Activewear Sample Development
Sampling is where a collection is actually decided. A sample that fits and behaves in the wash removes most of the risk from a bulk order — and a sample that only looks right on a hanger creates it.
The four samples that matter
Fit sample: the first garment, used to correct rise, waistband tension, gusset and leg opening. Size set: one garment per size in the range, used to catch grading errors before bulk. Pre-production sample: made from the actual bulk fabric and trims, used as the reference against which the bulk is inspected.
Brands that skip the size set are the ones that discover at delivery that their XL does not match their M. It is the cheapest insurance in the whole process.
Sample timeline and what affects it
Fabric availability is the single biggest factor. Stock fabric can move in days; a custom knit or dye lot can add weeks before the first sample is even cut. Trim sourcing — elastic, heat transfer logos, custom zips — runs on its own clock.
We give a dated sampling schedule at quotation and update it when a fabric or trim slips, rather than reporting the slip at the end.
What a sample should prove
Fit against the target measurements, recovery after stretching, opacity in a squat test for leggings, colour fastness, seam strength at the crotch and side seams, and how the fabric behaves after three washes.
We test the last two in-house before sending; if a fabric fails recovery or opacity we will say so and propose an alternative rather than let you approve a sample that will generate returns.
Sample cost and credit
Sampling is quoted separately from bulk. Depending on fabric and complexity, the sample fee is often credited against the bulk order above an agreed quantity — ask for the exact terms in the quotation.
Repeat samples after a fit change are charged. That is normal, and it is why consolidating feedback matters.
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