Buyer Guide · 02

The Sample Approval Process

What happens from tech pack to sealed sample, how long each round takes, and what to check before you approve — the stage that decides your bulk quality.

One rule above all

Only one document decides your bulk quality: the sealed sample — the physical sample you sign off, kept by both sides as the reference. Website photos, catalogue images and even your first prototype are references. Once the seal is on, anything that does not match it in bulk is a claim, not a surprise.

That is why we push every buyer to treat sample approval as a project milestone with a checklist, not a formality.

The five stages

From brief to sealed sample

Stage 1

Proto sample

5–7 days

Built from your tech pack, sketch or reference garment. Purpose: confirm the silhouette, construction and fabric direction — not finish quality.

Stage 2

Fit sample

4–6 days

Made in your chosen fabric at mid-size. You check the fit on a model or mannequin and send fit comments; we revise the pattern before the next round.

Stage 3

Revisions

3–5 days each

Each comment round produces an updated sample. One or two rounds is normal; we flag when a comment risks the production timeline.

Stage 4

Salesman samples

Optional · 5–7 days

For pre-orders and photography — made with bulk-intent fabric so what your customers see is what ships.

Stage 5

Seal & go to bulk

Your sign-off

You approve the final sample; both sides keep the sealed copy with the signed spec sheet. Bulk production is measured against exactly this garment.

What to check before you approve

  • Measurements against the spec sheet — not by eye. Measure at least chest, length and sleeve on the sample itself.
  • Fabric weight and handfeel in bulk intent, not just look. Ask for the GSM reading of the actual sample fabric.
  • Trims and labels — buttons, zips, care labels and brand labels in final versions, not placeholders.
  • Stitching on stress points — armholes, side seams and closures. These are where bulk shortcuts show first.
  • Wash behavior. For washed or dyed programs, approve the washed state, not the unwashed sample.

Have a style ready for sampling?

Send a sketch, reference garment or tech pack — first sample in 5–7 days, with a clear comment round plan.

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