Buyer guide
A sample is the cheapest moment to find a problem. What to check, in what order, and how to write comments a factory can act on.
In short
Evaluate a sample against your specification, not your memory of the reference: confirm it is the right sample, measure it, check construction at the stress points, judge fabric and colour under agreed light, wash it the way your program will, then write comments with a measurement or a reference for every change. Approve only what you would accept in bulk.
6 min read
Reviewed by AHM International product development team
Last reviewed August 2026
In this order
- 01
Check it is the right sample
Style, size, fabric and colour against what was requested. A sample in the wrong fabric cannot be approved for fit.
- 02
Measure it
Lay it flat and measure each point of measure in your size specification. Record the actual figure and the difference from specification.
- 03
Check construction
Stitch type and density, seam finish, bar-tacks at stress points, hardware attachment and label placement.
- 04
Judge fabric and colour
Weight, hand and shade under the agreed light source, against the approved lab dip or colour standard.
- 05
Wear it and wash it
Fit on a person or a form, then wash it as your program will and measure again for shrinkage and twist.
- 06
Write comments that can be acted on
One comment per point, each with a measurement, a photograph or a reference. "Make it better" cannot be sewn.
Which sample answers which question
Approving one stage does not approve the next.
- Development sample
- Is this the right garment? Construction and look, often not yet in the bulk fabric.
- Fit sample
- Does it fit? Measured and tried against the size specification.
- Size set
- Does the grading hold across the size range?
- Pre-production sample
- Is this what bulk will be? Bulk fabric, trims and construction.
Approve what you would accept in bulk
Approval makes the sample the standard the bulk is inspected against. If something is acceptable only for now, say so in writing, or it becomes the standard.
Related questions
It depends on how complete the brief is. A full tech pack with a reference garment usually needs fewer rounds than a sketch, because fewer points are left open.
Yes. Keep the sealed sample, and have the supplier keep a counter-sample. Both sides then inspect bulk against the same garment.
Send one specification and we will apply exactly this thinking to your style. Construction, materials and commercial FOB costing.