get into good factories is steep, and making a good first impression is critical. Think of it this way. It’s like getting a resi to an amazing restaurant, you wait 2 weeks to get to go, then you show up and can’t get in because you didn’t know about the dress code. So, close yet so far. I want factories excited to work with you (not ignoring you), so please don’t skip this first part.  I am here to help you on your clothing business journey, and sometimes that means not just giving you the info you are looking for, but even more!   BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED... I love helping startup brand founders succeed, so I created a bunch of free guides that will help you with your business. They won’t be free forever, so make sure to grab them while you can. In this post, you will learn: Why finding a clothing manufacturer with low minimum orders is hard  3 things you need to do, to turn a no from a factory into a yes The best sourcing trip you can take for your small business Online sourcing resources I love to find clothing manufacturers for small orders Nontraditional supply chain options perfect for small brands 3 things a manufacturer must do before you work with them (I know, it can feel like such a relief when someone finally says yet to you - but you still need to do your due diligence) Additional resources to help you even more NO TIME TO READ? CHECK OUT THIS 60 SECOND SLIDE DECK   WHY ARE FASHION MANUFACTURING MOQs SO HIGH? First things first . . .  Quick reminder – MOQ means minimum order quantity, or the minimum amount you need to order for a factory to agree to work with you. The reality is it takes a factory the same amount of effort to source and develop styles for an order of 10 shirts as it does for an order of 10,000. Sounds crazy, but it's true. Let me explain. There are nine steps leading up to a style moving to production, and these steps are exactly the same no matter what size the production order is. If you want to learn more about each step, you can check out this article. But to quickly recap it – here are all the things that need to happen. Pattern making Fit samples  Fit sample revisions Pattern revisions Fabric, trim, and component sourcing (sometimes working with up to 10 different supply chain partners to get everything needed to make a garment - from fabric to thread to labels and tags) Fabric, trim, and component sampling Proto samples/production quality sample (includes ordering sample fabric, trim, etc.) Pattern grading Ordering all components and organizing shipping and logistics to the factory A LOT of time, energy, and resources (read money) go into all of this. And again, it’s the same whether a factory is making 10 garments or a million.  So, from just a staying-in-business perspective, some factories need to have high MOQs just to cover the cost of all the development and pre-production work that goes into sampling. IF IT COSTS SO MUCH TO DEVELOP, HOW ARE FACTORIES ABLE TO TAKE ON SMALL MOQs? Traditionally, a factory will charge a client about 2x the bulk production rate for sampling, including pattern making, sourcing, and the whole shebang. So if a shirt costs $10 in production, the sample will cost $20. The factory ends up losing a lot of money. But there is this unspoken deal in the industry that if you sample with someone, you will work with them in production. And in production, the factory will make back the sampling costs, plus a lot in profits. This is also why factories don’t really like working with startups – there is no guarantee the brand will ever launch, give them a bulk order, and help the factory recoup the money spent on product development.  Now, if a factory is making tiny MOQs, there is no way they can sustain this, so manufacturing partners that help startups with small orders charge a fair rate for the costs of the sampling. So instead of $20, factories might charge $200 or more for the same sample with a low MOQ. And, this way, you can make as little as 10 pieces if you want to – because they aren’t relying on that bulk order to make their money back. Now, please don’t get any cute ideas and try to lie and say you are going to make big MOQs to get cheap sampling. It’s a great way to burn bridges and get a terrible reputation in the fashion manufacturing world. We all talk, we all know each other, and you don’t want factories to start deleting your emails without even opening them because they know you lied to their friend about big orders that never came last season. DO THESE 3 THINGS BEFORE YOU START WORKING WITH A SMALL BATCH CLOTHING MANUFACTURER Now that you understand why finding a low MOQ factory can be difficult, I want to help prepare you to make the best first impression possible. So, before you press send on that email, I need you to do these three things. Remember low MOQ factories are scarce, and there are more and more people starting brands every day. Some factories even have 3-month waits, before they will even schedule the first meeting with you. So, this means you need to stand out as a professional. TASK 1 - CREATE A BUDGET  This is the most important thing you can do for the success of your brand. And it is often the most overlooked.  If you don’t have a budget, you can’t get started. One more time for the people in the back – even if you plan to crowdfund, you still need a budget. Because crowdfunding is unpredictable, you could raise $100 or thousands. Your budget is what is going to allow you to estimate the number of styles you can afford to make and your MOQ. The point of your budget at this time isn’t to figure everything out to the penny. It’s just to get a general idea. By the end of your first budgeting exercise, you should be able to say, “With the money I have, I can afford to make about x styles in y colors and place a production order of z pieces per style. Now, a lot of new founders think they need to talk to a factory to figure this out.  You don’t.  