Since forlife was founded, pre-orders have been at the heart of our business model.
But contrary to what one might think, this model has never been set in stone.
It has evolved over time, through experience, in response to real manufacturing constraints… and, above all, with you.
In this article, we explain why we made these choices, what didn’t work, and how the Forlife pre-order system works in practice today.
Why We Chose Pre-orders from the Start
Our original idea was simple:
to produce only what is sold.
A sales period, followed by production that is launched based precisely on orders.
No massive inventory, no waste, no overproduction.
It was, and still is, a very powerful vision:
👉 make less
👉 make better
👉 make fairly
What a “pure” pre-order didn’t allow (and it’s important to point this out)
Over time, certain limitations became apparent.
The first issue: lead times.
Between fabric production and garment manufacturing, lead times could exceed 4 months—or even 5 months —for the first orders placed at the start of the sale.
The second limitation concerned customer frustration, which was entirely legitimate.
In practical terms, when a customer has to wait several months to receive a part, certain situations can become very difficult to deal with.
For example, a product might have a defect.
In a “pure” pre-order model, this sometimes meant that we simply didn’t have another unit available to replace yours.
Imagine receiving that news after waiting several months.
The same goes for ordering the wrong size.
Waiting a long time only to realize that the size you chose wasn't right— with no immediate option to exchange it—is obviously very frustrating 🤯
And the most complicated situation was still this one:
when a part was missing from production.
In the textile industry, manufacturers may have a margin of error of about 3% in terms of quantity, which is considered acceptable in the industry.
But for a customer who has waited several months, finding out that their item doesn’t actually exist is incredibly frustrating 🤯🤯
These situations were rare, but when they did happen, they were difficult to deal with.
And we listened to them fully.
Why We Tried to Plan Ahead for Production
To improve the experience, we then tried an intermediate model.
The idea:
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start fabric production early on
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then start the sale
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in order to limit the wait to the production phase alone
On paper, this solution seemed ideal.
In reality, this posed two opposing risks:
– not producing enough fabric, and recreating the same frustrations as before
– or producing too much fabric, with the risk of ending up with surplus that is difficult to manage
The Reality of Workshops and Materials
At one point, some of our partners agreed to go the extra mile.
The idea was this: to produce a little more fabric than necessary, so that we could accommodate any exchanges or use the excess for future pre-orders.
In principle, this provided greater flexibility.
But in reality, this process has proven difficult for our partners to manage:
– managing fabric inventory over time
– tying up materials
– increased administrative burden for workshops that are already under heavy demand
It also caused frustration on their part.
And we decided not to place that burden on them.
So we stopped operating that way—not because it lacked good intentions, but because it wasn't sustainable for our partners in the long run.
How Does the Forlife Pre-Order Work Today?
Today, our operations are more transparent.
We launch our productions based on the seasons, featuring:
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quantities defined in advance
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sometimes new colors
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an estimated production date provided by our partners
Once that date is known, we'll start taking pre-orders.
👉 Forlife pre-orders are therefore subject to limited quantities.
That is why:
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Some sizes are not available
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Some colors fade quickly
In other cases, we ask our fabric suppliers directly about the actual quantities available and adjust our sales accordingly.
That is also why, whenever possible, we recommend placing your order as soon as pre-orders open.
This helps maximize your chances of finding the right size and color you want, given that quantities are intentionally limited.
Why This Model Succeeds Because of the Community
For the past three years, forlife has operated without advertising.
The brand thrives thanks to its community.
This model isn't perfect.
It's evolving.
And it exists thanks to you.
In conclusion
Pre-ordering from Forlife isn't a magic solution.
It's a constant balancing act between:
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responsibility
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industrial reality
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respect for customers
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respect for partners
We continue to learn, adapt, and improve.
And we’ll keep explaining our decisions to you, with complete transparency.
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