Sample cost is a gate purchase: production-intent fabric and construction, measured fit notes, then PPS. It is not a free marketing swatch rack.
Published commercial policy
US$50–100 per garment piece · 7–9 working days on library bases. Sample fees may be credited after the bulk production order is confirmed. Courier is not credited. This is one published range — not an old price and a new price, and not a second “from $xx” exception. Where a style lands is confirmed in writing before you book. MOQ ladder (separate topic): garment MOQ guide.
Entry: Private label Buyer Desk · fabric: Fabric Selector.
What moves the fee inside US$50–100
Construction and fabric complexity — not category marketing names. Export desk quotes the band on the brief, not a website average.
- Lower end — library pull, single piece, stocked named base, standard seams
- Mid-band — pockets, built-in bras, liners, pleats; two-piece sets billed as two garment pieces (each still inside the same range)
- Upper end — swim hardware, bonding, exclusive mill, complex trims. Custom patterns, prints and mill development are quoted separately
What you are paying for
- Named-base or approved custom fabric pull
- Cut-and-sew on the Dongguan floor (not a trading desk mock)
- Fit / coverage notes before PPS
- Programme-specific gates (squat opacity, chlorine, pads, liners)
Category notes
- Yoga / tennis on stocked named bases — usually mid-band timing
- Swim — hardware / chlorine gates; bulk often 30–40 days after PPS (swim sample process)
- Knit — yarn booking may gate exclusive colours