Three gates, one standard
A defect gets more expensive at every stage it survives. A shade miss caught at the fabric door costs a note; the same miss found in a packed carton costs rework, a slipped container and a claim conversation. Quality control in this category therefore runs as three gates - incoming fabric, in-process, and final inspection - and every gate compares the work against the same two references: the sealed sample and the spec sheet. The desk writes the gate plan into each program before the batch starts, so the plant's line inspection and the desk's checks cover the ground without doubling it.
Gate one: incoming fabric and trims
Fabric, elastics, lace, threads and hardware arrive against the approved swatch and the program's material list. Rolls are checked for shade, weight and hand; lace is checked for repeat and edge quality; elastics are stretched and released to see they come back. The certificate article for each fabric - OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for the baseline in this category - is confirmed per lot at this door, and any roll that fails goes back before it reaches the lay. Color fastness, pH and shrinkage values for the dye lots are collected here or from the order-agreed lab tests described on the testing page.
Gate two: in-process on the line
In-process checks ride the stages described on the production process page: stitch density and seam allowance at sewing, cup depth against the size set at molding, bond strength samples at bonding, and shade comparison at the light booth before anything is packed. The first article off each line is measured fully before the line runs on. Catching a drifted feed dog or a worn mold at this gate is the whole point - it is the difference between one carton and one batch.
Gate three: final inspection
Final inspection samples the finished, packed lot to an AQL plan agreed per program, and measures the items below against the sealed sample. AQL levels and lot sizes are written into the program sheet; the desk does not run one universal plan, because a hotel amenity order and a retail chain launch carry different risk appetites.
| Measured item | What it catches | Compared against |
|---|---|---|
| Band circumference | Band cut or sewn off spec; size-chart drift | Spec sheet per size |
| Cup depth and cup symmetry | Mold wear, molding temperature drift | Approved size set |
| Elastic recovery | Band and strap elastics that do not return after stretch | Sealed sample, three-cycle check |
| Color fastness | Shade change and crocking on washing and rubbing | Order-agreed test reports |
| pH value | Finishing residue on next-to-skin fabric | Order-agreed test reports |
| Seam strength | Open seams at stress points - wing attachment, strap joints | Sealed sample, pull check |
| Gusset lining | Wrong lining composition or missing lining | Material list, OEKO-TEX article |
| Workmanship sample | Skipped stitches, lace symmetry, trim placement | Sealed sample and defect list |
What happens when a lot misses
A failed lot is reworked or re-sampled; it does not ship on a promise. The inspection record names the defect, the count, the disposition - rework, sort, or reject - and the re-inspection result. Records travel with the lot, so a receiving team comparing a claim has the same document the shipment was released on. Repeat misses at the same gate move the conversation back to the plant's process, and where a pattern forms the finding lands in the shortlist note on the audit file.
What the desk does not do
The desk does not inspect by photo, does not accept a plant's word for a measured value where the program calls for a record, and does not hold certificates in its own name - fabric safety documents belong to the partner plants and are verified per project. What a buyer receives is the gate plan, the sealed sample reference, and the records listed above; what happens after delivery is the buyer's fit and care communication, which the returns reduction article covers from the brand side.
Set the gate plan for a program
Send the lines, size runs and channel through the quote form and the desk returns a gate plan and sampling proposal with the ranges that apply, confirmed in writing before the first batch; the pre-shipment inspection article covers the final gate in detail.