A private-label suit brand that sells to other stores meets the same request every season: "Can we see it?" Photographs and a line sheet start the conversation; a jacket on a hanger in the buyer's hands closes it. That jacket is a salesman sample — sometimes called a sales sample or showroom sample.
Salesman samples are not the same as the sealed sample that bulk is cut against, and mixing the two up causes trouble later.
Three kinds of sample, three jobs
Sample Its job Who keeps it Fit or development sample Settles the pattern and the fit Returned with comments Sealed sample The approved reference that bulk is cut against One held by the factory, one by the brand Salesman sample Shows stockists the style, cloth and finish The brand or its sales agent, travelling
Same table as a list
Fit or development sample: settles pattern and fit; returned with comments.
Sealed sample: the approved reference bulk is cut against; one held by the factory, one by the brand.
Salesman sample: shows stockists the style, cloth and finish; kept by the brand or its sales agent, and it travels.
A salesman sample gets handled, tried on and packed into suitcases. It should never be the reference for bulk. Sealing is explained on our sample policy page.
Planning salesman samples
Seal first. Make salesman samples after the sealed sample is approved, so stores see what bulk will look like.
Pick sizes buyers can try. One or two middle sizes per style is usual; a store buyer wants to see the cut on a body, not the full run.
One set per selling route. A set for the showroom, a set for each agent who travels.
Label them clearly. Mark each piece as a salesman sample with the style number and the season.
A sample takes 7–14 days. Plan salesman samples so they reach the brand before the selling window opens — counting your own freight time on top.
From showroom to bulk
Stockists order from the line sheet during the selling window. The brand consolidates those orders into one size split per style and places bulk from 50 per style. Production then takes 14–21 days after size specs, cloth and construction are locked. Production days are not delivery days. A store that wants a size outside the run can be offered a special order — one MTM from 1 garment cut to the client, in the same cloth.
How to set store minimums and delivery windows on the line sheet is covered in line sheet for wholesale; checking graded sizes before bulk is in size set sample before bulk from 50; and a direct-to-consumer alternative is in pre-order launch, sample then bulk.
Bulk programmes are on our private label suit manufacturer page. Tell us how many selling routes you have on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 and we suggest a sample plan.
FAQ
What are Shi Yuan's order tracks and clocks? Shi Yuan Suit Factory (Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi, Tianjin, est. 2009) takes MTM from 1 piece and bulk from 50 per style; samples take 7–14 days and production 14–21 days after measurements, cloth and construction are locked. WhatsApp +65 8013 8838.
Can a salesman sample be sold afterwards? That is the brand's decision. It should not go back into bulk stock as a new garment.
Do salesman samples need my label? Yes, if stores are judging your brand. Send label artwork before the samples are made.
Can I skip the sealed sample and use a salesman sample? No. Bulk is cut against a sealed sample.
Who makes this
Shi Yuan (Suit Factory) — legal entity Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., factory at Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi District, Tianjin, Est. 2009. Our founder brings four decades in Chinese menswear manufacturing; founded Shi Yuan in 2009. acumenwear.com is the export domain for Shi Yuan Suit Factory. Order threads: WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 · houzhenying226@gmail.com. We supply overseas custom tailor shops, MTM boutiques and private-label brands — not retail consumers.
Shi Yuan Suit Factory is not affiliated with Tianjin Shiyuan Clothing Co., Ltd.
Next step: sample or inquiry
Send the styles you will show and the number of selling routes. Message us on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 with your country, monthly volume and whether this is MTM or bulk, or email houzhenying226@gmail.com. We reply with the sample route and what we still need from you.
Last checked: 2026-10-27. Figures on this page were checked against Shi Yuan's own published terms (sample policy and process pages). Anything not listed here is confirmed in writing on the order thread.