In this post about working with fabric suppliers, I break down exactly how to estimate your costs without ever having to contact a supplier. The bottom line? When you set a budget, you set yourself up for success. I have helped over 200 people start their fashion businesses, and I can tell you this – the ones that have a solid budget are much more likely to succeed than the brands that don’t. Because, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how good your idea is, or how much the world needs it if you run out of money.  And knowing your budget looks good to manufacturing partners. Because when you can show them your have taken the time to make a budget, they trust you will make it past sampling and into production (again, production is where clothing manufacturers for small orders will be making most of their profits). TASK 2: NAIL DOWN YOUR DESIGNS You need to know what you want to make. And not just a vague idea. Your designs should be nailed down and about 90% finalized before you start talking to custom clothing manufacturers. That is because the factory you work with will be determined by the designs. There are some clothing manufacturers for small orders that make everything, but most factories are very specialized. They only make one type of product, whether it's woven women's wear, t-shirts, or swimsuits. Some factories will not work with luxury fabrics like silk and satin, while others only do that.  A lot of times, I see new founders thinking they found the perfect supplier.But once they finalize their designs and send them to the factory, the factory says, “Sorry, we don’t do those types of styles.” (It actually happens way more than you think). I know, I get it. You’re probably very anxious about finding a factory and checking that off your to-do list. But finalizing your designs will save you time in the long run. TASK 3: DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT YOUR CLOTHES TO BE MADE Where in the world do you want to make your product?  Some parts of the world specialize in different types of products. An example of this is with swimwear – there are actually five major hubs of swimwear production, they are – the USA, China, Brazil, Bali, and Italy. If you want to learn more about the pros and cons of deciding where to make your clothing line, you can check out this article. The reason you want to decide where you want your clothes to be made first is because, domestic and overseas clothing manufacturers opperate very differently. And, you you try to research both at the same time you will probably end up feeling overwhelmed. THE BIG QUESTION - Domestic Clothing Manufacturers vs. Overseas Here is my opinion on this great debate.  For startup brands, I recommend getting started close to home for not just one, but three different reasons. 1. Work in person without time zone or communication issues. I like to call this face time. No, not the video calling thing, but actually spending time with your factory in person.  What over a decade in this industry has taught me is that anything is possible and everything is negotiable. That is, if your supply chain partner likes you. And the best way to get them to like you and build a strong working relationship with you is to spend time with them in person. Sorry, Zoom, the digital stuff will never replace IRL, IMO. When I worked in fast fashion, I can’t tell you how many times my boss would beg a factory to do something for him, and the factory would refuse. Then I would ask, and they would be like, “sure” (because they liked me).  The other benefit of working with a factory close to home is that you won’t have language barriers. Different countries communicate in different ways and have their own fashion industry lingo. For example, what most of us know as a clothing seam is often called a joint in India. Speaking the same language makes learning a new fashion language a lot easier. 2. Save on shipping and logistics prices. Shipping these days is expensive. And if you are shipping fabric swatches, lab dips, strike-offs, samples, and all the product development things halfway across the world, those costs are going to add up quickly.  Even though the production cost in developing countries tends to be much lower than in the West, by the time brands factor in all the development costs and shipping, they aren’t actually saving very much money. 3. No cultural learning curve, holidays, etc. When you work in a different country for the first year or two, you are going to be constantly surprised.  Random holidays you had no idea existed and even the weather are going to delay your timelines. One thing most people don’t realize when working in India is how slow things become in the monsoon. Yeah, during the fall, they might be able to crank out your order in a month, but during the rainy season, good luck – another month to two could be added to your calendar.  Once a brand is a few seasons in, their orders are growing, and they’re learning the ins and outs of the garment manufacturing world, then they can start exploring overseas options. Now, if you want to skip straight to overseas, I suggest hiring someone to help manage your project who knows the lay of the land. I offer private consulting, which you can check out here. To sum it all up - the reason small businesses often have more luck finding a manufacturer close to home for the small orders is because it is just easier.  Overseas partners often feel like not only are they spending time teaching new brands the ins and outs of getting their garments made, but also have to offer them a crash course in the local culture. It’s just too much free work for them.  For example every time I have a new client working in India for the first time, that first bank transfer is painful. Something as simiple as paying a deposit becomes a days long tutorial (sorry we don’t have Zelle, Venmo, or even Paypal here). THE ONLY GARMENT SOURCING TRIP YOU SHOULD PLAN Trade shows! I have said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love trade shows. Here is a list of my favorite textile trade shows. And, this is why trade shows are so great. They are a one-stop shop for global suppliers who actually want to work with you. So much so, that these suppliers are paying tens of thousands of dollars to travel and participate in the shows. Back in the day, tradeshow suppliers were mostly focused on big orders. But, times have changed, and that is no longer the case. Some shows even have special fashion startup areas that feature clothing manufacturers for small orders. And when you attend a trade show, there are also tons of free seminars and talks. So they are a great place to get educated at no cost to you. If your budget for your brand is going to restrict your ability to travel, going to a trade show is what I would spend those limited dollars on. Can’t make it to a show live? Most trade shows now have digital components as well. So, you can check out digital showrooms and chat with suppliers on their websites from your home. ONLINE SOURCING RESOURCES THAT EVERY STARTUP FASHION BRAND SHOULD KNOW ABOUT  Speaking of digital sourcing . . .  