A sample is not a preview. It is the reference standard that every subsequent unit will be judged against.
Once you approve it, your leverage changes. Before approval, the factory carries the cost of getting it right. After approval, you carry the cost of every assumption you failed to test. That asymmetry is the whole reason this checklist exists.
Most buyers who get burned were not careless. They simply had no recorded numbers, so when the bulk arrived different, there was no document to point at.
Set the Room Up Before You Open the Bag
Evaluating a sample without reference documents is guesswork with extra steps. Have these on the table first:
- The approved tech pack or spec sheet, with tolerances stated as numbers
- The size chart the sample was built to
- The approved lab dip or colour standard
- A measuring tape, a flat surface, and consistent lighting — daylight or a D65 viewing condition
- The fit model or the person the size is actually built for
- A camera and a written comment sheet
The lighting point matters more than it sounds. Colour judged under a warm office bulb and colour judged under north-facing daylight are two different readings. Pick one and use it for every sample in the program.
The 12-Point Checklist
| Check | How to do it properly | What failure looks like | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Measurement vs spec | Measure flat at every point of measure on the spec sheet. Record actual against required, then compare to the stated tolerance | “It measures about right” — no numbers written down |
| 2 | Fit on a body | Put it on the fit model or the intended wearer. Check shoulder line, chest, sleeve length, rise, inseam, hem sweep | Judging fit while the garment lies on a table |
| 3 | Fabric weight | Verify GSM against spec. Weigh it, do not estimate | Substituting hand feel for a number |
| 4 | Fabric handfeel | Compare side by side against the approved quality standard, not from memory | Approving a fabric nobody kept a sample of |
| 5 | Colour | Evaluate against the approved lab dip under the same light every time | Comparing to a photo, or to the previous sample instead of the standard |
| 6 | Seam type | Confirm the specified construction was actually used — four-needle six-thread, flatlock, coverstitch, overlock | A different seam that is cheaper to run |
| 7 | Stitch density | Count stitches per inch or centimetre at main seams and at stress seams, not just the visible ones | Skipped stitches, loose tension, puckering |
| 8 | Stress points | Pull and inspect armhole, crotch, side seam, neckline and any pocket or placket | A seam that holds in the sample and would not hold in production |
| 9 | Trims | Waistband elastic, drawcord, buttons, zips, thread: confirm the specified item and test the function | A substitution that looks identical and behaves differently |
| 10 | Labels and care content | Fibre composition, care instructions, country of origin, and any market-required statements | Care content that does not match the fabric actually used |
| 11 | Print and embroidery | Placement, size, registration and colour match to the approved artwork | Wash durability, which cannot be judged until it has been washed |
| 12 | Symmetry and balance | Front to back, left to right, collar and placket alignment, hem levelness | A garment that photographs well and twists on the body |
Twelve points. Points 1, 3 and 5 are where most approvals fail, and all three fail the same way — a number was available and nobody wrote it down.
How to Write Fit Comments the Factory Can Act On
Most sample delays are not caused by the factory disagreeing with you. They are caused by comments that cannot be executed.
“The sleeve feels short” is an opinion. It will come back unchanged, or changed by an arbitrary amount.
“Sleeve length from shoulder point: measured 22.5 in, spec 24 in, tolerance ±0.25 in, please adjust by 1.5 in” is an instruction. There is nothing to interpret.
| Point of measure | Measured | Spec | Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeve length (HSP to cuff) | 22.5 in | 24 in | −1.5 in | Lengthen 1.5 in |
| Chest width (1 in below armhole) | 21 in | 20 in | +1 in | Tighten 1 in |
| Waist relaxed | 30 in | 30 in | 0 | — |
| Inseam | 28.5 in | 30 in | −1.5 in | Lengthen 1.5 in |
Three practical rules:
Number and batch the comments. Forty separate messages produce forty separate interpretations. One sheet, numbered lines, one response round.
Separate must-fix from nice-to-have. If everything is priority one, nothing is. Mark which items block approval and which can be logged for next season.
Attach the photo next to the line it belongs to. A folder of unlabelled images is not documentation.
Approve, Approve with Conditions, or Reject
There are three outcomes, and buyers routinely collapse them into two.
- Approve — the sample meets spec within tolerance. Production can start.
- Approve with conditions — production can start, but a listed set of corrections must be confirmed, usually on a pre-production sample or on the first units off the line. The conditions are binding, in writing.
- Reject and resubmit — the deviations are outside what you can accept.
A verbal “yes, looks good” is not an approval. It leaves you with no reference standard and no fallback if the bulk arrives wrong.
One more habit worth building: keep the approved sample. Sign it, date it, seal it. When bulk arrives, it gets measured against that garment, not against anyone’s recollection of a photo.
The Five Reasons Buyers Regret an Approval
- No measurements were recorded, so the deviation in bulk could not be proven.
- Fabric was approved on hand feel while the specified GSM quietly changed.
- Colour was judged under whatever light was available at the time.
- Comments were sent as opinions, so the factory corrected them at its own discretion.
- The approved sample was not kept, or was kept unsigned and undated.
None of these are exotic. All five are cheap to prevent, and expensive to discover.
One Honest Note
We do not ask buyers to skip this checklist.
On a first sample we expect a comment sheet back, not an approval. That is normal and it is faster for everyone — two structured rounds beat six rounds of email.
If a supplier discourages you from measuring, or treats a request for tolerances as distrust, that tells you something about how the bulk order will go.
FAQ
Q: How many sample rounds should I expect before approving?
A: Two to three is normal for a new style: one round on fit and pattern, one on construction and trims, one on colour and any print work. More than three usually means the spec was not clear at the start, not that the factory is slow.
Q: What tolerances are normal for loungewear and sleepwear?
A: Tolerance depends on the point of measure and the fabric — knit fabrics with more stretch generally carry wider tolerances than wovens, and small measurements are usually tighter than large ones. The specific numbers belong in your tech pack. What matters is that they are written down before sampling starts, not negotiated after you find a deviation.
Q: Should I approve a sample if only small details are wrong?
A: Approve with conditions, not unconditionally. List each correction, state how it will be confirmed, and make confirmation a condition of production. An unconditional approval on a sample with known deviations removes your ability to raise them later.
Q: Can I judge colour from the photos my supplier sends?
A: Not for approval. Photos are useful for orientation and for spotting gross errors. Colour approval requires the physical sample against your lab dip under consistent light. This is also why shipping samples by courier is worth the cost.
CTA
Send us your tech pack or spec sheet, and we will return the sample with a measured point-of-measure sheet and a comment grid already filled in — so your team reviews numbers instead of guessing.