Fashion template bundle: the three documents a small label needs

Before the first order goes out, a small label usually needs three documents: a line sheet for buyers, a tech pack for the factory and a tracker for samples and orders. This page explains what each one does, how they fit together, and walks through one margin example with invented numbers.

Why three documents and not one sheet

Each document answers a different person. The buyer asks what a style costs and what can be ordered. The factory asks how exactly it is made. You ask what is late. Putting all three questions into one long sheet works for a handful of styles and gets hard to read at the first revision, so it helps to keep them apart and use the same style code in every file.

The three documents

1. Line sheet and margin calculator. One row per style. It works out landed cost from unit cost, freight, duty percentage and other per-unit costs, then suggests a wholesale price and a retail price from two multipliers you can edit. It shows brand margin, retailer margin and a keystone check, and it holds a line sheet you can export as a PDF for buyers plus an order form. There is room for 30 styles and 25 order lines.

2. Tech pack. One style per file. It holds a spec sheet, a bill of materials with 25 lines, graded measurements for 25 points across 8 sizes with a tolerance check, and costing that ends in landed cost. A factory print tab leaves out all prices, so you can send it as it is.

3. Production tracker. Up to 100 sample rounds and 60 purchase orders with risk flags. A time and action calendar counts back from your in-store date, a vendor scorecard keeps your own notes, and a dashboard shows what is late.

Worked example (invented numbers)

These figures are made up to show the arithmetic. Duty rates and multipliers differ by product and country, so use your own.

A tee has a unit cost of 9.50, freight of 0.80 per unit, duty of 10 percent and 0.50 of other costs per unit.

1. Duty is 10 percent of 9.50, which is 0.95.
2. Landed cost is 9.50 + 0.80 + 0.95 + 0.50 = 11.75.
3. With a wholesale multiplier of 2.2, the raw wholesale price is 25.85. Rounded up to a whole unit it is 26.
4. Retail at a multiplier of 2.0 would be 52. Rounded up to the next 5 it is 55.
5. Brand margin on wholesale is (26 - 11.75) / 26 = 54.8 percent. Markup on cost is 121.3 percent.
6. Retailer margin on retail is (55 - 26) / 55 = 52.7 percent, a multiple of 2.12.
7. The keystone check asks whether retail is at least twice wholesale. 55 is above 52, so it passes.

If the margin falls below your own target, change the multiplier or the cost and keep the target fixed.

Common mistakes

• Quoting a wholesale price before landed cost. Freight and duty arrive later and eat the margin.
• Sending costs to the factory. Keep a price-free print for the factory and a separate costing view for you.
• Copying lead times and duty rates from the internet. Ask your factory and your adviser, and write down the date you asked.
• Different style codes in each file. You lose the thread between price, spec and date.
• Treating example data as real. Clear it before real use.

Build it yourself or use a ready set

Everything above works in a plain spreadsheet, and building your own is a good way to learn the logic. A ready set saves the setup time and gives you the layout of a buyer line sheet, a factory print and a sample log from the start.

What the bundle does not cover

The bundle does not include size-run buying or open-to-buy planning. It is a planning aid, not financial, tax, legal or production-quality advice. Microsoft Excel is a trademark of its owner, and Size Run Studio is not affiliated with it.

Get the bundle

The Fashion Brand Bundle is a paid digital download on Etsy: three Excel workbooks, a one-page Quick Start PDF for each, and a filled sample factory print as PDF. Nothing is shipped, and you start with clearly marked example data that you replace with your own.

See the Fashion Brand Bundle on Etsy

Frequently asked questions

What is in a fashion template bundle for a small label?

Three working documents: a line sheet with a margin calculator for buyers, a tech pack for the factory, and a production tracker for samples, orders and dates. Each one answers a different question, so each is its own workbook.

Do the three workbooks link to each other?

No, they are separate files. Use one style code per style in all three so you can find the same style quickly in each.

Which spreadsheet program do I need?

The workbooks are made for Excel. The production tracker also works in LibreOffice. Other spreadsheet programs have not been tested.

Are the numbers in the example and in the files real?

No. All example data, duty rates, lead times and prices are invented placeholders. Replace them with figures from your own factory and advisers.