Here are a few of the most buzzworthy online sourcing resources that every fashion startup founder should know about. Not only do they have deep connections to suppliers, but they also help you stay organized and on top of your communication and orders. Their promoted partners range from mega suppliers with huge MOQs to clothing manufacturers for small orders that are perfect for startup brands. But, they do have their downfalls. Fabric sourcing and garment manufacturing are very physical businesses - it’s important to see, feel, and touch the quality. So, be careful and understand the limitations when working online. SEWPORT “Built to support emerging brands and aspiring fashion designers who struggled to connect with the right clothing manufacturers to launch their businesses.” SEAMLESS SOURCE “We developed an automated omnichannel sourcing platform and integrated order management tool to help your brand build a digitalized, faster, leaner and more responsible supply chain, all in one place with industry-leading, reliable, responsible and sustainable suppliers across the globe.” FOURSOURCE “A global network that brings people, organizations, and innovative ideas together. We make textile sourcing smarter, transparent, and more sustainable.” (FYI - I DO NOT RECOMMEND MAKERS ROW AFTER 2 BAD EXPERIENCES WITH THE COMPANY AND THEIR CLOTHING MANUFACTURING SERVICES) THE BEST NON-TRADITIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN HACK TO FIND CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS FOR SMALL ORDERS Sample rooms and home sewers.  Sample rooms are like mini-factories, with one or two sewing machines. And an alternative to that would be a home sewer, just like it sounds, someone who sews from their home.  Now, the pro is that these apparel manufacturers are more than happy to take on really tiny production orders. The downside is that they might not be able to scale with you, so they are not always a long-term solution. When I tell founders to try out one of these options, I usually get pushback because they are convinced that if their product is not made in a traditional factory, it will not be professional or high quality.  But this is very false. Independent sewers are some of the best clothing manufacturers for small orders around! A lot of people (especially women) go out on their own after working in factories for years. They are highly trained and are starting their own mini businesses for the same reason you are starting your own clothing business. The freedom, control of their own paycheck, and all the other perks that come along with being a small business owner. I would even go as far as to argue that if you are into true women’s empowerment, this is the ONLY option to choose.  3 THINGS A MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO DO BEFORE YOU START WORKING WITH THEM You know - what you need to do and, how to find a manufacturer for your small business. Now, let’s discuss some things THEY should do before you decide to work with them. Remember, you are always in control of your supply chain. Yes, finding a supplier that is a good fit is hard. But I hate it when new brands start working with the first person that answers their emails.  You don’t just have to accept the first person that responds to you. Be picky! Just because your order is small doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have options. Or, that you shouldn't be able to vet your supplier properly. Be choosey. Before you start working with anyone, make sure to do these three things.  1. TALK TO REFERENCES If a factory tells you they sign NDAs so they can’t share clients with you, that is a blazing red flag.  Whenever a new supplier gives me this excuse, I respond, “I am sure you must have one client that you have become friends with over the years that would be happy to vouch for you.” If they don’t, I can’t stress this enough. Don’t work with them. 2. LOOK AT SAMPLES Most factories have showrooms with samples from past projects that they can show you. This can give you an idea about the type of garments they can make and prove that they can make good quality clothing for your brand.   While clothing manufacturers for small orders might have fewer examples to show than a big factory showroom, they should still have something. Quick tip. When you look at samples, you are not just looking at the quality, but also the type of garment. If you want to make swimsuits and every sample in the showroom is a t-shirt... Well, this factory might not be the best fit. 3. GIVE PRICING  It is impossible for clothing manufacturers for small orders to give you accurate pricing until they make your sample. They need to see how much fabric the garment consumes (the more fabric, the higher the price) and how long the garment takes to make (the longer it takes to sew, the higher the price).  But what they can do is tell you approximately how much it will cost. Because if your target price is $30 per garment in production and they are quoting $50, you know they won’t be a good fit. So, why waste your time sampling with them? ADDITIONAL SOURCING RESOURCES Here are a few more articles to check out for even more help. Where to source sustainable fabrics (list includes suppliers) Affordable mentorship options My favorite hack to launch your brand faster Tips for working with fabric suppliers Everything you need to know about tech packs WHAT DID YOU THINK? What step are you on in finding your perfect clothing manufacturing partner? Let me know in the comments. Source link

