The growing popularity of niche fashion brands has transformed the fashion industry as a whole, and men’s underwear is no exception. As of 2025, demand for stylish, comfortable, and customised underwear is bigger than ever and presents an exceptional niche for new startups and entrepreneurs. If you’re scratching your head about making your own underwear brand, then you have come to the right place. This blog will discuss everything you need to know regarding startup costs, today’s marketplace worth, and ways to validate how to begin and scale your new business effectively. With an organised plan and a reputable clothing manufacturer on your team, turning your dreams into reality is easier than ever before.
Why Start a Underwear Line?
The share for men’s underwear has recently grown immensely, attributed to an increase in consumer interest in premium, stylish, and functional inner wear; men are more willing to focus on comfort, fit, and fabric quality. Men’s underwear has transitioned to not only basic product options, but also to niche underwear, sometimes referred to as ‘fashion-underwear’.According to Statista, the global men’s underwear segment is projected to reach $17.6 billion by 2025, highlighting strong market potential.
This category also benefits from profit margins better than most other shares in the apparel and accessories sector as well as repeat purchases often due to daily usage of basic underwear and then make periodical purchases for new basic underwear. There has been an increase in a number of brands that are coming out with sustainable materials such as tencel and eucalyptus or innovative designs/styling options like seven days of the week, as there’s always room for differentiation through green-fabrics, great designs, and brand storytelling; making it a great opportunity for fashion based entrepreneurs that want to carve out a niche.
Understanding the Market Value
The global men’s underwear market is on a strong upward trajectory, with a value projected to exceed $19.3 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2021 to 2027, according to Allied Market Research. This market has been growing, fueled by more awareness of grooming, fashion consciousness, and disposable income.
Styles trends such as competitive brief, competitive boxers, trunks, and performance wear continue to dominate the market, with an increasing focus on comfort, functionality, moisture-wicking properties and sustainable fabric options. The consumer segments most prevalent in the briefs and boxers market include Gen Z looking for individuality and aesthetics; environmentally-conscious consumers demanding sustainable options in brands and materials; and athletes and sport-based competitors demanding high performance.
While this niche market is deep with established brands that uphold substantial amounts of market share, there is still plenty of white space for new entrants to differentiate the product offering through unique designs, ethical production practices, and promotion of niche demographics. New company startups with focus will be able to identify an untapped demand.
Initial Costs to Create My Own Underwear Line
There are many stages to launching a underwear company, each with its costs and needs. Understanding the costs involved will help you set a realistic budget and not get caught off guard by unexpected expenses. There are many steps from product design to production, branding, and logistics. All these components are critical to the total amount of startup capital you will need to raise for your brand. Here is a breakdown of all the costs associated with making your own undies for men.
Product Design & Development
Before proceeding to production, design your own underwear that can set you up for success. It’ll require developing technical packs for the manufacturer, which are detailed blueprints to accompany your designs. Your costs will also include prototypes and sampling, which give you the opportunity to assess the fit, fabric, and functionality. The design stage is especially important so that you will be able to deliver a repeatable product and reduce errors during mass production; just make sure you are aware that all of this will require upfront capital—spent on design, prototypes, and samples—that won’t likely be recouped in the early stages of your business. You could spend several hundred or even thousands of dollars. It all depends on your designs and how complex they are.
Manufacturing Costs
Manufacturing is usually the primary cost element when starting your underwear line, and a variety of factors establish the cost. Each underwear manufacturer does have a minimum order quantity (MOQ) which significantly influences the overall cost or cost per unit. The area of expenses also includes which fabrics you choose (do you want traditional cotton, or something more sustainable like modal or bamboo), as well as the quality of stitching needed. Also included are not only labor, but important aspects such as labor, trims, tags and packaging. Of course, with quality fabrics and finishes come more costs but they also help you achieve a better product. Working with a clothing manufacturer also enables you to negotiate better MOQs and help with the sourcing process to save time and costs.
Branding & Marketing
The main point is that to distinguish yourself in the market, your underwear line needs a recognizable brand footprint. General costs of core branding activities for an underwear line typically do apply. These include things like a professionally designed logo, a useful website, and a great brand story to connect with your customers. To be fair, you can do all of these tasks yourself, but using professional people to help you with effective branding and storytelling gains trust and sets the precedent for loyalty for your brand. Depending on your level, these expenses for branding and your digital marketing setup can be between $1,000 and $5,000.
Logistics & Inventory
Customers always value efficient shipping, warehousing, and order fulfillment, and you need to make sure you are in control and offering it in the best way possible. Whether you self-fulfill or go with 3PL, both ways will affect your cash flow and your ability to scale your operations. Keeping inventory increases costs and overheads, particularly when locking in production costs via MOQs, so you need to account for that too. Additionally, if your products are coming from international suppliers, you need to factor in the cost of shipping and customs duties too! The more work you do here means the smoother things will run post-launch and the better experience your customers will have.
Estimated Budget
The overall budget for launching a underwear line varies based on your business model and production scale.
- Entry-level brands can start with $5,000–$20,000, focusing on small-batch production and minimal branding.
- Mid-tier operations may invest $20,000–$50,000, allowing for broader inventory, professional marketing, and scalable fulfillment.
- Premium-scale brands can exceed $50,000, prioritizing custom fabrics, exclusive designs, and aggressive marketing.
