How Long Does It Take to Launch a Kidswear Brand? Realistic Timeline for Moms

One of the very first questions I get from moms dreaming of launching their own baby and kidswear brand is: “How long will it take?”

And I get it—time matters. You’re juggling kids, family, work, and life, and the last thing you want is to start something that drags on forever. You want a realistic sense of what you’re stepping into.

The truth? Launching your first collection usually takes 12 to 18 months.

I know—that might feel longer than you expected. But let me explain why this timeline is not only realistic, but actually empowering once you understand the process.

Starting a kidswear brand is not like baking cookies where you follow a recipe and an hour later it’s done. It’s a journey with many moving parts: foundational work, design, sampling, manufacturing, branding, and more. Each stage takes time—especially when it’s your first time doing it.

There will be unexpected delays. Life with kids gets busy. A shipment might get stuck, or a sample might need a second (or third) revision. That’s normal. The reason I recommend planning for 12–18 months is because it gives you breathing room. It means you don’t feel like a failure when something takes longer, and you can pace yourself without burning out.

I’ve worked with moms who wanted to “rush” the process—sometimes because they were so excited, other times because they felt pressure to “keep up.” But here’s the thing: fast is rarely sustainable.

In fact, I always caution against manufacturers or partners who promise unbelievably fast turnarounds. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Cutting corners almost always leads to disappointment, wasted money, and frustration.

While 12–18 months is an average, your personal timeline will depend on a few key things:

• Clarity in your foundations. The clearer you are on your vision, niche, and target customer, the faster you’ll move. Why? Because you’ll know exactly how to brief a designer, and you’ll attract the right manufacturing partners who understand what you want.

• Consistency. Working in small, steady steps is far more effective than bursts of excitement followed by long pauses.

• Perfectionism. This one is big. Many moms delay themselves because they want everything to be perfect before moving forward. The truth? Done is better than perfect. Your brand will evolve over time—you just need to start.

When you have clarity and allow yourself to move forward without chasing perfection, things can move smoothly and even more quickly.

Remember, this isn’t a race. You’re building something meaningful, something that could grow into a legacy. Whether it takes 12 months or 18, or even a little longer, you are in control of the pace.

And here’s the part that always excites me: the time is going to pass anyway. A year from now, you could still be thinking about starting your brand… or you could be holding your very first collection in your hands. Which one will it be?

If you’re at the beginning of your journey, the best thing you can do is stop worrying about timelines and start focusing on clarity. That’s why I created my free guide, “A Roadmap From Idea to Launch”

Inside, you’ll find every stage laid out in the right order—so you’ll know exactly what to expect, what comes first, and how to make the process smoother (and sometimes faster) without cutting corners.

Download “A Roadmap From Idea to Launch” here.

It’s the next best thing you can do to start moving from dream to launch day.