Quality checkpoints, testing and compliance

Who owns quality

Quality is not one department’s slogan. The order plan should name who washes the garment, who measures after wash, who performs final inspection, and which laboratory — if any — issues tests for this order.

The wash responsibility — in-house or a managed partner — will be stated on the About page once confirmed, and each order plan names the wash workshop.

End-to-end map

Select a step to jump to its checkpoint in the table below.

1. 1Incoming materials. Fabric, trims and hardware are checked before they reach the cutting table.
2. 2Cutting. Relax, marker, grainline, left/right panels and shade lots.
3. 3Sewing. Construction, symmetry, stitch, stress points and hardware.
4. 4After wash. Shade, hand, after-wash measurements, damage and residue.
5. 5Final inspection. Appearance, measurements and function against the approved sample.
6. 6Packing. Trim threads, press, size ratio, polybag, carton marks and needle detection when specified.

Incoming checkpoint

Incoming is upstream of every later defect. Wrong or unstable fabric cannot be rescued by tidy sewing.

Illustrative placeholder, not a verified stock photograph.

Cutting checkpoint

Cutting checkpoint

Check	What we look at	Plain language	Plain English
Pattern version	Latest approved file; oral size changes written into the document	The cutting table follows written specs, not a chat message saying “one centimetre shorter”	Unwritten changes are not cut.
Marker & grain	Warp/weft, left/right panels, pocketing and waistband on grain	Reversed twill looks wrong after wash	Markers follow the agreed grainline and pair left and right panels.
Shrinkage allowance	Pattern already graded for the expected wash	Jeans are accepted on after-wash measurements, not unwashed size	Shrinkage allowance is built in before cutting, then verified after wash.
Panel accuracy	Knife drift; mixed sizes in one bundle	Mismatched legs often start at cutting	Panels are checked for symmetry and size identity before sewing.
Shade control	Panels for one garment from matched shade lots	Front one colour, back another is a cutting failure	A garment is cut from matched shade lots.

Illustrative placeholder, not a verified facility photograph. Factory photograph forthcoming.

Sewing / inline checkpoint

Inline checks are performed during sewing against the approved sample; the inspection plan for bulk is written into the order. We do not invent an unexecuted “every 30 minutes” cadence on the website.

After-wash checkpoint

Wash is where “looks right / measures wrong” most often appears. Wash Studio explains how the look is agreed; this table covers inspection actions.

After-wash checkpoint

Check	What we look at	Plain language	Plain English
Shade	Compare with the approved reference under agreed light	Window light and warm bulbs make the same black look different	Shade is compared with the approved reference under agreed light, not from memory.
Effect placement	Whiskers, thigh fading, seam contrast vs approved pair	A photo sets direction; it does not fix left/right whisker imbalance	Whiskers and fades are judged against the approved pair, including left-right balance.
Damage	Holes beyond design; over-abrasion; waistband or pocket wear-through	Distressing and damage are one thin line apart	Unplanned holes, broken yarns or over-abrasion are rejected.
Hand feel	Softness, dryness, leftover chemical handle	Hand must be approved on a physical sample	Hand feel is approved on the physical sample.
After-wash measurements	Key points with the agreed method	Export inspections often sample waist, inseam and leg opening here	After-wash measurements are taken with the agreed method and tolerance.
Appearance defects	Water marks, yellowing, mould, stone grit, over-press shine	Packing wet garments creates smell and stains	Stains, residue and shine from over-pressing are checked before garments move to final inspection.
Batch range	Different wash loads within the agreed shade band	Washed black often drifts from ink black to grey	Batch range is compared with the approved shade band.

Illustrative placeholder, not a verified stock photograph.

A photograph sets the direction. An approved physical sample sets the standard. After-wash inspection exists to protect that sentence.

Final inspection checkpoint

Final inspection checkpoint

Check	What we look at	Note
Against approved sample	Style, wash, thread colour, trim positions still match the approved pair	Final inspection is not a redesign
Critical appearance defects	Holes, severe shade fail, heavy oil, missing or broken hardware	Usually unacceptable unless designed and written into the order
Minor appearance defects	Threads, slight asymmetry, local stitch instability	Handled under the inspection plan agreed for the order — we do not invent an AQL number we do not use
Measurements	Sample by size or key points as agreed	Cover small, medium and large — not only the base size
Function	Zipper, button, rivet security, pocket-bag integrity	Children’s small-parts rules are stricter; we do not advertise kids’ distressed programmes we are not ready for
Labelling	Main label, care label and hangtag size agree	Three different sizes on one garment is a classic full-lot return

Illustrative placeholder, not a verified stock photograph.

Final inspection follows the inspection plan agreed for the order. If you require a named sampling standard or a third-party inspector, write that in the enquiry. We do not publish an inspection code we do not use.

Packing checkpoint

Detail on fold method and carton specs lives on Packing & shipping.

Packing checkpoint

Check	What we look at	Plain English
Clean & trim	Threads trimmed; pocket bags clean	Thread trimming and cleaning are completed before packing.
Press & dry	Fully dry; no hard crease or over-press shine	Garments are packed only when dry.
Fold method	Fold and protection as approved (button protectors, zipper closed)	Folding follows the approved packing method.
Polybag & stickers	Size sticker, style and colour match the pair inside	The pair in the bag matches the size sticker and style code.
Size ratio	Units and sizes per carton match the order	Size ratios follow the order, not a domestic default assortment.
Carton marks	Buyer name, style, colour, ratio, carton number, destination, origin, order number	Carton marks follow the approved draft. A single wrong character can lose a carton in a warehouse.
Needle / metal detection	Broken needles or other metal when specified	Needle detection can be included when specified for the order.

Illustrative placeholder, not a verified stock photograph.

Needle / metal detection: available when specified and arranged for the order. We do not illustrate a needle detector we do not operate.

Open packing & shipping

Testing dictionary

This section answers “do you test colourfastness / shrinkage / tear / metal detection?” We explain what each test looks at, name normal dark-denim behaviour, and state that tests can be arranged to your method — we do not claim tests we have not run.

We can arrange third-party testing against the method you name after a style is confirmed. Name the test, the method or retailer standard if you have one, and whether you will appoint the laboratory. We will not reprint another order’s report as if it belonged to yours.

Care labels, composition and market

Care labels must match the real fibre content and a care method the garment can survive. A stretch jean must not be labelled 100% cotton. Origin must be stated truthfully. Hangtags follow your artwork and should not carry our marketing slogans.

Labelling rules differ by market. That is why the enquiry form asks for the target sales market. Send the artwork you need, or ask us to follow the rules you specify. This page does not give advice on avoiding any country’s labelling law.

The enquiry form asks for your Target sales market as a required field.

Audit & compliance status

Statuses are only: Held / Under review / Not yet audited (or arrangeable per order). We do not invent certificate numbers. Names such as BSCI, WRAP, OEKO-TEX or ISO appear in the Held column only when the factory truly holds matching documents.

We do not display a certificate badge wall. A row changes to Held only when the factory holds the matching document.

What to write in the enquiry about testing

Please put the following in the notes field of the enquiry form, rather than adding it later in a chat:

1. Target sales market;
2. Test names and methods (or retailer standard names);
3. Who appoints the laboratory;
4. Whether a third-party inspection is required, and at which stage;
5. Who supplies care-label and packing regulatory artwork;
6. Whether needle / metal detection is required.

Enquiry product-notes prompt: Composition and weight, fit and size breakdown, wash, labels, testing and packing requirements.