5 WAYS GARMENT QUALITY IS TESTED DURING ON-SITE INSPECTIONS

John Steve
Nov 5 · 7 min read

Garments are perhaps one of the products that are constantly in use by customers in one way or another- they’re also one of the most frequently bought items as a present or perhaps as an impulsive, unplanned purchase. One of the foremost aspects that make your garment stand out among the rest, in addition to design, is the quality; the quality of the garment ensures its comfort and durability.

Therefore, ensuring that garments are made in accordance to a set quality standard is perhaps the most important aspect for an importer- and the best way to ensure that these standards are met is through on-site garment inspection which ensures that the final product received by the importer is one that meets with both the customer’s and the business’s expectations.

However, due to differences in production techniques employed by garment manufacturers all around the world, many importers are uncertain as to the ways to go about on-site product inspection that would yield effective results.

Explained below are the top 5 ways through which garment importers can be sure that their products meet the desired quality standards through on-site inspection:

1. The Crocking Test

The crocking test is perhaps one of the simplest, yet effective methods of checking the quality standards of the garment. This test ensures that the colors used in the garment are of good quality so as to prevent bleeding or transfer of color during use. The crocking test can be further divided into two classes: the wet crocking test and the dry crocking test, both of which use a similar method with the difference of a wet white cloth used in the wet crocking test as compared to a dry piece of cloth in the dry crocking test.

An Effective Crocking test can be carried out by following the steps given below:

· Select an appropriate cloth: the cloth should ideally be white in color and completely plain so as to show any color transfer from the garment visibly. For the wet crocking test, use a damp piece of cloth. Remember to use damp and not soaking wet.

· Examine the garment that is to be inspected: depending upon the type of garment, you may need to check each fabric used in the garment. If there are any logos or labels, repeat the crocking test on each part.

· Rub the piece of cloth with each fabric or design present in the garment: it is ideally suggested to rub the white cloth (damp and wet) about 20 times back and forth and check for any color transfer.

2. Checking the Garment with a Metal Detector

Many of us may not see an immediate relevance of using a metal detector on a garment; however, on several occasions workers may mistakenly leave objects such as needles or staple pins that may cause serious damage to the skin if not found before use. If any metal object is found inside a shipment of a garment, authorities reserve the right to reject the entire order of clothing. Therefore it is necessary that garments be checked for any such objects.

Most large scale factories already possess a metal detector, and the batch of garments will be thoroughly for the presence of any metal, not just a sample of 2–3 units. Keep in mind that this test is only viable for garments that do not have any metal components on to them such as metal buttons or zippers, because then the metal detector would be unable to identify any harmful objects left in the garment mistakenly.

The following steps contain a simple Guideline to check Garments for the Presence of any Unwanted Metal:

· Examine the machine to make sure it is working properly- make sure the detector is calibrated properly.

· Transport the garments to an area near the metal detector.

· Run each piece through the machine, one at a time. Do not run several pieces of clothing together as it would then be difficult to identify which garment is defected.

· Listen to the machine: the machine would make a sound in case any metal is detected in the garments. The machine will usually make a beeping sound while the garment passes through it and a very distinctive warning sound if any metal is detected inside the garments.

3. Check the Colors of the Garment through a Lightbox

It is typically noticed that the color of a garment looks different depending upon the light in which it is viewed- especially compared to indoor white lights and the sunlight. So then how do inspectors check whether the final color of the garment conforms to the specifications of the importer or not? They can do this by making use of a lightbox that shows the true colors of fabric by blocking out any external sources of light so that the inspector can clearly see any difference in the shade of the garments.

Many garment factories already have a lightbox to inspect garment colors, which is why a lightbox is not among the tools that a third-party inspection team would bring along to the site. However, if a lightbox in unavailable at the garment factory, then inspectors can make use of a Pantone color swatch under adequate lighting to check the colors of the fabric fairly accurately.

The steps used to Check Garment Color through a Lightbox are as follows:

· Check the availability and working condition of the lightbox to determine whether it is usable for the test or not.

· Put one piece of clothing from a sample inside the lightbox whose color you wish to examine and another from the mass-produced garments for comparison.

· Carefully compare the two garments and look for any color differences. If the two garments appear to have the same color then the mass-produced garments are meeting the required standard and are all set to enter the market.

4. The Seam Strength Test

The seam strength test is a vital measure of quality for garment manufacturers and importers. If a piece of cloth has poorly sewn seams then it is not likely to be durable, which would mean a high number of customers returning the products and possibly not buying again from the brand. For this reason, it is essential that the importer make sure that the seams of the garment are properly in place on each piece of clothing.

To make sure that the Garment has secure and Durable Seams, follow the steps given below:

· Stretch the garment along any seams, edges or openings to see if the shape of the garment is altered in any way. The stretch should be of a normal force and the garment should be examined for any issues in the garment such as the stitching tearing up or holes made in the binding. If the inspector spots any skipped or damaged stitches, then the garment would fail to pass this test.

· The inspector should pull on the trimmings and check if they are secure. These trimmings might include items such as sequins or beadings that might be loosened up after pulling. If all the trimmings remain in place after being pulled, then it means that the garment passes this test and is secure to be worn repeatedly.

5. The Density of Stitches

To check for the density of stitches in the garment, examine the number of stitches per inch check on the garment. The more the number of stitches, the higher is the expected durability and quality of the garment; whereas a garment with a lesser number of stitches per inch implies weaker stitching and overall poorer quality.

As an importer of garments, you might have already specified the average number of stitches per inch that is expected of the garment, as well as the minimum tolerance or margin of error.

Hence the test can be carried out in a fairly straightforward manner:

· Lay out the garment on a flat even surface under adequate lighting

· Use a tape measure to mark one inch on the garment where you wish to count the number of stitches

· Count the stitches on that segment

· Compare the number of stitches against the value presented in the spec sheet, keeping the margin of error in mind. If the number coincides that given, then the garment passes this test.

Conclusion

As mentioned above, the quality of garments is what determines the satisfaction of the customers- a vital aspect for any business hoping to stay in the market. If you as an importer cannot make sure that your garments are up to mark, then you risk the potential loss of sales through returns of your garments. The tests outlined in this post are simple enough to be carried out quickly and without incurring high additional costs. If your garment is able to pass all the tests given above then unsatisfactory quality will most probably not be a reason for the loss of sales for your business.

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