Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Sample Room • Bill of Materials • Size Set

Top Sample

Term from Apparel Manufacturing industry explained for recruiters

A Top Sample is a test garment made to show what the final product will look like before starting mass production. It's like a prototype or first model that clothing manufacturers create to check the design, fit, and quality. Fashion brands and retailers use top samples to approve designs before ordering large quantities. This term is commonly used in garment manufacturing, and you might also hear it called a "pre-production sample," "fit sample," or "approval sample." It's an essential step in clothing production that helps catch any issues with the design or construction before making thousands of pieces.

Examples in Resumes

Managed quality control for Top Sample development across 20+ clothing lines

Coordinated with overseas factories to review Top Samples and Pre-Production Samples for accuracy

Reduced Sample approval time by 30% through streamlined review process

Typical job title: "Sample Coordinators"

Also try searching for:

Sample Room Manager Production Coordinator Quality Control Specialist Garment Technologist Technical Designer Sample Developer Product Developer

Where to Find Sample Coordinators

Professional Networks

Industry Organizations

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you manage sample approval processes when working with multiple overseas factories?

Expected Answer: Should explain their experience coordinating with different time zones, handling communication challenges, maintaining quality standards, and implementing tracking systems for multiple sample streams.

Q: What steps do you take when a top sample fails quality inspection?

Expected Answer: Should discuss problem-solving approach, including identifying issues, communicating with factories, suggesting corrections, and ensuring timeline recovery while maintaining quality standards.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What are the key points you check when reviewing a top sample?

Expected Answer: Should mention checking measurements, fabric quality, construction methods, trims, labels, and comparing against original design specifications.

Q: How do you track multiple samples through the development process?

Expected Answer: Should describe systems and tools used for tracking samples, communication methods with factories, and how they maintain organized records of corrections and approvals.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is the difference between a top sample and a production sample?

Expected Answer: Should explain that a top sample is the initial approved version while production samples are made during actual production to verify consistency.

Q: How do you document sample feedback?

Expected Answer: Should describe basic documentation processes, including taking photos, making notes on measurements, and communicating changes needed to the factory.