Sampling and fit.
First fit, second fit, sign-off. The garment is not cut at scale until you have a sample you would be proud to ship.
This is where most projects either succeed or fall apart, and we take the time to get it right.
Service 02 · sampling + fit
Bench-sewn
The fit is the whole job.
A sample is a literal physical object that you can hold, photograph, send to friends for feedback, and take notes on. It is the moment the design stops being theoretical and becomes something you can adjust. We build the first sample to the tech pack we wrote together. You wear it, or put it on your fit model, and we go through it together, sleeve length, body length, neckline depth, fabric drape, button placement, every decision that mattered when we wrote the tech pack and a few that didn't.
Then we build a second sample with your adjustments. This is the version we expect production to match. We do not move into production until you sign off on a sample you are happy to put your label on.
First sample.
Built to the tech pack we wrote together. Same fabric and hardware as production.
Fit session.
In person or by video. Every adjustment recorded with notes and measurements.
Second sample.
With your adjustments applied. This is the version we cut production from.
Sign-off protocol.
Once you say yes, the second sample becomes the production reference. Every piece in the run gets compared back to it.
The work in three phases.
About two to three weeks from tech-pack hand-off to a signed-off sample. Most of that time is bench work.
First sample.
The first sample is sewn to the tech pack. We do not adjust anything yet. The point is to give you a faithful first version so you can see what the spec actually produces. We photograph it from multiple angles before it leaves the atelier.
5 to 7 business daysFit review.
A fit session, in person at the atelier or by video with a model on your end. We go through every decision, take notes, mark adjustments on the sample with chalk and tape. Most fit sessions take about ninety minutes.
1 business daySecond sample.
A second sample is sewn with every adjustment from the fit session. We send it to you. If we got it right, you sign off and we move into production. If not, we build a third, usually included, sometimes quoted separately if the design has changed substantively.
4 to 5 business daysWhat gets delivered.
At the end of the sampling phase
A first sample.
Built to the tech pack, photographed, posted to you.
Fit notes.
Annotated photographs, measurements, and decisions from the fit session.
A second sample.
With your adjustments applied. The reference for production.
Updated tech pack.
Every adjustment recorded back into the spec.
Sign-off protocol.
A documented agreement that the second sample is the production reference.
Production green-light.
The atelier moves into cutting at scale, with the signed-off sample on the wall.
Common questions.
How many sample rounds?
Most projects need two. Some need three. Very occasionally a fourth if the design has changed substantively between rounds. The first two are included in the fee; additional rounds are quoted at the cost of materials and labor only. For why sampling inside the factory that will sew your run matters, see our clothing sample maker page.
Do I have to come to Paris?
No. Most fit sessions are done by video with a model on your end. Coming to the atelier helps for couture and bespoke work, but for standard production we do this remotely all the time.
What if the sample is wrong?
If the first sample doesn't match the tech pack, wrong fabric, wrong measurements, construction errors, we redo it at our cost. If you change your mind about the design after seeing the first sample, that becomes a paid revision because we are now making a different piece. We discuss this honestly when it happens.
Can I get extra samples later?
Yes. After production runs, you can order additional samples in different colorways, fabrics, or sizes at unit cost plus a small handling fee.
Ready to start a project?
Five lines about what you want made. The founder writes back in two business days with a fixed quote.