Why Sample Making is Important for Your Apparel Brand
I hear ya, you just want to get to the good stuff. You are dreaming of that day when you finally have your garment live on your website for sale and your phone starts pinging with notifications of sales you are making. Your vision is finally live!
But if you’ve been around these parts, you’ve probably realized I only give it to you straight. As much as I want this vision for you–and I know you’ll get there, it’s not going to happen overnight. I want you to be prepared in all the ways, and today we are talking about sample making.
Sometimes I’ll get a designer who comes to me to make a pattern for them and I’ll ask follow up questions, like, who will be making the samples? If the answer is “Oh, I’m not making any samples. I know you are good at what you do so I’m ready to produce my project,” I hit the breaks with a screeching halt. It’s flattering that my skills are that trusted, but vetting the pattern, the fabric, the construction, the sizing, is all essential to creating a successful product. Every single item of clothing, no matter how simple you think it can be, will have its own variables so sampling is essential.
What is sampling?
Sampling is the process of putting together your product. The pattern that was made for your design will be tested using the materials and components that will make up your garment. I know it’s easy to think of sewing it together as a process that only gives you something tangible and pretty, but my friend, it’s so much more than that!
Sampling tests so many elements and will give you invaluable insight into challenges that can arise and opportunities to pivot. It’s like this-would you create a recipe and publish it for the world to give you feedback on if you haven’t tested it out? Probably not. If you are a self-admitted terrible cook, then you’ll definitely want to test it and give feedback. Even if you are pretty decent, you know that a recipe is rarely perfect the first time you make it. There is always something to tweak.
Who is responsible for sampling?
Oh, I do love a client that loves to make their own samples. This is smart because it saves so much money and time. But this doesn’t apply to everyone so sometimes you’ll either have to find an individual sample making contractor or have your factory sample.
To be totally honest with you, sample making is tricky across the board and sometimes hard to come by. It’s a lot of work for very little money. Truthfully, your garment can retail for $50, but to make that sample, it could cost $200+. That may sound like a pretty good amount, but when someone is making garments one by one, this takes so much more time than mass production. Your sample garment could take 8 hours for cutting and sewing, which leave very little for profitability.
You may find someone locally that can sew for you as a home sewer capacity, but they will probably soon realize that it’s just not that profitable and become unreliable. Or they may not be familiar with industry standards, or will fudge things to make something work instead of speaking up that there is a problem so it can be addressed early on. You really need someone who can work closely with your pattern maker, providing feedback and a guarantee that they will follow the pattern exactly as is.
I personally feel the best case scenario for sampling is having your factory do it because they will be the ones putting it together for production, so it is their opportunity to give feedback and work together to fine tune so it sews together easily.
What is needed for sampling
To make your garment, potentially a lot of things can go into it. Sometimes things can be provided for you along the way, but it is best to assume that you will have to supply everything:
Pattern
Fabric
Elastics
Zippers
Thread
Labels
Even if your factory is able to provide any of the above, it doesn’t mean that it will be the right quality for you. They could choose the wrong color thread, use elastic that is far too rigid, or use a zipper for your serious jacket that has an enameled butterfly zipper pull on it (trust me, I’ve seen this one before!)
The top 4 reasons to sample clothing:
Verify the overall look
The most exciting part of getting a sample made is finally seeing an actual garment that is what you have been envisioning for months. You can touch it, and wear it and admire it. But then it’s time to get down to business. This is your chance to verify that this garment looks the way you want it to. Make sure it’s the right length, the right shape, the right fabric, etc. This is where you have to be critical now and figure out where you may need to make modifications.
2. Test the fit
You want your customer to love your product and to keep coming back for more. This means they need to feel comfortable wearing it. Testing a sample for fit is essential because only at this stage can a pattern maker make modifications to improve movement, tightness/looseness or any other features of the fit that may not feel right. Sometimes sewing methods can result in scratchiness or rough or sharp edges, but this is easily addressed at this stage.
3. Test fabrications
The number one variable when a pattern is made is the fabric. You will want to see how the fabric drapes and if it can create the look you are going for. Anyone who makes sewing patterns knows that it’s super tough to make an awesome pattern for most fabrications, because each fabric that someone will choose will have it’s own characteristics that affect the fit.
I once made a pattern for a pair of ponte knit leggings. They looked great so we were going to make a few more samples to give to testers. However, these fit really differently. Come to find out that the fabric was exactly the same, but the finish used on the fabric was slightly different and resulted in a dramatically different fit. When you are making samples, it’s important to spend the money and sample in the same fabric you are planning to produce it in.
4. Have actual sample of what garment should be
As I've mentioned, it’s going to be so amazing to have an actual garment that is exactly what you dreamed up. But it’s also important to have a sample on hand for everyone to reference. Your factory may want to see what the garment should be before they agree to production. If you have a new sample sewer, they may need to reference how it goes together. If it’s an usual shape, a pattern grader may need to see an image so they can understand how the different pattern pieces fit together.
Why I’m a stickler for sampling and you should be too
Sewing a garment together gives you lots of insight into how the fabric behaves, what modifications the pattern needs based on fabric and sewing methods, and it’s also a good double check of the pattern and fit.
You know that my point of view is that of a pattern maker. I never want my clients to spend more money than they need to nor waste time. But there are times when I’ll fix a pattern and I’ll tell my client that they should really test it out one more time. This could be because they fit had to change dramatically and could alter the overall outcome. I’m not a worrier, nor a gambler, it’s just I’ve seen too many scenarios that it’s been a lifesaver to see another sample before producing.
On the other hand, if changes are minimal such as adding ⅛” inch here or there, changing a seam finish, or adding length, I’m going to say that it’s probably not worth making another sample. It is easy to include notes on a sample of any differences that have to be factored in.
Guiding principles of sampling to keep you on schedule
Sampling takes time, money and a lot of coordination with fabric, trims and people (We’ve all waited two weeks for a zipper, right?) Let’s face it, you potentially could keep sampling forever because there will always be something to change. But at a certain point, you need to say enough. For others, sampling cannot be over soon enough so production can start. So let’s set some guidelines, ok?
#1: If the design doesn’t change, a good pattern maker should be able to give you a production ready pattern in 2-3 fit rounds. This means the revisions that take place and the sampling needed from each revision.
#2: However, if your design keeps changing, you’ll need a new sample for each iteration and each time it does change point #1 repeats.
#3: Pattern revisions should take no more than 2 weeks
#4: Revised samples should be sent to you no more than 3 weeks later. Now, you may find more variance on this depending on who you are working with, but be clear on their capabilities and expectations. I personally think waiting 2 months for a revised sample is 100% unacceptable.
#5: You need to have a solid calendar and timeline in place to ensure your product launches on time. Without this information, you can easily get stuck in sampling forever. Know when to call it.
To wrap things up, the one thing that I really want you to know about sampling is that it is your opportunity to change, fine tune, and reimagine anything that you don’t like at this stage. Ask questions, challenge yourself and really dive into making sure this is exactly what your customer will want. Once the factory starts cutting, or you are selling your sewing pattern there is no going back. Use this time wisely.