Your First Clothing Sample: What to Expect, What It Costs & Timeline

The sample is the contract between you and your factory. It is the physical agreement of what the production run will look like — the fabric, the fit, the construction, the colour, the stitching, the labels. Every detail.

And yet, sampling is the stage where we see the most frustration from new brands. Not because the process is broken, but because expectations are misaligned. First-time founders often expect the first sample to arrive perfect. It almost never does.

Understanding what the sampling process actually involves — how many rounds it takes, what it costs, what to send your factory, and what to check when the sample arrives — saves time, money, and stress. This guide covers all of it.

The quality of your sample depends directly on the quality of the information you provide. The more specific you are, the fewer sample rounds you need.

The Gold Standard: A Tech Pack

A tech pack is a detailed specification document that tells the factory exactly what to produce. A good tech pack includes:

For a complete guide to creating one, read how to create a tech pack.

The Realistic Alternative: Reference Garments and Sketches

Many brands — especially first-time founders — do not have a tech pack. That is fine. We work with brands at every level of preparation. Here is what you can send instead:

The more information you provide, the closer the first sample will be to your vision. But even with a perfect tech pack, expect adjustments.

Not all samples are the same. The sampling process typically moves through these stages:

Proto Sample (Prototype)

The first physical interpretation of your design. Often made in a substitute fabric (whatever is available in the factory that is close to your specification) to test the pattern, proportions, and construction.

Fit Sample

A refined sample incorporating feedback from the proto. Made in a fabric closer to (or identical to) the production fabric.

Pre-Production Sample (PP Sample)

The final approval sample. This is what the production run will replicate. Made in the exact production fabric, with all labels, trims, prints, and embroidery in place.

Sales Sample (Optional)

Some brands request additional samples for photography, trade shows, or sales meetings. These are produced to production standard and are essentially finished garments.

Budget for 2–3 sample rounds per style. This is the industry standard, not a sign that something is wrong.

Some styles nail it in two rounds. Complex designs (cargo joggers, lined jackets, multi-panel hoodies) may need three or four. Simple designs (basic crew neck tees) sometimes get approved after a single round.

The key: Provide clear, specific feedback after each round. "The sleeves feel too long" is useful. "It does not look right" is not.

Sampling is not free. The factory invests time, materials, and labour into producing a single garment — which is actually more expensive per unit than producing in bulk because there are no economies of scale.

Typical Sample Costs

These costs cover:

Are Sample Costs Refundable?

Some factories refund sample costs when you proceed to production. Others do not. At White Cotton, we are transparent about sample costs upfront and discuss refund policies before beginning work.

How to Manage Sample Budgets

For a first collection of 4–5 styles, budget €1,000–€2,000 for the sampling process, accounting for 2–3 rounds per style. This is a real cost that many new brands underestimate.

At White Cotton, sample turnaround is 7–10 working days from the point we have all necessary information (tech pack or reference, fabric selection, measurements).

Here is a realistic timeline for a new style:

Total time from initial brief to production approval: 6–10 weeks. This is normal. Plan your launch timeline accordingly.

When your sample arrives, resist the temptation to just try it on and declare it good or bad. Evaluate it systematically.

Measurements

Take every measurement and compare to your spec sheet:

Acceptable tolerance: ±1cm on body measurements, ±0.5cm on smaller details. If anything is more than 2cm off, flag it immediately.

Fabric

Construction

Wash Test

This is the step most brands skip and then regret.

Wash the sample. Wash it exactly how your customer will wash it — standard machine wash, tumble dry if that is common in your market. Then measure again.

A garment that looks perfect unwashed but shrinks 5% or twists after laundering is not ready for production.

1. Providing vague feedback — "Make it better" gives the factory nothing to work with. Be specific: "Reduce sleeve length by 2cm, increase body width by 1.5cm, ribbing tension is too tight"

2. Rushing to production — Brands excited to launch skip the PP sample and go straight from fit sample to production. This often results in a bulk order that does not match expectations

3. Not testing on multiple body types — Your sample is made in one size (usually M or L). If possible, get a second sample in a different size to check how the grading works

4. Changing too many things between rounds — Change 2–3 things per round, not 15. Otherwise you lose track of what changed and what improved

5. Ignoring the interior — Brands focus on how the garment looks from the outside and forget to check the interior finishing — seam quality, neck tape, label comfort, thread trimming

We have been through the sampling process thousands of times. We know that for most brands, especially first-time founders, this is uncharted territory. That is why we guide you through every step — from initial brief to final PP sample approval.

Our sampling turnaround is 7–10 working days. Our factory is in Barcelos, Portugal, and we ship samples worldwide. If you are ready to start developing your first garments, get in touch and we will walk you through the process.