Quick answer. The sealed approved sample is the reference a reorder is measured against, which is why it is held by both sides and kept with the order file rather than in a drawer. Without it, a claim about a delivery has nothing to be measured against, and the discussion becomes a comparison of recollections.
1. What the sealed sample is for
- It is the reference for the reorder. The next shipment is measured against it rather than against a description.
- It is the reference for the inspection. Which is what makes an inspection result meaningful rather than an opinion.
- It settles a disagreement. Two parties remembering a specification differently is what the sealed sample exists to prevent.
- It carries the approval. Both signatures and the date, so the version under discussion is unambiguous.
2. How many copies, and where they live
- Production copy. Held at the site that runs the order, since it is what the line is measured against.
- Buyer copy. Held with the order file, since it is the copy a claim depends on.
- Third-party copy. Where an inspection agency is used, so the inspector measures against the same reference.
- Where they live. With the order file rather than in a sample cupboard, because a reference nobody can find is not a reference.
3. What a sealed sample carries
- The style and colourway. So the sample cannot be confused with a neighbouring order.
- The measurement record. The approved measurements for the size set, attached rather than implied.
- The dates. Production and approval, since the sample describes a point in time.
- The approver. Whoever signed, since the approval is what gives the sample its authority.
- Any noted deviation. Approved with the deviation written on it rather than silently included.
4. Storage and condition
- Out of light. Colour is the first property a stored sample loses.
- Dry. Humidity changes dimensions and can affect the finish.
- Sealed. So the sample itself does not acquire handling marks that later look like production faults.
- One sample per order. A sample that has been handled becomes a worse reference than a fresh one, which is a reason for holding more than one copy.
5. Which sample is which
- A sales sample. For the discussion, not for the reference. It may be made on material that is not the production material.
- A fit sample. For the block and the grade, before the construction is settled.
- A pre-production sample. The production version, approved and then sealed. This is the one that becomes the reference.
- A golden sample. Where a buyer keeps one deliberately untouched for the life of the style, separate from the working copies.
6. Common errors
- Keeping the sample in a drawer. A reference nobody can locate does not settle anything.
- Sealing it without the measurement record. The measurements are part of what was approved.
- Approving without a signature or date. The version under discussion then becomes arguable.
- Storing it in daylight. The colour moves, and colour is what a stored sample is used to check.
- Having only one copy. An inspection and the buyer’s file both need one, and a single sample cannot be in two places.
- Recording a deviation nowhere. An unrecorded deviation returns as a claim rather than as an agreement.
7. How to compare two suppliers
- Who keeps a sealed copy. Both sides, and the buyer’s copy is the one a claim depends on.
- Whether the measurements are attached. A sample without the approved measurements describes less.
- Whether deviations are written on it. An approved deviation is an agreement; an unrecorded one is not.
- How it is stored. Out of light and dry, since colour and dimension are what it is used to check.
- Whether a golden sample is held. A deliberate untouched copy for the life of the style.
· 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 | The reference for the reorder, the inspection and any claim |
| Copies | Production site · buyer (with the order file) · third-party inspector where used |
| Where it lives | With the order file rather than in a sample cupboard |
| Carries 1 | Style and colourway |
| Carries 2 | The approved measurement record for the size set |
| Carries 3 | Production and approval dates |
| Carries 4 | The approver, since the approval is what gives it authority |
| Carries 5 | Any noted deviation, written on the sample |
| Storage | Out of light, dry and sealed |
| Why more than one copy | A handled sample becomes a worse reference; inspection and file both need one |
| Sample types | Sales sample (discussion) · fit sample (block) · pre-production sample (the reference) · golden sample (deliberately untouched) |
| Golden sample | Kept for the life of the style, separate from the working copies |
Buyer checklist
- Seal the pre-production sample once approved, not the sales sample.
- Keep a copy at the producing site and one with your order file.
- Give the inspector a copy where an inspection is used.
- Attach the approved measurement record to the sample.
- Record the style, colourway, production date and approval date.
- Note any approved deviation on the sample itself.
- Store samples out of light and dry.
- Keep a golden sample untouched where the style runs for several seasons.
- Reference the sample in the purchase order.
- Re-confirm against the sample at receipt rather than from memory.
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.