Quality Control That Starts Before the First Cut

Fabric Inspection: The 4-Point System

Most garment defects are really fabric defects that nobody caught in time. Before bulk fabric is released for cutting, it is inspected using the industry-standard 4-point system, in which holes, slubs, stains, shade bars and other flaws are scored by size and severity per hundred square metres.

Rolls that exceed the agreed point threshold are rejected and replaced by the mill before cutting begins. We also check shade continuity between rolls and against the approved lab dip, and verify shrinkage test results on styles that will be washed, so measurement problems are prevented rather than discovered.

Inline QC During Production

Waiting until the end of production to check quality means finding problems when they are most expensive to fix. Our team runs inline checks at the stages where defects are born: cut panel accuracy at the cutting table, seam construction and stitch density during sewing, and print or embroidery quality after decoration.

Inline QC has a second benefit that final inspection cannot deliver: correction. When an operator or a machine setting is producing a recurring fault, it is caught within the first pieces and corrected on the line, protecting the rest of the order rather than sorting it afterwards.

Measurement Verification

Garments are measured against the graded specification at defined points of measure, from chest width and body length to sleeve length and hem openings, using the tolerances agreed in your tech pack. Measurement checks happen at pre-production sampling, during production and again at final inspection.

On washed styles, measurements are verified after washing, since that is where dimensions actually settle. Persistent measurement drift triggers a pattern or process correction, not just a sorted shipment.

Final Inspection to AQL 2.5

Before cartons are sealed, every order passes a final random inspection based on AQL 2.5, the general apparel industry standard for this type of inspection. A statistically valid sample is drawn across sizes, colours and cartons and inspected for workmanship, measurements, labelling, packing and appearance.

The order passes only if defects stay within the AQL 2.5 acceptance limits for critical, major and minor classifications. If it fails, the goods are reworked or re-sorted and re-inspected at the factory's cost, and nothing ships until it passes. You receive the inspection outcome, with photos, before shipment.

How We Classify Defects

Clear classification keeps inspection objective. Critical defects are those that make a garment unsafe or unsellable, such as broken needle fragments or a missing care label required by law. Major defects would cause a customer to return the garment, such as broken seams, visible stains or measurements outside tolerance. Minor defects are small imperfections a customer would likely not notice or reject, such as a slightly uneven stitch in a hidden area.

Zero critical defects are accepted on any order. Major and minor defects are held within the AQL 2.5 sampling limits, and the classification standard is agreed with you up front so there is never a debate about what counts after the fact.

• Critical: safety or legal issues, never accepted
• Major: defects a customer would return, tightly limited
• Minor: small imperfections, limited under AQL 2.5
• All results documented and shared before goods ship