Founders are rewarded for vision in the deck and punished for width in the warehouse. SKU discipline is the merchandise decision that makes MOQ, samples and PPS workable. It is not a compromise on taste — it is how taste ships.
Enough to look like a brand; few enough to sample and PPS properly.
Each colour is a 150-piece gate unless a written library trial applies.
Named base across the capsule. Exclusive mill cloth waits for season two.
If opacity matters, approve the pale shade — not only black.
The rule of one hand
Pick one named fabric story for drop one:
- PowerForm™ 215 — structure, recovery, opacity-first yoga / court programmes.
- AirTouch™ 195 — softer studio hand; treat pale shades carefully.
- AquaForm™ — swim path; chlorine and lining gates before you promise a beach calendar.
- CloudTouch™ — knit lounge; pilling and shrinkage sit on the brief.
Two hands on drop one doubles shade and finishing risk. Five hands is a mill project pretending to be a brand launch. Use the Fabric Selector when you need an honest trade-off — not a moodboard collage.
How many styles and colours to fund
| Capsule shape | Styles | Colours | Gates at 150 | Founder fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum brand | 1 | 2 | 2 | Tightest cash; harder storytelling |
| Recommended first drop | 2 | 2–3 | 4–6 | Looks like a line; still fundable |
| Aggressive | 3–4 | 3–4 | 9–16 | Only with committed wholesale or capital |
| Deck fantasy | 8+ | 4+ | 32+ | Where first brands stall |
A bra + legging set is already two styles. A dress + skort is two styles. Matching colours still multiply gates. Read the cash table in founder cash & calendar.
Which SKUs carry hidden risk
- Pale neutrals on stretch knits — opacity. Approve on finished garments; see squat-proof evaluation.
- Brushed hands — pilling on bags and bike seats. Spec the finish you will bulk.
- Swim fashion colours — chlorine and colourfastness are gates, not adjectives.
- Complex pockets / hardware on drop one — each trim is a sample loop. Start clean; add complexity after sell-through.
- Custom fabric “to be unique” — mill MCQ and dip time. Save for the colour that already sold.
Photo and sample plan that matches the PO
- Sample the styles and colours you will actually buy — not a rainbow you will edit out.
- Budget sample fees per garment piece (US$50–100). Sets multiply.
- Photograph on the approved hand. Do not sell AirTouch™ with PowerForm™ photos.
- Lock logo, care label and hangtag on the proto so pack-out does not reopen at carton time.
Reorder path before you spend on ads
Before you scale spend, file:
- Fabric PO language (named base, weight, width / stretch if written).
- Retained shade swatch of the approved bulk lot.
- PPS pack-out sheet.
- Size curve that matched sell-through — not a new fantasy curve every restock.
Ads without that file create the sheer-bulk and shade-drift rescues we reconstruct elsewhere. Founder entry: first-order desk · For founders · Start a founder brief.