5 Useful Tips to Consider When Ordering Clothing Samples
Welcome to another chapter of the Eurofitness Resources center, where we provide you with educational tips and guides to help you on your journey to starting up and running your sports brand.
‘Do you offer samples?’
Did you know that’s often the first question a manufacturer is asked by new clients?
As it turns out, it sure is the right question.
Ordering clothing samples is a serious bet where you’re not only realizing the nature of your design, but also the limitations of the manufacturing world.
Samples are super-important and whether they’re a custom design or just over-the-counter garments, it’s important to know what you should expect from them and what they indicate.
So next time you’re out hunting for samples, hopefully this article will come in handy and keep you alert to what you should be looking out for!
And in case you’re wondering who we are, Euroftiness Apparel is a manufacturer for all kinds of sports and fitness wear apparel. If you have a design you’d like to prototype or sample, then do get in touch with us.
You can also learn more about us in our brochure below:
Consider These 5 Tips
5. Boost Your Confidence in Your Product with Clothing Samples
Ultimately, your customer will be buying your product. But if your customer doesn’t know what they’re buying – then you don’t know what you’re selling!
Having a clothing sample in your hands is the surest, fastest and easiest way to gain confidence, insight and trust into your products – and the manufacturer who’ll be making them.
You’ll get a great feel to them, you’ll see what they look like, how well they’re made and best of all, whether they’re as good as you thought!
One of the best ways to further boost confidence in your clothing samples is to hire a model and go through some photoshoots.
See whether it matches with your vision and whether you can grab some nice photos for your promotions.
4. Get Your Clothing Sample as Close to ‘Right’ as Possible
Less stress, more success. That’s what clothing samples can achieve for you. There’s nothing more stressful than finding out your bulk purchase has low-quality garments because it comes from sub-par suppliers.
Or that your design had a mistake after you received 500 of them at your door.
Alternatively, don’t expect your sample to be 100% perfect. For example, if there are some features which require a custom mould for a zipper, then it’s best to use a different zipper for the sample until you start production.See your sample as a whole rather than the nitty-picky details.
When you get your sample to a reasonable level and once you’re happy with the materials and sizing – then you can produce as many as you want. Everything after the initial design is a breeze.
So avoid the hassle and get the right sample!
3. Don’t Just Stare At It. Put Your Clothing Sample to the Test!
Treat your sample like you would a test paper. Mark the answers and allocate a score. For example, how well is the construction? Was it above expectations or below?
Don’t just treat your sample as a visual representation of your product. Put your sample to the test. Use it in a workout, put it through gruel and grime, wash it and wear it.
See where it succeeds and where it falls short. Then you can really gauge where it will sit with your customers who will likely be putting it through all of that.
Be critical with your own design decisions and make a list on what you can improve. If there’s nothing major to improve, then you can consider production.
2. Ask Your Manufacturer About Your Samples
If you’ve never been involved in the manufacturing side of the clothing industry – then there’s a lot of processes and complexities that you may not have considered.
For example, making a sample can sometimes cost you 4 to 5 times more than the actual cost for your product in the production stage. This is because samples can sometimes behave much like ‘works of art’.
Getting them right is a process of trial and error and takes a craftsman’s approach.
Depending on how complex your sample is, your manufacturer will communicate alternative opinions, suggestions and changes that you may not initially agree with – but are given in good faith with respect to making your product more affordable and quicker in production.
1. A Few Too Many is Better than a Few Too Little
When ordering samples, especially if you’re looking to start a collection – it’s best to get as many samples for different designs and features as possible.
You will be able to test more of your ideas in a shorter time frame – and not have to worry about waiting longer if you want more samples.
You’ll not only save on your shipping costs, duties and taxes, but you’ll have more information at hand to improve your designs. On top of that, it’ll mitigate your risks when it comes to ordering in bulk as you’ll have quotes for each different design.
Some of your samples may have different buttons, laces, prints or seams. So it’s best to cast a wider net and order variations for a better final product.
Talk To Us For Consultations and…Samples!
On top of considering these tips for your clothing samples, it’s also wise to allocate a budget to your samples as well as sometimes you can burn more than you need on this.
Have a read of our article: The Real Costs of Starting Your Own Online Sportswear Brand to control your costs!
If you need help in realizing your product design, then also get in touch with us as we not only offer consultations on our clients designs, but we also provide thorough sample-making services.