Tip: Partnering with a full-service B2B clothing manufacturer can significantly reduce costs by offering bundled services, lower MOQs, and end-to-end support—making it easier to launch your line efficiently and within budget.
Manufacturing Considerations To Make An Underwear
Manufacture is the backbone of your brand underwear range. With your manufacture it is important to make choices with a lot of thought, as this can have a considerable impact on the success of your brand. The fabric you choose, whether a breathable cotton, super-soft modal, eco-friendly bamboo or clever blends, and other aspects of comfort including durability and washability will first and foremost impact the feelings with which consumers associate your product. The specifics in design are also highly impactful; waistband branding, unique sublimation printing, and custom dyes will help differentiate your product in an already stiff marketplace.
Increased ethical and sustainable production is being adopted by more brands/companies, as it speaks to eco-conscious consumers, gives credibility to the brand, and helps convey overall company values; these all help to endear consumers. Also, by working with a professional clothing manufacturer, you can add great value as they can offer quality assurance, help you produce samples, and offer many more options in the design process. The manufacturer you choose can manage the whole process, from where to source/purchase materials to the stitching. The manufacturer becomes as important if not more so than the fabrics used.
An important aspect to understand is Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs). A lower MOQ ensures less upfront investment, while lowering the odds that your manufacturer works with you as a scalable partner ensuring that they can help you grow quickly without speed bumps. Striking a careful balance is necessary to ensure you can meet demand and growth, but also not exceed your financial capacity or your timeline.
Strategy to Successfully Launch Your Underwear Brand
Once your product is ready, a clearly defined launch plan is crucial for a powerful market entry and long-lasting enterprise creation. From developing your brand impression to choosing the appropriate sales channels and marketing strategy, every component cooperates to guarantee your underwear line sells and stands apart. The fundamental approaches you should apply for a great launch and long-term development are broken down below.
Brand Identity & Positioning
Your brand image determines how people view your underwear line. Begin by selecting a niche—luxury, athletic, environmentally friendly, or everyday comfort—that matches your target audience. Positioning your brand around a certain lifestyle or requirement not only draws in devoted consumers but also gives your message and design more concentration. For you to cut through market noise, a well-crafted identity reveals your values, goal, and uniqueness.
Sales Channels
Choosing the appropriate sales channels could determine your first pull to start selling underwear. While marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy offer quick access to sizable consumer bases, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) website lets you manage branding and customer experience. If you have the production capacity, other wholesale approaches—working with boutiques or stores—can assist you to rapidly scale. Think about beginning with one or two channels and growing based on client input and inventory flow.
Marketing Tactics
Concentrate on affordable, high-impact marketing strategies to generate buzz and stimulate sales. Reach niche audiences via reliable sources using influencer marketing; visually engage consumers with Instagram Reels highlighting fit, fabric, and lifestyle value. Another effective tool is email marketing; put it to use for product launches, special discounts, and customer updates. Strong brand recall and early involvement from a clear, coherent message across all channels
Customer Retention
Developing strong, long-term success means getting customers to keep coming back, indefinitely. Remember to involve your customers in subscription models, like delivering underwear every month, or have loyalty programs that encourage repeat purchases. Both variants will improve lifetime value and increase brand loyalty.
Your B2B manufacturer is a key part of your ability to scale at speed, and meet demand while established and growing your customer base. Their reliability, efficiency, consistency, and production flexibilities will help you maintain quality while you are expanding.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring fabric quality or fit: Low-quality fabric or a poor fit can ruin your brand’s reputation before it starts. Comfort and durability are non-negotiable in men’s and women’s underwear, so invest time in perfecting both.
- Over-ordering inventory without testing the market: Producing large quantities before validating your product can lead to dead stock and financial loss. Start small, gather feedback, and scale based on actual demand.
- Poor supplier communication: Miscommunication with your manufacturer can result in delays, quality issues, or production errors. Clear, consistent communication ensures expectations are met and timelines stay on track.
- Underestimating branding and packaging: Many new brands focus only on the product and ignore how it’s presented. Strong branding and attractive packaging elevate your perceived value and enhance the unboxing experience—critical for online retail success.
Why Partner with a Professional Clothing Manufacturer
When starting your underwear line, working with a professional clothing manufacturer will change the game. Without sacrificing quality, these professionals provide quicker production schedules, guarantee you receive items ready for the market fast and effective. Helping you negotiate the complexity of design, fabric selection, and customizing, they also provide access to material sourcing, tech packs, and product development assistance. Moreover, an experienced producer provides flexible production choices that let you start small and expand sustainably, therefore lowering overstock problems and financial risk. In essence, collaborating with the appropriate B2B producer simplifies your launch and creates a good groundwork for long-term success.
Building a Successful Underwear Brand
Making your own underwear brand takes planning, strategy and quality in the fabric and fit. It is important to work with a reputable and professional clothing for plus size clothing manufacturers to streamline production, keep costs low and to scale. Having an effective clothing manufacturing strategy in combination with creative designs and branding is necessary for successful clothing manufacturing in the men’s and womens underwear market. If you are an entrepreneur or fashion startup who is ready to introduce your men’s and women’s underwear brand, contact us today for custom manufacturing solutions. Let’s turn your underwear label or brand into a reality together.
