Before requesting an activewear sample, send the factory a clear design, material references, a base size with key measurements, construction notes, branding details, and a dated list of open decisions. Explain what the first sample needs to demonstrate. Where information is missing, identify the question instead of letting a blank cell look like approval.
An activewear tech pack connects these inputs so the drawing, material list, and measurement sheet describe the same garment. This Dingao Garment guide helps brand owners, designers, and sourcing teams prepare that handoff for knitted activewear development.
Define What the First Sample Needs to Prove
Start with the style code, garment type, intended activity, target customer, and sample size. Add your contact person and document date. “High-waisted leggings for studio training” gives a clearer starting point than “premium sportswear,” but it still needs drawings and fit references.
Then write the purpose of this sample. A prototype for reviewing panel shapes may use a temporary fabric. A sample intended to assess the final fit needs a suitable material basis. Agree which decisions can be assessed now and which will remain open.
| Input to prepare | What the factory needs to understand |
|---|---|
| Design views and references | The intended garment and the details to retain or change |
| Material and trim list | What is specified, what is available, and what needs discussion |
| Base size and measurements | The fit reference and how important dimensions are defined |
| Construction and branding | How parts connect and where artwork belongs |
| Sample brief and revision | What this round should test and which files are current |
Include an estimated order quantity, target market, and requested sample review date as planning context. Ask the supplier to confirm feasibility after reviewing the information; a requested date does not establish an agreed schedule.
Preparing your first activewear sample? Tell Dingao Garment which style you are developing and which details are still open.
Send Clear Design Views and Reference Notes
Provide front and back technical views with enough detail to show panel lines, openings, pockets, and visible stitching. Add an inside view or enlarged detail where the exterior drawing leaves the construction unclear. A sports bra may need a separate explanation of its lining, underband, and strap arrangement.
Reference photos help communicate shape and appearance, but explain their role. You might want the rise of one garment and a different pocket opening. Label those decisions directly instead of sending several images with the instruction “combine these.” Use references you are entitled to share and avoid copying another brand’s identifying artwork.
If you are supplying a reference garment, record its size, condition, and the details that matter. Identify anything you want changed. A worn waistband or stretched opening should not silently become the target for a new sample.
Give details stable names. If the sketch calls a component the “outer waistband,” use that name in the material list and construction notes. This makes questions easier to locate when several people are reviewing the files.
Identify Fabrics, Trims and Open Sourcing Questions
A bill of materials, or BOM, lists the materials and components used in the style. Separate the main body fabric from contrast panels, lining, elastic, thread, labels, and other trims relevant to your design. Connect each entry to its location on the drawing.
For a nominated fabric, provide the supplier or swatch reference and the information you actually have: composition, construction, weight, color reference, and relevant finish. Keep unknown fields open. A product photo cannot establish these properties, and a fabric trade name alone may not identify the exact article.
If the factory is being asked to suggest options, state the intended use and your priorities. Explain whether surface feel, coverage, support, color, or another requirement is central to the project. Separate requirements you have already approved from preferences that can be discussed.
Treat descriptions such as “four-way stretch” as a starting point for discussion. Direction, recovery, material condition, and the assessment method affect how a result should be interpreted. Agree a suitable method and acceptance criteria for the intended use rather than inserting an unsupported stretch percentage.
Record substitutions explicitly. If the first prototype uses an available fabric, identify it and list which conclusions must wait for the intended material. A substitute sample may help discuss construction while leaving final fit, opacity, and recovery unresolved.
Set the Base Size and Fit References
Specify the size system and the base size to be sampled. Keep the intended wearer’s body measurements separate from finished garment measurements. A flat waistband width, a waist circumference, and a recommended consumer size are different pieces of information.
For each important point of measure, or POM, provide a name, measuring path, unit, and garment condition. Identify whether an elastic area is measured relaxed or under an agreed condition. Add a diagram when the start or end point could be misunderstood.
Select measurements around the garment’s design. Leggings may require attention to rise, inseam, waistband height, and opening widths. A sports bra raises different questions about underband position, coverage, and straps. These examples are prompts for developing your own sheet, not a complete specification for every style.
Explain the intended fit and activity alongside the numbers. Do not copy measurements from a garment made in a different fabric and assume they will produce the same fit. Record proposed tolerances and unresolved targets for agreement; there is no single negative-ease percentage suitable for every activewear design.
Have a fabric reference or a fit requirement to discuss? Describe your base size, intended activity and open questions to Dingao Garment.
