Your first order
shouldn’t be your first fit check.
Every garment earns its way to production through proto, fit, PP, and TOP samples, with lab dips and trim cards in between. StitchGrid runs that loop for you, round by round.
The four stages
Four samples, each with a job.
Skip one and the cost shows up later on the production floor, usually as units you can’t ship.
Proto sample
The first physical interpretation of your tech pack. The pattern, seams, and construction are real, while the fabric and trims are stand-ins. Its purpose is to confirm that the factory understands the build before anyone judges how it looks.
- Pattern matches the tech pack measurements
- Construction matches the spec, including seam types, stitch counts, and finishes
- Base size only, ungraded
Fit sample
The same factory, now working in your actual fabric and base size. You comment on the fit and the factory revises, usually over two or three rounds. The approved fit sample becomes the reference for grading the full size run. Headwear and accessories skip this stage because there is nothing to grade.
- Fit comments captured with photos
- Pattern revisions tracked across rounds
- Approved fit sample stored as the reference
PP sample
The pre-production sample, made with final fabric, trims, construction, and packaging. This is the unit your order ships against, and approving it sets the cut date.
- All trims and labels confirmed
- Wash, finish, and packing method confirmed
- Signed PP sample kept at the factory as the reference
TOP sample
The top-of-production sample, pulled straight off the line during the bulk run. It confirms that what is shipping matches what you approved at PP, and goods leave the factory only with your sign-off.
- Pulled from live production, never remade
- Compared against the approved PP sample
- Required before the balance payment is released
Around the samples
The approvals that travel alongside.
Lab dips
Color matched to your reference, whether a Pantone code, a swatch, or a hex value, over as many rounds as it takes to hit your shade in your fabric.
Trim cards
Buttons, zippers, labels, hangtags, and drawcords are sourced, photographed, and approved, and the sealed card stays at the factory.
Handlooms and strike-offs
For prints, weaves, and knits in a new yarn, a small swatch is approved before any bulk fabric is committed.
Fit sessions
Optional fittings on real bodies, live or recorded, before you sign off the fit sample.
Revisions
Every comment lives in one thread.
Fit comments, lab dip results, and trim choices are marked up on the photo or sample they refer to, so the factory sees exactly what to change and you see exactly what changed.
- Photo and video notes stay with each round
- Approved samples are versioned and locked
- StitchGrid is copied on every escalation
Sleeve runs 1.5cm short at the cuff. Drop the hem 0.75cm on the back panel.
Confirmed. Adjusting the pattern and recutting, with photos by Thursday.
Lab dip approved separately. Trim card still pending, following up Monday.
A realistic timeline
Not every product needs every stage.
We size the loop to what you are making, so an embroidered cap moves quickly while a tailored jacket gets every fit round it needs.
Headwear and accessories
Caps, beanies, and bags
Proto → PP → TOP
There is no fit grading, so approving the decoration, whether embroidery, print, or hardware, takes the place of fit rounds.
Cut-and-sew apparel
Tees, hoodies, knitwear, woven tops, outerwear
Proto → Fit (2 to 3 rounds) → PP → TOP
The full loop, where fit rounds and lab dips account for most of the variation.
The full loop
Cut-and-sew apparel, phase by phase.
Headwear and accessories skip the fit rounds and usually finish in four to six weeks. Either way, you will have a realistic schedule before kickoff.
Who pays for samples?+
The brand does. The factory quotes sample costs up front and invoices you directly, and StitchGrid takes no margin on samples.
How many fit rounds is normal?+
Two or three for a standard garment. Tailoring and technical outerwear can take four or five, and we will tell you early if the count starts to drift.
What if the factory keeps missing the fit?+
After two failed rounds on the same comment, we escalate. If the factory still cannot meet the spec, we move the program to another factory on your shortlist, and your tech pack and everything learned so far go with it.
Do I need a tech pack to start sampling?+
It helps a great deal. If you do not have one, StitchGrid can draft it from a photo, a product link, or a written description.
Can I skip proto and go straight to fit?+
Sometimes, if you have worked with the factory before or already have a graded pattern. With a new factory on a first order, we would advise against it.
What about wear and field testing?+
Available on request. We can coordinate wash, abrasion, and field testing between the fit and PP stages, with your own testers or ones we find for you.
Start sampling
Your first order should ship against an approved sample.
Tell us what you are making. Once the product qualifies for sourcing, we will introduce factories ready to begin sampling within the week.