How Do You Sample Custom Uniforms Without Committing to a Huge Order?

Start with whatever you have

Sampling does not require a finished design. Three starting points all work, and the difference is only how much we fill in for you:

You send	We return
A tech pack (sketches, measurements, fabric spec, logo artwork)	A pre-production sample made to the spec, with a measurement report
A reference garment — an existing uniform to copy	A counter sample, pattern and measurements taken from the garment, nearest fabric swatches where the original is unavailable
A written brief (garment type, fabric direction, colours, logo placement)	A proposed style and fabric options, then a first sample once the spec is agreed in writing

Every route ends at the same place: a physical sample in the agreed fabric and colour, with your logo applied, for you to review before any bulk cutting. Where a fabric or finish is new to your project, we wash-test the sample before it ships so you see how it behaves after laundering.

Timing and cost, stated plainly

Sampling typically takes 7–15 days once the fabric, logo and fit details are agreed. What moves the number inside that range is mostly fabric: stock fabric goes straight to cutting, while a sourced or custom-dyed fabric adds its own lead time before the sample exists.

Sample cost is quoted per project — it depends on whether the fabric is in stock, how many logo positions are involved and how many styles you are sampling. Sample charges are commonly offset against the bulk order once it is confirmed, and the quotation states this in writing. The full sampling sequence is described under sample development.

Keeping the first order small

The bulk MOQ starts at 100 pcs per style, and sizes mix freely inside that number — one hundred polos across twelve sizes is still one style. The practical ways to keep a first order small:

• Fewer styles and colourways. Each colour runs from its own fabric lot and may carry a per-colour minimum, so one style in one colourway is the smallest honest starting point.
• Stock fabrics instead of custom dye lots. A custom colour commits to a dye-lot quantity before a single garment is cut; stock fabric does not.
• Branding kept simple at the start. One embroidered logo position keeps both sampling and bulk faster.

This is the standard structure for an OEM/ODM first order: prove the style on a small run, then widen the programme once it is on staff and washed.

Fit samples and size sets before bulk

A fit sample in the base size confirms the pattern is right; it does not confirm the grading is right. Once the base size is approved, we can make a graded size set across your range so staff of different builds try the garments on before you finalise the size breakdown. The set is laundered and measured before approval, so shrinkage is on the record rather than discovered after delivery. Any measurement adjustments go back into the pattern before bulk cutting.

The sealed sample protects the small order

The final pre-production sample — bulk fabric, real labels, thread, buttons and branding — is measured, photographed and sealed. One copy stays on the sewing line as the bulk reference; one is retained for re-orders. Bulk is inspected against it, not against a description, which is what makes a small first order safe: a top-up for new staff next year is measured against the same sealed garment, so it matches the run already on the floor.

To start, send your tech pack, garment or brief through get a quote and the reply comes back with price, confirmed MOQ, sample terms and the production schedule.