[chilimili212]

Looking for clothing manufacturers for small orders to help take your fashion brand from idea to made? New brands are often intimidated by the high MOQs - lowest minimum order quantities - that many of the well-known factories demand. So they feel like they are left with only two options – invest heavily in large quantities of inventory or give up.  It might take a little extra work, but I want you to know there are small batch clothing manufacturers out there that are perfect for your small business.  This blog post is going to teach you how to find and work with clothing manufacturers for small businesses in two parts. First, I will teach you best practices for working with small quantity clothing manufacturers; then I will share a few of my favorites. Here is why the first part is soooo important.  Just because you have the email address, or direct phone number to an amazing factory, that doesn’t mean they will want to work with you. Competition to get into good factories is steep, and making a good first impression is critical. Think of it this way. It’s like getting a resi to an amazing restaurant, you wait 2 weeks to get to go, then you show up and can’t get in because you didn’t know about the dress code. So, close yet so far. I want factories excited to work with you (not ignoring you), so please don’t skip this first part.  I am here to help you on your clothing business journey, and sometimes that means not just giving you the info you are looking for, but even more!   BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED... I love helping startup brand founders succeed, so I created a bunch of free guides that will help you with your business. They won’t be free forever, so make sure to grab them while you can. In this post, you will learn: Why finding a clothing manufacturer with low minimum orders is hard  3 things you need to do, to turn a no from a factory into a yes The best sourcing trip you can take for your small business Online sourcing resources I love to find clothing manufacturers for small orders Nontraditional supply chain options perfect for small brands 3 things a manufacturer must do before you work with them (I know, it can feel like such a relief when someone finally says yet to you - but you still need to do your due diligence) Additional resources to help you even more NO TIME TO READ? CHECK OUT THIS 60 SECOND SLIDE DECK   WHY ARE FASHION MANUFACTURING MOQs SO HIGH? First things first . . .  Quick reminder – MOQ means minimum order quantity, or the minimum amount you need to order for a factory to agree to work with you. The reality is it takes a factory the same amount of effort to source and develop styles for an order of 10 shirts as it does for an order of 10,000. Sounds crazy, but it's true. Let me explain. There are nine steps leading up to a style moving to production, and these steps are exactly the same no matter what size the production order is. If you want to learn more about each step, you can check out this article. But to quickly recap it – here are all the things that need to happen. Pattern making Fit samples  Fit sample revisions Pattern revisions Fabric, trim, and component sourcing (sometimes working with up to 10 different supply chain partners to get everything needed to make a garment - from fabric to thread to labels and tags) Fabric, trim, and component sampling Proto samples/production quality sample (includes ordering sample fabric, trim, etc.) Pattern grading Ordering all components and organizing shipping and logistics to the factory A LOT of time, energy, and resources (read money) go into all of this. And again, it’s the same whether a factory is making 10 garments or a million.  So, from just a staying-in-business perspective, some factories need to have high MOQs just to cover the cost of all the development and pre-production work that goes into sampling. IF IT COSTS SO MUCH TO DEVELOP, HOW ARE FACTORIES ABLE TO TAKE ON SMALL MOQs? Traditionally, a factory will charge a client about 2x the bulk production rate for sampling, including pattern making, sourcing, and the whole shebang. So if a shirt costs $10 in production, the sample will cost $20. The factory ends up losing a lot of money. But there is this unspoken deal in the industry that if you sample with someone, you will work with them in production. And in production, the factory will make back the sampling costs, plus a lot in profits. This is also why factories don’t really like working with startups – there is no guarantee the brand will ever launch, give them a bulk order, and help the factory recoup the money spent on product development.  Now, if a factory is making tiny MOQs, there is no way they can sustain this, so manufacturing partners that help startups with small orders charge a fair rate for the costs of the sampling. So instead of $20, factories might charge $200 or more for the same sample with a low MOQ. And, this way, you can make as little as 10 pieces if you want to – because they aren’t relying on that bulk order to make their money back. Now, please don’t get any cute ideas and try to lie and say you are going to make big MOQs to get cheap sampling. It’s a great way to burn bridges and get a terrible reputation in the fashion manufacturing world. We all talk, we all know each other, and you don’t want factories to start deleting your emails without even opening them because they know you lied to their friend about big orders that never came last season. DO THESE 3 THINGS BEFORE YOU START WORKING WITH A SMALL BATCH CLOTHING MANUFACTURER Now that you understand why finding a low MOQ factory can be difficult, I want to help prepare you to make the best first impression possible. So, before you press send on that email, I need you to do these three things. Remember low MOQ factories are scarce, and there are more and more people starting brands every day. Some factories even have 3-month waits, before they will even schedule the first meeting with you. So, this means you need to stand out as a professional. TASK 1 - CREATE A BUDGET  This is the most important thing you can do for the success of your brand. And it is often the most overlooked.  