Garment Inspection

Garment and Textile Inspection in China: What to Check

Published October 2026 · By SSTI Inspection Team

Garments and textiles come in many sizes and colours, and every size and colour has to be checked separately. One order can contain six sizes in four colours, and the problems are often specific to one of those combinations. A pattern grading error can affect only the largest size. A dye lot can differ only in one colour. If a sample does not cover the combinations properly, an inspection can pass an order that customers will return. This guide covers what a garment and textile inspection in China should check and how to set it up.

Sample Across Sizes and Colours

The AQL sample size applies to the whole order. Within that sample, the inspector should draw units from every size and colour in proportion to the quantities, and from cartons spread across the stock. A sample of 200 pieces that is mostly size M in black says almost nothing about size XXL in white.

Write the size and colour breakdown into the checklist and ask for the packing list in advance. The inspector can then confirm the shipment quantities match the order and plan which cartons to open.

Measurement Against the Size Chart

Measurement is the check most often skipped and the one behind most fit complaints. The inspector measures sample garments flat, point by point against the buyer's size chart, and compares each reading with the stated tolerance. Typical points are chest, waist, hip, body length, sleeve length, shoulder width and inseam. The usual practice is to measure several pieces per size and colour and record every reading, not only pass or fail.

Two things make measurement results reliable. The size chart must state how each point is measured and what tolerance is acceptable; a chest measurement taken 2 cm below the armhole and one taken at the armhole are different numbers. And patterns of deviation matter more than single readings. Every XL running 3 cm short in body length is a grading error that affects every XL in the order, and it should be reported as one.

Colour, Fabric and Workmanship

Colour is compared with the approved sample or lab dip in a light box, under the light source the buyer specifies. The inspector also looks for shade differences within a single garment, where panels were cut from different rolls, and between garments in the same colour, where different dye lots were used. Fabric is checked for holes, slubs, stains, uneven dyeing and pilling, and against the specified weight and hand feel of the approved sample.

Common workmanship defects include broken or skipped stitches, open seams, puckering, uneven hems, crooked labels and pockets, mismatched stripes or checks, untrimmed threads and poorly fixed buttons and trims. Zips are run through their full length and press studs are opened and closed. Each defect is classified as critical, major or minor according to the buyer's standard. A loose thread is minor. An open seam on a visible area is usually major.

Labels and Marking

Labels are a compliance issue as well as a quality one, and they are fully checkable on site against the approved artwork. In the United States, textile products generally need a label showing fibre content, country of origin and the identity of the manufacturer or dealer, often by its FTC-registered RN number. Garments also need permanent care instructions under the FTC's care labelling rule. In the EU, fibre names and content follow the Textile Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011. The inspector checks that every label is present, permanently attached, legible, correct for the size and colour, and the same as the artwork.

The inspector cannot confirm on site that a label is true, for example that "100% cotton" really is 100% cotton. Fibre content is verified by lab testing. What the inspector can do is spot inconsistencies, such as a fabric that does not look or feel like the declared fibre, and record them for the buyer.

Children's Clothing: Drawstrings and Small Parts

Children's garments carry specific safety risks. In the United States, drawstrings at the hood and neck of children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 12 are treated as a substantial product hazard under 16 CFR part 1120. In Europe, cords and drawstrings on children's clothing are covered by EN 14682. The inspector checks the garments for any drawstrings, cords or toggles that the design and standard do not allow. Buttons, snaps and decorations are also given a pull check, because a part that comes off is a choking hazard.

Needle Control

A broken needle tip left in a garment is a serious defect, and buyers selling into some markets, Japan in particular, often require metal detection. The inspector checks whether the factory has a needle control procedure, such as recording and replacing broken needles. Where the buyer requires it, the inspector also confirms that finished garments pass through a calibrated needle detector, and tests the detector with a reference piece before relying on it.

What Needs a Lab

When to Inspect

For a new style or a new factory, an inline or during-production inspection after cutting and the first sewn pieces finds fit, grading and shade problems while the rest of the fabric is still uncut. A pre-shipment inspection is then carried out on finished, packed goods. Carton marks, assortment per carton and folding are covered in our guide to packaging and carton mark inspection.

For new styles, SSTI’s production follow-up catches fit and shade problems while most of the fabric is still uncut.

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