CLIFTON started in 2007 while I was at the University of Exeter, studying Accounting & Finance. At the time, we referred to custom clothing as “stash”, and getting it made and delivered correctly was always more difficult than it should have been.
The main issue was the standard across the market - most suppliers were producing the same high polyester garments that didn’t feel great, in oversized unisex fits that didn’t suit anyone properly, with small, low-quality embroidery & prints that looked like an afterthought.
At the same time, brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Jack Wills were producing clothing people actually wanted to wear. Better fabrics, better fits, better finishing. The gap was obvious. What people were choosing to buy on the High Street was very different to what they had available, and were forced to accept, when something needed to be customised.
Rather than accept what was available, I started taking those better products apart, understanding how they were made, and applying the same principles to custom clothing. “Reverse engineered” probably isn’t the right phrase, but it’s close enough for this.
I wasn’t setting out to build a brand. I was taking orders from other students, running everything through my own student bank account, paying suppliers, and trying to keep track of it all while applying what I was learning in lectures to something that vaguely resembled a real business.
Nineteen years later, a lot has changed in how custom clothing is produced. But the problems people run into when ordering it haven’t changed nearly as much.
Below are the patterns that show up again and again.
1. Custom Clothing Is Always Made to Order (and That Changes Everything)
One of the most common misunderstandings is assuming custom clothing works like retail. It doesn’t.
Nothing is sitting on a shelf waiting to be picked, packed, and shipped. Every item is produced from scratch, to a specific design, with specific sizing, branding, and construction choices.
That has two implications:
- timelines only start once everything is confirmed
- changes become harder, and sometimes impossible, once production begins
Most delays don’t happen in production. They happen before production even starts, when decisions are unclear or approvals take longer than expected. Clarity at the start saves everything later.
2. Most Issues Come Down to Sizing, Not Production
After thousands of orders, one thing is consistent. When something doesn’t work, it is almost always sizing. Not manufacturing. Not quality. Sizing.
The root of it is simple. People rely on what they “normally wear” instead of using the sizing guidelines provided.
A label size means very little in custom clothing. A “Large” in one garment, brand, or country has no fixed meaning. The only reliable reference point is the measurements.
The other issue is comparison. People often compare a new garment to something they owned years ago, even when the construction, fabric, and fit are completely different.
The product is rarely the problem. The reference point usually is.
Over the years, we’ve refined our sizing guidelines based on thousands of orders, and we can provide specific garment measurements on request to help ensure the best possible fit. These are our garments, made by us, to our specifications, so the measurements are consistent and something you can rely on.
3. Price Is About the Process, Not Just the Product
Custom clothing is often judged against retail pricing, which creates confusion. Retail is built on volume, standardisation, and stock. Custom is built on flexibility, setup, and individual production.
You are not just paying for the garment. You are paying for:
- design setup
- production setup
- customisation
- logistics
- and the ability to produce exactly what you want, in the quantity you need
This is why one item behaves very differently to fifty, and fifty behaves differently to two hundred.
It is also why “just adding a logo” is rarely as simple as it sounds, unless it is not truly custom but a stock garment with a logo applied, which is precisely the problem we set out to solve.
4. Embroidery vs Print – Why the Choice Matters More Than People Think
One of the clearest gaps early on was how logos were applied.
Most suppliers treated it as an afterthought. Small, low-density embroidery that lacked definition, or print methods chosen purely on cost rather than outcome. The result was something that technically ticked the box, but didn’t actually look good on the garment.
The reality is that embroidery and print do completely different jobs.
Embroidery
- best for structure, durability, and a premium feel
- works well on polos, rugby shirts, sweatshirts, and outerwear
- adds texture and depth
- not suited to very small or highly detailed artwork
Done properly, embroidery should be clear, well-scaled, and intentional. Not something you have to look twice at.
- best for bold designs, large areas, and complex graphics
- works well on t-shirts and performance garments
- allows precision and flexibility
- can look flat if used in the wrong context
Print works best when it is used properly, not as a substitute for embroidery. Early on, the difference was obvious. The goal was never just to add a logo. It was to make the logo feel like part of the garment. If the logo matters, the method matters.
5. Deadlines Are Usually Missed Before Production Begins
When deadlines are missed, production tends to get the blame. In reality, most delays happen earlier.
Common causes include:
- delayed approvals
- unclear or changing designs
- payment delays
- low-resolution or unsuitable artwork
Custom clothing works to a sequence. Until each step is completed, the next one cannot begin. Once everything is approved and in production, timelines are usually predictable.
It is the period before that where things either run smoothly or drift. After years of seeing the same issues repeat, we formalised what “done properly” actually means internally.
Everything is measured against a simple standard: IFOTIS.
- In Full
- On Time
- In Spec
If an order doesn’t meet all three, it isn’t complete. That standard didn’t come first. It came from years of seeing exactly where things go wrong.
6. Group Orders Either Work Brilliantly, or Not at All
Group orders introduce complexity. Different sizes, different people, different expectations, and often one person trying to coordinate everything.
When handled manually, this usually leads to confusion, missed details, and unnecessary friction. When structured properly, it becomes straightforward.
Which is why we developed two ways to place an order - either directly by the organiser, entering all sizes and completing payment at checkout or via our free online stores, which allow individuals to select and pay for their own items while keeping everything aligned to a single order.
The difference between those two approaches is significant, and choosing the right one makes the entire process far smoother.
7. Simplicity Nearly Always Wins
There is a temptation to do too much. Too many logos. Too many colours. Too many ideas competing on the same garment. The best outcomes tend to be the simplest ones - clear design, good placement, appropriate branding method.
The garment does not need to say everything. It just needs to say the right thing, clearly.
What This Means in Practice
After nineteen years, the same principles come up again and again:
- use the sizing guides properly
- make decisions early and clearly
- choose the right method for branding
- keep designs focused
- allow enough time for the process to work
The process is straightforward because we have made it that way, and we guide our customers through it using our experience and attention to detail. That is what we will continue to focus on for the next 19 years and beyond!
The variables change, but the patterns don’t.
Best,
Simon
Founder, CLIFTON
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