Clothing Sample Cost in Turkey

The four sample types and what each one proves

A proto sample is the first physical version of your design, made to test the concept and construction, often in a substitute fabric or available colour. A fit sample follows in the correct fabric and grading base size, worn on a body or fit form to lock measurements. A pre-production sample, the PP sample, is the contract: correct fabric, colour, trims, labels and packaging, and the reference every bulk garment is inspected against. Salesman samples, SMS, are duplicates of an approved design produced in small multiples for showrooms, photoshoots and wholesale meetings.

Not every project needs all four. A simple tee with a proven fit might go straight from proto to PP, while a tailored jacket might need two fit rounds. We define the sampling plan at quotation so you know exactly how many rounds you are paying for and what each one has to prove before money moves to bulk.

What samples cost and why

Across our network, a sample typically costs 2-4x the target bulk unit price per piece. A tee targeted at 4-6 USD in bulk therefore samples at roughly 15-25 USD; a hoodie targeted at 12-22 USD samples at roughly 30-70 USD; complex outerwear runs higher still. These are indicative ranges, and the exact figure depends on your fabric, trims and decoration, confirmed before we start.

The multiple exists because a sample concentrates fixed work into one garment: pattern making, fabric sourcing in sample yardage, a dedicated machinist rather than a balanced line, and one-off print or embroidery setups. Sample fabric alone often costs several times bulk fabric per metre, because mills charge a premium for cut lengths.

The credit-back practice

It is common industry practice in Turkey for sampling charges to be credited against the bulk order that follows, and our partner factories often apply it. The logic is fair on both sides: the factory carries sampling cost as a sales investment when the order lands, and the buyer only truly pays for sampling if they walk away. Treat the credit as a common practice to confirm on your quotation rather than an automatic guarantee, and we put it in writing when it applies.

Two things typically fall outside the credit: courier shipping of samples, which runs on your account or is invoiced at cost, and extensive redesign rounds where the product changes fundamentally between samples. Neither is large relative to bulk value, but both belong in your budget.

How to keep sampling cheap and fast

The single biggest lever is the quality of your input. A clear tech pack with measurements, fabric specification and construction notes routinely gets a right-first-time proto; a mood-board screenshot gets three rounds of guesswork at sample pricing each. If you do not have a tech pack, a reference garment with precise notes on what to change is the next best input, and we can build the tech pack from it during sampling.

Batch your decisions. Approving fabric, fit and print in one coordinated round beats trickling changes across weeks, because each revision restarts a 1-2 week cycle plus courier time. And sample in the size you know best, usually your base size M, so your fit feedback is grounded in a body you can actually assess.

• Send a tech pack or a reference garment with precise change notes
• Consolidate feedback into one revision round wherever possible
• Sample in your base size for meaningful fit assessment
• Approve labels and packaging at PP stage, not after bulk starts

Sampling timeline within the bigger schedule

A first sample typically ships in 1-2 weeks from confirmed inputs, plus 2-4 days of courier time to Europe or the US. Each revision round adds a similar cycle. From PP approval, bulk production runs 4-6 weeks, and road freight reaches the EU in 3-7 days, so a one-revision project realistically spans 8-11 weeks door to door.

Plan sampling backwards from your launch date and hold a buffer for one revision even if you expect none. The costliest sample is the one skipped under deadline pressure: bulk faults that a PP sample would have caught cannot be fixed after a thousand garments are sewn.