Quick answer. The pre-production sample is the gate the bulk run waits behind, and it is the point the bulk clock is counted from. It is not a second sales sample: it is made to the production specification, on the material and the line that will run the order, which is what makes approving it a decision rather than a preview.
1. What the pre-production sample is for
- It confirms the specification in production form. Fibre, blend ratio, weight, construction and measurements, made the way the order will be made.
- It is the reference for the shipment. The inspection is measured against it, so an approved sample is what makes the inspection meaningful.
- It starts the bulk clock. Bulk production runs 45–60 days for a new style counted from approval, so the approval date is a schedule decision rather than a formality.
- It closes the development stage. Once approved, the pattern, the grade and the construction are fixed for that order.
2. How it differs from a sales sample
- The material. A sales sample may be made on whatever is available; the pre-production sample is made on the production material.
- The line. It is made the way the bulk will be made, not by a sampling room working to a different method.
- The grade. All sizes are graded from the approved block rather than shown at one size.
- The completeness. Labelling and packing are part of what is approved, since both are part of what the customer receives.
3. What to check before approving
- Fabric. Fibre, blend ratio and weight against the specification, not against the sales sample.
- Colour. Against the approved reference, in the lighting it will be assessed under.
- Construction. Seams, stitch density at the stress points, waistband and edge finish.
- Measurements. Across the size set, with the tolerances applied rather than at one size only.
- Gusset and lining. Its own fibre and construction, on its own line.
- Labelling and pack. Content per destination market, and the pack format.
4. Lead time and rounds
- Pre-production sampling runs about 5–7 days once the construction is settled.
- A first fit plus a confirmation round is the practical target, and three or more rounds usually indicates the specification or the base pattern is not settled.
- Where the time goes. Between rounds rather than inside them, which is why a sequence change moves the schedule more than a speed increase.
- The approval is a decision. Approving with a noted deviation is legitimate; approving without recording it is not.
5. What approval fixes
- The block and the grade. Measurements for the whole size set, checked at both ends of the run.
- The construction. Seam type, edge finish and waistband, all recorded against the sample.
- The fabric and colour. Against the reference rather than a description.
- The reference itself. Sealed and held by both sides, since it is what the shipment is measured against.
6. Common errors
- Treating it as a second sales sample. It is not a preview; it is the production version.
- Approving verbally. Without a recorded approved sample, the inspection has nothing to measure against.
- Approving with a deviation and not recording it. The deviation then reappears as a claim rather than as an agreement.
- Checking one size. The approval covers the graded set, and the ends are where a shallow block shows.
- Changing something after approval. Any material change requires an amendment, and it resets the schedule rather than nudging it.
- Not keeping a sealed copy. The reference has to exist on both sides for it to settle anything.
7. How to compare two suppliers
- The sampling lead time. Stated separately from the bulk lead time rather than combined.
- The round count. A first fit plus a confirmation round is the target; more suggests the brief is not settled.
- What the sample covers. All sizes graded, with labelling and packing included.
- Who keeps the sealed sample. Both sides, and the buyer’s copy is the one the claim depends on.
- The approval rule. What counts as a material change and what requires an amendment.
· Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd. — OEM & ODM underwear sourcing partner
| Supplier | Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.) — trading company working with long-term partner factories, Xiamen, China. |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Confirm the specification in production form |
| Bulk clock | 45–60 days for a new style, counted from approval |
| Reference role | The sample the inspection is measured against |
| Material | The production material, not whatever the sampling room had |
| Line | Made the way the bulk will be made |
| Grade | All sizes graded from the approved block |
| Scope of approval | Fabric · colour · construction · measurements · gusset · labelling · pack |
| Sampling lead time | About 5–7 days once the construction is settled |
| Round target | A first fit plus a confirmation round |
| Approval rule | A noted deviation is an agreement; an unrecorded one is not |
| What approval fixes | Block and grade · construction · fabric and colour · the sealed reference |
| After approval | Any material change requires an amendment and resets the schedule |
Buyer checklist
- Confirm the sample is made on the production material.
- Confirm it was made the way the bulk will be made.
- Check the fabric against the specification rather than the sales sample.
- Check the colour against the approved reference under the assessment lighting.
- Check construction at the stress points: seams, waistband and edge finish.
- Check measurements across the size set rather than at one size.
- Confirm the gusset lining on its own line.
- Confirm labelling content and pack format are included in the approval.
- Record any deviation on the approval rather than approving silently.
- Seal a copy for each side and keep the buyer copy with the order file.
Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.)
Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.) — OEM/ODM underwear sourcing and supply-chain partner in Xiamen, China; in the trade since 2009, incorporated in 2013. Based in the Xiamen–Quanzhou–Jinjiang knitwear cluster, Fujian Province, south-east China.