Quality
How Apparel Quality Control Works
The stages of apparel quality control, how AQL sampling works, and what buyers should agree with their supplier before production.
Quality control in apparel is not a single inspection at the end. It is a series of checks, each designed to catch problems at the stage where they are cheapest to fix.
The five stages
- Material inspection: fabric weight, width, shade, shrinkage and defects; trims against approved samples.
- Pre-production: approved sample, colour standards, size set and materials confirmed before cutting.
- Inline inspection: workmanship and measurements checked early in sewing, when corrections are still possible.
- Final inspection: a random sample of finished, packed goods checked against the specification.
- Packing inspection: fold, polybag, labels, carton marks and quantities checked against packing instructions.
What AQL means
AQL (Acceptance Quality Limit) sampling, based on ISO 2859-1, defines how many garments to inspect from a lot and how many defects are acceptable. Buyers typically set separate limits for critical, major and minor defects — for example, zero tolerance for critical defects and tighter limits for major than minor. The exact levels are agreed per buyer and product.
What to agree before production
- The approved sample and specification
- Measurement tolerances
- Defect classification (critical, major, minor)
- Sampling levels for final inspection
- Tests required (e.g. colour fastness, shrinkage, composition)
- What happens if a lot fails
What QC cannot do
Sampling inspection reduces risk; it cannot guarantee that every piece is perfect. Its value lies in catching systematic problems early and giving you honest information before goods ship.
See our quality control process and checklist, how we select factories, or request a quote.