Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
Bulk samples are also referenced as production samples or final production samples. They are samples taken from the actual bulk production run — not prototypes made before it — so that the buyer can verify that what was manufactured matches what was approved. This page defines bulk samples and their place in the sampling sequence, alongside sealed samples and pre-production submissions.
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Bulk Samples by Apparel Search - Terms of Interest to the Fashion Industry |
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Bulk samples are
also referenced as production
samples or final production
samples. Some companies refer to
these as T.O.P Samples (Top Of
Production) . In summary, a
bulk reference sample is a sample
that is used as an example of the
actual production. In other words,
a true unit of the orders final
production.
Items are pulled
directly after they have completed
the manufacturing process as a way
to illustrate exactly what is
planned to be shipped for a
particular order. A factory would
maintain a bulk sample for their
internal records, and they are also
often required to provide bulk
samples to the company that is
purchasing the product. If the
factory is required to do testing,
they would also need to provide bulk
samples to the
testing laboratories.
If you work for a
clothing
factory and a buyer has asked
you to provide "bulk samples", the
buyer is asking for you to show them
a sample of one of the items you
produced for their order. They want
to see the garment that you have
produced and are preparing to ship.
They do NOT want to see a sample
made in your sample room. They are
asking to view an exact
representation of what you produced
for them and plan to deliver.
When production
begins, many buyer require the
factory to present to them bulk
samples / TOP Samples so that the
buyers can review them to make
certain that the factory is
following exact specifications.
Although they most likely went thru
a
pre-production process, they
still must evaluate the final
production samples (bulk samples).
The buyer will typically review all
aspects of the items. If the bulk
sample is of garments, the buyer
will inspect color, fabric
construction, fit, packaging
details, ticketing, labels, etc.
When referencing
bulk samples of clothing, the
factory would be using
bulk fabric
as well as bulk
trimming.
All details will be from the
final
production run.
ML32309 You may also want to read about In-Process Quality Control You may also have interest in reading about Piece Goods Inspection, Fabric Defects and Pre-Production Submissions. Fashion Terms: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Why the Sample Must Come From the RunEvery earlier sample in an order's life is, in a sense, a promise: the prototype promises the design, the pre-production sample promises the factory understood it. The bulk sample is the first sample that is evidence instead. Pulled at random from finished production, it can be measured against the specification, washed, worn and compared with the sealed approval sample, and any drift — shade, shrinkage, stitch quality, trim — shows up in a unit the factory cannot have prepared specially. That is why buyers insist on receiving bulk samples before authorizing shipment rather than after the goods are already on the water. The sample also protects the factory. A bulk sample approved by the buyer before shipment records agreement that production met the standard, which narrows later disputes about chargebacks and rejections. Keeping the paperwork straight matters: which sample was sealed, which was the PP sample, and which units were pulled as bulk samples should be identifiable long after the order closes, because claims, reorders and quality reviews all reach back to them. The neighboring entries in this section — bulk production, bulk yardage and in-process quality control — describe the rest of that system. Common QuestionsWhat is a bulk sample?A sample pulled from the actual bulk production run, also referenced as a production sample or final production sample. Because it comes from the run itself, it shows what is really being delivered, not what was promised at the sample stage. How does a bulk sample differ from a pre-production sample?A pre-production (PP) sample is made before the run to win approval. A bulk sample is taken during or after the run to verify production held to that approval. The related reading linked from this page covers PP submissions, piece goods inspection and fabric defects. What is a sealed sample?A sample formally approved and sealed — kept as the reference standard against which bulk production is judged. The term appears alongside bulk samples in this page's list of production-stage sample types. More to ExploreMore from Apparel Search: Fashion Terms | Fashion Terms Directory | Fashion Terms by Category | Fashion Terms B | Apparel Search Home
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