How many samples you need before manufacturing your lingerie
Knowing how many samples you need before production can keep costs down before you start. So how many samples will you need before to get your design from idea to production.
To start with you have the proto sample, depending which factory you go with, (ie if you have gone with a bigger factory that needs to source your fabric) sometimes this sample is not in the correct fabric but a fabric with a similar stretch. This is get the ball rolling to see if the garment fits together, what problems, if any occurred when making up.
I would advised only fitting this sample if there are no discrepancies of the stretch of the fabric. Ensure the measurements are correct against your spec before you try it on.
First Sample, depending if you received the sample above or not this could be number one or two. Your first sample is you seeing how your design looks in the correct fabrics, I would use this first sample as a fit sample as well. Again depending whether you or the factory has sourced the fabrics, it may not be in the correct colour at this stage. If it is use this opportunity to photograph it. If it’s not fitting correctly only flat lay photograph it.
From fitting it you will be sending any fit comments back to the manufacturer so they can alter the pattern.
Second sample, you will receive another sample if you altered the measurements until you get the fit right, though most factories don’t really want to be re-making samples after 2-3 times.
SS Sample (size set sample), after you happy with the fit, the pattern will then get graded and you will receive a size set sample, if you are a small brand you don’t have to receive the full size range. The size set sample is to ensure that the garments go through the manufacturing okay, that is why if you go for the biggest and smallest size any problems will show up. I would go for the smallest and the biggest and the size for the model for the photoshoot or the size for fits.
If all okay then you can use this sample as a sealer, this is where you put a seal tag (usually gold or red) and one gets sent back to the factory and you keep one as a reference.
PP Sample (pre-production sample), this sample will show you the quality and finish of your garment, it is acceptable to use the size set samples as pre-production samples if they have been made in the factory rather than by the sample machinist. As the point of PP samples is that it highlights any errors that may show up in production. Only when the PP sample is approved can manufacturing for Bulk begin.
You need to measure these by the spec and check against the construction page in the tech pack.
Bulk sample, these are samples pulled from the manufacturing line to show quality and standards are being held up throughout production.
Shipment sample (also known as TOP (Top Of Production) sample, when dealing with bigger companies, samples can be asked for being shipping to ensure the production is correct.
As samples are made as one-off garments the cost of making a samples can be much higher than the final lingerie piece marked up for sale, so when speaking to a factory it may be worth asking about samples costs and keep a tight run of how many you need.
If you wish to pin the article to come back to later, please pin below
