Quality Control: Inspection at Every Stage
Incoming fabric inspection, in-line checks at 30% and 70%, a final AQL 2.5 audit and a shipment check — with photographic evidence at each gate.
Where defects are supposed to be caught
Incoming fabric inspection
Weight per square metre, shade continuity, shrinkage and visual defects on 10% of the lot. Failed lots return to the mill before cutting.
Cutting check
Marker accuracy, ply count and panel dimensions on the first bundle of each size, plus shade bundling so dye lots never mix inside a garment.
In-line inspection at 30%
An early check while most of the run is still on the machines. Stitch faults and tension problems are corrected on the machine rather than after finishing.
In-line inspection at 70%
A second check to confirm the correction held, and to catch drift that develops over a long run.
Final AQL 2.5 audit
Random sample audit against the approved specification: measurement, workmanship, labelling, packing and colour.
What you receive with each shipment
Measurement report
Ten garments measured at the start and end of the run, against your size chart with tolerances.
Final inspection report
The AQL 2.5 result with defect classification, sample size and pass or fail outcome.
Test reports
Fabric and garment test reports: shrinkage, colour fastness, fibre composition and buyer-specific protocols.
Packing audit
Carton count, configuration and label verification against the packing list.
Photo documentation
Photographs of the finished garments, labelling and packing configuration before the carton is closed.
Third-party support
We work with SGS, Intertek and Bureau Veritas for buyer-appointed inspections, scheduled without delaying the shipment.
Defect rate, not reassurance
Quality is a number. We track the defect rate by operation and by line, review it weekly, and use it to decide where an operator needs retraining. A line with a 2% defect rate is not told to try harder; the specific operation producing the defect is identified and corrected.
- Defect rate per operation, reviewed weekly
- Measurement deviation tracked per batch, not per order
- Root-cause review for every chargeback, with the corrective action written down
- Retained samples kept for every approved specification
Quality questions
What is your minimum order quantity (MOQ)?
Our standard MOQ is 300–1,000 pieces per style, mixed sizes. Styles using stock fabric can start from 300 pieces; a fully custom knit or dye lot usually starts at 1,000 pieces per colour. Tell us your target quantity and we will confirm what is achievable.
How long does sampling take?
A development sample takes 5–7 working days after artwork and fabric are confirmed. A full size set takes 10–12 working days. Sample cost is credited against the bulk order.
What is the lead time for bulk production?
Bulk production runs 15–45 days from deposit and approved pre-production sample, depending on quantity, fabric availability and trim lead times. We confirm the schedule in writing before you pay the deposit.
Which payment terms do you accept?
T/T (30% deposit, 70% against the copy of the bill of lading), L/C at sight, and PayPal for samples. Terms are confirmed in the proforma invoice.
Can you handle fabric, labels and packaging as well?
Yes. Fabric knitting, dyeing, cutting, sewing, printing, embroidery, labels, hangtags and retail packaging all sit inside our own supply chain, so a single purchase order covers the finished, retail-ready product.
How do you control quality?
Every order passes an incoming fabric inspection, an in-line check at 30% and 70% of the run, a final AQL 2.5 inspection before packing, and a shipment check against the approved sample and packing list.
What does AQL 2.5 actually mean?
It is the acceptance quality limit used in the final random inspection: for a typical shipment a sample size is drawn at random and inspected, and the number of critical, major and minor defects found determines whether the lot passes. AQL 2.5 is the level most retailers specify for major defects.
Can a third-party inspector visit the factory?
Yes, at any stage. We schedule buyer-appointed inspections alongside production so the audit does not add a week to the schedule. Tell us the inspection date when you place the order and we will build the plan around it.
Quality control is a sequence, not an inspection
A final inspection can only tell you what has already been made. By the time a garment reaches an AQL audit the fabric is cut, the elastic is sewn and the margin is committed. Factories that genuinely control quality catch the problem earlier — at the fabric gate, at the cutting table and at 30% of the run, when the defective output is still small enough to fix.
Why in-line inspection works
Most defects are systematic rather than random: a machine tension that drifted, a needle that dulled, an operator who learned an operation slightly wrong. In-line inspection at 30% catches the systematic fault while 70% of the run is still on the floor. The same fault found at the final audit means 100% of the run has to be inspected by hand, which is both slower and less reliable.
Measurement is the most objective quality metric
Workmanship judgement varies; a measurement does not. We measure ten garments at the start of each batch and ten at the end against the approved size chart, with tolerances stated in the tech pack. When a batch drifts, it is visible as a number before it becomes a customer complaint.
Chargebacks and root cause
When a customer raises a chargeback, the useful response is not a credit note but a root cause. Was the specification ambiguous, the fabric out of tolerance, or the operation performed incorrectly? Each answer produces a different corrective action, and each is written into the order file so the next run does not repeat it.
Send us your tech pack — get a costed quotation in one working day
Tell us the style, the fabric, the target quantity and the destination market. You will get a price breakdown, a sampling plan and a realistic lead time, not a range designed to be negotiated later.
- Free sampling plan & cost breakdown
- MOQ from 300 pcs per style
- Reply within 1 working day