Explain Construction and Branding Details
Show how important parts connect. For leggings, a waistband detail can identify the outer and inner layers, seam position, and whether a separate elastic component is intended. If the construction is undecided, mark it as a question rather than drawing one arrangement and describing another.
For a sports bra, explain the intended underband, lining, and strap arrangement without assuming a particular support result. Ask which construction options can be discussed for the project. The suitability of a seam or component depends on the material, design, and proposed use.
Provide artwork separately from the garment sketch. State its intended dimensions, orientation, color reference, and placement measured from identifiable garment features. If a decoration process has not been agreed, label it accordingly. A logo shown on a mockup does not confirm its production method or durability.
Keep care and composition label content tied to verified material information and the target market. If final wording is not ready for the first prototype, record who will supply it and when it becomes necessary. Do not copy declarations from a reference garment.
Separate Fixed Decisions from Items to Discuss
Use a short decision list with an owner and a next action. “To be confirmed” is useful only when the team knows who should resolve it and whether sampling can proceed meanwhile. Ask the factory to identify conflicts before treating the package as ready to use.
| Decision status | Example and next action |
|---|---|
| Brand direction established | Studio leggings with a high waistband; brand supplies the annotated design reference |
| Supplier discussion needed | Inner waistband material remains open; compare proposed options before confirming the sample basis |
| Later-stage detail | Full size grading is planned after the base fit review, unless this sample round requires a size set |
Timing depends on the project. Packaging may be secondary for a fit prototype but essential if the sample is also for a buyer presentation. Likewise, a size-set review needs more information than a single base-size prototype. Record these differences in the brief instead of applying one universal readiness checklist.
Run a Final Cross-File Check Before Sending
Consider this simplified activewear tech pack example: style AW-01 is a pair of leggings with an outer waistband and an inner waistband layer. The example illustrates document coordination; it does not specify a production-ready garment.
On the drawing, detail W1 identifies the waistband assembly. In the BOM, material entries F1 and F2 identify its outer and inner layers. In the measurement sheet, P1 identifies finished waistband height and points to its measuring diagram. These codes describe different things, so the relationship between them must be stated explicitly.
Suppose the inner material is still undecided. The decision list should name F2, identify who will review the proposed option, and state how the choice affects this sample round. It should not show “approved” in the BOM while remaining open in the email.
Before sending the package, check it in this order:
- Confirm that every document uses the same style code, base size, and current revision.
- Match component names and callouts across drawings, materials, and measurements.
- Check that units, measuring conditions, and artwork placement references are explicit.
- Remove superseded files from the current handoff folder while retaining your revision archive.
- List open decisions, their owners, and any limits on what the sample can demonstrate.
Add a short change log stating what changed and why. If only the waistband detail changed, say so rather than asking the recipient to compare every page. Ask the supplier to acknowledge the current revision and raise unresolved questions before work starts.
Dingao Garment works in custom knitted apparel and activewear. When discussing a project, explain the style, available references, and development questions first. Specific materials, construction, quantities, and timing need to be reviewed for that project.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I start with reference photos instead of a complete tech pack?
Photos can start a discussion, especially when you explain what should stay and what should change. List missing measurements, material information, and construction decisions. Ask what additional information is needed for the proposed sample; photos alone do not establish a complete manufacturing specification.
2. Do I need full grading before the first sample?
For a base-size fit prototype, the immediate priority may be an agreed base size and clear measurement methods. A size-set review needs grading information. State the purpose of the sample round and agree when the size-range specification must be completed.
3. What if the final fabric is not available?
Identify the proposed substitute and discuss what can reasonably be assessed with it. Record which checks must be repeated in the intended material. Do not treat approval of a temporary-fabric prototype as confirmation of final fit or performance.
4. Should I put a stretch percentage in the tech pack?
Include a result only with enough context to interpret it, including direction and the relevant method or conditions. If you do not have that information, explain the intended use and ask how the requirement should be specified. Avoid an unsupported number presented as a universal target.
5. Which file formats should I send?
A readable PDF can keep the review copy together, with an editable measurement or BOM sheet where needed. Supply suitable artwork files separately and agree acceptable formats with the recipient. Use a clear file list and revision date so attachments cannot be mistaken for different versions.
Ready to discuss sampling? Share your style, estimated quantity, target market and open decisions. Mention the files you have available so sharing can be arranged during follow-up.
