Clothing sample maker: proto, fit and pre-production samples

How the sampling sequence works

Samples are built from the same specification, fabrics and decoration methods planned for bulk, so what you approve is the reference production works to. A full development runs through the steps below.

Which stages a style needs is agreed during the RFQ: a new pattern usually needs proto and fit rounds, while a repeat of an approved style already has its reference sample.

1. Proto sample: the first make of the style, to check construction and overall look.
2. Fit sample: checked against your measurement sheet, with corrections recorded per point of measure.
3. Pre-production (PP) sample: the final fabric, trims, decoration, labels and packing as bulk will run.
4. Signed approval: the signed PP sample locks the spec, and bulk fabric is cut only after that.

What to send to start a sample

With a tech pack, send it with the measurement sheet, fabric preference and artwork. Without one, a reference garment, sketch or brief is enough to start ODM development, where our pattern room drafts the block and proposes fabric options. Development samples take a minimum of 1–2 weeks from locked inputs. That is a planning minimum, not a promise; revisions and complex styles add time.

If you are matching a fabric you already use, send a swatch with the sample request so fabric options can be counter-sampled from it, with verified composition and GSM.

The more decisions are locked at the start, such as fabric weight, colour references, size range, trims and decoration, the fewer rounds the sample needs. Open questions are fine, but each one becomes a decision made on a sample rather than on paper.

What you approve before bulk

The PP sample is the reference for everything that follows. Before signing it, check fabric and colour, fit against your measurements, print or embroidery placement and quality, labels and hangtags, and the packing method. Each revision round is documented with photos and measurements, so a change you asked for in round one is still on record in round three.

If something on the PP sample is not right, it goes back as a documented revision rather than a verbal note, and bulk does not start until the corrected sample is approved.

Signing the PP sample is your decision; until it is signed, the spec is still open and bulk fabric is not cut.

Which product families it covers

Sampling applies to every product family we make: knits such as T-shirts, polos and hoodies; wovens and outerwear such as windbreakers, bomber jackets and trousers; leather and suede garments; and motorsport pieces such as karting gear and motorbike suits, where any protection or homologation requirement is confirmed per RFQ, never assumed.

Decoration follows the same gate: print and embroidery are produced at partner units and checked by us on production fabric before you approve them.