#Sampling
Every The Knit Journal article about sampling, for clothing brands, workshops and entrepreneurs.
Starting a clothing brandSampling budget: how much to set aside for first-collection samples
Samples are where mistakes are still cheap. Budget for them properly, or you will make the same mistakes later in production, where they cost far more.
Starting a clothing brandHow to test fabric before a bulk order: shrinkage, pilling and colour
Most returns for shrank in the wash or bled colour could have been avoided with an hour of testing on a piece of fabric before you placed the order.
Starting a clothing brandPre-production sample: what to check before bulk production starts
The pre-production sample is the visual contract between brand and workshop. Whatever you approve here is exactly what you will receive in hundreds.
Garment manufacturingPattern making for knits: allowing for stretch and shrinkage
The same pattern gives a perfect tee in one fabric and a tight one in another. The difference lies in stretch, shrinkage and the tests you run before cutting.
Garment manufacturingHow to grade knit patterns for T-shirts and hoodies
A perfect base size does not guarantee a good size run. Grading decides whether the S and the XXL look as good as the approved sample.
Garment manufacturingSample rounds explained: proto, fit, SMS and PP, and who pays
Sampling is where orders are won or lost. Without clear rules on stages and costs, a workshop ends up doing free development for anyone who asks.
Garment manufacturingHow to run a fit session and write fit comments for knitwear
A well-run fit session cuts weeks off development. A rushed one produces vague comments, remade samples and an unhappy client.
Garment manufacturingSize set and pre-production meeting: a checklist for factories
The last hour of discussion before cutting can save an entire order. The size set and pre-production meeting are where problems cost the least to fix.
Garment manufacturingLab dips, strike-offs and the golden sample: getting approvals
The costliest claims come from verbal approvals: 'the colour was different', 'the print was meant to be bigger'. Written approvals on physical samples prevent them.
T-shirtsT-shirt fabric colour: shade, fastness and lot matching
A great colour on a swatch does not guarantee a tee that looks the same after ten washes or on your second order. Colour has to be specified, tested and checked.
Hoodies & sweatshirtsWhat to put in a hoodie tech pack for a factory
A factory can sew exactly what you ask for only if you ask exactly. The tech pack turns a hoodie idea into instructions that leave no room for guesswork.
Polo shirts & uniformsHow to write a tech pack for a polo shirt
A good tech pack answers the workroom's questions before they are asked. An incomplete one is paid for in remade samples, delays and lots that do not match.
Polo shirts & uniformsMatching your brand colour on uniforms: how lab dips work
The colour on your logo does not transfer automatically to a shirt. The lab dip is the step where a brand colour becomes a reproducible dye recipe on your chosen fabric.
Polo shirts & uniformsUniform wear trials: how to test samples with staff before rollout
A sample looks fine on the meeting room table. The real question is how it looks after three weeks of shifts, washes and movement. A wear trial answers that before the big order.
Kidswear & babywearHow to wash-test kidswear for durability before launch
Children's clothes are washed far more often than adults'. A wash test before launch tells you what parents will discover a month after buying.
Loungewear, pyjamas & activewearWhat to put in a tech pack for a knitted lounge set
The workshop sews what the tech pack says, not what you had in mind. The clearer the document, the closer the first sample is to the final product.
Loungewear, pyjamas & activewearHow to test stretch and recovery in knit fabric for activewear
The elastane percentage on a spec sheet guarantees nothing. What matters is how far the fabric stretches and how fully it comes back, and you can measure that yourself.
Loungewear, pyjamas & activewearHow to develop a yoga clothing collection: fabric, styles, samples
Yoga wear sells on feel: how it sits on the skin, how it moves in poses and how it looks in photos. Every development decision should serve those three things.
Loungewear, pyjamas & activewearSizing fitted activewear: negative ease and grading explained
In fitted activewear, the pattern is smaller than the body. How much smaller depends on the fabric, and a few centimetres of error turn into returns.
Loungewear, pyjamas & activewearActivewear quality control: pilling, shrinkage and wash tests
Sportswear is washed more often and stretched harder than anything else in the wardrobe. A simple quality plan catches problems before they reach the customer.
Costing, pricing & marginsWhat does sampling cost and how do you spread it per unit?
Samples are paid for once but must be recovered from every piece you sell. Here is how to budget for them without fooling yourself on price.
Quality, compliance & sustainabilityHow to approve a lab dip and judge colour in a light box
Colour approval feels like a formality until your polos look perfect in the office and wrong in the shop. A few simple rules make all the difference.
Quality, compliance & sustainabilityHow to approve a pre-production sample and seal a gold sample
Once the pre-production sample is approved, every change costs time and money. That is why this stage deserves an hour of careful checking, not a quick glance.
Selling & marketing in RomaniaHow to prepare for a textile or fashion trade fair
A trade fair is not won in the three days on the stand, but in the months before and the weeks after. Here is how to plan each stage.
Selling & marketing in RomaniaHow to run a showroom for wholesale clothing buyers
A showroom does not need to be large or expensive. It needs to let buyers see, touch and order the collection without wasting time.