A first sample review is the moment you stop guessing and start measuring. Fit, construction, fabric behavior, finishing — all read against the tech pack with a clear-eyed account of what's working, what's off-spec, and what to revise before round two.

The job is to read the data, not panic at it. First samples almost never come back perfect. The work isn't to react to every gap; it's to know which gaps matter, which are factory choices we can accept, and which need to change.

What it includes

Measuring the sample against the spec at every point of measure. Photographing it on a body or form. Documenting fit issues, construction errors, and fabric behavior. Producing a comment sheet in plain language the factory can act on — paired with a revised tech pack if changes warrant it.

Why it matters

A founder who sends emotional notes to a factory gets emotional samples back. A clear comment sheet — written in the language factories use — is what separates the founders who land a clean second sample from the founders who circle the first one for months.