If you don’t have a budget, you can’t get started. One more time for the people in the back – even if you plan to crowdfund, you still need a budget. Because crowdfunding is unpredictable, you could raise $100 or thousands. Your budget is what is going to allow you to estimate the number of styles you can afford to make and your MOQ. The point of your budget at this time isn’t to figure everything out to the penny. It’s just to get a general idea. By the end of your first budgeting exercise, you should be able to say, “With the money I have, I can afford to make about x styles in y colors and place a production order of z pieces per style. Now, a lot of new founders think they need to talk to a factory to figure this out.  You don’t.  In this post about working with fabric suppliers, I break down exactly how to estimate your costs without ever having to contact a supplier. The bottom line? When you set a budget, you set yourself up for success. I have helped over 200 people start their fashion businesses, and I can tell you this – the ones that have a solid budget are much more likely to succeed than the brands that don’t. Because, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how good your idea is, or how much the world needs it if you run out of money.  And knowing your budget looks good to manufacturing partners. Because when you can show them your have taken the time to make a budget, they trust you will make it past sampling and into production (again, production is where clothing manufacturers for small orders will be making most of their profits). TASK 2: NAIL DOWN YOUR DESIGNS You need to know what you want to make. And not just a vague idea. Your designs should be nailed down and about 90% finalized before you start talking to custom clothing manufacturers. That is because the factory you work with will be determined by the designs. There are some clothing manufacturers for small orders that make everything, but most factories are very specialized. They only make one type of product, whether it's woven women's wear, t-shirts, or swimsuits. Some factories will not work with luxury fabrics like silk and satin, while others only do that.  A lot of times, I see new founders thinking they found the perfect supplier.But once they finalize their designs and send them to the factory, the factory says, “Sorry, we don’t do those types of styles.” (It actually happens way more than you think). I know, I get it. You’re probably very anxious about finding a factory and checking that off your to-do list. But finalizing your designs will save you time in the long run. TASK 3: DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT YOUR CLOTHES TO BE MADE Where in the world do you want to make your product?  Some parts of the world specialize in different types of products. An example of this is with swimwear – there are actually five major hubs of swimwear production, they are – the USA, China, Brazil, Bali, and Italy. If you want to learn more about the pros and cons of deciding where to make your clothing line, you can check out this article. The reason you want to decide where you want your clothes to be made first is because, domestic and overseas clothing manufacturers opperate very differently. And, you you try to research both at the same time you will probably end up feeling overwhelmed. THE BIG QUESTION - Domestic Clothing Manufacturers vs. Overseas Here is my opinion on this great debate.  For startup brands, I recommend getting started close to home for not just one, but three different reasons. 1. Work in person without time zone or communication issues. I like to call this face time. No, not the video calling thing, but actually spending time with your factory in person.  What over a decade in this industry has taught me is that anything is possible and everything is negotiable. That is, if your supply chain partner likes you. And the best way to get them to like you and build a strong working relationship with you is to spend time with them in person. Sorry, Zoom, the digital stuff will never replace IRL, IMO. When I worked in fast fashion, I can’t tell you how many times my boss would beg a factory to do something for him, and the factory would refuse. Then I would ask, and they would be like, “sure” (because they liked me).  The other benefit of working with a factory close to home is that you won’t have language barriers. Different countries communicate in different ways and have their own fashion industry lingo. For example, what most of us know as a clothing seam is often called a joint in India. Speaking the same language makes learning a new fashion language a lot easier. 2. Save on shipping and logistics prices. Shipping these days is expensive. And if you are shipping fabric swatches, lab dips, strike-offs, samples, and all the product development things halfway across the world, those costs are going to add up quickly.  Even though the production cost in developing countries tends to be much lower than in the West, by the time brands factor in all the development costs and shipping, they aren’t actually saving very much money. 3. No cultural learning curve, holidays, etc. When you work in a different country for the first year or two, you are going to be constantly surprised.  Random holidays you had no idea existed and even the weather are going to delay your timelines. One thing most people don’t realize when working in India is how slow things become in the monsoon. Yeah, during the fall, they might be able to crank out your order in a month, but during the rainy season, good luck – another month to two could be added to your calendar.  Once a brand is a few seasons in, their orders are growing, and they’re learning the ins and outs of the garment manufacturing world, then they can start exploring overseas options. Now, if you want to skip straight to overseas, I suggest hiring someone to help manage your project who knows the lay of the land. I offer private consulting, which you can check out here. To sum it all up - the reason small businesses often have more luck finding a manufacturer close to home for the small orders is because it is just easier.  Overseas partners often feel like not only are they spending time teaching new brands the ins and outs of getting their garments made, but also have to offer them a crash course in the local culture. It’s just too much free work for them.  