Sampling of garments is given great emphasis. It determines the approval of future orders from buyers and fetches business for a garment manufacturing or export company. Sampling is one of key elements of the pre-production processes in a garment industry. Before a manufacturer produces bulk orders, a prior sampling of styles is done to get approvals and jumpstart the fabrication of garments.

Sampling is not just for buyers, but the manufacturers can also derive estimates of yarn consumption for development of fabric, dyeing, printing, and stitching cost for a particular style or pattern given by the buyer. Companies can have a separate sampling department or a merchandiser, who works closely with the sampling section to source raw materials, and processes for developing a quality product for an affordable price.

There are many people who are involved directly and indirectly in the process of sampling. Designers, buyers, individuals engaged in sourcing and purchasing, production team, quality control personnel, and the costing department at different levels work closely on the sampling of garments.

There are various types of samples that are developed by manufacturers depending on the requirement of their respective buyers. The following is a list of different kinds of samples used in the garment export industry:

Promotional samples or salesmen samples are developed to procure orders from retailers. These are good quality samples, which use actual accessories and fabrics. The buyer has to pay for these kinds of samples.