Quality

Quality Control & Inspection

Inconsistent goods are almost never bad luck. They are a spec gap, a measurement gap or an inspection gap — and all three are fixable before the shipment leaves the factory.

Quality is defined before it is inspected

You cannot inspect quality into a garment that was never specified. The PP sample, the graded spec sheet and the agreed tolerances are the standard — inspection simply checks the bulk against them.

Where quality is won and lost

Fabric approval: the bulk roll is not always the swatch you approved
Cutting: shading, grain and marker accuracy
Sewing: seam type, SPI, allowance, and where operators substitute
Measurement: points of measure against spec, within tolerance
Finishing: pressing, thread trimming, wash consistency
Labeling and packing: care content, barcodes, polybag and carton specs

Inspection stages

Inline (during production)

Catches a systematic defect at 20% of the run instead of 100%. By far the cheapest moment to find a problem.

Final random (AQL)

A statistical sample of the finished, packed goods against an agreed acceptance level — typically expressed as major and minor defect limits. Pass, fail, or re-inspect after rework.

Pre-shipment measurement audit

Measured garments across the size curve, against spec, with a written report and photos. This is what you want in hand before you release the balance payment.

Defects

What We Look For

Classified so you and the factory argue about facts, not opinions.

Critical

Reject on Sight

Wrong fabric or color
Wrong size in the wrong bag
Open seams or holes
Missing care/content labeling
Safety or compliance failures

Major

Affects Sale or Use

Out-of-tolerance measurements
Visible shading between panels
Broken or skipped stitching
Misplaced print or embroidery
Damaged or non-functional trims

Minor

Cosmetic

Loose thread ends
Slight puckering within tolerance
Minor pressing marks
Small label placement variance
Packing untidiness

Fit

Fit, Grading and the Size Curve

Most “quality complaints” from customers are fit problems, not construction problems. If returns cluster at one size or one measurement, the grade rule is usually the culprit rather than the factory.

Fit sessions against a live fit model or a graded form
Point-of-measure corrections carried through the whole range
Grade rules reviewed, not just the sample size
Tolerances set tighter where customers actually notice
Block retained so future styles start from a known fit

Questions

Quality Control FAQ

What is AQL and what level should I use?

AQL is a statistical sampling standard — an inspector checks a defined random sample rather than every unit. In apparel, AQL 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor is the common setting, with critical defects at zero tolerance. It does not mean 2.5% of your order may be faulty; it calibrates how likely a batch above that true defect rate is to be rejected.

When should inspection happen?

Inline, at roughly 20% of the run, and again before shipment. Inline is by far the cheaper of the two — a systematic error found there is a correction, while the same error found at final is a rework of the whole order.

My samples were perfect but the bulk is not. What happened?

Usually one of three things: the bulk fabric differs from the sample fabric, the PP sample was never sealed and agreed as the standard, or nobody measured the bulk against a graded spec. All three are process gaps rather than bad luck.

Can I reject a shipment?

Only meaningfully if the standard was agreed in writing first — a sealed PP sample, a graded spec with tolerances and an agreed AQL. Without those, “it is not right” is an opinion and the argument is unwinnable.

Should the balance payment depend on inspection?

Yes. Tying the final payment to a passed inspection is the only leverage that reliably works, and it belongs in the production agreement from the start rather than being raised when something has already gone wrong.

Guide