Wash the loungewear sample before you approve it. A loungewear sample quality check that skips washing misses the two things customers notice first, how the fabric feels after a few washes and whether the set still fits, so measure before and after, and judge the softness after the wash rather than straight from the bag.
The checks below run in the order we suggest: fabric first, then washing, then construction, then fit and branding.
Fabric: feel, weight and colour
Start with the sample in your hands.
- Feel. Cotton jersey should feel light and cool. French terry should have a smooth face and soft, even loops on the back. Modal blend should feel smooth and drape softly with a slight sheen.
- Weight. Compare it with the fabric you chose. A French terry sweatshirt should feel substantial; a jersey top should not feel thin enough to see through.
- Colour. Check it in daylight and indoors. If you ordered a set, lay the top and bottom side by side: they should match.
- Surface. Look for marks, uneven dye, holes, pilling or pulled loops.
Colour match between top and bottom deserves extra care when they are ordered as separate styles, because they are cut separately. Ask about it if they look different.
Check the inside as well as the outside. On French terry, the loops on the back should be even and unbroken. On jersey and modal, the reverse should be clean, with no knots or thick patches. These are the parts that touch the skin.
Washing and shrinkage
Knits can relax, settle or shrink in the wash. The only way to know how your sample behaves is to wash it the way your customer will.
- Measure the sample before washing: chest width, body length and sleeve on the top; waist, hip, inside leg and leg opening on the pants.
- Wash it following the care label you plan to use.
- Dry it as the care label says.
- Measure again, at the same points.
- Note any change, and how the fabric feels and looks.
Look for twisting of side seams, which shows as a seam moving round towards the front. Check that the neckline still lies flat and that cuffs and waistband have kept their shape. French terry should keep its shape at cuffs and waistbands, and modal blend should still drape smoothly after a gentle wash.
If the sample changes more than you expect, raise it before approval. It is far easier to adjust then than after bulk production.
Seams, waistbands and finishing
Turn the pieces inside out and look closely.
| Area | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Side and shoulder seams | Straight, flat and even, no puckering |
| Neckband | Lies flat, even width, no rippling |
| Cuffs and hems | Even, secure, no twisting |
| Waistband | Even all round, elastic not twisted inside |
| Drawcord | Moves freely, ends finished, if specified |
| Pockets | Square, flat and secure, if specified |
| Threads | Trimmed, no loose ends |
The waistband matters most on lounge pants. It should hold the pants up comfortably without digging in, and stay comfortable when the wearer sits or lies down.
Fit: standing, sitting and lying down
Try the sample on a person in the size it was cut in. Loungewear is worn on sofas, in beds and on flights, so test it in those positions.
- Standing: does it hang with the intended ease? Does the top length suit the pants?
- Sitting: does the waistband dig in? Do the pants pull at the knee or seat?
- Lying down: does the top ride up? Does anything feel tight or scratchy?
- Moving: raise the arms, bend and stretch. Shoulders and sleeves should feel easy.
Check the label at the back neck now. A label that seems fine in the hand can be irritating after an hour of lounging. A printed inside-neck label avoids this.
Branding and packing
Check every brand element against what you asked for:
- neck label: position, comfort and content
- wash-care label: content and placement
- embroidery or print: size, position, colour and finish, before and after washing
- swing tag: design and how it is attached
- packing: folding, bag, stickers or set packing, if included on the sample
Labelling requirements vary by country and are confirmed at quotation, so make sure the care label carries the content you supplied.
Once you approve the sample, it becomes the reference for the full order and for our quality check. When the bulk order arrives, count it against the packing list and compare a few pieces from each carton with the sample. If anything is different, photograph it with the label visible and tell us the style, colour and size.
Request your sample
Choose a style from our white label loungewear range and tell us the fabric, colour and branding you want. The steps around sampling and ordering are in our post on ordering white label loungewear. We make the sample, you check it against this list, and the approved sample sets the standard for the whole order.