For example every time I have a new client working in India for the first time, that first bank transfer is painful. Something as simiple as paying a deposit becomes a days long tutorial (sorry we don’t have Zelle, Venmo, or even Paypal here). THE ONLY GARMENT SOURCING TRIP YOU SHOULD PLAN Trade shows! I have said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love trade shows. Here is a list of my favorite textile trade shows. And, this is why trade shows are so great. They are a one-stop shop for global suppliers who actually want to work with you. So much so, that these suppliers are paying tens of thousands of dollars to travel and participate in the shows. Back in the day, tradeshow suppliers were mostly focused on big orders. But, times have changed, and that is no longer the case. Some shows even have special fashion startup areas that feature clothing manufacturers for small orders. And when you attend a trade show, there are also tons of free seminars and talks. So they are a great place to get educated at no cost to you. If your budget for your brand is going to restrict your ability to travel, going to a trade show is what I would spend those limited dollars on. Can’t make it to a show live? Most trade shows now have digital components as well. So, you can check out digital showrooms and chat with suppliers on their websites from your home. ONLINE SOURCING RESOURCES THAT EVERY STARTUP FASHION BRAND SHOULD KNOW ABOUT  Speaking of digital sourcing . . .  Here are a few of the most buzzworthy online sourcing resources that every fashion startup founder should know about. Not only do they have deep connections to suppliers, but they also help you stay organized and on top of your communication and orders. Their promoted partners range from mega suppliers with huge MOQs to clothing manufacturers for small orders that are perfect for startup brands. But, they do have their downfalls. Fabric sourcing and garment manufacturing are very physical businesses - it’s important to see, feel, and touch the quality. So, be careful and understand the limitations when working online. SEWPORT “Built to support emerging brands and aspiring fashion designers who struggled to connect with the right clothing manufacturers to launch their businesses.” SEAMLESS SOURCE “We developed an automated omnichannel sourcing platform and integrated order management tool to help your brand build a digitalized, faster, leaner and more responsible supply chain, all in one place with industry-leading, reliable, responsible and sustainable suppliers across the globe.” FOURSOURCE “A global network that brings people, organizations, and innovative ideas together. We make textile sourcing smarter, transparent, and more sustainable.” (FYI - I DO NOT RECOMMEND MAKERS ROW AFTER 2 BAD EXPERIENCES WITH THE COMPANY AND THEIR CLOTHING MANUFACTURING SERVICES) THE BEST NON-TRADITIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN HACK TO FIND CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS FOR SMALL ORDERS Sample rooms and home sewers.  Sample rooms are like mini-factories, with one or two sewing machines. And an alternative to that would be a home sewer, just like it sounds, someone who sews from their home.  Now, the pro is that these apparel manufacturers are more than happy to take on really tiny production orders. The downside is that they might not be able to scale with you, so they are not always a long-term solution. When I tell founders to try out one of these options, I usually get pushback because they are convinced that if their product is not made in a traditional factory, it will not be professional or high quality.  But this is very false. Independent sewers are some of the best clothing manufacturers for small orders around! A lot of people (especially women) go out on their own after working in factories for years. They are highly trained and are starting their own mini businesses for the same reason you are starting your own clothing business. The freedom, control of their own paycheck, and all the other perks that come along with being a small business owner. I would even go as far as to argue that if you are into true women’s empowerment, this is the ONLY option to choose.  3 THINGS A MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO DO BEFORE YOU START WORKING WITH THEM You know - what you need to do and, how to find a manufacturer for your small business. Now, let’s discuss some things THEY should do before you decide to work with them. Remember, you are always in control of your supply chain. Yes, finding a supplier that is a good fit is hard. But I hate it when new brands start working with the first person that answers their emails.  You don’t just have to accept the first person that responds to you. Be picky! Just because your order is small doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have options. Or, that you shouldn't be able to vet your supplier properly. Be choosey. Before you start working with anyone, make sure to do these three things.  1. TALK TO REFERENCES If a factory tells you they sign NDAs so they can’t share clients with you, that is a blazing red flag.  Whenever a new supplier gives me this excuse, I respond, “I am sure you must have one client that you have become friends with over the years that would be happy to vouch for you.” If they don’t, I can’t stress this enough. Don’t work with them. 2. LOOK AT SAMPLES Most factories have showrooms with samples from past projects that they can show you. This can give you an idea about the type of garments they can make and prove that they can make good quality clothing for your brand.   While clothing manufacturers for small orders might have fewer examples to show than a big factory showroom, they should still have something. Quick tip. When you look at samples, you are not just looking at the quality, but also the type of garment. If you want to make swimsuits and every sample in the showroom is a t-shirt... Well, this factory might not be the best fit. 3. GIVE PRICING  It is impossible for clothing manufacturers for small orders to give you accurate pricing until they make your sample. They need to see how much fabric the garment consumes (the more fabric, the higher the price) and how long the garment takes to make (the longer it takes to sew, the higher the price).  But what they can do is tell you approximately how much it will cost. Because if your target price is $30 per garment in production and they are quoting $50, you know they won’t be a good fit. So, why waste your time sampling with them? ADDITIONAL SOURCING RESOURCES Here are a few more articles to check out for even more help. Where to source sustainable fabrics (list includes suppliers) Affordable mentorship options My favorite hack to launch your brand faster Tips for working with fabric suppliers Everything you need to know about tech packs WHAT DID YOU THINK? What step are you on in finding your perfect clothing manufacturing partner? Let me know in the comments. Source link

