
The secret of many successful clothing brands in the world today is the practice of clothing inspection in quality control. This is because what defines high-quality clothing for most people is how well it fits, the quality of the fabric, how it is sewn, how long it lasts, and most importantly the absence of visible defects or irregularities. The aesthetic appeal and economic position of consumers may vary from person to person but beyond this point, many consumers are simply searching for value in clothing.
In the fashion industry where end-users are quality-minded, success is most assured when your product meets your customer expectation.
Read on to find out all you need to know about clothing inspection in quality control and its importance to your brand.
What does Clothing Inspection in Quality Control mean to the Retailer?
Regarding quality control for retail, clothing inspection is the visual examination of finished apparel in relation to certain standards, requirements, or specifications. It is a systematic observation of clothing to decide whether it meets the color, design, hand feel, and other specific qualities laid down by the customers.
The inspection involves sorting good from bad and provides reliable information about the quality level of products being sold.
Retail clothing businesses are quite distinct from others in that it involves the selling of already-produced goods.
Because of the complexity of the supply chain process, product recall and returns have become major problems. Retailers, therefore, need to be confident that the clothing or apparel they deliver meets consumer expectations and quality standards.
How does Clothing Inspection Work?
Clothing inspection relies on visual inspection of the product to ensure it meets the production requirements. Oftentimes, the apparel is laid out flat in a well-lit room allowing the inspectors to check the color, size, and quality. It also involves manual and automated screenings for irregularities and defects.
Common defects with clothing or fabrics include knots, holes, stains, and colored flecks. Clothing inspections are conducted multiple times to swiftly identify and resolve issues.
Inspectors of quality control adopt the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) standards and perform several tests to categorize the quality levels of clothing.
Importance of Clothing Inspection for Retailers
From consumers’ viewpoint, the quality of clothing goes beyond just fitting the labeled size. In addition to having pleasing aesthetics, good quality clothes are free from defects such as open seams, misaligned buttons and buttonholes, stains, unrimmed threads, and other garment defects.
The goal of clothing inspection is to detect defects and verify their conformity and appearance with the customers’ specifications/descriptions. It also provides the opportunity to correct defects before the products get to the customers.
As a retailer, clothing inspection can help your business in the following ways:
- Clothing supplied to customers meets their standards and makes them happy. This leads to fewer customer returns and recalls.
- Minimizing the time and money that will be spent in correcting the issues that arise from selling defective products.
- Minimizing rejected garments due to fabric defects.
- Fabric and workmanship inspection ensures things are fitted rightly and properly. This contributes to the efficiency and timely delivery of products to customers.
- Better quality means increased product demand and higher profit.
- Quality control pushes factories to improve the quality of their workmanship because of the pressure of inspection and product rejections.
A third-party inspection is the independent evaluation of your products for quality control purposes. The principle of this evaluation is the early detection of defects, determining the cause, and providing feedback on this information, ultimately resulting in only good quality products being sent out to consumers.
To sell apparel products of good quality, you need a trusted third-party inspection company. Take a look at some of the benefits it offers your brand.
Impartial Inspectors
One of the surest ways to get accurate reports is by hiring third-party inspectors. They have no affiliation with you or your company and so are more likely to give you an accurate picture of the quality of your goods on ground.
Qualified Inspectors
When it comes to clothing inspections, third-party inspection companies have the right training and qualification. Some agencies like EC that specialize in the textile industry understand what to look for during the inspection process. There are higher chances of a more efficient and faster inspection process when professionals handle it.
Satisfied Customers and Increased Sales
Proper clothing inspection is no doubt the defining factor in ensuring that good quality clothing is what is being delivered to the end-users. Selling defective clothing to customers sends a signal of unreliability and can cause customers to find more reliable retailers elsewhere. Third-party inspectors ensure that you consistently supply excellent quality clothing which boosts your reputation and leads to repeat orders from happy and satisfied customers.
How EC Can Help
EC provides customized inspection services according to customer requirements. We use the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) standard to define the level of product defect and acceptable ranges for a wide range of apparel. Some of the procedures involved in EC clothing inspection in quality control include:
- Fabric Check: This involves special tests and assessment of hand feel, weight, print, and fabric quality standards.
- Workmanship Inspection: This is the inspection for stitching, taping, seaming, garment inner shading, assembling, washing, pressing, and printing defects
- Functionality Testing: Testing of zippers, buttons, rivets, fasteners, attachments, embellishments, and any other functional components.
- Garment Labeling: EC ensures that garment labels are attached in the right place and contain all necessary information including the registered identification number and country of origin.
Conclusion
Quality control plays a vital part in ensuring that customers can get flawless finished products from fashion brands. If a product has defects from the manufacturers, both the retailers and end-user will be at risk later.
With the help of EC inspection services, you can earn the trust of your customers.
We work hand-in-hand with our clients to identify issues with quality before sales or distribution to prevent delays, unexpected expenses, and risks to brand reputation.
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