Measurement checking means laying a garment flat on a table, measuring each point listed on the spec sheet with a tape, and comparing the result with the target and tolerance for that size. It is done on a small sample of garments per size, drawn at random, rather than on every piece. A garment is out of specification if any point falls outside its tolerance, and the proportion of out-of-spec garments in the sample tells you whether the lot has a fit problem.
The spec sheet is the contract. It should list each point of measure, the target value for each size, the plus and minus tolerance, and a diagram showing exactly where and how each point is taken. Without the diagram, two people will measure a chest width in two different ways and both will believe they are right.
Setting up the check
- Use a flat, smooth table large enough for the biggest garment, and let the garment relax for a minute after unpacking.
- Lay the garment flat without stretching it, with seams aligned and buttons or zips closed.
- Use a fibreglass or steel tape, not a cloth tape, and measure in the unit the spec sheet uses.
- Measure a sample of typically two to five garments per size per colour, picked from different cartons.
- Record every measurement in a table, not only the ones that look wrong.
Common points of measure
For tops the usual points are chest width at a fixed distance below the armhole, body length from the high point of the shoulder, shoulder width, sleeve length, armhole depth, cuff width and hem width. For trousers and skirts they are waist relaxed and extended, hip, front and back rise, thigh, inseam, outseam and leg opening. Knitted garments usually carry wider tolerances than woven ones because the fabric moves.
Tolerances vary with the point. A chest or waist typically carries a tolerance of around one centimetre on fitted garments and a little more on loose ones, while lengths carry a touch more. A spec sheet with no tolerances should be sent back to whoever wrote it before production starts.
Reading the results
Look for patterns rather than single readings. If every garment in a size is short in the body by the same amount, the pattern or the shrinkage allowance is wrong and every piece in that size is affected. If readings scatter above and below the target, the problem is sewing consistency and the factory needs to tighten its line.
Measurements should be checked at three stages: on the approved pre-production sample, at the first inline inspection when the first garments are complete, and at final inspection on the packed goods. Fabric shrinkage during washing or pressing can move a garment out of specification between the first and last stage, so the final check is not optional.
Share the measurement table with the factory the same day. Factories can often correct a pressing or hemming issue quickly, but only if they are told while the line is still running.
How Creston & Co helps
We measure against your spec sheet at sample stage, inline and at final inspection, and send you the full table with photographs rather than a summary. Approved samples are sealed so that every measurement check uses the same reference. If your spec sheet needs tolerances or diagrams added before an order starts, a free 20-minute sourcing review is a good place to begin.