[lowwasteorbustanut]

My meal prep for the week!!

Potato skins (with the potato part saved for fried potatoes later) Family recipe 9/10

Starbucks egg bites - not quite a copycat because I used ham and cheddar 10/10 you cannot BEAT this creamy texture for an egg bite <3

Creamy chicken enchiladas 12/10 seriously soooo good! Used leftover rotisserie chicken, green enchilada sauce, and a bit of cream cheese. First time trying this recipe and I love it <3

Of course I tried to make things as zero waste-y as possible.

But I’m getting to the point where I am able to realize/recognize that plastic is unavoidable in life.

Maybe if I was rich and had endless time and money I could do it. But I am not rich, in fact I work with a fairly tight $50(ish) budget a week. And I don’t have endless time because I work 40 hours and am physically disabled.

And I think I’m starting to become ok with that. I still avoid unnecessary waste wherever I can. For example I get the cream cheese in the tub instead of the foil package because the tub can be recycled in my area (but not the lid - for unknown reasons).

But I’ll never be able to buy a chicken that ISN’T packaged in plastic. And I can’t make a rotisserie chicken at home, because I do not own a rotisserie oven.

And I still want to learn to make my own clothes. And 100% natural materials are the direction I want to go. But I’m open to doing a mix of natural and man made.

Especially because I’m fat, and it’s hard to find patterns I like that don’t rely on any stretch at all.