Private label clothing in London: turn blanks into brand.

"Private label" is the difference between a t-shirt that says Stanley/Stella, made in Bangladesh, machine wash 30°C on the inside neck, and one that says your brand. To a customer holding the garment for the first time, that difference is the entire perception of who you are.

Private labelling is how independent UK brands punch above their weight. Same blank as everyone else — but it doesn't look or feel like everyone else.

The four levels of private label

From cheapest to most premium:

Level 1 — Tear-and-print neck labels

The manufacturer's neck label is removed (cut, not torn — neat work) and replaced with a printed label directly onto the inside of the neck using DTF or screen printing. Your brand name, size, wash care, country.

• Cost: £2–4 per garment
• Look: Premium and modern. Common with streetwear.
• Best for: Most independent UK brands. The right balance of cost and perception.

Level 2 — Sewn-in woven labels

A small fabric label (woven or printed) is sewn into the neck or side seam. Costs more because of the labour but feels truly bespoke.

• Cost: £4–8 per garment, plus £80–200 setup for label production
• Look: Established brand. Hard to fake.
• Best for: Brands at the £40+ retail price point.

Level 3 — Custom hangtags and swing tickets

A printed card hung from the garment by string or plastic loop. Communicates brand, price, and any messaging you want.

• Cost: £0.30–1.50 per tag
• Look: Retail-ready.
• Best for: Anyone selling in physical stores or to wholesale buyers.

Level 4 — Branded packaging

Branded mailer, tissue paper, sticker, thank-you card. The unboxing experience.

• Cost: £1–4 per order, depending on quality
• Look: The thing customers photograph for Instagram.
• Best for: Direct-to-consumer brands selling online.

What "made-to-order" really feels like

The full private-label experience for the customer:

1. Branded mailer arrives. Has your logo on it.
2. Wrapped in tissue paper with a sticker sealing it.
3. Thank-you card on top, possibly hand-numbered for limited drops.
4. Garment in a clear bag (optional — protects against dirty packaging).
5. Hangtag attached with branded string.
6. Custom neck label inside.
7. The garment itself feels good (premium blank, properly printed).

You can hit all seven for an extra £5–10 per garment over the base print cost. For a brand that retails at £45+, that's invisible cost and transformative perception.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the neck label. A custom hangtag with a Gildan neck label says "we tried." Either commit to the full private-label or stay with the manufacturer's branding entirely.
• Cheap hangtag stock. Thin, glossy paper feels exactly like every supermarket clothes label. Spend an extra 30p on uncoated 350gsm card.
• Generic mailers. A plain brown mailer with a printed sticker feels improvised. A proper branded mailer costs only £0.40 more.
• Inconsistent fonts. Logo on mailer in one font, hangtag in another, neck label in a third. Pick one display font, one body font, use them everywhere.
• Wash care that doesn't match the garment. If your blank is 100% organic cotton GOTS-certified, your label should say so. If it doesn't, you're hiding what makes it premium.

The minimum viable private label kit

For a UK independent brand starting out, this is the lowest-cost setup that still feels real:

• Tear-and-print custom neck (Level 1): £3 per garment
• Printed hangtag, 350gsm uncoated, single-colour: £0.50 per tag
• Branded sticker for plain mailer (£25 for 250 stickers): £0.10 per order
• Tissue paper inner wrap: £0.20 per order

Total private-label premium: ~£3.80 per garment.

Add that to a £10 blank and £5 print and you have a £19 garment that retails comfortably at £55–60. Without private label, the same garment with manufacturer's tags retails at £35–40 maximum.

The label production timeline

Plan your launch backwards from these lead times. Woven labels are usually the long pole — order them first, before you finalise garments.

What we do for private-label clients

We print the garments. If you want private-label finishing on top, tell us what you are planning before you order and we'll confirm what we can do in-house and what needs a specialist partner.

Send us your brand assets and an idea of the price point you're targeting, and we'll tell you what is possible on your margin.