What is Garment Sample?
A garment sample is a physical garment sewn before bulk production so that the buyer can approve its size, pattern, color or workmanship. Turkish suppliers call it numune, a word that also covers a fabric swatch, a lab dip or strike-off for color and print approval, and a laboratory test specimen.
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Key facts
- A garment sample is a physical garment sewn before bulk production so that the buyer can approve its size, pattern, color or workmanship.
- Numune, the Turkish word for sample, covers four things: a sample garment, a fabric swatch, a dye or print approval piece (lab dip, strike-off) and a lab test specimen.
- Sources share a common line of proto, fit, size set and pre-production (PP) samples; names, order and the number of pieces vary by source and buyer.
- The approved sample is the production reference: Sarkar (2011) makes bulk production wait for the buyer’s or buying office’s approval of the PP sample.
- A tech pack is the written recipe; a garment sample is the physical product made from it.
- A swatch card (kartela) shows the varieties of a product as small pieces for selection; a sample is made for the one product, fabric or color to be approved.
A garment sample is a physical garment sewn before bulk production so that the buyer can approve its size, pattern, color or workmanship. Turkish suppliers call it numune, and the word is wider than “garment sample”: it also names a fabric swatch, a lab dip or strike-off for color and print approval, and a laboratory test specimen. When a Turkish quote or email says numune, check which of the four is meant; in garment manufacturing it most often means the sample garment.
What does numune mean? The Turkish word and its English equivalents
Numune is a Turkish word of Persian origin; the Turkish Language Association (TDK) dictionary gives “örnek” (sample) as its first meaning. In textiles it carries an approval step: a numune shows what is expected in bulk production and is the piece the parties agree on. In English the word is sample; sources call a sample garment a “garment sample” (Uphance, 2024) and a fabric or color piece a “swatch” (Sarkar, 2016).
The four meanings of numune in a Turkish quote
| Use | What it is for | Who requests and approves | Example phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garment sample | Sewn from the tech pack and pattern; measurements, fit and workmanship are approved on it | The buyer or brand | PP numune onaylandı (“PP sample approved”) |
| Fabric sample | A piece of one fabric, to see texture, handle, color and weight | Whoever chooses the fabric | Numune kumaş gönderin (“send a fabric sample”) |
| Dye and print sample | Lab dip: a piece of dyed fabric or yarn prepared for color approval. Strike-off: a piece printed on production fabric and the real base color for print color approval (Sarkar, 2016) | The buyer | Lab dip onayı (“lab dip approval”) |
| Test specimen | A piece of fabric, yarn or fiber for laboratory measurement; EN 12751 sets out methods for preparing laboratory samples | Whoever requests the test; the laboratory reports the result | Gramaj için numune kesin (“cut a sample for GSM”) |
Weigh a swatch with the fabric GSM calculator. For dyed and printed samples, see dye houses and finishing mills and textile printing services; for test specimens, textile testing laboratories.
Sample stages at a glance
Each approval moves the model to the next stage. The line below is common to Sarkar (2011), Uphance (2024) and the INFLIBNET course content; names, order and piece counts vary by source and buyer.
| Stage | What it is sewn for |
|---|---|
| Proto | First presentation of the design or structure; fit and fabric detail are not looked for (Sarkar, 2011) |
| Fit | Fit is tried on actual measurements, on a live model or dress form, and the pattern is corrected |
| Size set | Consistency across sizes; which and how many sizes varies by buyer |
| Pre-production (PP) | Last approval before bulk; sewn on the production line by line operators with real fabric and trims |
For where these stages sit in the flow, see the garment manufacturing process.
Why the approved sample matters
Once approved, the sample becomes the yardstick that bulk production is measured against. In the INFLIBNET course content, identical samples are prepared, one stays with the supplier as the reference, and work follows it once the buyer accepts. Sarkar (2011) puts the PP sample at the gate: bulk production waits for the buyer’s or buying office’s approval. Before cutting, the fabric lot is compared with the fabric of the approved sample (checklist item 3 in the process guide).
