First-Sample Checklist for Custom Suit Manufacturers in China
US MTM boutiques often lose a week before the sample clock even starts — not because the factory is slow, but because the handoff file is missing half the fields. At Shi Yuan Suit Factory (Baodi, Tianjin · Chengxingwang · Est. 2009), the sample window is 7–14 days after measurements and fabric are confirmed. That clock does not start on a moodboard PDF alone.
This post is a transactional handoff checklist for US custom shops preparing a first sample with a China factory. It is not retail lookbook copy. Acumenwear is our English export site; the factory brand is Shi Yuan.
Image: Measuring tape and jacket silhouette on cutting table at Shi Yuan Baodi workshop
What “first sample” means in our process
A first sample proves silhouette, construction path, and fabric behavior on your client or house block — before you commit to repeat MTM or a later bulk program. MTM programs start from 1. Bulk OEM (when you later grade a size run) starts from 50. Production after a sealed sample runs 14–21 days after written confirmation.
If you are still deciding fused vs half canvas, read suit construction first, then return here with a named construction.
Numbered first-sample handoff checklist
Use this table as the shared checklist between your shop and the factory. Columns = who owns the field.
| # | Field | Buyer sends | Factory confirms back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Client / house ID | Shop code or client initials (no passport scans) | Job number on WhatsApp |
| 2 | Measurement set | Full form or house block + ease notes | Measures logged; missing fields listed |
| 3 | Posture notes | Stoop, drop shoulder, prominent seat — written | Pattern adjustments named |
| 4 | Silhouette | Soft / classic / structured shoulder; jacket length intent | Silhouette echoed in confirm |
| 5 | Lapel & pocket | Notch/peak/shawl; flap/jetted/patch; button stance | Style board or photo brief acknowledged |
| 6 | Construction | Fused / half canvas / full canvas (named) | Construction locked on sample sheet |
| 7 | Fabric | Mill-indent code or stock code + meters | Fabric available date or indent lead noted |
| 8 | Lining / trims | Color, composition intent, button preference | Trim list for sample |
| 9 | Trouser finish | Pleat, hem, cuff, waistband, suspender buttons | Finish list locked |
| 10 | Labels | Care / brand / size — or “blank for sample” | Label plan for sample vs bulk |
| 11 | Ship-to | Boutique address + phone for courier | Incoterm / sample freight quoted |
| 12 | Approval owner | One WhatsApp name who can approve | Factory contact named |
Rows 1–8 must be green before we start the 7–14 day sample clock. Rows 9–12 can finalize in the same thread the same day — but do not leave fabric and construction blank “to decide later.”
Related: sample confirmation checklist · measurement form.
Why US boutiques stall on row 6 and 7
Two fields cause most delay:
- Construction named vaguely — “good quality canvas” is not a cut instruction. Name fused, half, or full.
- Fabric not confirmed — a photo of a swatch without a mill code or stock SKU does not reserve cloth. Mill-indent vs stock changes when the sample clock can honestly start. See mill indent vs stock.
Our sample policy page states the same rule in shorter form: measurements + fabric confirmed → sample window.
How to send the handoff on WhatsApp (US shops)
- One message with the 12-row table filled (or a PDF tech pack).
- Attach photos of existing house jackets only as silhouette reference — label which details are binding.
- Name the approval owner.
- Ask for a written confirm back listing any missing fields.
Mid-thread CTA when you are ready to start the sample:
WhatsApp first-sample checklist
What we will not do on a first sample
- Invent a construction when you wrote “best.”
- Start the sample clock on unfinished measures.
- Promise production dates before the sample is sealed in writing.
- Treat a trading-company style “make like this photo, any fabric” brief as production-ready.
Shi Yuan is a founder-led suit factory, not a desk that forwards briefs. For how we work with overseas MTM boutiques, see how we work and the made to measure capability page.
After the sample arrives
- Fit on the intended client or house model.
- Photo protocol if remote — see our fit-photo post when published, or send front / side / back / underarm with notes.
- Written seal or written change list.
- Only then ask for production (14–21 days after written confirmation) or the next MTM from 1.
For process overview: process.
Common US boutique questions
Can the first sample be MTM from 1? Yes. That is the normal path for custom shops.
Can we later turn a sealed MTM into a graded bulk from 50? Yes, with a size chart and written grade rule — separate from the individual MTM seal. See size-run grading.
Do you need a visit before first sample? No. Many US partners start remote. See remote partnership.
Bottom line
A first sample is a procurement document as much as a garment. Fill the 12-row checklist, lock fabric and construction, then the 7–14 day window is meaningful. Shi Yuan Suit Factory · Baodi, Tianjin · Chengxingwang · Est. 2009 · WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 · houzhenying226@gmail.com
Ready to start?
Send the checklist fields (country, MTM sample, monthly volume estimate, fabric path) on WhatsApp:
Or email houzhenying226@gmail.com.
Acumenwear (acumenwear.com) is the English export site for Shi Yuan Suit Factory. Start with one sample — then seal in writing.
