Check a kidswear sample for four things: fit for the age on the label, how easily it goes on and comes off, how it feels against skin, and how it looks after a wash. When the bulk order arrives, check that it matches the approved sample, that the counts per size are right, and that every label is correct.
A good kidswear sample quality check takes an hour with a tape measure, a home wash and the garment in your hands. Below is the order we suggest, and what we look at in our own quality check before dispatch.
Before you start: have the right references
Gather what the sample is being checked against. Without it, you are checking against memory.
- The quotation, with style, fabric, colour and branding agreed.
- Your size chart by age, or the measurements we shared.
- Your artwork files for print, embroidery and labels.
- Notes on fastenings and trims you asked for.
Measure flat, on a table, with the garment smoothed but not stretched.
Checking the sample garment
Fit and measurements
Measure chest, length, sleeve and waist, and compare them with the chart for that age. Children of the same age vary a lot, so look for a garment that sits sensibly within the range rather than at its edge. If you can, try it on a child of the right age. Watch them sit, crouch and lift their arms.
Openings and fastenings
This matters more for children than for adults.
- Pull the neckline over your fist. Does it stretch and recover, or does it stay open?
- On a romper, do the snaps close cleanly and open without a hard tug?
- Are buttons on a shirt set stitched firmly, with no loose threads?
- On elastic waists, is the elastic even all round and not twisted inside the casing?
Note anything that feels hard to use. A parent dressing a wriggling child will notice it.
Feel against skin
Run your hand along the inside of the neck, cuffs and waistband. Look for scratchy seam allowances, thread ends and stiff labels. On children’s clothing we suggest a printed inside-neck label or a soft printed care label instead of a stiff woven one, and the sample is the place to confirm you are happy with it.
Print, embroidery and colour
Check the logo position, size and colour against your artwork. Stretch a screen print gently on jersey and see whether it cracks. Look at the back of any embroidery for loose ends. Check the fabric colour in daylight, not just under indoor lighting.
The wash test
Wash the sample as a parent would, following the care label, and dry it the way your customers are likely to. Then measure again and look at the neckline, print, seams and colour. This is the single most useful test you can do at home.
Writing feedback we can act on
Send changes in one message, item by item, with photos. “Chest feels tight” is hard to act on. “Chest measures 31 cm flat for age 4 to 5; please increase by 1 cm” is easy. Any changes are agreed before bulk production. If a change is large, we may suggest a second sample, and the terms are confirmed in your quotation.
What we check before dispatch
Our quality check covers each order before it leaves. We look at:
| Area | What we check |
|---|---|
| Measurements | Spot measurements per size against the approved sample |
| Stitching | Seams, hems and neck finishing, with loose threads trimmed |
| Fastenings | Snaps, buttons and elastic as approved |
| Branding | Label position, print and embroidery against artwork |
| Packing | Size, colour and count per pack as specified |
When the bulk order arrives
Open the cartons as soon as they land. Check in this order:
- Counts. Compare the pieces per style, colour and age size against your order and the packing list.
- Labels. Open a few pieces from each size and check that the size label matches the size on the pack.
- Match to sample. Lay one bulk piece next to your approved sample. Shape, fabric, colour and branding should agree.
- Random pull. Pull a handful of pieces from different cartons and look at seams, prints and fastenings.
- Packaging. Check hang tags, folding and any polybag or box you specified, especially if you ship to customers directly.
If something is wrong, photograph it with the carton label in view and tell us straight away, with the style, size and count affected.
A note on labelling and safety
Labelling and safety requirements for children’s clothing depend on the destination country. They are confirmed at quotation, so tell us where you sell before the sample is made. We do not give legal or compliance advice, so check your own market’s rules as well.
The full style list and branding options are on our white label kids clothing page, and our note on fabric choices for kidswear explains how jersey and woven behave in the wash. When you are ready, send your style, fabric, age sizes and destination country, and we prepare a quotation and a sample for you to check.