Common Garment Defects: Classes, Causes and Prevention

Key takeaways

A broken needle, a hood drawstring on a child's jacket, a snap that pulls off and a sharp trim are critical defects. One fails the lot.
Most major defects start before sewing: fabric shade lots, shrinkage, off-grain cutting and uncured print.
Measurements are judged against your size chart and tolerance, not a general one. Send both before the visit.
Hand embroidery is often done outside the factory, where needle control is hardest. Ask where each step is done.

How to use this defect library

The tables group defects by the stage where they start: fabric, cutting and fit, sewing, trims, decoration, and labels and packing. Each row gives where the defect shows, how an inspector finds it, the class it is usually given and how the factory can prevent it.

A critical defect could injure the wearer or breaks a legal rule. A major defect is likely to cause a return. A minor defect is visible but does not stop the sale. A common plan is zero critical, AQL 2.5 major and AQL 4.0 minor at general level II; some buyers set tighter limits for children's wear. Your defect list decides the final class; see AQL sampling explained and garment inspection.

Fabric defects

Defect	Where it shows	How it is found	Usual class	How to prevent it
Hole or dropped stitch	Body of knit tops	Garment checked on a light table, front and back	Major	Inspect fabric before cutting
Barre stripes	Across the body of knits	Viewed at arm's length under even light	Major	One yarn lot per fabric roll
Shade difference between panels	Sleeve against body, top against bottom of a set	Panels compared side by side under the same light	Major	Shade-sort rolls; cut a garment from one roll
Fabric lighter or sheerer than approved	Whole garment	Compared with the approved swatch; weight checked	Major	Check bulk fabric before cutting
Wrong fibre	Scarves, stoles, ethnic wear	Hand feel and label; lab confirms	Major	Fabric test report tied to the bulk lot
Slubs, thick yarn, small weaving faults	Woven fabric, often handloom	Visual	Minor or major by size and place	Agree limits for handloom character

Fabric rolls are checked before cutting with the four-point system. Fabric weight is set as GSM; shade lots as a shade band.

Cutting, fit and measurement defects

Defect	Where it shows	How it is found	Usual class	How to prevent it
Measurement out of tolerance	Chest, length, waist, inseam, sleeve	Each point on the size chart, several pieces per size	Major	Graded patterns checked; pre-shrink fabric
Side-seam or leg twist	T-shirts, jeans	Garment laid flat; checked after a wash where agreed	Major	Correct fabric skew; cut on grain
Garment shorter after pressing	Viscose dresses and kaftans	Length measured against the chart	Major	Relax and pre-shrink rayon before cutting
Stripes or checks not matched	Placket, pocket, side seams of woven shirts	Visual at seams	Major	Cut in single layers or match the lay
Pieces of a set in different sizes	Nightwear, kurta sets	Labels and measurements of every piece	Major	Pair and pack by size bundle

Send the size chart with a tolerance for each point of measure. Without one, the inspector can record measurements but cannot judge them. Shrinkage hides behind many fit complaints: a cotton or viscose garment that measures right off the line can lose length in the first wash, so ask for a wash test on the first finished pieces.

Sewing and workmanship defects

Defect	Where it shows	How it is found	Usual class	How to prevent it
Open seam or broken stitch	Side seams, crotch, armholes	Seams stretched gently by hand	Major	Thread tension checks; inline inspection
Seam slippage	Viscose and loose weaves	Seam pulled gently across	Major	Wider seam allowance; more stitches per inch
Collar fusing bubbles	Collars and cuffs	Visual and touch	Major	Correct press settings and interlining
Slit torn or not reinforced	Kurta slits, plackets	Visual; slit top pulled lightly	Major	Bartack or facing at the slit top
Wavy neck rib, uneven hem	Necklines, hems	Visual	Minor or major by severity	Even tension when attaching rib
Untrimmed threads, slight inside pucker	Inside seams, hems	Visual	Minor	Thread trimming station before pressing

Trims, print, embroidery and safety

Defect	Where it shows	How it is found	Usual class	How to prevent it
Broken needle, pin or metal fragment	Any garment; hand embroidery is high risk	Hand check; metal detector where required; needle log reviewed	Critical	Needle control policy; detector before packing
Hood or neck drawstring on children's upper outerwear	Children's jackets and knitwear	Design checked against the size range	Critical	Safety review of every children's style
Snap or button comes off in the pull test	Babywear and children's clothing	Pull test on each trim type	Critical	Correct setting pressure; enough fabric layers
Shank button or rivet pulls off	Jeans waistbands and pockets	Pull test	Major	Right die and trim length for the fabric
Print cracking or peeling	Chest prints on knits	Print stretched by hand	Major	Full curing; ink suited to stretch fabric
Dye or thread bleeding	Dupatta onto kurta, embroidery floss	Wet white cloth rub	Major	Fix and wash off dyes; tested floss
Loose sequins, beads or metal work	Embroidered garments	Pull with fingers; back of the work checked	Major, critical on children's wear	Lock stitches; knot behind each bead
Tracing ink still visible	Embroidered panels	Visual	Major	Wash after embroidery

US rules on children's drawstrings sit in 16 CFR 1120; see CPSIA and children's products. For colour fastness, see the glossary.

Labels and packing defects

Labels are legal requirements, so a missing or wrong label is often classed major, and critical where the buyer's list says so.

Fibre, origin and care labels missing, wrong or illegible. See EU textile labelling and Canada textile labelling.
Tracking labels missing on US children's products, and snug-fit hangtags missing on US children's sleepwear.
Mixed sizes or shade bands in one carton, and size ratios that do not match the packing list.
Pins left in folded shirts and scarves, and polybags without the required warnings.

To stop defects early, check bulk fabric and trims at a pre-production inspection and the first finished pieces at a during-production inspection. Garment towns include Tirupur, Ludhiana, Gurgaon, Noida and Faridabad; see Tiruppur, Noida and Delhi NCR, where we have inspectors. Book an inspection.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What are critical defects in garments?

Defects that could injure the wearer or break a legal rule: a broken needle or pin in the garment, a hood or neck drawstring on children's upper outerwear, a snap or button that pulls off a baby garment, and a sharp burr on a trim. With a zero-critical plan, one fails the lot.

Is a measurement out of tolerance major or minor?

Usually major, because the garment will not fit the size on its label. The judgement is against your size chart and tolerance. Small deviations within tolerance are recorded but are not defects.

How do inspectors check for broken needles?

They check that the factory keeps a broken-needle log, handle each sampled garment, and, where the buyer requires it, pass cartons or garments through a metal detector. Hand embroidery done outside the factory is the highest risk.

What causes side-seam twist in T-shirts?

Spirality in knitted fabric that was not corrected in finishing, or panels cut off the grain. The seam moves to the front after washing. It is classed major and is prevented at fabric finishing and cutting.

Can an inspector test colour fastness at the factory?

A wet and dry rub with a white cloth on dark shades is a screen. Graded colour fastness to washing or rubbing is measured by a lab on samples the inspector pulls and seals.

Know before it ships

Tell us the product, the factory's city and your ready date. We confirm the inspector, the notice time and the price before you book.

Book an inspection Check your city

Common defects in garments