Contracts work the same way: Tekstil Rehberi’s Turkish template agreement for contract manufacturing measures the goods against the approved sample as well as the tech pack and its measurement tolerances, and advises writing down who signs off the sample. The contract garment manufacturing guide treats the approved sample as the output of its fifth step.
Garment sample vs swatch card, AQL sample and sales sample
| Term | What it is | How it differs from a garment sample |
|---|---|---|
| Swatch card (kartela) | According to TDK, a list showing varieties of products such as dyes, fabrics and carpets as small pieces | It shows varieties for selection; a sample is made for the one product, fabric or color to be approved |
| AQL sample | Pieces drawn at random from a lot and inspected (AQL inspection for garments) | It represents the finished lot; it is not a piece prepared for approval |
| Sales sample | Made with real fabric and trims to gauge customer reaction in a showroom; the buyer pays the developer (Sarkar, 2011) | It is for selling, not for production approval |
Who sews a garment sample, and who pays for it?
The sample department (a pattern room, modelhane, or a sample workshop) prepares the first garment of a new model for approval; a sample sewer (model makinacı or numuneci) sews it, while the PP sample is sewn on the real production line. A merchandiser mostly handles sample correspondence and approval follow-up.
Sample fees, lead times and revision rounds are written in the quote and the contract. Sarkar (2011) mentions a fee only for the sales sample, which the buyer pays; the sources of this entry give no common rule for the other types. To find providers, see garment sampling services and pattern making and grading services.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sample in the garment industry?
It is a piece made for approval before bulk production. Most often that is a sample garment, but a fabric swatch, a lab dip or strike-off and a laboratory test specimen are samples too; on a Turkish quote all four are called numune.
What is the difference between a garment sample and a tech pack?
A tech pack (teknik föy) is the written product definition: drawing, measurements, materials and sewing information. The garment sample is the physical garment made from it, and it is what the buyer approves before bulk production.
What is the difference between a fabric sample and a swatch card?
A fabric sample is a piece of one fabric; a swatch card (kartela) shows varieties as small pieces (TDK). Use the card to choose a look and hand; test results such as shrinkage and colorfastness come from a washed sample of the chosen fabric (see the fabric manufacturers and suppliers guide).
Sources (9)
- TDK Güncel Türkçe Sözlük (Turkish Language Association dictionary), entry “numune” (accessed October 16, 2026)
- TDK Güncel Türkçe Sözlük (Turkish Language Association dictionary), entry “kartela” (accessed October 16, 2026)
- Sarkar, P. (March 4, 2011). Sampling Stages in Apparel Manufacturing, Online Clothing Study (industry education site; accessed October 16, 2026)
- Sarkar, P. (July 24, 2016). What is Lab Dip?, Online Clothing Study (accessed October 16, 2026)
- Sarkar, P. (July 24, 2016). What is Strike-off?, Online Clothing Study (accessed October 16, 2026)
- Uphance (July 31, 2024). The Types of Garment Samples in Apparel Production (software vendor blog; accessed October 16, 2026)
- Krishnaveni, V. Apparel industry – Importance, status, various departments – sampling, cutting, sewing and finishing, Fashion Designing and Apparel Industry, INFLIBNET e-PG Pathshala (publication date not stated; accessed October 16, 2026)
- EN 12751:1999 Textiles – Sampling of fibres, yarns and fabrics for testing (CEN; Genorma standard record, scope summary; accessed October 16, 2026)
- BSI Knowledge, BS EN 12751:1999 Textiles. Sampling of fibres, yarns and fabrics for testing (status: Current; identical to EN 12751:1999; accessed October 16, 2026)
Author and fact-checking
Written by
Garment Production Editor
Hakan Şahin is Tekstil Rehberi's garment production editor. He writes guides on production from the pattern room to shipment, patterns and marker making, quality control (AQL), sampling and costing, and compares process steps and quality criteria with the relevant standards and industry sources.
Content by Hakan ŞahinFact-checked by: Gizem Polat
This content was prepared by the Tekstil Rehberi editorial team. Before publication, our verification editor checked its figures, dates and sources against primary sources.
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