Textile quality control: what to check when importing clothing from China

Textiles are one of the most imported products from China and, at the same time, one of the most sensitive to quality problems. A garment involves fabric, making-up, dyeing, accessories and sizing, and each one can fail. These are the key points an textile inspection must cover.

Fabric and weight (GSM)

The weight (grams per square metre, GSM) determines the weight and feel of the fabric. It must match the specification and the approved sample; the usual tolerance is ±3% unless another has been agreed. A lower weight usually means a thinner, cheaper fabric than agreed.

Seams and making-up

Seams must be well finished, with no skipped stitches, broken threads or open seams, which cause failures and holes.

• Check the strength of the seams and the absence of skipped stitches.
• Check that the topstitching is straight and finished off.
• Verify that the accessories (zips, buttons, snaps) work and hold up.

Colourfastness

The colour must not bleed or noticeably lose intensity with washing or rubbing. It is one of the defects that generates the most complaints, because it appears once the customer has already used the garment.

Dimensions and sizing

Each size must conform to the measurement chart with its tolerances. Inconsistent sizing between units of the same size is a serious problem in making-up.

Surface defects

Stains, oil residues, dirt marks, frayed fabric or unfinished edges are frequent defects. Many textile inspections use the 4-point system, which penalises fabric defects according to their severity (from 1 to 4 points).

Labelling and composition

The composition label, the washing instructions and the mandatory labelling must be correct and truthful. In the EU, textile composition information is mandatory.

With R'S WARE, these procedures are easier

Inspecting textiles requires an expert eye and knowledge of the specific tests (seam strength, colourfastness, fabric weight). At R'S WARE we carry out textile inspections on the ground with a making-up-specific checklist: we check fabric, seams, sizing, colourfastness and labelling against your golden sample, and deliver a report with photos before shipment. You import clothing with the assurance that it arrives just as you approved it.