From Tech Pack To First Sample For A US Sportswear Label.
Most US founders who contact us do not yet have a finished tech pack. They have a sketch, a garment they like, a rough budget and a launch date. This page is about the path from that starting point to a labelled, approved sample: which documents you need, which decisions come first, and where beginners lose weeks. Samples have no minimum quantity, and bulk starts at 20 pieces per design, so you can prove the design before committing to volume.
Six Stages, In The Order That Saves Money.
Brief And Reference
Sketch, reference garment or photos, target fabric feel, size range and a rough price in mind. This is where we tell you what is realistic.
Pattern And Tech Pack
We draft the pattern and write down measurements, stitching, fabric, trims and artwork positions, so the garment can be repeated on every reorder.
First Sample
One piece, in your fabric and colour where possible. You fit it, wash it, photograph it and write your changes down. Sampling takes about 8–10 days.
Revisions And Approval
Fit comments go back into the pattern. Approve in writing what you want in bulk, including size run, colours and trims.
Labelled Bulk
Bulk is cut and stitched with your labels sewn in, then checked and packed per your instructions. Bulk takes about ~18 days after approval.
Reorder
With the tech pack and approved sample on file, a second order is faster to quote and easier to keep consistent.
What Goes On The Garment Itself.
A garment becomes your brand through a small set of details. Decide them while the pattern is being drafted, not after the first sample is finished, because label position can affect neckline finish and comfort.
Care and content labelling rules differ by country and product type. Confirm the wording for the US with the right authority or adviser, and send us the final text. We sew what you specify and cannot give legal labelling advice.
Hangtags, polybags and barcodes are a different layer, covered on our packaging-focused private label page. For the general programme, see private label.
Typical Decisions
- Main brand label: woven, printed or heat-transfer.
- Size label and care label: sewn in, or printed inside.
- Neck finish: label at the neck or a tagless print.
- Brand mark on the garment: embroidery, print or sublimation.
- Colourway names and codes for repeatable reorders.
Decoration options are compared in our decoration methods guide.
Four Mistakes We See Before Production Starts.
Approving A Sample In The Wrong Fabric
If the sample is made in a stand-in fabric, say so and plan a second sample in the real one. Fit changes with stretch.
Choosing Sizes Late
The pattern is graded across your whole size range. Adding sizes later means regrading and re-checking, so decide early. See the size guide.
Skipping A Wash Test
Wash and dry the sample the way your customer will, then check shrinkage, colour and handfeel before you approve anything.
Confusing Design Ownership
Agree in writing who owns the pattern and artwork, and keep your own files. Our OEM versus ODM guide explains the difference.
Start with a sample order, and see the manufacturing process for what happens at each stage. Your order has a private tracking page with photos throughout.
Common Questions.
We only have a sketch and a reference garment. Is that enough to start?
Yes. A sketch, a reference garment, photos and target measurements are enough for us to begin a pattern and a first sample. A formal tech pack comes out of that process and makes later reorders far easier. Our tech pack guide shows what to include.
Can you sew our own woven label and care label into the garment?
Yes. We sew the labels you supply or help you specify them. What the care label says, including fibre content and country of origin wording, is your responsibility to confirm for your market, because we cannot give legal labelling advice.
Is the pattern ours once we have paid for the sample?
Ask for the ownership terms in writing as part of the quotation. We work to your design and your brand. Keep your own copy of the tech pack and artwork files, and confirm the ownership terms with us before the first sample is cut.
What is the difference between private label and white label?
Private label means a garment made to your own design, fabric and specification with your branding. White label means putting your label on an existing generic style. The two are explained in our private label versus white label guide.
What are the customs arrangements for the US?
Check your local import requirements. We prepare the commercial invoice and packing list for every shipment, quote shipping per order and provide tracking.
How do we pay?
By bank transfer or Wise, against an official quotation or invoice. We do not take card payments. You can check our business verification before you pay.
Read Before You Order.
How To Order Custom Team Uniforms For A Club Or School
A practical plan for collecting the roster, locking colours and logos, and counting back from your first fixture so the kits arrive before the season does.
Read More →
Shipping Custom Sportswear From Pakistan To The USA, UK And Canada
Air or sea, courier or freight, who pays the duty and which papers travel with the parcel, for buyers receiving a custom order from Pakistan.
Read More →
Custom Sportswear Samples: What To Expect
Why to sample before bulk, what to send, how long it takes, how the sample fee credit works, and how to give feedback.
Read More →